She Who Lies

This was an incredible novel that drew me in and never let go. I felt emotionally invested in the characters’ lives and couldn’t stop reading.

I had the opportunity to download a copy of this book from Net Galley.

List of Characters:

Brenda Shaw - the matriarch of the family, Gavin and Eva's mother, who did what a "mother had to do" to protect her young son, Gavin.

Gavin Shaw - a young entrepreneur who started his own landscaping business when he was a teenager.

Eva Shaw-Laird - ignored by her mother for the most part throughout her childhood, or so she thought, married to Stevie Laird.

Stevie Laird - partnered up with Gavin in his landscaping business when he was a teen, married to Eva Shaw for the wrong reasons.

Carla Laird - Eva and Stevie's daughter, who became an advocate for mental health issues.

Kate - Eva's long-time friend from teenage hood who suffered at the hands of another "friend." No one, including Eva, believed her.

Dawn - a bartender who stood up for Kate.

Anika - young lady who worked with Carla.

Rebecca - Anika's twin sister.

Jo - the reporter with the "inside scoop" on the Shaw/Laird family. Turns out she wasn't who she was thought to be.

Maureen - a background character, but one who also turned out to be someone else.

A mother's job is to protect her children. A family's job is to stick by each other ... usually, no matter what. But to what lengths would a mother/family actually go to even if the crime committed was unspeakable? Find out when you read this intertwining tale to see the answers and how just one lie, carried around for years, can destroy an extremely profitable company, but more importantly how two families were demolished when the truth finally surfaces. Some very intriguing twists are contained in the telling of this story.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

I enjoyed this book and read it in just over a day. It is about a family who, to the outside world, seem perfect. Appearances can be deceptive though and some of the family members are hiding secrets. The book is about betrayal, lies, deceit and what some people will do to keep their secrets. The characters were believable and mostly likeable. The book was told in parts by different characters and their points of view. A good read which held my attention from start to finish. It didn’t wow me though. 4 stars

i so enjoy this authors work and this story is just a must read its brilliant .this story is about the Laird family very successful and rich .Eva and Steve have a daughter Carla .Eva s brother Gavin owns the company . but there mother Brenda is a hard women .one day Eva checking the face book .group and someone gets nasty and says you will pay and is everyone who they say they are .you are so going to want to read this book twisty gripping addictive and make sure you got a tissue sadly this does happen .so recommend.

Another brilliant book from Alex Kane great plot and charactors and readers will love reading this book as i did 5*

I have never heard of this author before and it was my first book by him. It was a very good read which was easy to follow and full of twists and turns. I really enjoyed this and will certainly look out for more by him in the future.

Thank you to Hera, Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Absolutely blown away. This is the first novel I have read by Alex Kane, and certainly wouldn't be the last. This was a crime thriller that really tested family loyalties and trust. The secrets were slowly unravelled in the most decadent of reveals that had me skipping through the pages as fast as my heart could beat.

A thoroughly decent and well-written thriller that comes highly recommended.

Amazing book. Really enjoyed it! I love this author will be looking out for more of these. So gripping

Solid 5 stars. Yes I said it...5 stars. My mind is absolutely blown after reading this book. I’ve not read any books by Alex Kane, but I guarantee you it will not be the last. I think at first the book was a little slow-paced, but give it time and the secrets become revealed and you won’t be able to put your book down. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone that enjoys a really good thriller. You won’t be disappointed, I promise you!
Thank you Netgalley for providing me an early copy of this novel in return of an honest review.

Alex Kane is an author who just goes from strength to strength.

If you love stories full of deceit, lies, twists and turns a plenty, well look no further than She Who Lies. The Laird-Shaw’s on the surface have it all. Love, health, wealth, they are the perfect picture of the complete family package that have done well for themselves. They are bound to have people that are envious about them living the good life.

On the surface, it looks like they have another troll on their hands but this is one that isn’t going away. The cracks within this family start showing making the reader wonder just what this family have to hide and whether the cracks will be able to be repaired or blown apart.

Flicking between past and present and key characters, we start to discover just what this family is covering up. It gives food for thought about the choices we make and just how strong a family bond can be.

She Who Lies had me hooked from the very first page. I couldn’t devour the pages quickly enough whilst the Laird-Shaw family’s world starts to fall apart. Just when you think you know everything, the author throws another curve ball that sent me reeling. An intense page turner of a read.

This book was gripping and a real page Turner. The Lairs/Shaw family business has grown and the families have become Scotland's most well loved celebrities. When Eva receives a Facebook message that threatens everything. As the story unfolds we go back to when the business was established and the beginning of the lies and deceit. Absolutely brilliant read. Highly recommend.

The Laird Shaw family have dream about humble roots to global turnover
But their glamour lies a web of lies secretive
Because somewhere knows the truth
I had an ARC

She Who Lies is another good thriller from Alex Kane,the Laird and Shaw families have it all a thriving business set up by Stevie and Gavin who are friends from childhood and when Eva who is Gavin's sister marries Stevie their partnership is made even stronger as they have a celebrity lifestyle others can only dream about.But they are hiding secrets from each other and their adoring public and if these secrets come tumbling out they are all in for a nasty fall from grace and as is often the case the secrets and lies do come to the surface and that is when the battle to keep a lid on things starts.A very well written book once again from Alex Kane and a good 4 star read which i would certainly recommend.

She Who Lies is the latest standalone psychological thriller from Ms Kane and boy does it play with your head. It revolves around a family that is seen as perfect from those outside of it all but when you draw back the curtain and peer inside what you see is certainly not what you expected. It is the epitome of the phrase “you never know what goes on behind closed doors.” There are lots of families like this but this time it’s the turn of the Laird (and Shaw family) family to be exposed for what they really are. Eva and Steve and their daughter Carla are at the forefront along with their wider family unit who are wealthy and successful company owners. They are well-loved, prominent in the area and live a celebrity lifestyle but all of that is about to come crashing down on top of them and not only devastate them but also shock the entire local community beyond belief.

The family facade begins to crack and the secrets and lies leak out in a slow unravelling of their lives. This was precipitated by a message Eva received on Facebook that sent her into a complete and utter frenzy. The deceit and deception keep you reading to discover the outcomes and what happens to the family members when all of their dirty laundry has been aired in public. It switches seamlessly between past and present creating a fully rounded narrative and highlights just how far some families will go to protect the ones they love; the reason this is so captivating and addictive is because we can all relate to wanting to protect our loved ones at one time or another. A gem and a real page-turner to truly mess with your head, this is a book that explores trust, family loyalty and the sides of ourselves we choose to show others as well as those we keep hidden. Many thanks to Hera for an ARC.

Fab read. Full of twists and turns! I couldn't wait to get further into the story to see how everything developed. First book read by this author but it definitely won't be my last!

This was one book which caused my insides to shiver in deliciousness. Alex Kane is one heck of a writer who can pull me in with the first line up to the end. I loved how she showed me perfection, then removed one layer after another, revealing them to be just masks. Oooh how I loved this book!! The rich and their obsessive need to cover the flaws. Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!

The Shaw family, matriarch gran Brenda Shaw, her son Gavin and daughter Eva who was married to Stevie Laird and had a daughter Carla. They had their own landscape company, rubbing shoulders with the celebrities and millionaires. Life was smooth and rich until a message on their Facebook group from Rebecca threatening to reveal their secrets caused the cracks to appear. Ah...they walked on wafer thin ice, didn't they? Read the book to know their dark hearts... Cackle cackle (laughing like a witch here, substitute with a B)

I have read her earlier book, so I was eager to get to this one. I took such a perverse pleasure in reading each line of the book. Secrets revealed filled me with an unholy glee. I was completely pulled into the world of Laird-Shaw family. (Remember Dallas?). I tell ya, this Alex Kane was one crafty devil whose sense of black humor was a delight to read.

From the first chapter, my head kept shaking. Nah nah that can't be true... In fact, the Laird-Shaw family sounded too good to be true. And you know the saying... A thing that glitters... Boy was I right! Can opened by a stranger and worms crawling. I love books which use that trope. The gossip girl in me wanted to dig deeper into their world to know the truth.

The book was a siren that lured me into its darker core. Come to me was all it said, and I was helpless. I had to follow. Tap... Tap... Tap...went my finger on the kindle screen, and the pages kept turning. One sitting and a few hours was all it took to read this rich candy of lies and secrets. How the mighty fell!!

It was everything I needed in these turbulent times and more. Believe me, the book helped me forget the outside world. I was completely immersed into the story for a few hours. It soothed my thriller-y heart.

Devilishly brilliant! The witch in me totally recommends this book!!

Always a Hera girl!!

I have been a fan of Alex's work for a little while now. In fact I have been a fan ever since I had the good fortune to pick up her first book 'No Looking Back'. I heard that Alex was due to release a new book and I knew that I had to read it as soon as I could. I (im)patiently waited for her third book to be released. Well ladies and gents, the wait is over because 'She Who Lies' was released on 8th April 2020. It is another superb read, which I thoroughly enjoyed but more about that in a bit.
Well what can I say about the Laird-Shaw family? Apart from thank goodness I am not related to them. Over the years, the family has risen from nothing to becoming minor celebrities with more money than you would know what to do with. As with all families, it becomes apparent fairly early that they aren't without their secrets. Something happens which puts the wind up certain members of the family and from then on details gradually come trickling out. We find out just what it is that the family are so desperate to keep hidden.
Oh my giddy aunt, ''She Who Lies' was one seriously amazing read. The name of the author was enough to grab my attention, the synopsis drew me in and the story was the icing on the cake as it were. This book cast a spell over me from the moment I first picked it up until the moment I finished reading. I immersed myself so fully into the story that I managed to shut out all other distractions and focus solely on the book itself. Usually I have the attention span of a gnat and I am easily distracted but not in this case. I am a bit of a nosy parker and so I had to keep reading to see what happened and to get to the heart of why this family wanted secrets to remain hidden. The pages turned over at a furious pace and despite my attempts to ration how quickly I read the book to prolong my enjoyment of the story, I finished the book in just under 24 hours, which is pretty good going for me.
'She Who Lies' is brilliantly written but then I have thought that to be true of all of Alex's work. She grabs your attention from the start and then takes you on one hell of a fast paced and interesting journey through the lives of one particular family. For me, 'She Who Lies' hits the ground running and maintains the pace throughout. The story itself is written using chapters voiced by certain characters. This way of telling the story works really well and the story flows seamlessly. Alex writes so realistically and uses such vivid descriptions that I did feel as though I was part of the story myself.
In short, 'She Who Lies' is another superb book from Alex Kane and I have no hesitation in recommending this book and this author to other readers. I will definitely be reading more of Alex's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

This book is a compelling psychological thriller. It is a story of the Shaw and Laird family who are wealthy and live a celebrity lifestyle. From the outside, they seem to live a perfect life but behind closed doors this is far from the truth.

This is an amazing compelling read with amazing twists and turns. It had me hooked from the very first page until the last. The characters in this book are multi layered. Some are likeable but in contrast some are very unlikeable.

An excellent read full of truly horrid and unlikeable characters. I liked the format of telling the story from each characters point of view which gave extra depth. Some good twists and a good ending.

I knew right from the threatening prologue this was going to be good and just my cup of tea.

The opening chapter is then an interview where we meet the Laird-Shaw family. Their landscape business has catapulted them to fame and fortune. All from a humble start by Gavin as a handyman just trying to make money to help his family. To bringing in friend Stevie as partner and his sister Eve and mother Brenda joining the business as it expands. Then we have Carla, Stevie and Eve’s daughter who runs the charity side of things and uses social media to highlight her mental health work.

Then from the picture perfect family the hints of darkness appear. A mother battling demons and a daughter knowing that without her father holding the family together it would easily tear it apart.

Are those demons because of the secrets Eve has? After accepting a friendship request on Facebook from a woman called Rebecca we learn she knows her dark secrets and is determined to destroy them all.

This is very much a case of watching people at the top fall spectacularly as the family crumbles all because of a stranger on social media. Trouble is when you are at the top there is nowhere to go but down and this shows the extent social media can play in people’s downfalls.

I thought this had great structure and pacing and can easily be read in one sitting. The characters were thoroughly believable although not all were entirely likeable. As Shrek would say this is like an ogre/onion with lots of layers and more is revealed as each is peeled away. All in all a really good gripping read.

She Who Lies by Alex Kane

Prologue: We learn that someone is out to expose the long ago cover-up of a crime against them...they are out to get the perpetrator of the crime and make that person pay...

Who is the one seeking revenge and what is that person willing to do to achieve it? Well, that is what this story is about. And, as I began reading about the successful landscaping company and the powerhouses at the top of the company I became curious about them. At first they seemed to have achieved the rags to riches dream coming up from poverty to power and money and then...I thought...what will happen and what will I learn as I get to know these not so likable wealthy people.

This is a story of dysfunctional families, lies, betrayal, delusion, obsession...and...seeking justice...or more likely...revenge.

