Book Club Pick: Lie To Me

Lie To Me
by J.T. Ellison
Mira
original copyright 2017
Paperback available September 2019
407 pages
ISBN: 0980778330950

A twisty, dangerous psychological thriller is just right for a summer beach read.

"Moves at a blazing-fast pace and smoothly negotiates more twists and turns than the backroads of Tennessee. It will keep you guessing every step of the way to the surprise ending." --Lisa Scottoline, NY Times bestselling author of One Perfect Life 

Dark psychological marriage noir, Lie To Me will leave readers breathless and exhausted. Once a reader begins this book, it's impossible to stop reading. Page-turning action and twists within twists within an enigma are fast paced and tragic.

Married literary giants Sutton and Ethan Montclair's life is idyllic--from the outside. They are each accomplished writers earning big paychecks and hordes of fans. When Ethan has trouble writing, and Sutton wants out of a publishing deal, their finances take a downturn. They welcome a new baby boy that Sutton never wanted. Ethan tricked her into having the baby, and she still blames him. When their baby dies, their entire world unravels as they blame one another and lie about everything.

When Sutton suddenly disappears, friends and family whisper that Ethan must have something to do with it. He swears he knows nothing about his wife's disappearance and turns to the bottle for solace. Suddenly, Ethan has found his muse and begins writing the best prose of his entire career. The police build a case against him, and an unknown narrator drops in here and there to warn the reader that someone is pulling the strings. Just when it looks like Sutton may have been found or Sutton is to blame, other strings are pulled.

This is one wild ride and a great book for adult book clubs who will be talking about it long after they've read it. Pick this one up today for your beach vacation or your home staycation. Good luck figuring out who's to blame!

FTC Required Disclaimer: I did not receive monetary compensation for my review of this book.

High School Pick: The Girl in the Park

The Girl in the Park
by Mariah Fredericks
Schwartz & Wade Books
2012
224 pages


Riveting and taut, this YA thriller races on at a breakneck pace as clues are uncovered and suspects questioned. Rain hears about it the next day...her ex-best friend Wendy is missing. Wendy's mother calls Rain's house to ask if Rain knows anything about Wendy's whereabouts. Rain insists she doesn't know anything. She doesn't say anything about Wendy's latest obsession with Nico--a boy who was also at the party and on Wendy's hit list.

Rain really doesn't know anything about Wendy any more. They were friends a year ago but drifted apart. Wendy had become the girl that all the popular girls hate--the party girl who drinks too much and gets too friendly with the boys. Some of the popular clique whisper that maybe Wendy got what was coming to her, but Rain feels terrible. She feels guilty...maybe she should have been a better friend...maybe Wendy would still be alive.

After Wendy's body is discovered in Central Park, Rain thinks back to  the night of the party. What clues is she missing? She visits Wendy's Facebook page and goes through old pages and old messages. The police come to the school and are introduced and some students are questioned. The police show up at Rain's doorstep and question her, too.  Later, Rain begins to suspect Nico. As she searches for clues implicating Nico, a reporter tells Rain that there is a piece of evidence that the police aren't telling the public. A small letter "E" was found near Wendy's body. The "E's" are given out to four outstanding students each year. Whoever killed Wendy was a recipient of an E.

Rain goes to the library and begins looking at old yearbooks. Nico was never awarded an E, but his girlfriend Sasha was. Could Sasha have given Nico her pin? Rain tells the police she suspects Nico.

As Rain searches through clues from Wendy's Facebook page, a new suspect emerges--a suspect that no one, including Rain, ever suspected. Someone Rain trusted. Someone Rain admired. Rain decides to solve the case herself and is astonished at what she uncovers.

Rain has always felt broken and unworthy. Born with a cleft palate, Rain's speech has been affected. Kids make fun of the way she talks, so Rain rarely opens her mouth. Only Wendy gave her a chance; only Wendy was her friend and didn't make fun of her. In the end, quiet, timid, unassuming Rain finally finds her voice and speaks up for Wendy, and readers will be happy to see that the underdog triumphs.

Highly recommended grade 9-up. Partying, underage drinking, sex, extramarital affair, improper teacher/student relationship.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

High School Picks

Shutter Island
by Dennis Lehane
Harper Collins, 2003
325 pages

Shutter Island is one crazy dream of a book. U. S. Marshal Teddy Daniels and his partner are sent to Shutter Island to investigate the disappearance of an escaped patient from Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Soon, they are neck deep in mystery--how does an insane woman escape from a locked room? What are the cryptic clues Teddy is receiving and who is leaving the clues? What really goes on in Ward C? Are the doctors a super-secret government medical team investigating drug experimentation and mind control? Since the story takes place in 1954, Lehane is able to use history fact and fiction to present a sense of disbelief yet belief that the U.S. government would actually use a mental hospital to experiment on mental patients.

In a superb twist, Lehane makes readers question what is really going on--who is in charge, who is really insane, who is sane, and what constitutes sanity? Is the whole island an experiment to control thoughts and behaviors? There is no one better than Lehane at capturing character through subtle action and dialog. Shutter Island ranks right next to Mystic River as a great character study. Any budding novelist should read Lehane to get dialog right. He is the master.

The movie starring Leonardo di Caprio as Teddy should be a spooky tale.