I wanted to like this more than I ended up liking it. While the writing itself is good, the story ended up feeling shallow and implausible. It went from slowly working on the murders to “solving” them with no through line. Also, the switching between characters was not smooth and there were holes in the plot. Especially around Amber and how and why she ended up with Shepherd. I was really disappointed in how it unfolded it seemed almost stitched together to make the ending work. As if the author came up with the end plot twist first and wrote around it. .

I couldn’t put this book down!

This was a great weekend read, that had me captivated from page one. When a woman’s body is found by her neighbor, Detective Rowan takes over the case. Was it the husband, the neighbor, or, after more bodies are found, a serial killer? We meet Rowan, a workaholic who is also dealing with her cheating husband. We also meet others in Rowan’s life, her partner, Kellan, who lends an empathetic ear. Amber, Rowan’s therapist, who is also dealing with her son possibly being on the spectrum,, and Ella, Ambers friend, and her son’s teacher.

While the story is present day, there are a few chapters that go back in time, though the story flows wonderfully. Twists and turns throughout the book, with a surprise ending.

So, I know that I am in the minority with my 3-star rating but nonetheless I stand by it.
First, I want to mention that this is my second book by this author, and I loved the first one. My 3 -star rating has nothing to do with her writing style, as there's no doubt that Amanda Mckinney can produce a stellar thriller.
Having said that let's get into it!
In the beginning I was invested, the author does an amazing job building up to the tension and suspense-I couldn't look away.
My interest was piqued as to how all these people were tied together, but in the end it all came together seamlessly.
Another thing I loved was how fast paced and completely bingeable it was, and the short chapters are always a plus for me.
However, where it fell down for me was the predictability. I was a little disappointed by the ending because I had already pieced it together. I honestly was hoping I was wrong because after such an amazing build up, I thought it would've been a little more mind blowing.
Also, the ending was a little too fairytale and I'm not a fan of that in the thriller genre.
I would still recommend this book to a friend though, because as stated before I know I am in the minority and my rating all comes to down to my personal preference.

Thank you to Netgalley, Storm Publishing and Amanda for my eARC of this book.
All opinions as 100% my own and I am leaving my review voluntarily.

What a fantastic thriller! I was hooked from the very beginning and could not put this book down. Every time I thought I had it figured out the author threw in a new twist and I was back to square one.

A must read if you enjoy several POVs, troubled marriages, a murder mystery and a satisfying ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I loved most of this book, but felt parts were slightly unbelievable for a supposed detective and therapist to get themselves into. Some good reveals and plot twists though.

Aaaahhh!!

This thriller is incredibly captivating! Just when I thought I figured it out, something else came up!!! It keeps you questioning everything. Highly recommended!

Thanks for the ARC!

What a gripping thriller! Everytime I thought I had it nailed, another piece of information emerged and I was back to the begining again trying to work it out! It has you questioning everything. A great read.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC copy.

This book was good at first, then several characters kept being introduced with no background on how they are connected to the story until chapters later, which made me confused. The plot was interesting but I did not like the ending. It did not have the jaw-dropping affect on me that I think was intended. The ending left me with questions also.

What a page turner! This book had me hooked right the way through to the shocking end. Highly recommended, you won't be disappointed

This book was AWESOME! It was my first by McKinney and wow did she deliver!

I loved the use of multiple narrators, flashbacks, and some bits of mixed media. Rowan was a complex character with a troubled past and sordid relationships. She was an excellent detective and I could feel her exhaustion and stress as she worked her investigation, tried to salvage her marriage, and take care of her ailing aunt. Her therapy sessions with Amber sometimes made me chuckle and sometimes made me cringe but every page brought something new and something important to the story.

I loved that this book kept me guessing, even when I had some pieces figured out. It starts out with a bang and the thrill doesn't let up! One twist had me saying "wait, what?" while another made me think "there it is!" and I absolutely loved how everything played out.

Based on the title, I expected this to be a domestic thriller and while there are elements of that, there's also so much more. I could totally see this spinning off into a series and I would be so here for it!

If you're like me and new to McKinney, this is certainly a stellar place to start! I'm excited to check out her other work! Thank you to Thriller Book Lover Promotions and Storm Publishing for the copy. This one releases March 28, 2024.

You are married to someone you know but are you sure ? We are all in the same boat … enough trust but also enough the grey zone … where is the border between the love , trust and fear from the unknown parts of the person we believed to know very well ? She nailed it !

I just finished reading A Marriage of Lies by Amanda McKinney and wow that’s a book filled with twists and turns. The main character is detective Rowan , which I always enjoy a woman detective in a thriller. Unfortunately Rowan is in a loveless marriage and her husband Shepherd is barely even speaking to her. Rowan is called to a case involving a murder in where it turns into a serial killer. What all this is going on? She is currently in therapy for not only her marriage, but for some childhood trauma. As secret start to unravel, and things are brought to the surface …. This book takes on more twists and turns.
I enjoyed the fast paced thriller I will, however, say that I wished the ending which, by the way was mind blowing. I felt like it. needed more information to wrap up the story I felt there were some unanswered questions and a few why but over. this was such a great thriller book and I can’t wait to see and look at what other books this author has written.

