#ThisIsWhyWeLied #NetGalley
Her best.
One toxic family. Eight suspicious guests. Everyone is guilty. But who is a killer?For GBI investigator Will Trent and medical examiner Sara Linton, McAlpine Lodge seems like the ideal getaway to celebrate their honeymoon. Set on a gorgeous, off-the-grid mountaintop property, it’s the perfect place to unplug and reconnect. Until a bone-chilling scream cuts through the night. Mercy McAlpine, the manager of the Lodge, is dead. With a vicious storm raging and the one access road to the property washed out, the murderer must be someone on the mountain. But as Will and Sara investigate the McAlpine family and the other guests, they realize that everyone here is lying….Lying about their past. Lying to their family. Lying to themselves. Who killed Mercy McAlpine?It soon becomes clear that normal rules don’t apply at McAlpine Lodge, and Will and Sara are going to have to watch their step at every turn. Trapped on the resort, they must untangle a decades-old web of secrets to discover what happened to Mercy. And with the killer poised to strike again, the trip of a lifetime becomes a race against the clock.
Karin Slaughter is getting better with Will Trent. I love this series.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Harper Fiction for giving me an advance copy.

Loved, loved, loved this book. Will and Sara are on honeymoon at a remote camp. What should be a perfect time soon turns into a nightmare when one of the owners is murdered, dying in Will's arms and the main suspect is someone from Will's past. As we are transported back in time to revisit the hours leading up to Mercy's murder, we also find out more about the demons from Will's past. As ever, Karin Slaughter kept me up very late as I couldn't bear to put the book down. Needless to say, I had to read this in two sittings!

A 'locked room' murder mystery full of gore and troubling themes that Karin Slaughter is apparently well known for including in her work. Georgia Bureau of Investigation workers, Will and Sara, are on their honeymoon at a hike-in, hike-out lodge in Atlanta. On their first night they find Mercy, lodge manager, brutally murdered. The suspects include the others guests, the lodge workers, and the owners - who also happen to be Mercy's family.

I somehow completely missed that this book is part of a series! Book 12, no less. It makes so much sense now looking back! But it's important to mention that you definitely do not need to have read the others to enjoy this. The backstory was easy to follow - though I did wonder why so much focus was given to Will's relationships with his colleagues.

Overall I enjoyed the novel. It had lots of interesting threads to follow and it featured a diverse range of complex, realistic, characters. There are some heartbreaking elements and a heck of a lot of traumatic, disturbing content. Trigger warnings include abuse, violence, sexual assault, sexual abuse, incest, and substance abuse.

Unfortunately, I guessed the ending at the beginning so I found it a little lacklustre. I also found that there was a bit of repetition, particularly when focusing on the landscape, that could have been cut. Disturbing content doesn't generally turn me off a book, but I found here there was little resolution in relation to the darkest moments, and that DID turn me off.

It's a good read and I would recommend it to those who enjoy gritty, dark, murder mysteries. If I come across another in the series, I would be happy to give it a go.

There are typos on pages 39 (hik7ers), 97 (forgenocide), 98 (your), 373 (Pippa pig).

💭 ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
WHAT A RIDE. I was instantly hooked. It takes hold of your life for a bit. At every chapter my suspicions were turned. Nothing was what it seemed. It was disturbing, thrilling and a hard to guess mystery. I loved the connection of Wil with Sara, it gave a more humanistic view to the story. That not only evil exists. If I had the time I would have easily binged this in one day, it kept pulling me back to the story.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🤓 ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Multiple POVs
Continued suspense
Edge of the seat thriller
Secluded environment
Quick read

❌ ᴛʀɪɢɢᴇʀ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴtɢ:
Sexual assault
Domestic abuse
Incest

ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ:
𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘤𝘈𝘭𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘥𝘨𝘦: 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘶𝘹𝘶𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘌𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘓𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵. 𝘓𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺. 𝘓𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴.

