Lie Still: A Novel

By Julia Heaberlin

In the tradition of Lisa Unger’s Beautiful Lies and Nancy Pickard’s The Scent of Rain and Lightning comes a twisting, riveting novel of shifting trust and shattered lives. Lie Still delves deep into the heart of an opulent Southern town, where gossip is currency and secrets kill.
 
When Emily Page and her husband move from Manhattan to the wealthy enclave of Clairmont, Texas, she hopes she can finally escape her haunted past—and outrun the nameless stalker who has been taunting her for years. Pregnant with her first child, Emily just wants to start over. But as she is drawn into a nest of secretive Texas women—and into the unnerving company of their queen, Caroline Warwick—Emily finds that acceptance is a very dangerous game.
 
It isn’t long before Caroline mysteriously disappears and Emily is facing a rash of anonymous threats. Are they linked to the missing Caroline? Or to Emily’s terrifying encounter in college, years earlier? As the dark truth about Caroline emerges, Emily realizes that some secrets are impossible to hide—and that whoever came for Caroline is now coming for her.

Praise for Lie Still
 
“In this engrossing novel of suspense . . . [Heaberlin] expertly spins out a tale of lies and deceit that will keep the reader guessing.”—Publishers Weekly
 
“Heaberlin’s depiction of one tight-knit Texas community is both culturally savvy and politically astute. . . . A carefully wrapped package of Texas soap opera, social and political exposé, and well-paced thriller.”—Booklist
 
“Heaberlin combines a culturally pertinent suspense story (the plot revolves around the main character’s struggles with the repercussions of an unreported date rape) with satirical observations about Texas’ moneyed suburban elite.”—The New York Times
 
“Lie Still mixes serious discussion about ‘the last frontier in crime’ with a twisty-turny mystery plot and a cast of eccentric characters.”—Fort Worth Star-Telegram
 
“Reading a book by Julia Heaberlin is like hearing your best friend tell you a particularly thorny story, filled with secrets and intrigue and human hopes and failures. Lie Still is a book you want to curl up with for a good long while but, more important, Julia Heaberlin is an author you want to get to know.”—Jenny Milchman
 
“Julia Heaberlin weaves an intricate tapestry of secrets and suspense, lies and betrayals that kept me reading late into the night. Lie Still is a thriller par excellence and a page-turner, true—but it’s also a moving story of one woman’s unlikely path toward healing, and another’s lifelong search for redemption. I challenge you to visit Claremont, Texas—where nothing is quite as it seems and no one is quite who they claim—and leave unchanged.”—Emily Colin
 
“Julia Heaberlin deceives the reader in the most deliciously chilling way in Lie Still: With gorgeous prose and sterling character work, she takes us on a deeply felt and wonderfully composed thrill ride. Layer after layer of secrets, longing, and deception is peeled away and we begin to dread the twisted kernel at the heart, never guessing what Heaberlin has in store for us.”—Sophie Littlefield, bestselling author of Garden of Stones

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Jul 2, 2013
• ISBN: 9780345527059

Julia Heaberlin

Julia Heaberlin is the internationally bestselling author of Night Will Find You, We Are All the Same in the Dark, Paper Ghosts, Black-Eyed Susans, Playing Dead, and Lie Still. Her books have sold in more than twenty countries. We Are All the Same in the Dark won the 2020 Writers’ League of Texas award for fiction, and Paper Ghosts was a finalist for Best Hardcover Novel at the International Thriller Awards. Before writing novels, Heaberlin was a journalist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Dallas Morning News, and The Detroit News, which fed her interest in true crime and the forgotten stories of victims, a theme she carries into her fiction. She currently lives in the Dallas–Fort Worth area with her family, where she’s working on her next psychological thriller.

Reviews for Lie Still

[nvbookgirl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it. I thought it was a suspenseful page turner that kept me guessing right up to the end. And it was nice that it had some humor to break up the tension. My one criticism is that it had too many storylines to keep track of. I look forward to reading other books by this author.

