Her Dark Lies by JT Ellison is a page-turning thriller about a fairytale wedding shrouded in dark mystery and sinister secrets. Claire Hunter, an artist from Nashville, is about to marry Jack Compton, the rich and philanthropic man of her dreams. However, as they arrive on Jack’s family villa on an Italian island for the wedding week that has been so meticulously planned, everything seems to go wrong. Blackmail attempts arrive, old bones surface, wedding preparations are sabotaged, and several people end up dead. What could be the force behind all this evil? Turns out everyone has a past they’d rather keep buried…including the circumstances behind Jack’s first wife’s demise.
I’m a big fan of JT Ellison’s work. Her last book, Good Girls Lie, led me to tweet at her “Yes I'm a 40+ male w/2 sons, but I am man enough to admit I loved a book about diabolical teenage girls in a boarding school.” This is representative of her talented writing ability. Her books typically focus on female characters and/or romantic relationships that are more than they seem. As a fan of gritty action-packed thrillers, you wouldn’t expect me to engross myself in the worlds that JT Ellison creates. Yet I pick up every one of her new releases and find myself fascinated by the cunning characters and the twisting plots. I’m a big fan of compelling, character-driven stories and JT delivers in this regard with every book she publishes.
Her Dark Lies is no different. Despite early indications on who is likely behind the plot to destroy Claire and Jack’s wedding/lives, the book keeps you guessing what will happen next and who’s in on it because every single character has a surreptitious past. As the secrets come out one by one, it keeps the reader riveted while simultaneously adding depth to each character. It also makes you wonder what you would do in Claire’s position. Do you keep going? Do the ends justify the means? Or is it time to cut bait and run far away?
All told, Her Dark Lies is another thrilling Hollywood-esque story of love, deception, money, and revenge. A tale as old as time, but with a fresh take from the skilled pen of JT Ellison.
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Purchase Her Dark Lies
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