20190216_165403.jpgToday I have a review of The Liar’s Child by Carla Buckley, available on March 12, 2019 from Random House/Ballantine Books!

My Thoughts:

Set on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, The Liar’s Child is a family drama with tension and pacing that makes it engaging and surprising. 

Sara Lennox moves to the Paradise, an apartment complex with a transient and not necessarily friendly group of occupants. She moves there for the change of pace and to hide, so the Paradise is perfect for her. 

Her newest neighbors include a 12-year-old named Cassie and a 5-year-old named Boon. The thing is, rumors are swirling about this family and some tragedy they have experienced, and she can’t keep herself from worrying about the children. 

Whit is Cassie and Boon’s father, and he’s doing the best he can to hold his family together. Is it even possible at this point?

A hurricane is on its way to the Outer Banks, an area completely vulnerable during storms like these, and Sara has to make a split-second decision to rescue these children from both the storm and their difficult family life. 

But this move comes at a cost. A serious one. 

The Liar’s Child is a book full to brim with lies. It’s hard to know where the truth lives. There are surprises, great tension, skillful dialogue, and two intersecting plot lines that merge in a masterful way. Well-paced and astutely written, The Liar’s Child is an a compelling and emotional story of family. 

I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own. 

Synopsis:

In this intense and intimate family portrait that moves at a thriller’s pace, a troubled woman faces a gripping moral dilemma after rescuing two abandoned children from a hurricane.

On the outskirts of North Carolina’s Outer Banks sits the Paradise, an apartment complex where renters never stay long enough to call the place “home”–and neighbors are seldom neighborly. It’s ideal for Sara Lennox, who moved there to escape a complicated past–and even her name–and rebuild a new life for herself under the radar. But Sara cannot help but notice the family next door, especially twelve-year-old Cassie and five-year-old Boon. She hears rumors and whispers of a recent tragedy slowly tearing them apart.

When a raging storm threatens then slams the coastal community, Sara makes a quick, bold decision: Rescue Cassie and Boon from the storm and their broken home–without telling a soul. But this seemingly noble act is not without consequences. Some lethal.

Carla Buckley crafts a richly rewarding psychological portrait, combining a heart-wrenching family drama with high-stakes suspense, as the lives of three characters intertwine in an unforgettable story of fury, fate–and redemption.

Advance praise for The Liar’s Child

“Carla Buckley has a rare gift for character. In The Liar’s Child, she digs deep into the hearts of the troubled, flawed, and all-too-human souls who populate this beautifully written and utterly involving novel. I didn’t so much open the jacket on this book as fall inside the compelling story and get tangled up in all the lives, loves, broken dreams, and mistakes. Then I held tight, white knuckled, through the twisting inexorable ride.”–Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Under My Skin

“Carla Buckley is a sly writer. Just when you think you have things figured out, she flips the story on its head. Deft plotting and psychologically fleshed-out characters make The Liar’s Childa ripping good read!”–Diane Chamberlain, New York Times bestselling author of The Dream Daughter

“A mystery wrapped in an achingly good family drama, The Liar’s Child hooked me from page one. An unconventional love story that broke my heart in all the best ways, Carla Buckley’s emotionally complex, beautifully written tale is also a page-turner that will keep you up long past your bedtime.”–Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of The Almost Sisters

Have you read The Liar’s Child, or is it on your TBR? Happy Reading! ~ Jennifer THR