[sherrilee_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really didnt expect to like this book. It took forever to arrive and then when I reread the blurb, I wondered why I had ever requested it. There were some obvious flaws and missteps...I mean as others have pointed out, Emily is the police chief's wife and Caroline invites her to the secret circle blackmail party and Letty goes crazy on her--several times. In the meantime, Emily has withheld a whopper of a secret from her husband and bff, and I really dont buy that. she goes on about how much she loves her hubz and how close she and her friend are but she has told neither of the most traumatic thing in her life (actually TWO)...that's a bunch of malarkey. However, as a native Texan, I thought the stereotypes and caricatures were dead on as well as some of the more subtle community and personal characteristics.The writing was excellent and the suspense well done. Emily was a mix of traits as we all are, although some of her moves, like with the file room, were implausible. The ending was also a bit of a stretch and when I later realized that I had read Heaberlin's other book , I remembered thinking the same about it. When we find out 'whodunnit' it should make some kind of sense and at least have been on the radar but the author evidently disagrees. Weirdly enough, after all these negative remarks, I have to say that I basically liked the book, Heaberlin has the talent though she perhaps needs to refine it more; and she managed to keep me reading a story that didnt always make sense.

[sfeggers · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I stayed up way too late last night and then had to read the rest when I woke this morning. This was a definitely a good mystery about a strong woman and her good husband, set in a Texas town populated by crazy women. I will be looking for more by Julia Heaberlin.

[tanya2009_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good characters and lots of secrets follow the heroine in this book to a new town. The book is set in a Texas community and is well worth the read. Thanks Librarything for allowing me to review this book. It did take a while to receive my copy which isn't the norm but the book was good once I read it.

[britt1075 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lie Still by Julia Heaberlin is an extremely fast paced, can't put down book. The story line revolves around Emily and her husband who move to a small town in Texas from the big city of New York. Emily has a past that even her husband is not privy to. When strange things start to happen in their new town Emily is not sure if it is her past out to haunt her or something else? After a notorious towns person disappears shortly after having been with Emily, Emily is forced to let her husband in on some of her past secrets. Now Emily is worried her past will do her in in more ways than one. But is this connected??? This book has more plot twists than I would normally like but I was actually able to keep up and I ended up loving the book. It was a book that I couldn't figure out until the very end!

[ncdonnas · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I loved this author's other thriller but the main character in this one revolted me with her constant slut shaming and fat shaming. I understand that not all characters are likable, nor do I normally require them to be, but I felt like I was being asked to be sympathetic to this character but found it difficult when she was such a nasty individual. My feelings about this character have probably colored my overall impression of the story but I felt that the writing in Lie Still was no where near as strong as in Black Eyed Susans. I felt that all of the characters were too cliche and none of them likable. I found it impossible to connect with the story or the characters. On a positive note, The audio narration was excellent.

[wcath · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lie Still is a story about secrets and how they can follow and haunt and even destroy, if you are not careful. Emily and Mike Page have moved from Manhattan to a small Texas town where Mike has been named the new Chief of Police. Emily is pregnant and nervous about fitting in and showing herself and her husband in the best light. At a party thrown by the enigmatic and wealthy Caroline, Emily meets Letty and Misty who reveal that there is a club that Caroline runs and she must apply for membership. Oh yes.... secrets. One of Emily's is that she is being stalked by someone who leaves cryptic letters and follows her wherever she lives. Are they related to a devastating rape in college or is it something else entirely? When Emily gets a coveted spot in the club, she finds that membership has it's disadvantages. Then Caroline goes missing. Good twists, some predictable plot lines but overall an enjoyable, sometimes scary read.

[tonestaple_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The story wasn't bad; the main character was detestable, nasty and condescending and contemptuous of every single solitary Texan she met. The manner of telling the story was good - the author isn't a bad writer, but I would never in a million years want to be anywhere near her if I wasn't from New York where, apparently, only smart people live and all of the smart people want to live there. I do not know where she acquired such a nasty attitude towards southerners, but I do not for one minute buy her protestation an the afterword about liking her Dallas neighbors. In short, I'm awfully glad I didn't buy this book, and I only finished it because I couldn't figure out whodunnit. By the way, when I did find out, I thought it was a bit of a cheat since I don't believe there were any clues pointing to that person.

[busyreadin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Murder, mystery & mayhem! Some of the most unique Texas ladies you'll ever encounter make for a very enjoyable read. This was a first read by this author for me, but I plan to go back and find her first book asap.