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘺 𝘔𝘤𝘈𝘭𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦 – 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘥𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 – 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺'𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴. 𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥. 𝘐𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘦, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰𝘯 – 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘉𝘐 – 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺𝘮𝘰𝘰𝘯. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬…

This latest instalment to the popular Will Trent series doesn’t disappoint. Great characters, old and new, intriguing plot and plenty of action.

This Is Why We Lied is the twelfth book in the Will Trent police procedural series by Karin Slaughter and although it can be read as a stand alone I recommend reading reading the previous books for the back story.
Will and Sarah have finally got married and Will has booked an amazing mountain top retreat for their honeymoon. After hearing a scream they find the owners daughter dying from multiple stab wounds.....
This is another brilliant addition to this series and like the previous books it is very well written with a richly developed plot and characters.
Highly recommend!

This is a twisty, gripping read, yet for me a tiny bit repetitive in parts. The McAlpine family run a luxury lodge, so secluded that visitors have to hike there. Will Trent and Sarah Linton, both with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, are there on honeymoon. They are soon caught up in a murder investigation when Mercy, the only half-decent member of the truly awful family, is found dead. This is an Agatha Christie-like plot with a closed circle of suspects – the murderer must have been a family member or one of the other eight guests, all of whom seem to have a motive for the killing.
I thought there was a great balance between the police investigation and the personal relationships that underpin the plot. We gradually learn of Mercy’s unhappy past and relationships with the rest of her dysfunctional family.
I enjoyed the relationship between Will, whose childhood in an orphanage is a major aspect of this story, and his wife, Sara, a pediatrician whose background couldn’t be more different. Their handling of this situation required putting their honeymoon on hold, and giving each other space to do their jobs.
The characters are memorable and I could clearly imagine exactly what the lodge and its surroundings looked like. As usual, author Karin Slaughter delivers intrigue, deaths aplenty, and suspense, and I look forward to the next in her Will Trent series.

I was holding out on this review even though I finished reading this one ages ago because I wanted to be sure of how I present my views on this one. As you can see from the TW, this is a very heavy read and to be really honest, it was not my cup of tea.

I've read Karin Slaughter's books before but this one was different and thick with so many issues addressed that it made it quite a difficult read for me. The fact that the pace of the book was so slow that I literally had to skip chapters in order to complete the book did not help. I didn't want to DNF it because I was curious as to how it would all turn out but I was also getting really impatient with the narrative style.

The answer to the burning question - who killed Mercy McAlpine? - was someone expected but the incidents that led to this crime being committed was not. The McAlpines are a really twisted family with so many underlying problems that they deal with in the worst way imaginable. I felt sad, angry and disgusted about all the things described, the story affecting me in a way that I didn't see coming.

This one is for readers who don't mind a gruesome and/or disturbing crime thriller. It unsettles you while keeping you anxious to know the answers.

Will Trent and Sara Linton are back.

This time, they are on their honeymoon in the McAlpine Family Lodge, situated deep in the woods.

The lodge is run by the McAlpines, a quite despicable family with no love for each other.

After an accident, Papa, the family patriarch and a brute of a man, ended up in a wheelchair. His daughter, a reformed addict, Mercy is running the whole show to the dismay of her father.

On the day that Mercy died, she fell out with everyone in her family. She threatened she was going to expose the family secrets.

With no mobile signal and limited WiFi access, it’s up to Will and Sara to solve the crime.

I waited for over 10 years for Karin Slaughter to write a locked-in mystery, and now my dreams have finally come true.

I loved the location of the story and how everyone, including the guests, had secrets.

It was great to see familiar faces return, too – Faith Mitchell’s dry humour always puts a smile on my face.

Shocking descriptions of physical and emotional abuse feature quite heavily in this book.

The twist at the end was fantastic. I never expected such ending!

Thanks to Harper Collins for approving my NetGalley request to read and review this title.

