This is Why We Lied

I was really excited to be able to read this, thanks to NetGalley and Karin Slaughter.

Firstly: If you're considering this book and have not read the rest of the series I beg you to start at the beginning (Grant County series and the Will Trent series in order) although this and the others could be read as standalones, it's really worth taking the time to get to know the characters and all of the history and details Karin Slaughter has created. Honestly, they just get better with every page!

I stayed up half the night to finish this one, it
was a whodunit like no other! With all the elements you would expect of a locked room mystery- an abusive ex husband, cold and distant family members, strangers who have something to hide, and our favourite newly married couple who were supposed to be enjoying a blissful honeymoon are of course there to figure out the mystery. In true Karin Slaughter style, everything will be far darker and more shocking than you can imagine.

I can't wait for the next instalment, I'm hoping we can spend a bit more time with some of the other wonderful characters (Faith and Jeremy perhaps?) although of course Will will be forever my favourite!

Will and Sarah are now married and on a honeymoon set up by Will near a camp that held memories for him from his days in the foster care system. He was never able to go there but always wanted to. The resort he chose to is near that same property. The old camp has been defunct for a number of years. The story involves the death of one of the owner/operators. This family is dysfunctional to the max. I don’t know that I have ever been more disgusted by a mother than I have with this mom. The other family members are just as bad or nearly so with the exception of the victim. Man oh man is she a victim. What a miserable life she endured. Was Will and his team able to find justice for her? Read it to find out. What an ending.

Love the dynamics between Will and Sarah! A good, suspenseful plot as always with Karin Slaughter. As usual, full of twisted, disturbing characters with Sarah and Will trying to “save the world.” My heart broke for Mercy over and over again.

Great plotting.

12 books into a series and each one is just as good as the last, in fact this was one of my favourites so far.

Will and Sara are married and on their honeymoon but of course it won't go to plan. Soon enough, there's a body and everyone at the remote, isolated lodge is a suspect.

The characters in these books are always nasty but the McAlpine family take it to another level, they are despicable humans and treat Mercy like sh*t. Every twist just made them worse, and there were plenty of twists.

One of my favourite things about Karin Slaughter's books is the weaving and layers of storylines, the books are quite long for thrillers but we need the time for all of the groundwork to be laid and lead up to the ending. It's always just so well done.

I listened to the audiobook and the narration by Kathleen Early was amazing, as always. 100% recommend the audio for these.

This Is Why We Lied is book 12 in the Will Trent series, and if I thought its predecessor was as dark a book as one could possibly read, well I seriously underestimated Ms. Slaughter. The depravity of some of the characters is off the scale.
Will and Sara have finally tied the knot, and are now about to start their honeymoon at a cabin retreat in the mountains. Will has arranged everything, from their luxury cabin to a variety of outdoor activities. What he didn't anticipate was a murder. The victim is Mercy McAlpine, the manager of the retreat, daughter of the owners.
It seems just about everyone in Mercy's family had a motive for murdering Mercy, and all of the guests at the retreat appear to have something to hide.
As usual there are more twists and turns than a mountain road, and a red herring or two to contend with. The final reveal, when it came, left me reeling. I did NOT see that one coming.
This book is deeply unsettling and upsetting. I found myself crying for Mercy at one point.
My only peeve is the “tender” moments between Will and Sara. More thrills, less mushy moments please.
Thanks to Karin Slaughter, HarperCollins UK, and Netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.