A Lovely Lie by Jaime Lynn Hendricks Published by Penzler Publishers on May 28, 2024
Genres: Domestic Thriller, Psychological Thrillers
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Buy on Amazon/Barnes & Noble/Bookshop.org
Is it better to believe a lovely lie or know the horrible truth?
1999: The night of their senior picnic, Scarlett Russo and her best friend Pepper were involved in a car accident that left two of their classmates dead. Afterward, they lied to the police, protecting each other from the consequences. Then Pepper left town and Scarlett never heard from her again…
Now: Twenty-two years later, Scarlett has buried that deadly incident deep in her mind and built a comfortable life for herself, working in a hotel on the west coast of Florida and raising her teenage son with her husband Vince. Her peace is disrupted, however, when Pepper’s daughter shows up with news of Pepper’s death. Zoey is twenty-one and studying to be an investigative journalist. She has a cryptic letter from Pepper addressed to Scarlett that alludes to the events of that fateful night and Pepper’s initial intentions to get an abortion. Now Zoey wants answers about her mother’s past. Who is Zoey’s father? And what really happened after the senior picnic? As Zoey continues to dig into the past, all of Scarlett’s buried secrets threaten to rise to the surface.
My Thoughts
This is a story written by an author who masterly intertwines the past and the present by taking readers on an emotional rollercoaster to reveal the unfortunate truth of a fatal night and its consequences.
The book is set in 1999, as Scarlett Russo and her best friend Pepper witness a severe car crash that claims two lives of their classmates. Struck with panic and fear, they decide to lie to the police, shielding each other from the repercussions. However, their lives take a new turn as Pepper walks out of Scarlett’s life, leaving her with many unanswered questions and a massive burden of guilt.
Skip twenty-two years, and Scarlett has successfully buried the incident in her mind and created a relatively comfortable life for herself and her family. However, everything changes when Pepper’s daughter Zoey comes back with a tragic message that her mother is dead. Zoey goes on the mission armed with a cryptic letter from Pepper addressed to Scarlett to find out more details about her mother’s past and her identity.
Readers are taken on a journey with Scarlett as she must face her past, with the author effectively exploring the intricacies of guilt, forgiveness, and lengths that people would go through for the ones they cherish. The characters are developed strongly and understandably have their own problems and secrets. Scarlett’s internal struggle, as if trying to choose between a beautiful lie and a horrible truth, is palpable, and readers will question their beliefs and values.
The narrative smoothly shifts between present and past, chronicling what happened on that tragic night and the subsequent repercussions. The timing is excellent and keeps readers interested and excited to uncover the next piece of the mystery. So, the author’s style is descriptive and evocative, illustrating bright pictures of characters’ feelings and the surroundings one can imagine them in.
One of the strengths of this novel is that it depicts the concept of motherhood and the family life affected by the secrets. Scarlett and Zoey have a heartwarming relationship as well as an utterly tense one, considering what they were through and what was discovered along the way. The author’s skill is exemplary in this novel, as readers emotionally hook into the characters’ lives, hoping they will get out of their circumstances and understand them.
“Is it better to believe a lovely lie or know the horrible truth?” This is an engaging and provocative read that will leave readers pondering the nature of truth, forgiveness, and how far people will go to shield the ones they love. This novel, with its developed characters, thrilling plot, and in-depth study of intricate themes, is suitable for anyone interested in psychopathological thrillers and dramas about families. I highly recommend this book!
Thank you to Penzler Publishers, Scarlet, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.
About Jaime Lynn Hendricks
Jaime Lynn Hendricks’s debut novel, FINDING TESSA, was called “an anxiety fueled ride rife with unexpected left turns” by Publishers Weekly, and won a “Best of 2021” in the debut category from Suspense Magazine. It is also available in UK & Commonwealth under the title HIS MISSING WIFE. It is published in Korean and contracted for French translation in 2024.
Jaime spent over twenty years in the printing industry before becoming an author. She lives in Florida with her husband.
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