Georgia Bureau investigator Will Trent and medical examiner Sara Linton are my favourite literary couple and a new addition to their series is always a highlight.
In book 12 they have just got married (I feel wronged we didn’t get to attend their wedding in the book) and go to an exclusive and secluded mountain resort for their honeymoon. It’s a place that used to host kids from the Atlanta children’s home where Will grew up and he has always wanted to go there.
After hiking to the hard-to-reach lodge they don’t want to have awkward questions about their jobs so they lie and make up new professions when they meet the McAlpine family who own and run the resort and the other holidaying couples.
But this is a thriller so no dreamy honeymoon here.
The first evening there’s a shocking argument at dinner between Mercy, the daughter who does the day-to-day running of the resort, and other members of the clearly dysfunctional family. And Will is stunned to discover his bully from the children’s home is also a McAlpine now and doesn’t seem to have changed.
Later that night the couple hear screaming and find Mercy dying after being brutally stabbed. A storm also seals off the already isolated lodge making it the perfect locked-room mystery. Will and Sara discover they were not the only ones lying about their lives and some of the guests have connections to the toxic family as they try to find out who killed Mercy.
It’s a riveting read that I tried hard not to race through. Newbies to the series get enough background to jump into the story. Be warned though, this is a Karin Slaughter thriller so it does get quite gruesome and dark, but it’s balanced by the romance of the lead characters.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

You have to feel sorry for Will Trent, an agent with The Georgia Bureau of Investigation. He’s just experienced the happiest day of his life so far. He and the love of his life, Sara Linton, have just got married. He’s whisked her away to the remote McAlpine Lodge to experience wonderful scenery, fabulous wildlife and to spend their honeymoon in rapturous bliss. It’s been a long held dream of Will’s and he so wants to share this dream with Sara.

There are another three couples there; but Will just wants to spend time with Sara and he’s not really drawn to any of the other guests. Fortunately they have their own cabin and Will and Sara are looking forward to spending quality time together with no wifi to distract them.

What neither of them knows beforehand however is that the Lodge is owned by a warring family and worse, that one of the family members is responsible for some of Will’s worst nightmares.

Mercy McAlpine, the manager of the lodge, has finally faced up to her manipulative bully of a father, the wheelchair bound patriarch of the family who wants to sell the Lodge for a wad of cash, despite the fact that since Mercy took over the running of the site, she has improved the accommodation and turned it from a loss making enterprise into something with long term sustainable future.

This Is Why We Lied is as dark as we have come to expect from Karin Slaughter. It is also her tribute to the locked room mystery and explores some familiar themes of child neglect and abuse; drug and alcohol addiction and just outright nauseating behaviour and viciousness.

Mercy’s family are as big a bunch of toxic low lifes as you could come across and Mercy has had a miserable life and her only source of pride is in what she has achieved by turning the fortunes of McAlpine Lodge around.

Though Will and Sara have concealed their true roles from everyone at the Lodge, they are forced to reveal their true occupations and Karin Slaughter takes us meticulously through Sara’s autopsy of Mercy as we learn the extent of the trauma she has suffered.

It’s not only the family who have dark secrets; not all the guests are what they initially seem, and with a closed camp and bad weather closing them in, it’s obvious that someone on site is the murderer, Everyone here has secrets; many have told lies or obfuscated with half-truths. Will immediately has his suspicions about who the prime suspect should be, but is he too coloured by his tortured past?

As Will and Sara are eventually joined by their GBI colleagues, Faith and Amanda, the secrets slowly come into the light. But this is no obvious tale; Karin Slaughter twists and turns this dark and evil story until you suspect everyone.

Mercy herself has had such a hard life, you can’t help but feel sorry for her and this is only reinforced by the discovery of letters she has written to her son; letters that would make a grown man weep. Yet no-one other than Will and Sara seem to care that she has been murdered. This is a cold bunch of people. Karin Slaughter leads us through Mercy’s life and the hard choices she has had to make and that just makes her death so much sadder and hard to bear.

