The Lies I Tell: A Novel

After sitting on Last Flight for so long I decided that as soon as this book was delivered it would immediately be at the top of my tbr. I started and finished this book within 24 hrs. I did have a day I believe where I couldn't read (moving at the moment, yes it's horrible), but this book was a very quick read because it was so engaging. The novel opens in the middle of a scene and you find out the backstory as you read further. I appreciate how the author immediately ramps up the drama so there is no waiting period. Last Flight was similar, I am loving this part of Clark's writing style. We find Kat, who years ago suffered something horrible, as she spots someone she wasn't sure she would ever find. Meg Williams had a hand in the terrible thing that happened to Kat and Kat wants revenge. Kat is a reporter, or she was, now she writes fluff pieces and bs buzzfeed type articles. She has been dreaming of her expose on Meg Williams. Her fiance, Scott, is a cop who is a gambling addict. He helped her overcome the trauma in her life and she feels indebted to him, even helping to pay down his gambling debts instead of living a more comfortable life (basically she is broke all the time because she's taken on a dead weight). Meg Williams is back in LA. She grew up there but left about a decade ago after her first con. She helped to expose a high school principal who was grooming and r*ping his students. It's personal for her because this man was a teacher at her high school and he did the same to a friend of hers. Once she brings karma to his doorstep she moves on and does the same for other men. She only targets men who deserve it, greedy men who won't play nice when it comes to divorce with the wife they abused, men stealing from women etc. She thinks of it as the embodiment of 'girl code'. She feels a personal connection with these women because her mother was victimized by a man who stole their home and made them homeless all while her mother was dying of cancer. Being homeless as a teen and young adult has shaped a lot of Meg's personality, it's sharpened her skills. A quote from Kat's perspective "She was just another woman exhausted by the way the system seems to always fail us." (pg 287) explains Meg's aims perfectly. I won't say much more because I don't want to spoil it but I am HERE for the story of a woman bringing justice to men who think no one can touch them. I am going to expand on this at the end, I'll put a warning because it will be slightly spoilery. Clark is now permanently on my list of favorites. I will purchase her future works without a lot of thought because I know I will enjoy both the story and also the characters. The female characters she writes are women I would love to be friends with. HERE IS THE SPOLIER WARNING: SMALL SPOILERS AHEAD I hate how Kat blamed Meg for Nate's actions for so long. Even though Meg is the reason Kat was in that place at that time, Nate is the person who hurt her. I appreciate that the author had Kat eventually come to this realization. We women need to stop blaming everyone but the MEN who actually hurt us, we need to think like Meg and get even. This includes Scott too. I hate how he was able to use Kat, steal her money, try to blame it all on Meg, steal Kat's work and try to use it to bargain with her for his own benefit. He didn't love Kat, he used her and I wish she got even with him too. I know Kat said she didn't think he was a bad person but I disagree.

I liked the book but I've read better thrillers. It felt like something was missing for me.

After obsessing over how great “The Last Flight” was, I knew I had to read more by Julie Clark, so I checked out this one and OMG

4.5! ⭐️
This book was so good! The story was so easy to read and I flew though it. It bounces back and forth between the view point of two characters, Meg and Kat - two women out for revenge. Meg, the anti-heroine and con artist having different names throughout different cities, and Kat, a journalist seeking revenge and to expose Meg for who she really is. Their lives intertwine for a roller coaster of a story you won’t want to put down. I love a strong female protagonists, and got two with this book. There are also SO MANY LIES throughout the story and with each chapter you learn just a little bit more of the truth. I found myself not only rooting for Kat, but also for Meg towards the end. Highly recommend this one for a quick, twisty read.

Loved this book! A real page-turner!