The Marriage Lie

By Kimberly Belle

** The #1 eBook bestseller! **

‘Utterly compelling!’ Lisa Hall, bestselling author of Between You and Me

‘A good, old-fashioned page-turner, with a poisonous sting in the tail.’ Daily Mail

She thought they had a perfect marriage….

When a plane crashes, Iris Griffiths watches the news unfold with horror…and then relief. Her beloved husband Will had just flown out from the same airport, but he was on a different flight.

So why is his name on the list of victims?

Surely there’s some mistake – her husband would never lie to her. Would he? But wading deeper into the truth of her husband’s deception, Iris begins to think the unthinkable.

Maybe she’s glad that he’s dead…

A chillingly unsettling psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Paula Hawkins, Liane Moriarty , Shari Lapena and Clare Macintosh. Are you ready to question if everything in your life is really as it seems…

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Dec 29, 2016
• ISBN: 9781474056687

Kimberly Belle

Kimberly Belle is the USA Today and internationally bestselling author of five novels of suspense. Her third, The Marriage Lie, was a semifinalist in the 2017 Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Mystery & Thriller, and has been translated into a dozen languages. Before turning to fiction, Kimberly worked in marketing and nonprofit fundraising. 

Reviews for The Marriage Lie

[n.w.moors-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Iris's perfect marriage comes to a crashing halt when she's notified her husband was in a plane crash with no survivors. She's confused because he was supposed to be on a different plane with a different destination, but gradually clues mount up that Will was not all he seemed to be.This is a good read, well-paced so I wanted to find out what happens next, but also frustrating. Iris is a well-educated psychologist, and while I get that she's under a lot of stress, she made me crazy as a reader. Her naive interactions with the Corban, a hitherto unknown friend of her husband's where she spills every secret just seemed ridiculous as he was definitely sus from the get-go. The last part was fairly predictable, but the book is well-written and engaging overall. I give it 3 and 1/2 stars.

[porte01 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

2.5 stars. I liked the beginning. The plot began well, with good suspense. Iris was somewhat believable though really not very astute for a trained psychologist. I liked the ending, which was a surprise. I didn't enjoy the bulk of the middle of the book which went on too long with Iris becoming increasingly annoying and too many holes in the plot line stacking up.

[kbranfield-837433 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.5 stars.

The Marriage Lie by Kimberly Belle is a suspense-laden mystery that is full of shocking twists and turns.

Iris Giffith is shaken to the core by the news her beloved husband, Will, has perished in a plane crash. Confusion and disbelief immediately set in since Will was flying to Orlando not Seattle. When Iris is confronted with irrefutable proof that Will lied about the conference, she begins searching for the truth about her husband. Learning he recently changed his will and purchased two new life insurance policies is just the tip of the iceberg as Iris's investigation soon reveals that Will fabricated his entire past. Her quest for answers quickly takes her to Seattle, where Iris uncovers shocking secrets about Will and his childhood. Quickly realizing the man she has married is a complete stranger, Iris returns home where an even more stunning revelation about Will leaves her reeling and feeling deeply betrayed by the she man she loves.

The Marriage Lie is an incredibly fast-paced and riveting mystery with a unique storyline and an interesting cast of characters. Iris's need for answers about what happened to Will is completely understandable and as she slowly peels back his carefully crafted layers of lies, she begins second guessing everything about their life together. Kimberly Belle cleverly keeps readers on the edge of the seats as the novel hurtles to a dangerous and jaw dropping conclusion. An absolutely outstanding thriller that fans of the genre absolutely do not want to miss.

[creighley_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Everyone has secrets....Iris and Will have been married for seven years and everything is as good as it can be. But on the morning Will flies out for a business trip to Florida, Iris’s happy world comes to an abrupt end as she finds out that her husband was on the roster of a crashed plane going to Seattle. Grief-stricken and confused, Iris sets out to uncover the mystery behind her husband’s flight and to find out what else her husband has lied to her about. Good suspense...ending weak...

[rmarcin-630843 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Will and Iris seem to have the perfect marriage. But when Will leaves on a plane supposedly for a conference in Orlando, Iris is shocked to hear that a plane to Seattle goes down and Will's name is on the list of passengers. Iris grieves for her husband, but questions why Will lied about the trip. Iris finds out that her husband has hid a lie about his past that threatens to change everything Iris believed about their relationship. Taut and full of twists.

