Way twines two stories into a double helix, twisting them seamlessly around each other so that we know they really form one tale, but for long enough cannot quite see how they will eventually merge ... [Way] handles her dual narrative deftly, meting out well-paced details that create and develop tension as readers puzzle out the ties between Beth’s story about Hannah and Clara’s investigation of Luke’s disappearance ... While the author’s controlling rein on the narrative keeps attention focused...her characterization of the important players in the story is less sharp ... Those new to the author’s work will enjoy — or perhaps shudder — at this tense psychological thriller.
Readers will easily race through the novel to find out how the two stories are related and if there’s any chance at a happy ending. An engaging read for suspense fans who can’t get enough of the woman-in-peril theme.
Camilla Way is a dab hand at creating plausible scenarios and solid, believable dialogue...The Lies We Told is more of a light sparring, handbags at dawn kind of a read. Yes, there are revelations aplenty, but they’re of the ‘oh yes, I thought so’ variety and are unlikely to surprise all that much. That said, this is a book that holds the attention while not overtaxing the brain too much. An excellent choice for the growing holiday read pile.
Anyone who grew up on mass-market paperbacks for which the cover art was some forbidding version of a blood-spattered, blankly staring broken doll will feel an almost nostalgic connection to this novel ... The writing isn’t dazzling, but the construction and pacing are solid, staying just far enough ahead of the reader to be fun ... nobody ever said thrillers have to play nice as long as they play fair.
Creepy ... lackadaisical police involvement, both in Luke’s missing person case and in their lack of oversight of Hannah, diminishes the scenario’s plausibility. Despite the novel’s structural flaws, Way delivers palpable tension and engages the reader though the end.