[itsjustme_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is not a happy book. I will not falsely paint you a pretty picture. This is a sad story, a very suspenseful, intense, sometimes scary, sad story! The first chapter starts out with a WOW! I was sobbing all through it! It was very personal. I felt like I was reading someones diary, very heartfelt. I had to put the book down and stop reading and gather my thoughts. I wanted to sit and read more but I needed an emotional break.Then it slowed down a bit for me for about 1/4 of the book, and it was actually a little confusing. There was a lot going on. I had to get used to the author's writing style. I wasn't sure what was her imagination and what was real. There were also parts that took me a while to figure out if it was past or present. But I couldn't stop reading because I had to find out what happened!Then finally about half way through it really picked up and I could not put it down. It got very suspenseful and sucked me in.The character development was very good. I loved Emily, what a terrifying and sad life she had! And still she remained strong. All the characters (women) in this secret club were over the top, but fun and exciting! I thought they were all developed very well too. I felt like they were plucked right out of "Steel Magnolias".I did not figure out the end! Totally surprised me. If you like a good suspense story that will keep you on the edge of your seat - this is the book for you!Here are a few quotes I liked from the book - "- ...Why do you think New York is an instant bad impression?' "We're snotty, rude, walk too fast, use big words when little ones will do just fine. Steal your best baseball players." I am from NY and I agree! "That light blue shirt... you look like the Madonna. I'd paint you right now if I knew how to paint with something other than a roller. Maybe you should look in a mirror and paint yourself." "I'm trying this diet where you can eat all the bananas, hot dogs, and boiled eggs you want, but that's it. Nothing else but water. I've lost seven pounds in four days. I'm getting a little sick of it. I gag if I eat more than six eggs and three or four hot dogs at a time. But throwing up wouldn't be a bad deal, either. Maybe that's the secret of the diet." And my favorite! - "I only listen to country." For the next fifteen minutes, Letty ignored me and sang along squeakily about how her give-a-damn was busted and how tequila makes her clothes fall off and how she'd happily pack a lunch and stuff Earl in a trunk 'cause Earl had to die. She nearly busted my eardrums with the chorus, "I'd like to check you for ticks." Hahahaha - I love country music!

[sunnydrk · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lie Still tells the tale of Emily Page, who moves from Manhattan to a small town in Texas. Like the women of Clairmont, TX, Emily has secrets of her own. Secrets that she has even kept from her police chief husband. Lie Still was a suspensful page turner that I did not want to put down. With each page, I was compelled to keep going to find out what happened next. I did find it fell short with the character development and some of the timeline seemed off. A good, quick beach/pool read.

[jrquilter · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is a suspenseful drama about rape survivor, Emily, who is married to a former ATF agent. He is the new chief of police in a small Texas town. She soon gets an invitation to the home of a prominent socialite, where she meets numerous superficial "friends", all of whom have something to hide. This is a good suspenseful read interspersed with plenty of humor.

[camellia1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I thought this book was just OK. Emily and her husband move from NYC to a small Texas town when she finally has a pregnancy that is doing well after multiple miscarriages. Since this move was supposedly to make their lives less stressful, I got hung up on wondering why they stayed in town. It seems like everyone in town has ulterior motives and most of them are creepy and unpleasant. Why didn't Emily just pack it up and go back to her old life? Wondering about that kept me from truly enjoying the story.

[debralu_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Snagged as an Early Review Book. It wasn't one of those books I look forward to "picking back up" each time I had to stop reading, but I did read it completely. There were surprises with some of the characters, there was suspense (more at the end of the book) as to "who did it?" but I found there was too much mediocrity in between.

[kitchenwitch04 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wow! All I can say is get in, buckle up, and hold on! This was my impression of Julia Heaberlin's book Lie Still. I honestly had a hard time putting this one down. And as a huge fan of Gillian Flynn, I was thrilled to find this book equally captivating.The main character in this story is Emily Page. She is a thirty-something woman, haunted by a rape that happened while she was in college. And to make matters worse, she has been receiving strange phone calls and packages in the mail since that time. She is now pregnant and has recently left New York City to live in an upper-class Texas suburb. This is where it all starts getting really weird...I felt the characters in this book where well-developed and made up of a plethora of personalities - what a group! And, let me tell you, nobody has anything on this troupe of secret-keepers! If you are looking for some unexpected twists and turns, this is the book for you.I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading mysteries/thrillers and suspense. I loved this book, and I think anyone who enjoys those genres should go out and read it right now!I received this book through the Goodread's First Reads Program for my review.

