Book Review: Lie to Me | J. T. Ellison

Lie to Me by J. T. Ellison was my first book by her, but definitely not my last! I absolutely was thrilled with this book, and it was even better than I thought it would be from the description. I started reading it on a flight, and for once my travel plans actually flew by (and I’m tall, so I never find airplanes to be a place where I lose myself…). This book was truly fantastic and worthy of the domestic noir/psychological thriller genres. I finished this yesterday and my head is still spinning from all of the twists and turns. I went into this book with some pretty big expectations, because so many of my favorite bloggers spoke highly of it. I have to say, it exceeding my expectations.

About the Book

A perfect couple…

Ethan and Sutton Montclair are both successful authors, and the darlings of the literary world. They seem like the perfect couple, but there is so much darkness and deception lurking behind the doors of their beautiful Victorian mansion in Tennessee. There’s is a marriage so full of passion, that at times it it becomes unhealthy.

And then one day, Sutton disappears…

Ethan awakens to find Sutton missing. Her normal routine has been broken, and he finds a note from her. Sutton says she needs to get away and not to look for her. Ethan is heartbroken and angry. But he also doesn’t want to report it. Is he lying to the police, himself, or even to us as the reader? As the events unfold and Sutton’s disappearance is reported, Ethan quickly becomes the prime suspect (because isn’t the husband always the prime suspect?). But did Ethan really harm her in some way? Did Sutton truly leave voluntarily, or is there foul play?

A mysterious, anonymous narrator…

As the story switches to then and now, telling the twisted tale of Ethan and Sutton, a mysterious third narrator enters the scene. “You’ll hate me…” the narrator says. But the narrator also informs us that perhaps we aren’t getting the full truth from Ethan and Sutton. What really happens in their marriage? Were the calls from the neighbors over their fighting onto something, or were they overreacting to a marriage that no one (including Ethan and Sutton) could possibly understand?

A young detective…

Holly Graham is a young police officer whose work on this case and family connections get her promoted to Detective early. Holly has a connection with Ethan from day 1 that lends her access to the case that the other detectives may not. And Holly may be the only one to believe Ethan is innocent. But is Holly falling prey to the Ethan Montclair charms? Or is she able to see something that others can’t?

Is everyone lying?

Review

This book is titled perfectly, because the entire theme of the book is about not just lying to others, but lying to ourselves. Through most of this book, I questioned which–if any–of the narrators was being honest in their story. There were so many characters and plotlines that were written in a way that was just enough off, that I was suspicious of almost everyone and everything. Its a novel about the secrets we all keep, and how those secrets can protect us and also destroy us.

I highly recommend this novel to fans of the domestic noir genre. This is one of the few books that does merit the “for fans of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train” sales pitch, but even that may undersell it. This is a book that is its own story. J. T. Ellison has a very engaging writing style, and she explores these characters so well. I loved and hated Ethan and Sutton at different times. I was suspicious of everyone. I left feeling satisfied as the final twists played out. The final page was somewhat delicious in the way it opened your mind to what may happen next.