Review of DEADLY LIES: Chris Patchell

DEADLY LIES: Chris Patchell

Mystery / Thriller

Date Published: December 15, 2013

As a teenager, Jill Shannon fell victim to her stepfather’s cruel abuse.
Now, as an adult, Jill’s made it—she has a successful career
and a solid, if not static, marriage to Detective Alex Shannon.
Together they live out what seems to be a perfect life in Seattle.

The vow she made as a teenager to never again be a victim
lies dormant—until one day a reporter lures her to
his hotel room under the pretense of an interview
—and suddenly it all comes rushing back.

Jill seeks revenge on the reporter, triggering a series of events
that leads Jill down a wormhole of retribution, forcing her
to spin an ever-widening web of lies.

Meanwhile, Alex is on the case of a series of murders
that began as cyber relationships. There seems to be a
familiar fingerprint on these crimes, but Alex refuses
to believe that the murderer could be so close to him.

For those who couldn’t put down The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
comes a thrilling ride a la Mr. and Mrs. Smith,
where husband and wife stand on opposite sides
of a divide created by lies and rooted
in a dark and deadly past.

REVIEW

An Unexpected Surprise — An Excellent Read

Alex and Jill Shannon are the perfect couple … right down their yellow Labrador Molly … but trouble is lurking under the surface. Alex is a detective, a good one, and the job means a little less attention focused where it should be—on his wife. When Alex’s ex-girlfriend enlists his help in finding her missing sister, it strains an already strained marriage. But there’s more going on than the obvious. Jill is hiding a troubled past. She was sexually abused and she made a solemn promise for it to never happen again. All these elements become combustible when something triggers Jill into doing the unthinkable. Her biggest problem? Not letting her husband know.  

DEADLY LIES by Chris Patchell is a darn good read. It started out a little wonky for me, but it doesn’t take long to get into the heart of the story, and when it does, it never lets up.

The story is told tandem style, and weaves what’s going on in Alex and Shannon’s lives by allowing them to take center stage and tell what’s going on through their POV. While I loved Alex from the get go, Jill … not so much. But when the ticking time bomb Jill carries inside goes off, both sections of the story mesh beautifully, and I became as vested in Jill as I was Alex. What can I say? I was fixated on this story.

Chris Patchell is a really good writer. Her skill is evident in the way the story flows, the fast pacing, and the way we get caught up in drama. The suspense is always present, urging us to read more than we planned, and the surprises that occur keep it that way. As for the ending? Definitely, did not anticipate it! It’s a big shockaroo and I loved it. It finished off the tale in style and left me happy that I spent the time reading this taut mystery/thriller.

I definitely recommend DEADLY LIES to all you mystery buffs. I’m sure after reading it, you’ll want more of Chris Patchell. Put her and it on your list of summer reads and enjoy!

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