This Is How I Lied

I am an avid mystery reader, but I am confounded by the positive reviews of this book. Most – if not all – of the characters are unlikable, the plot is weak and improbable, and the writing is juvenile. A total waste of time and money for me.

This is the second book that I have read by Heather Gudenkauf, and it was even better than the last.
The story of childhood friends, Maggie and Eve, is a special one. Both of them having family issues, they rely on each other. Eves’ sister, Nola, is an outcast, strange acting and friendless. Maggie’s father is in mourning for his deceased wife.
When the girls are fifteen, Eve is killed. The small town of Grotto is shocked when her broken body is found by Maggie and Nola in one of the many caves that the area is known for.
The killer is never caught. The story is told in back and forth scenes from 1995 and 2020. I love this style of writing, as it ramps up the tension and suspense.
Who is the killer? It is up to, now detective, Maggie Kennedy O’Keefe to find out what REALLY happened 25 years ago.
I would definitely recommend this book to my friends and family!

Everyone has a secret theyll do anything to hide

Twenty-five years ago, the body of sixteen-year-old Eve Knox was found in the caves near her home in small-town Grotto, Iowadiscovered by her best friend, Maggie, and her sister, Nola. There were a handful of suspects, including her boyfriend, Nick, but without sufficient evidence the case ultimately went cold.

For decades Maggie was haunted by Eves death and that horrible night. Now a detective in Grotto, and seven months pregnant, she is thrust back into the past when a new piece of evidence surfaces and the case is reopened. As Maggie investigates and reexamines the clues, secrets about what really happened begin to emerge. But someone in town knows more than theyre letting on, and theyll stop at nothing to keep the truth buried deep.

My Thoughts: From the beginning of This Is How I Lied, I was rooting for Maggie, even though there were moments along the way when she seemed to be culpable of something. Perhaps not what she thinks she has done, but at the very least, she has kept dark secrets.

Then there is Nola, and she presented as a monstrous person from the beginning. At the very least, crazy. She always seemed to be lurking, and that habit led her to listen in on conversations and present distorted truths to Maggie and others.

The story was told by multiple narrators that swept back and forth in time, and through this device, we ultimately learn the truth of what happened to Eve. 4.5 stars.

Thank you to Harlequin and Net Galley for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. I remember reading Health Gudenkauf’s books years ago, but I just stopped…for no good reason. This book was so good. I’m glad to have her back! Sometimes I have difficulty with timelines, but like a narrative that skips between characters or time periods. This one was crafted in such a way that I didn’t have any difficulty keeping track of any part of it. The book was fast paced, and so intriguing that I just kept reading, not wanting to stop. Such a good book, and I highly recommend it.

This was a good mystery that kept me guessing. I didn’t know who ‘dunnit’ until the very end when the killer was revealed. There are, of course, a few red herrings thrown in. I agree with another reviewer that stated she didn’t really like any of the main characters. I didn’t either. This author is still one of my favorites, but this particular book is probably my least favorite of hers that I have read. Won’t stop me from buying her future works though.

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