[trailrunningbooklovr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow. Thought this was going to be just another quick easy beach read, just another in the long line of psych thrillers out there. It is but it isn’t. Just when you think you know the twist, BAM, there’s another. Then another! It’s a quick read only because it will keep you sucked in until the last page is read! Highly recommend

[booklovers2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was a psychological thriller with a few twists. A school student counselor thinks she has the perfect life. Perfect husband, great house, and ready to start a family, in fact they tried this morning, before her world turned upside down. A plane that left Atlanta crashed on the way to Seattle. Will, her Husband who was on a plane to Florida to a convention where he set to be a guest speaker some how was listed as one of the casualties of the crash. Crazy right? well, it just kept on getting crazy until, it actually became unrealistic. The plot went haywire and with a roll of the eyes, I finished the book. The ending had a nice twist but otherwise, just ok.

[jenn88-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Iris and Will Griffith seem to have a perfect marriage - they're crazy in love, they live in their dream home in a nice neighbourhood, and they both have rewarding careers. But on the morning Will was supposed to fly to Orlando for business, Iris learns that he was on board a plane on its way to Seattle. She only learns this because that plane has crashed, killing everyone. Iris has trouble believing this is happening. She has so many questions - why was he going to Seattle? why did he lie about going to Orlando? And she's determined to get answers. This book grabbed me from the very first page and kept my interest all the way through. Sometimes the writing itself was just okay, and I wasn't crazy about what went on in the last couple chapters. But the very end, ooh, that was fantastic! I absolutely loved it! Poor Iris was on an emotional rollercoaster. There was one thing after another. I was impressed at how many things the author threw in there and still made it all work. I was shocked a few times. I don't know what I would do if I was in the same position as Iris. A very suspenseful and compulsive read for me.

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

This was a quick, fun read with perfect pacing, although the way it wraps up leaves a bit to be desired.

[tinkerbellkk · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a terrific thriller about a woman who is informed her husband has been killed in a plane crash - but he was on a plane to a different destination. Her despair leads her on a hunt to find out what happened and she slowly pieces together a web of lies and false facts. The ending is fabulous! The author does a great job of leading you along through numerous emotions and an interesting trail of deceit. Recommended.

[dianekeenoy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is one exciting book and hard to put down! Iris and Will have a perfect marriage, or so it seems. Will takes a business flight to Florida, but Iris gets the terrible news that Will has died on a flight headed to Seattle. She cannot accept that he is dead and is determined to find out why he was flying to Seattle instead of Florida and what happened. She (and the reader) find out that things are not always what they appear to be. Recommended!

[bettytaylor56 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first book I have read by Kimberly Belle, and now I will have to check out her other two books. This book had a bit of romance and plenty of suspense. It kept me guessing as to what direction it was going in.After seven years of marriage you expect to know your spouse, don’t you? Iris Griffith thought she knew her husband Will. But on a morning like any other morning Will leaves for the airport as he is a key speaker at a conference in Florida and Iris leaves for the school at which she is a counselor. But then Iris’ life is irretrievably changed. The news announces the crash of a plane headed for Seattle, and Iris learns that Will’s name was on the manifest for the downed flight. Iris insists this cannot be possible. However as time goes by she has to face the fact that her husband of seven years lied to her on their last morning together. She is determined to learn what really happened. This leads her and her brother Dave to Seattle, a trip that causes her to question everything she thought she knew about her husband.As previously unknown people insert themselves into her life in an effort to help her, she soon learns that not all of them are who they claim to be. She becomes more and more confused and frantic to get to the bottom of the mystery.I don’t want to say too much here as it would give away much of the story. This book is best read slowly, lingering over each morsel Ms. Belle feeds you, guiding you to the anticipated ending. She reveals secrets and more secrets, like peeling away the layers of an onion.

[susan.macura · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the story of Iris and Will who initially appear to have a perfect marriage. However, nothing was as it seemed. After Will is killed in an airplane disaster, Iris begins to question her marriage and in the process uncovers many lies. There are some twists that are interesting, but the best scene is the end. I would recommend this book for an afternoon at the beach.

[bearlyr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Definite page turner, this story grabs you and just doesn't let go! Was I able to figure out where this story was headed? Yes, and no, there were conclusions I was able to reach. There were plot twists I was wrong about, but I wasn't one hundred percent sure of the ending... until the story ended. This wasn't a good read, this was a great read.

