Review: Her Dark Lies by J.T. Ellison

This book caught my attention because of the author's name. Ms. Ellison is familiar to me because I have read several books she has co-authored with Cather Coulter. Intrigued to see a book written by herself, I'm shocked to learn that she has written many books by herself. I have now added Ms. Ellison to the list of authors I will automatically read if her name is on the book.

When it comes to suspense and thrillers, I want to be entertained. Yes this may conjure up images of Russel Crowe screaming at the crowds in Gladiator... "Are you not entertained!?" I am that crowd. I am blood thirsty, fickle at times and demanding in my suspense. This book delivers. Some authors keep the villain completely a mystery until the end. Others have rotating points of view to show the villain's perspective. In this one, Ms. Ellison makes it pretty clear who the villain is and their obsessive hatred.

The mystery is not so much the who, it is the why. It is about the secrets of a successful family. It is about loyalty, betrayal and spy worthy information. In this age where information is an expensive leverage, Claire marries into a family she knows very little about. Their public persona hides a life worthy of 007. I love it. Quite honestly, I find nothing wrong with Jack's family enterprise and I wouldn't mind being part of it either. What is surprising is the people they surround themselves with and the mistakes they make.

The perspectives of who Claire is and what she represents from different people's relationship with her is enlightening. Jack sees her one way. Her sister, Harper, views Claire differently. Harper is a problem for me. The reconciliation between the two sisters is too easy and I do not trust Harper at all. If she fell off a cliff, I would not reach a helping hand out. I would record it on my phone and post it as an unfortunate incident. *fake tear drips down my cheek* Such is life. Harper's good fortune at Claire's expense makes zero sense to me. I am quite hung up on this point. I feel like no good deed goes unpunished and that if this book continues with more characters in Jack's family or a book is focused on Harper, Claire will regret it.

For me, Claire is the strong one who finally comes out of her shell she's inprisoned herself in. Jack, or more precisely, her marriage to Jack, is the catalyst which brings Claire back to life. It would be interesting to see how Claire turns out a few years after her marriage to Jack.

Overall, this book kept me reading as I wanted to know the secrets and why something was happening. This suspense is recommended to readers who enjoy secrets and skeletons in the closet.

*provided by NetGalley