[4leschats · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Emily Page survived a date rape in college and is now pregnant. So, when she moves to a small Texas town with her new sheriff husband, Michael, she hopes to put her past, including a stalker possibly associated with the reap, behind her. However, she finds the culture a bit overwhelming. She meets a group of women who have formed a club based on knowing each others secrets. But, when the queen bee, Caroline, disappears, the case becomes more threatening. Heaberlin does a great job of capturing the small town element and the interactions between the women. However, the plot was a bit thin with some unlikely coincidences such as 2 stalkers.

[jspig · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Emily's life has been marked by tragedy. She was raped in College and her parents died soon after. She is now married to Mike, an ex ATF agent and has just moved to Clairmont Texas where Mike has accepted a job as police chief. In Clairmont Emily meets a group of women led by the enigmatic Caroline. The town of Clairmont is full of secrets. When Caroline disappears, Emily is thrown into the mystery as well.Overall this is an entertaining read and Emily is an engaging narrator. The plot is convoluted. The author sets up a few unrelated mysteries, such as Emily's stalker that seem completely unrelated to Caroline's disappearance. These multiple plot strands dissipate the impact of the ending. I thought there was a lot of build up without the big payoff.

[beecharmer_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lie Still by Julia Heaberlin is a quick, exciting read. At times I didn't feel like there was enough background and I was coming in on the middle of a story, but it was interesting enough to keep me turning pages. Emily and her husband have moved to Texas from New York for his new job. Emily is in a risky pregnancy and is also the victim of a stalker. She gets involved with a group of women and when the leader turns up missing she becomes a suspect. Emily has to investigate to clear her name.

[katharineclifton · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have been agonizing over this review because I am of two minds about this book. The suspense? Excellently drawn. The author kept me guessing in many ways, with each new twist revealing more secrets and causing more doubt. In that respect, it is a very well written book. The problem? There's too much written. And I don't mean quantity of words, I mean we get too much. There are bombshells that didn't need to drop because they were superfluous. There are characters that are also superfluous. And the ones that matter sometimes we only learned a few things about them, or the things we learned were irrelevant to the plot. the main character was an enigma - strong, but needy - and I liked that about her. In many ways she seemed very real. In others, she seemed naive, and in the risks she took (especially given her history and how much she says she is affected by it) unrelatable. But here's the thing, the suspense writing and plot twists are so strong that overall, I really liked the book. Despite the fact it was all over the map, despite the fact that it was a little slow starting, in the end, I found myself surprised by the ultimate twist and I enjoyed reading it.

[nise_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Emily and Mike move to Texas from New York. They are looking forward to a new baby and new start, especially Emily who has a past full of secrets. Emily meets a group of local women her over. Right away she has reservations about this group. The leader of the group turns up missing and this go from bad to worse. A page turner of secrets, lies and betrayals that kept me guessing.

[candyh_64 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lie Still is a tremendous mystery by Julia Heaberlin. The story involves Mike and Emily Page who move from New York to a small Texas town where Emily gets involved with some really crazy women who think they control the town and probably they do with the gossip they put out. There are many twists and turns to this well written mystery. I could not put it down once I finally received it from LibraryThing for a review. I appreciate being selected to read this book. I highly recommend it. It is well worth reading if you are a mystery lover.

[kerrymarsh · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I found this book really hard to put down. The story is fast paced with lots of twists to it. There is also a back story going on that just adds to the richness of the writing. Julia Heaberlin's second book is filled with interesting and very well-developed characters who have more secrets than you can poke a stick at. Loved it and worth settling in on the couch with a cuppa and indulging yourself with.

[anastab_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I honestly didn't think I'll like this book. I usually read only paranormal types of books but since I got approved for this book on Netgalley and I wanted to try something new, I decided to give this book a shot. At first I had a hard time getting into the book, I even put it down a couple of times. But about after 30% through it really started to get so much better. All of the new mysteries and secrets started to come on surface and it was hard not to finish this book, because you just have to know how its going to end. I just liked the whole mystery of the book. The suspense of the story and how it builds up and up and when you try to guess, you always come out wrong. The plot was just really real to the point that it was scary at times, because you know this can happen in real life. I liked that the book setting was in the South but at the same time I was a little bit confused by some people there. I never been in the South so I wouldn't know if people there actually act this way, but it was interesting to read about it. Emily is the only character that I really got to know in this book. Every other character is still a mystery to me, you know stuff about them, but you don't really know them, not even Emily's husband, Mike. I honestly liked Emily, Mike and Misty, but all of the other characters...I never met anyone like them in my life, especially the portraying of Taxes woman... I never really got used to their behavior. I liked Letty too, she was a funny character to read about. Emily was a strong character and narrator, I really liked seeing things through her eyes. I felt like I was with her, I just loved the way she portrayed things. This book was different and I really enjoyed reading it. Towards the end this book just blew my mind, I loved the twists and all of the craziness in this book. If you love mystery, I would definitely recommend to read it!