[teachlz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Edit ShelvesStatus Read on January 05, 2017Format Kindle Edition (edit)Review I enjoyed "The Marriage Lie" by Kimberly Belle. I had trouble putting this book down. Iris and Will have a wonderful marriage, or so it seems. Will takes a business flight to Florida, but Iris gets terrible news that Will was on a flight headed to Seattle when it crashes.All the passengers are killed,and Iris is devastated but can't accept the reality. She asks herself why he was on a different flight, and what he was keeping from her. Iris is determined to get answers and suddenly is faced with threats, dangers and strange e-mails. Kimberly Belle writes an intriguing novel about love, betrayal, secrets, friends and family. Things are not always what they appear to be.

[bookdivasreads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Iris and Will Griffith had a whirlwind romance and, from all appearances, an idyllic marriage. Even after seven years of marriage, they seemed to still be head-over-heels in love with each other. Iris knows that Will loves her and thinks she knows everything about her husband and his past until that fateful day when he takes a plane and it subsequently crashes killing everyone aboard. The first question raised is why was Will on a plane to Seattle when he told her he was going to Orlando? This is followed by why did he lie to his assistant and say that he and Iris were on vacation in Mexico? What was in Seattle and why would Will be going there? The more questions Iris obtains answers to the more questions are raised until she finally realizes she didn't really know her husband at all.Initially, Iris is in a state of denial that her husband could be on the flight to Seattle. Then she's in denial that he actually died in the crash. Her denial quickly becomes mass confusion when she's faced with a past that Will had not only hidden but lied about his past. She doesn't really know any of his friends or acquaintances except a few people from work until she meets a gym buddy at the memorial service, Corban Hayes. Just when Iris thinks she's come to grips with Will's past and demise, Will's boss confronts her with the fact that Will had embezzled millions of dollars from their company. If that's not bad enough, she's receiving suspicious and taunting text messages. Will Iris be able to uncover the truth about Will before it's too late?I began reading The Marriage Lie while sitting in a hospital surgery waiting room during a relative's recent procedure. The only reason I put this book down was because the procedure ended (it went well) and my relative was discharged from the hospital (kind of difficult, not to mention tacky, to continue reading during the discharge, etc.). I picked up the book a few hours later and didn't set it aside again until the final page. Ms. Belle took this reader on one heck of a ride with this story. There were so many twists and turns I thought I might need motion sickness meds (not really, but you get the point). I can only liken this story to a reverse nesting doll where instead of dolls getting smaller the lies being revealed actually get larger and more confusing. Just when you think it can't get any more confusing, yes — you guessed it, but Ms. Belle takes that confusion and neatly wraps it up with a surprise ending (no, I'm not going to tell you what happened, read the book!). The Marriage Lie is an amazing read and one that I found to be fast-paced and enjoyable from beginning to end. As a former Atlanta resident, it was nice to revisit some of the places I knew and loved. I may never be able to think of the Atlanta Botanical Gardens quite the same way again, but I'm glad she took such a unique spot and incorporated it into the story. The Marriage Lie provides phantom bad guys (not to mention real bad guys) and that made it even more realistic for me, especially in this high-tech and connected world we live in today. If you enjoy reading suspense thrillers or just want a read that will keep you on the edge of your seat, then grab a copy of The Marriage Lie to read. I enjoyed The Marriage Lie so much that I've added Ms. Belle's previous titles to my TBR list.

[susan0316 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I started The Marriage Lie this morning and didn't put it down until I finished it. This book is a definite page turner and the reader doesn't know what the truth is until the very last pages. It's full of fantastic characters and believable situations that just keep you guessing.Iris and Will have been married for 7 years and are still very much in love and planning to start a family. Iris's world falls out from under her when Will is killed in an airplane crash but this is when the mystery starts. Will was supposed to be on a plane going to Florida for a conference but he was killed in a plane crash of a flight going to Seattle. Iris is grief stricken and confused and knows that someone somewhere made a mistake and Will isn't really dead. As the days pass and there is no word from Will, she has to accept his death but then she begins questioning WHY he was on a flight to Seattle and what else he had been hiding from her during their marriage. As she tries to find out answers, she is beginning to wonder who the man she loved really was! This book is written so well that it will keep you rapidly turning pages to try to get the answers you need. The characters are so well done, that I felt the pain the Iris was feeling in her grief for Will.Add this book to your reading list for December - it's a book you definitely need to read and one that you will enjoy immensely.