This is a book you start reading thinking it is one thing, but then it turns into something else, and all you are left with days after reading it is… pain.
I know it sounds bad, but it is not. It is anything but bad.
It is so far away from bad; it might actually be the polar opposite of what the word “bad” means.
I know everyone is always looking for twists and turns in thrillers. Usually, so am I. But not here. Yes, they were there, but I wasn’t interested in them. I was there for all the raw pain and omg there were loads of it and then some more, and then some more was thrown on top for good measure.
Yes, the ending was unpredictable, and it was unexpected, and a few pages right before the last one Amanda somehow managed to tear my heart out and shatter it.
This is what this book was for me. Something unlike most reads, that’s for sure.
And now I have to rate it too? How many stars? All five and then a little sunshine and a rainbow too. And a crescent moon, just to make it more confusing. So, five stars and a handful of extras thrown on top.

This is my… I don’t know which one it is, but it is not my first book by Amanda McKinney. I have yet to read one of hers that I don’t enjoy. Honestly, this lady can write. And she writes so damn well. She deserves all the yelling from all the rooftops she and her books can get. And I will be yelling from all the rooftops about this book.

Holy whizz ! This book was a banger ! It drew me in from early on and was full of shock twists and scandals ! This was a fantastic read !! I loved !

OH.
EM.
GEE.
This book was brilliant! It blew my mind! I'm still reeling my jaw up from the twists.
I LOVE @amandamckinneyauthor already, but she has knocked it outta the park with her second full-length thriller.

So you go into this one thinking, oh another domestic thriller set in an affluent part of a suburban town, then BAM its actually a police procedural following a serial killer....
And you're like WHAAA
That's not what I get from the synopsis. Well, once you read this (in one sitting mind you cause I promise you won't be able to tear yourself away) you'll get it.
Oooooo you'll get it. It all comes back to wrap itself in a neat little bow in the very end that makes you wanna fall out of your chair and say SHUT THE F**K UP!

Trust me.
PUT THIS ON YOUR TBR NOW!

PUB DAY:
March 29,2024

QOTD ❓️⁉️❓️
What's your last, now, next?

AOTD - last: What lies in darkness by Christina Mcdonald/ now: Where they lie by Joe Hart/ next: Never Come Back by Joe Hart

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#mysteryandthrills #thrillerbooklovers #thrillerbooklover #addictedtobooks #addictedtothrillers #thrilleraddict #amarriageoflies #amandamckinney #thrillerbookloverpromotions #tbr #bookbuzz #arcreview
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3.5 rounded up to 4 stars for me. This book was initially a solid 4 star for me, but the ending fell flat so I decreased to 3.5 stars. The entire story is full of twists and suspense and I could not put this book down. But then the ending the author changes the tune. The last part of the book is more of a explanation of this is what really happened instead of just letting in unfold. Still a solid psychological thriller that will be enjoyed by many.

Thanks to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A brilliant read! For those who’d written saying this is for fans of Gone girl, you’re all a hundred percent right!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my e-ARC of A Marriage of Lies!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
👀 enjoy several POVs
💨 like fast paced reads
🕵🏻‍♀️ want an intriguing detective mystery
🌪️ love a lot of twists

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

My husband is lying. The minute he came home with alcohol on his breath and unable to look me in the eyes I knew it.

We used to be in love – the intense ‘I can’t be without you for a second’ kind. Where it hurts deep to be apart.

But now, we’re the couple that keep secrets from each other.

We hide the truth.

He thought I wouldn’t find out. I’m a detective – it’s literally my job to uncover clues and solve mysteries.

I know what he did.

And now I’m sitting here, in a police interview, being asked the question ‘did you kill her?’ to which I utter one life-shattering word: ‘yes.’

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

This was a really fun story that immediately grabbed my attention. The main character, Rowan, proclaims guilt in a local murder case, but did she do it? I wasn’t sure who to trust or believe as the story went on. We see a lot of different POVs and it all adds to the overall mystery. One twist I figured out early on, but a few others definitely shocked me at the end! This is a fun, fast paced detective mystery you won’t want to miss!

This was so good! I enjoyed Rowan's character even though she had a log of baggage and often that was caused her to have tunnel vision. A woman is found murdered, but this is not anything normal as there is an odd signature that the killer left, and the husband and life style she is living does not match her past that has been dug up. When another body is found, with a similar signature they know they have a serial killer on their hands and need to work quickly to figure out the meaning behind this signature. This novel has many complicated characters, but they give this storyline so much depth! Each character has a secret they are hiding and while Rowan puts everything into this case, she is also struggling with her personal life and the truth she doesn't want to have verified. I really loved this book and would love to read more cases with Rowan and her work partner Kellan. This story was just as twisted as the characters and I loved it! Thank you to Netgalley, the author and Thriller Book Lovers Promotions for the complementary ebook. This review is of my own opinion and accord.

This marriage was full of secrets on both sides which kept it suspenseful for me and and me gripped throughout.