💍 BENEATH THE SURFACE OF EVERY MARRIAGE THERE ARE SECRETS. THIS ONE IS DEADLY….

💍 Pick this up if you like/ don’t mind:
📌 psychological/ domestic thriller
📌 dark/ twisted/ fast paced plot
📌 multiple intertwined storylines
📌 serial killer/ murder mystery ⁉️
📌 short chapters
📌 MC with a traumatic past/ FLAWED characters
📌 multiple POVs
📌 talk about childhood trauma, infidelity, mental illness, lies & betrayal
📌 page turner/ binge worthy read

💍 This was my first book by the author and I devoured it in two sittings. It was an addictive read that kept me guessing till the very end. However I was a bit disappointed by the ending. Yup it was predictable ( perks of reading too many thrillers) and felt rushed but I was more disappointed by how it unfolded. That jaw dropping/ earth shattering element was missing. But that’s my own personal opinion. Other than that this book was a TREAT for thriller lovers.

💍 Thanks to NetGalley for the book in exchange of an honest opinion.

Great book that started off fast and kept me on the edge of my seat. Rowan and Shepherd’s interesting dynamic kept me wanting to read more. So many twists, it’s a must read!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

This is the second book I have read by Amanda McKinney and I liked this one more than The Widow of Weeping Pines. I felt like the pacing was on point with short and sweet chapters which I always appreciate. I felt like the characters were well written and relatable. This book haas a lot of twists and will take you on one heck of a ride! I can't wait to see what Amanda writes next. I would HIGHLY recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

Another stunner from Amanda! She left me on the edge of my seat and turning the page needing more. She’s a top author for me and one I’m always waiting for her next book.

Loved this book the story was very entertaining
For my taste I wish it would have been a bit more fast pace but that’s my only criticism. Was well written and just the right amount of character so we do not get lost.
4.5 stars for this

Rowan, our badass detective, steals the show despite her messy marriage to Shepherd. She's got this fear of abandonment from her orphan past, which keeps her clinging to him. Then there's this juicy homicide case she's tackling, with bodies piling up, each marked with an 'X'. Rowan's team, and her flirty partner Kellan were great side characters. Her husband, Shepherd added a whole lot of mystery to the mix, even though we never get into his head. You'd think he'd know better than to keep secrets from his detective wife, but nope, he's sneaking in late, smelling like booze, and keeping us all guessing. It was like a game of cat and mouse between him and Rowan, and I couldn't get enough of their rollercoaster relationship. We’ve also got Amber, the psychologist, who brings another layer to the story. We get a peek into her world too, and turns out, she's dealing with a crumbling marriage just like Rowan. Plus, her son's possibly autistic, adding to her plate.

Despite all the drama, there were still some romantic sparks flying around. Rowan's torn between her love for her hubby and her reluctance to sleep with him, while he's trying to turn up the heat with sexy lingerie. Whereas, Amber's fed up with her hubby's lack of interest in their son. And let's not forget the chemistry crackling between Rowan and her partner Kellan – had me rooting for them big time! The plot-line managed to keep me on my toes with multiple POVs, trying to figure out how everyone's connected. I got most of the twists, although I kicked myself for missing one. But the rushed ending left me hanging– I wanted to see it all unfold, not just be told what happened, and there were some loopholes that bugged me. Still, with short, punchy chapters, this thriller was one hell of a page-turner.

Rowan Velkey isn’t sure she is even in love with her husband anymore, but that doesn’t mean she wants to leave him. They have been together since they found each other as teenagers in a foster home. Their pasts are rife with tragedy and their bond is deep; she cannot understand why he is straying. Does he think she wouldn’t figure it out? She is literally a detective. Sigh.

Now her job is stressing her out as well as three women have turned up dead with an “X” carved on their bodies postmortem. What message is this serial killer trying to send, and can Rowan stop the perpetrator before more turn up dead while also dealing with her own personal mess at home?

Written in fast-paced short chapters, Rowan’s story will suck you in right from the start. She is deeply flawed, but ultimately a character one wants to root for to succeed. Filled with plenty of red herrings, Amanda McKinney does an excellent job with this dark and twisty emotional rollercoaster of a story. A Marriage of Lies will leave readers guessing until the very end.