[pattylouise_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lie StillbyJulia HeaberlinMy "in a nutshell" summary...Threats...a disappearance...a chilling mystery!My thoughts after reading this book...This is one of those books where the mystery starts immediately! And I mean right away...almost from the very first page. Also it's one of those mysteries that is chilling...freaky...scary...and incredibly difficult to put down!This is going to be a bare bones review...because the only way to thoroughly enjoy this book is to pick it up and read it. I will say that Emily is pregnant...she and her husband are starting a new life in a small Texas town and she is hiding lots of deep dark secrets including the fact that she is being stalked. There are tons of "secrets, lies and videos" in this book...beginning with a socialite in this town who needs to know about everyone's private lives and take control of them...until the day she mysteriously disappears! What I loved about this book...I loved the pace. It was fast and furious. There were so many secrets! The surprise of the ending was yummy!What I did not love...With every mystery I read...I hate the suspense...the not knowing...but that is the fun of reading thrillers like this one. Final thoughts...I truly enjoyed this chilling book. I am a little unsure about the ending...could it be the segue to the next book?

[terrylynn_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The story follows Emily after she was raped on a date in college. I didn't get a feeling that she cared about it much until the author would drop big bombs about the event throughout the novel. There is also a murder mystery, the main character is married to a police officer in a ritzy area of Texas. There were parts that were light and others that were heavy. I didn't care for the format or the way the story was presented. I had a hard time following the sequence of events as the author presented them. I really wanted to like this novel,as it was given to me as an advance copy by Random House.

[gpangel_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Lie Still by Julia Heaberlin is set for an early July release and is a Bantam publication. Emily and her husband Mike move from New York to Clairmont, Texas. Mike has taken the job of police chief here. Emily is expecting their first child and is constantly on guard because of several previous miscarriages. Her home is still a mess, with boxes unpacked when she is pushed a bit by her husband to accept an invitation to a party by one of the town's wealthiest residents. Emily reluctantly attends and finds herself in a surreal situation. The women attending this gathering are all very well off, dressed to the nines and catty. But, the hostess, Caroline, seems to be all powerful. She holds something over each woman and knows their deepest darkest secrets. As it turns out, Emily has a few of those deep dark secrets and somehow Caroline has found out about them. These are things that even Mike isn't aware of. When Caroline goes missing, there are an abundance of suspects. However, Caroline's disappearance could somehow or other be connected to Emily's past. Caroline, the keeper of others secrets, may have had a few whoppers of her own. For Emily this means opening up a chapter of her life she would rather forget. Emily and her unborn child are at risk from a stalker and maybe even a murderer. As Mike investigates the disappearance of Caroline, Emily begins to look into her past to discover who may have killed the man that raped her and several other girls and to find who is stalking her. She doesn't not know if the past and present are about to collide. This is a taut, dark, edgy mystery suspense novel. I could not put this book down. Once I read the first chapter I was hooked. The story moves fast with one revelation after another until you don't know who can be trusted. Everyone seems to have a sinister quality about them. This town is just plain spooky with some really off the wall characters. The wealthy group of women desperate to be a part of Caroline's club, the Mayor, the other policemen, the people in Emily's past, all have secrets, all have motives, all are not what they appear to be. Emily was a person that was easy to relate to. I felt empathy for her, and admired her courage. I also liked her husband, even at times when he was mad at her or preoccupied with his job. He was blindsided a few times and handled the big reveals from Emily better than I would have.I found myself feeling upbeat about the way things all turned out for Emily. I think that even though this experience was painful, she and Mike are stronger and Emily may now find the peace and closure she badly needed. I'm very impressed with this author and I highly recommend this book. A+ Thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for this digital review copy!

[celticlibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.0 out of 5 stars -- Secrets and lies...Pregnant Emily and her husband Mike move from New York because he is taking the job of Police Chief in Clairmont, Texas. Unfortunately, Emily is carrying more than a baby with her -- she is a woman with many secrets, a hidden past -- and she has not shared these with her husband.Upon arrival in their new town, Emily is invited to a gathering of Clairmont's most wealthy matrons and is introduced to Caroline Warwick, the apparent power in this group of women. Caroline has secrets of her own and Clairmont's multimillion dollar mansions hide a multitude of sins committed by those pampered ladies in this odd sorority.Soon Emily is caught up a maelstrom as her husband hunts for a murderer even as her own past catches up with her.Interesting and quirky characters make this a fun and fast read. Grab it for your commute or summer summer vacation!Goodreads first reads giveaway ARC.

[jenniferlynn-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Emily and Mike move to Texas from New York. He is going to be the new Chief of Police and Emily is having a baby. They may have been safer in New York, because Emily meets some crazy women in her new Texas town. There is an elite club run by Caroline, which all the women want to join. These women are just plain scary, stab you in the back scary. The members thrive on secrets. These ladies would give the Real Housewives a run for their money. Letty was my favorite scary housewife. I think I truly loved her after she picked Emily up at the airport and was shooting her gun at signs as they drove home. She never fails to mention that she’s a former beauty queen. Emily is deeply affected from being raped in college and has always felt like it was her fault. She has had a stalker for years. Queen Bee Caroline mysteriously disappears and naturally Emily investigates. At the end secrets are finally revealed, Emily still had a few of her own. The book was great and had twists and turns. The club was very creepy and over the top and it’s hard to believe grown women would act this way. I love Julia Heaberlin’s style of writing.

[sunmtn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Lie Still appealed to me because it is set in North Texas, where I live, and Heaberlin does a great job of emphasizing the regional characteristics of this area, its locale, expressions, food, and the overall idiosyncrasies that distinguish Texas from anywhere else. Although Heaberlin may be considered a regional writer, the themes of her novels are certainly universal, transcending geographical limitations. Heaberlin has woven together a twisty-turny mystery thriller that will keep you guessing right up until the end. The story centers on Emily and her husband Mike who have moved down from New York because Mike has taken the job as the new police chief. Because of Mike’s importance in Clairmont, Emily is invited into an elite circle of wealthy women led by the socially powerful but bizarre Caroline. I believe Heaberlin when she states at the end of the book:“ None of the crazy, diabolical Southern women in this book are based on a real person. Most of the Texas women I know are quite nice, thank you, and don’t go around eating Little Debbie cakes with a rifle riding in the trunk of their cars.” My book club had a lively discussion over whether the quirky female characters prevalent throughout the book, especially former beauty queen, Lettie, who constantly diets, flaunts her supposed lineage to General Lee, and wields a gun as casually as most people handle blow dryers are realistic. I see them as caricatures, embodying some of the stereotypes associated with southern women. The thought of these women actually existing leaves me quaking in my boots.Through Emily’s character, Heaberlin delves into the devastation of date rape and its long lasting psychological effects. Emily has never fully dealt with an event from college that forever changed her life. Now in Clairmont, when Caroline goes missing, Emily finds her past catching up to her. Clarimont is full of secrets and denial won’t always work to keep the evil at bay. Heaberlin balances the dark moments of the book with some laugh out humorous scenes that give readers a brief reprieve from the otherwise serious and deadly underlying tone that permeates the book. All in all a very good read!

[susiesharp_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The premise of this book sounded really good, however the follow through was not as good as I had hoped. I did enjoy the first part of this story it was a good build up to an intriguing mystery however the end was so rushed that it kind of ruined it. This group of women was a caricature of Texas/southern women, and their little group with a bowl of secrets was laughable especially when it was Emily’s first time getting together with these women, if the queen bee of this little group was blackmailing these other women, why would you include the new Chief of Police’s wife?There were so many secrets and storylines going on here and I could kind of see what the author was trying for but it didn’t work for me. The big reveal at the end had me so confused and made me think I had missed a page because it was so rushed and very unsatisfactorily for my taste it was very anti-climatic for a book with so many story lines and secrets.Overall I was disappointed in this…some have liked it more than I did so I guess give it a try, I didn’t hate it, it just won’t be one that I’ll tell people is a must read.2 ½ StarsI received this from Librarything Early Reviewer program for a fair and honest review