The Lies We Tell Ourselves by Steena Holmes

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Lies We Tell Ourselves by Steena Holmes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An action packed nail biter with so many twists and turns that I kept second guessing myself.

Despite the dark and serious subject matter, the author manages to keep the book from becoming a depressing read, inserting moments of hope that help to keep your head above water. Each character is brought to life with great detail and every emotion expressed is felt by the reader. Parents might be affected a little bit more than those without children, due to the heart wrenching losses of children and bittersweet family reunifications. Often with stories like these, certain events can become far-fetched or implausible, but in this instance, that was not the case. Characters were not perfect and outcomes were not cookie cutter or predictable. Nothing was tied up in a pretty little bow at the end, and while some people may like that in a story, it isn’t realistic, and that speaks to its credibility in this genre.

My only criticism is the same one I have with many books that I find myself reading, and that is the female protagonist with an annoying internal dialogue. Plagued with insecure and negative thoughts, Paige becomes exhausting when reading from her point of view. I very much preferred Detective Meri Amber, she was confident and her back and forth with Detective Lindsay was a refreshing change from the parent/child dynamic between Paige and Lindsay. Paige could have had a stiffer spine without minimizing the trauma of her past.

I haven’t read a story like this in a long time and I have missed losing myself in a good mystery. This book ended in a way that suggests a sequel with Detective Amber in a more prominent role, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Thank you Kate Rock Book Tours and Steena Holmes for my copy in exchange for an honest opinion.


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