Tigger Warnings: neglect, child abuse, alcoholism, suicide, eating disorder, dementia

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and of course the author Amanda McKinney for the advanced copy of the book. A Marriage of Lies is out now. All opinions are my own.

This is a psychological thriller where I could not find a stopping place. The suspect was intense from start to finish. There are two sides to the story…..Rowan’s and Amber’s. The plot was intriguing and kept me spellbound. It’s a roller coaster ride with an ending I didn’t see coming. An awesome read.

Fantastic characters throughout and short, snappy chapters that make the book one that you will race through.
Rowan has it all to contend with- marriage on the rocks, therapy sessions and bodies piling up.
As she makes the links the pace accelerates and the motives become more apparent.
Fantastic read!

We follow Detective Rowan as she not only navigates her rocky marriage, but as she investigates the death of a local woman. We also follow Amber, one of the town’s local therapists, who happens to be Detective Rowan’s therapist as well after being assigned to her after an on the job shooting incident. Amber is navigating dealing with a special needs child and her bland marriage. As another couple women are found dead, things get turned over to the FBI. Everyone is hiding secrets in Blackbird Cove. Will Detective Rowan and the Feds figure everything out in time?

3.5/5 stars. Plot was good. Things took a bit of a turn in the last 10% or so of the book. Overall, a quick, entertaining read.


I received an ARC of A Marriage of Lies through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Storm Publishing for providing me with the advance copy of this book.
I really liked the sound of this one but unfortunately I could not connect with this one and was skimming by some parts.
Unfortunately I dnfed it at 56%

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC of ‘A Marriage of Lies’ by Amanda McKinney.

Ok what is in this book because I was addicted!! This is so well thought out and well researched and such an enjoyable read. Quite possibly my favourite read of this year so far!

I really enjoyed this book! It's really addictive and you can't stop read it!
I love the short chapters and the final part where we have the court session and also the explanations of culprit's motives!
It's really good!

This is an excellently crafted psychological thriller, with a dark and twisty whodunnit theme. Secrets, lies, twists and turns, they are all here in this engrossing read. Detective Rowan Velky is called to attend a crime scene late one evening where a young woman has been strangled. As she begins to investigate this crime a further 2 bodies show up with similar causes of death. There are several POV characters and timelines but they are clearly defined and easy to follow. There was a menacing undercurrent running through the book and the short chapters kept the pacing moving swiftly. The characters were interesting, well developed and richly drawn in this intriguing and original novel. Rowan and her Aunt Jenny stood out as exceptional characters. The plot is so well written and well executed that it gripped me from the start and I always needed to know what was happening. Extremely entertaining and suspenseful, the pages just kept on turning ...
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for the ARC.

I love a thriller that’s twisty and full of suspense and this one did not disappoint!! I read this in two days because I could not put it down. The characters are well written and the plot develops nicely.

This was a good psychological thriller.. it has plenty of twists and turns throughout with a surprising ending that you don’t expect. The characters were great, the story itself was suspenseful and the style of writing was perfect. This is the first book that I have read by this author, I would recommend it to anyone who likes reading this genre.
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

Devoured this book. Beautiful writing. Kept me on the edge of my seat and couldn’t wait to know what happened! First book by this author and won’t be my last!

Such a bingeable book! This is another that would make a great Lifetime mystery movie or series! This was my first by this author but it won’t be my last! I love how fast paced this was. It helped that it was written with short chapters. It had so many twists and turns! I love how it goes through different perspectives, giving the story more depth. I was surprised that this was more than just a domestic/psychological thriller. I had expected rocky marriages (which we got) but there is also a police procedural/detective aspect that made it even better! Definitely recommend going in blind to this and just enjoying it!

I read this twisty, intense thriller in less than twenty-four hours because it had me completely hooked! I never seen any of the twists coming and the ending had my jaw on the floor!
———————
Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to review this book.

I absolutely loved this book! All the lies, the secrets, the twists & turns had my jaw on the floor. It had such good character development, the plot was so good. It was also so emotional & captivating.
I cant wait to read more from this author.

Thanks netgalley for this arc!