The story is well-crafted with twists and turns aplenty. Slowly information is eked out in a way that kept me guessing.

What I liked:
* The plot and pacing
* The twists and surprises
* That those who were getting away things were exposed
* That justice might occur
* That nobody came away unscathed
* Seeing into the minds of twisted people
* Finding out how bad things can impact more than the one originally harmed

What I did not like:
* Most of the characters...for one reason or another
* Wondering what will happen to some impacted by the drama though not guilty of anything themselves

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Hera Books for the ARC – This is my honest review

4-5 Stars

She Who Lies was a brilliant read – getting my wrap up in early as I like to leave no doubt over my enjoyment of a story which I got totally immersed in.

This is a story of family secrets, they always give great potential for unexpected revelations and spectacular fireworks when certain facts which were meant to be kept quiet suddenly gain exposure.

The family in She Who Lies are the Laird and Shaw families. Three generations of a Scottish family who have enjoyed fame and success for a number of years but behind the public facade life is not as rosy as they present to the world.

Gavin Shaw and Stevie Laird run a garden and landscape firm. They are both handsome and personable guys and early in their business venture they worked on a project for a client who was well connected to the Great and Good of society. Soon Stevie and Gavin are rubbing shoulders with film stars, minor royals and the richest in the land.

Gavin’s sister married Stevie before their rise to fame. Eve is the darling of the media and seems to act as the goto point for the media to get to the family. The reader sees how Eve is battling addictions and revelations in She Who Lies will push her to a breaking point. Eve is hooked on Stevie, their marriage is another dependency she feels she cannot do without. So if Stevie has been accused of infidelity how will Eve cope?

Eva and Stevies daughter, Carla, is an Instagram influencer and does lots of great charitable work. She has worked hard to promote good causes and is launching a mental health charity just as news breaks her father is cheating on her mother and her uncle has been accused of rape.

At the head of the family is the matriarch Brenda – Eva and Gavin’s mum. She will do whatever it takes to protect her family and is ruthless to the core. Eva and Brenda do not get on well as Eva believes her mother always favoured Gavin.

A family used to success and with a lifetime of secrets to cover up are about to be fully discussed and debated on the front page of the papers. How are they going to cope?

It should also be remembered – if there are accusations there are also accusers or victims. Their story shall also be told.

She Who Lies is narrated from several viewpoints which allows Alex Kane to share the fears and insecurities of each character as the story unfolds. She does this brilliantly and handles difficult situations with care while not undermining the effect and damage which is caused.

Powerful and compelling storytelling. This is very, very good.

A twisted and explosive family saga full of jaw-dropping revelations, scandalous secrets and pulse-racing shocks and surprises, Alex Kane’s She Who Lies a dark and sinister tale about glittering facades, dangerous lies and devastating truths that is going to leave thriller fans on the edge of their seats.

The Laird-Shaw family seem to live a life that is straight out of a glossy magazine. Rich beyond their wildest dreams, immensely successful and constantly splashed all over the tabloids and social media, the Laird-Shaws are a revered and envied family most people would give their right arm to join. Having started from very humble origins, the family went from zero to multi-millionaires in a couple of years and have built a multi-national business that has put them on rich list after rich list. Gavin Shaw and Stevie Laird are two of the richest people in the country. Gavin’s sister and Stevie’s wife Eva is a style icon and daughter Carla is a social influencer using her platform to highlight mental health issues. This is a family that from the outside looking in seems absolutely perfect, but scratch beneath the surface and you will find a family being held hostage by past demons, tangled lies and secrets so explosive that they could destroy the perfectly cultivated lives they have built for themselves.

This Instagram perfect family have long thought that their secrets are buried so deep that nobody can find them, least of all reveal them to the world. However, the Laird-Shaw family are soon in for a shocking and terrifying surprise when somebody from their past threatens to expose their darkest secrets. No money in the world can fix the quandary they have found themselves in and as the dark heart of the family is about to be exposed to the entire universe, can the Laird-Shaw family save themselves at the eleventh hour? Or are their lives about to change beyond recognition?

Somebody is out to ruin this family and they will stop at nothing to achieve their dark and twisted goals…

Alex Kane will make every single hair on the back of your neck stand on end. A cracking good thriller that is impossible to put down, She Who Lies grips, terrifies and tantalizes and will make readers jump out of their skin and blow them away as shock after shock and twist after twist will keep them completely and utterly captivated. A fabulous tale of ambition, revenge and loyalty, She Who Lies is a top-notch thriller from a talented writer who knows how to keep readers mesmerized from start to finish: Alex Kane.

I loved this book . It was fast paced from the beginning and had me gripped all the way through . I loved the story line and the characters and the way the story flowed . Although the story told you each individual characters side it all rolled into one and was easy understand . I devoured this book in one day and cant wait for the next one . I highly recommend this

The Laird-Shaw family is living the American dream. Rich beyond anyone's imagination, self-made millionaires Gavin Shaw and Stevie Laird seem to have it all.

And "all" includes secrets and lies that will destroy the very fabric of this family. They will come to realize that there is nowhere to hide. All the money in the world can't stop the destruction.

Someone knows the truth ... and they want justice ... or is it vengeance?

Shifting between "now" and "then" gives the reader a look into a family who will do anything to protect themselves. It's a tale about the choices people make and how those choices can boomerang and explode.

This psychological thriller will have the reader eagerly reading page after page and absorbing every lie and secret that ultimately reveals the dark heart of this particular family. The characters are skillfully drawn ... warts and all. Surprises abound at every turn that leads to a surprising and unexpected conclusion.

Many thanks to the author / Hera Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this Psychological Thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

I was hooked from the very beginning. The family reminded me a lot of the Dynasty tv show, perfect lives on top for the world to see, but beneath it all the family is falling apart. Secrets abound and nobody can be trusted. This was another brilliant offering by a very talented author. Can't wait to read some more by her! Highly recommended.
TB

This was a fantastic book that I highly recommend, full of twists that you will want to keep on reading.

An interesting thriller that reminds me what some people are willing to go through and to what extent to protect their inheritance and family even if they have to hide a secret for a long time. But also , the truth is always unraveled no matter what happens.
It’s compelling and interesting, a great mix of characters and interesting story overall. A great few hours of reading.

4☆ A Compelling, Twisty, Gripping Psychological Thriller.


SHE WHO LIES is a compelling and twisty psychological thriller.

Gavin Shaw and Stevie Laird and their family are well known in the world of celebrities.
Setting up GSL Limited (the biggest landscaping and gardening company in Scotland) helping with community projects and landscaping to the celebs, see them rocket to fame and fortune!

Gavin and Stevie are Brother-in-laws.
Stevie is married to Gavin Sister Eva.
They have a daughter called Carla. (Carla uses Instagram to set up a charity to help others suffering with mental health)
But head of the family is Brenda Shaw, the queen bee of the family.

But this family is all about secrets and what they want the public to see, using social media to build that platform.

However social media isn't always a good thing sometimes it comes back to bite you.
As Eva is about to find out!

Eva has a Facebook page solely for family members.
So when she gets a request from someone called Rebecca she accepts... but what she doesn't expect is that Rebecca knows all the family and she's out to destroy Eva.

Eva has dark secrets & Rebecca is determined to out them & make her and her family pay!

But who is Rebecca and what does she really know about the Shaw and Laird family?
Is she about to ruin everything they worked so hard to build?

I found it took me a while to get into the story and used to the media style of writing. The opening scene was an interview that gave a brief highlight of the characters lives, but as the book progresses so does the secrets.
It did take me a little bit longer to get a connection with the characters. But once I did, I really enjoyed the complexity and flaws each one portrayed.

SHE WHO LIES is a compelling and Twisty read, full of secrets, lies, social media and fame.
It's a story that just highlights you really never know what goes on behind closed doors. Despite the appearance of everything being fine.
Secrets and lies have a way of catching up with you in the end!
I really enjoyed all the juicy twists.
As the story flits from past to present the truth is unravelled and so is their perfect lives.

Alex Kane has written another brilliant psychological thriller and if you haven't yet had the pleasure of reading these books, then I highly recommend you do!


Thank you to BOTBS Tours for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

What a blinding read. Grabs you from beginning and won't let you go until the end. Completely believable characters who have to suffer their own demons. You will gasp and cry out at the end because you won't believe the awesome twist. Brilliant writing Alex Kane. I'm now going to buy all the other books by this awesome author.

Never read this author before but I will definitely be reading again has me booked as soon as I started reading it .

Thanks for the opportunity to read this Arc.
A story about an idyllic family. Money is no object. They have built up an extremely successful and lucrative business from the ground.
But peel back the layers and all is not what it seems! The male members of the family are accused of horrendous crimes that may or may not be true!!
What a fantastic read. I would highly recommend it.