This Is Why We Lied is a book I could not resist ploughing through. It is the definition of a compelling page-turner that kept me glued to the book long into the night. It is dark and disturbing and many of the characters made my flesh crawl.

There is depth here and psychological insight and we gain a deeper knowledge than ever of Will and the way he thinks.

Right until the end I could not predict what was coming. This is a suspenseful and compelling read that reveals the darker side of man’s inhumanity and I really felt for Will and Sara having to deal with this on their honeymoon!

Verdict: This Is Why We Lied is a brilliantly plotted thriller with so many layers to be revealed: It is a must read book for anyone who loves the Will Trent and Sara Linton series. Immaculate plotting and terrific characters combine with a fabulous setting to bring an extraordinarily well told story.

Reading Cop Town recently, reminded me how much I enjoy Karin Slaughter’s books. When this title appeared on NetGalley I could not resist. Naturally, this book jumped to the top of my TBR pile. "This is Why We Lied" is a wonderful blend of suspense and psychological intrigue, set against the backdrop of the luxurious yet eerily isolated McAlpine Lodge. This secluded mountain getaway, promising escapist luxury, quickly transforms into a hotbed of secrets and lies, setting the stage for a thrilling and unforgettable narrative.
The story kicks off with an unsettling premise: everyone at McAlpine Lodge is hiding something. The characters are complex, each bringing their hidden pasts and personal deceptions to the fore. Slaughter weaves these secrets into a tangled web, heightening the tension with every page. The catalyst for the unravelling of these lies is Mercy McAlpine, the seemingly good daughter, who threatens to expose everyone's secrets. Her sudden and mysterious death plunges the story into a gripping whodunit.
Enter Will Trent and Sara Linton, the GBI investigator and medical examiner, respectively, who find their honeymoon interrupted by this shocking murder. Their presence brings a sense of urgency and professionalism to the investigation, as they navigate through a maze of deceit and danger. Slaughter’s portrayal of their relationship is realistic, adding depth to their characters and providing a counterbalance to the mounting tension of the murder investigation.
The remote setting of McAlpine Lodge adds a layer of suspense. The isolation creates a claustrophobic atmosphere, making you feel the looming presence of danger. Slaughter uses this setting to her advantage, creating a sense of foreboding that fills the novel. The idea that, in such a secluded area, it’s easy to get away with murder, keeps the stakes high.
Slaughter’s writing is sharp and evocative, drawing you into the dark and twisted world she has created. The pacing is impeccable, with each twist and revelation meticulously timed to keep you guessing. The exploration of themes such as trust, betrayal, and the lengths people will go to protect their secrets, adds a psychological depth to the thriller.
"This is Why We Lied" is a compelling read that shows Karin Slaughter’s skill in crafting intricate plots and complex characters. It’s a novel that keeps you hooked from start to finish, blending suspense with deep psychological insight. For fans of gripping thrillers, this book is a must-read that will leave you eagerly anticipating Slaughter’s next masterpiece.

**Listened to the audio book and read along with electronic written copy**

I have read a lot of Karin Slaughter's books and usually I am gripped from start to finish. Unfortunately I was left super disappointed by this one.
The plot itself was soooo slow, and I resented having to go back and read this book each sitting. I appreciate that this book is within a series, but I would have thought that because of that it would have made the pacing of this book so much quicker.
I found that the plot twists and the ending didn't make up for the slow pacing either.

I really did not enjoy the audiobook narrator either. They were just so whiney and screechy!

If you have read all of the books within the Will trent series, maybe you would like this book - maybe that's why i wasn't so keen.

if you are new to Karin Slaughter I wouldn't start with this book - soooo many better books by Slaughter!

This is one of those books that I just want to say - READ IT - you can thank me later 😉

Karin Slaughter is a total auto read author for me. Over the past twelve months @picco and I have made our way through the Will Trent and Grant County series and have loved every moment of them all - I actually cried at the end of Skin Privilege.

📕 “Who killed Mercy McAlpine? The next thrilling suspense featuring Will Trent and Sara Linton from Karin Slaughter, no.1 bestselling author of Pieces of Her and After That Night

Everyone here is a liar, but only one of us is a killer…"

This Is Why We Lied is book 12 in the Will Trent series - while it can be read as a standalone, you’ll want to go back and read the earlier books not only to get the backstory of Sara and Will, but it’s one of the best series you’ll read.

Expect Slaughter’s trademark twists, and intensity. A cleverly plotted and brilliant crime procedural with a shocking Flowers in the Attic-esque (but more unhinged) crazy family. Despicable characters, toxic family dynamics, domestic violence, while at the epicentre are my favourite characters Sara Linton and Will Trent - loved that Amanda and Faith made an appearance too.

I have nothing but the highest praise for this latest instalment … my only disappointment being that I have to wait for book 13!

Huge thanks to the wonderful team @harpercollinsausuk and @netgalley for sending this beauty my way 💌

Fabulous new thriller featuring Will & Sara. On their honeymoon they somehow get drawn into a locked room murder mystery on a remote exclusive retreat. A very close family, several couples, all with secrets, and all of them might want poor Mercy McAlpijr dead. Will is chasing his own childhood demons but determined to seek justice.

I am having a hard time writing this review, not because the book is not worth reading but because it uses what I consider unnecessary expletives as if they are the norm. Even in this book where so many of the people are just not nice people, I find it impossible to believe that a famous, established author like Karin Slaughter needs 174 of one specific expletive to be spoken by almost every character including all of the "good guys".

Moving on from that, it really is a book in two halves. First half seems to be leading to an expected conclusion and the end of the book. Then, suddenly, everything moves up a notch or two and the second half then takes the blinkers off and things definitely turn out to be a lot more complicated than the first part suggested.

Expletives aside, this is a very nicely crafted tale which kept me engrossed to the last page, even though my hunch as to "who dun it" proved correct.

Excellant thriller from Karin Slaughter. Will Trent and Sara Linton are looking to enjoy their honeymoon at a secluded mountain top retreat. But when one of the family running the retreat is found murdered you know it will be anything but the honeymoon they planned., The murderer could be any of the MacAlpine family - the victim said everyone on the mountain had a reason to want her dead,, and that is before they even consider the other guests. Pacy and dynamic this is top quality thriller writing.

This is why we lied had a captivating start, straight in to the thick of it all.
Sara and Will are looking forward to their honeymoon, Will surprises Sara with a nice secluded lodge miles from anywhere, both working in law enforcement they decided to adopt new jobs to get away from it all for a week. What they didn’t bank on was a blood curdling scream dragging the truth about their profession out in the open. It’s in their blood though and seeing the reaction to the murder of the lodge manager Mercy McAlpine the duo get to work at trying to solve the case. With so many suspects will they ever learn the truth?

This book was exactly what I was expecting from Karin Slaughter, it was well written with the suspense built beautifully. I felt like all the characters were developed well, allowing me to really understand them.

I really enjoyed this read and cannot wait to read another from her collection. I will be recommending this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reading copy.

This is only the second book I’ve read in the Will Trent series but I really like how accessible they are even if you haven’t read all the previous books.
I really enjoyed the story behind this one and the characters where really interesting however I did feel it was dragged out in parts and could have done to be just a bit shorter.
Overall a great story just a tad too descriptive in parts.

I guessed the ending way too early on and it kind of ruined the rest of the book for me.

This is a very slow burn so if, like me, you’re not the biggest fan of thrillers that take too long to get to the point, this might not be your cup of tea.

I still enjoyed the writing style and the plot but this is definitely not my favourite book by this author.