★★★★★
Julie Clark has done it again. She has written a completely captivating story about two traumatized women whose lives are intertwined. After reading and loving The Last Flight, I was prepared not to like this book (my June 2022 BOTM pick) as much, but I absolutely did!
In The Lies I Tell, Meg Williams is a con artist seeking revenge while Kat Roberts is a reporter looking for her big break. Everything changes for Kat after receiving a tip from Meg setting her on her own quest for revenge.
“Good fortune and second chances. Everyone wants to believe those are real.”
Julie Clark, The Lies I Tell
The relationship between Meg and Kat kept me guessing throughout the course of the story. I also appreciated how technology was woven in. In my opinion, technology was used in a more believable way in The Lies I Tell than it was in The Last Flight.
There were a few confusing points and minor plot holes in the book. About 40 percent into the story, it jumps 10 years into the present day. Up until that point, I didn’t realize the parts I’d been reading were in the past. I was also a little confused when Kat was first introduced – I initially thought Kat was one of Meg’s aliases. I also didn’t completely follow the logic for when Meg used her real name and when she didn’t.
The writing and storytelling more than made up for these tiny issues. I could easily put these discrepancies aside because I was so invested in finding out where the story was going.
Clark is extremely gifted at writing about complicated women who are coping with difficult circumstances. She helps you understand who they are, and why they make the choices they do and makes them relatable enough that you care about what happens. Her writing is also filled with short, memorable observations that make you stop and take in just how true they are.
Clark has now earned a spot among my “auto-buy” authors. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
My review of The Last Flight is available here.
