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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
