The Good Lie: a killer has been caught or has he?

The Good Lie by A.R. Torre is a crime mystery thriller as a killer has been caught or has he? Six teens have been abducted and found murdered. The last victim manages to escape and return home where he names his abductor. Defense attorney Robert Kavin is still traumatized after his teenage son was one of the six victims. However, when he sees that a victim has escaped and names a local school teacher Randall Thompson as his captor, he is convinced of Thompson’s innocence and takes his representation. While the evidence against Thompson is damning but Robert is still convinced they have the wrong man. He hires psychiatrist Dr. Gwen Moore, to create a psych profile of the killer. Gwen is an expert on killers. She spent a decade treating some of the most depraved predators and learning their motives. As Robert and Gwen work together, growing closer, the investigation raises more questions than answers. 

A.R. Torre is known for crime mystery thrillers and I was expecting a story of twists and turns and continued guesses until the final reveal. As a student of psychology, I enjoy the deep dive into why criminals, especially killers, follow the patterns that they do. The story started out interesting as I knew the named suspect was not the killer. However, as I read I felt the story slowing down and that the story dragged too much especially with Gwen and Robert’s relationship. It was more their relationship than the investigation and trial. I started to skim in order to just find out who the killer was and felt a little disappointed at the reveal. Some of the reveals were definitely surprising but underwhelming. Overall, the story wasn’t bad but I wasn’t wowed by the story or the characters. If you are a fan of crime mystery thrillers, you may enjoy The Good Lie. 

The Good Lie is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

Every Last Secret: a domestic thriller of neighbors, friends and secrets

Every Last Secret by A.R. Torre is a domestic thriller about neighbors, friends, and secrets. Catherine “Cat” Winthorpe worked hard to get where she is. She has a gorgeous home, great social standing and successful, handsome husband, William. When a new couple moves into the estate next door, She welcomes them, though cautiously, with open arms and friendly hospitality. Neena Ryder is not a fellow lady of leisure. She is a life coach who wants to move up in the world and moving into the neighborhood gets her one step closer. However, she’s not quite there yet. She is more aware of what she doesn’t have, namely a husband like William. As her infatuation with William grows, so does her friendship with Cat. However, beneath their friendly interactions, is a web of temptations, secrets and jealousy. Can their desire for the perfect life turn deadly? 

A.R. Torre is well known for her domestic thrillers. Every Last Secret is my second book by her and I was eagerly waiting to dive in. Unfortunately, from the very beginning, it was not the story I was expecting. It gave off Desperate Housewives vibes which is not my cup of tea. None of the characters had any redeeming factors. The women were catty, bitchy and downright psychotic while the men were weak and spineless. While seemingly realistic, these were not characters I wanted to really know more and understand on a deeper level. The thriller part of the story was a bit unbelievable and didn’t really make sense to me. Overall, I did not enjoy Every Last Secret, however I am looking forward to reading more of A.R. Torre’s domestic thrillers. If you enjoy Desperate Housewives and domestic thrillers, you may enjoy Every Last Secret. 

Every Last Secret is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook