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Jane Ryland #3
Truth Be Told
Truth Be Told, part of the bestselling Jane Ryland and Jake Brogan series by Agatha, Anthony, Mary Higgins Clark, and Macavity Award-winning author Hank Phillippi Ryan, begins with tragedy: a middle-class family evicted from their suburban home. In digging up the facts on this heartbreaking story-and on other foreclosures- reporter Ryland soon learns the truth behind a big-bucks scheme and the surprising players who will stop at nothing, including murder, to keep their goal a secret. Turns out, there's more than one way to rob a bank.
Boston police detective Jake Brogan has a liar on his hands. A man has just confessed to the famous twenty-year-old Lilac Sunday killing, and while Jake's colleagues take him at his word, Jake is not so sure. But he has personal reasons for hoping they've finally solved the cold case.
Financial manipulation, the terror of foreclosures, the power of numbers, the primal need for home and family and love. What happens when what you believe is true turns out to be a lie?
Boston police detective Jake Brogan has a liar on his hands. A man has just confessed to the famous twenty-year-old Lilac Sunday killing, and while Jake's colleagues take him at his word, Jake is not so sure. But he has personal reasons for hoping they've finally solved the cold case.
Financial manipulation, the terror of foreclosures, the power of numbers, the primal need for home and family and love. What happens when what you believe is true turns out to be a lie?
400 pages, Hardcover
First published September 30, 2014
123 people are currently reading
1574 people want to read
About the author
Hank Phillippi Ryan
47 books2,888 followersHank Phillippi Ryan is the USA Today bestselling author of sixteen award winning novels of suspense. National reviews have called her a "master at crafting suspenseful mysteries" and "a superb and gifted storyteller." SHe is also an investigative reporter for WHDH-TV, winning 37 Emmys for her true crime stories.
Her newest is ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS--an INSTANT USA TODAY bestseller.
Is a debut author’s blockbuster bestseller about to ruin her life? A glamorous book tour becomes a deadly cat-and-mouse chase in this new and captivating thriller!
(Freida McFadden says: "Engrossing! With a main character that I loved, and a twist the left me reeling!" And Jeneva Rose says: I absolutely loved it! This is Hank Phillippi Ryan at her best!”)
Don't miss ONE WRONG WORD, now in paperback. BA Paris says: "A gripping rollercoaster of a read!"
Her 2021 thriller THE HOUSE GUEST (Gaslight meets Thelma & Louise) now in a second printing!
Hank is also an award-winning investigative reporter at Boston's WHDH-TV. In addition to 37 EMMYs and 14 Edward R. Murrow awards, Hank's won dozens of other honors
for her ground-breaking journalism.
She is co-host and co-founder of The Back Room, co-host of First Chapter Fun, and host of CRIME TIME on A Mighty Blaze.
Her previous thriller, HER PERFECT LIFE, received starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly, calling it "Stellar."
Her earlier psychological thrillers include,THE FIRST TO LIE (with several starred reviews) an Agatha Award and Mary HIggins CLark award nomination) and THE MURDER LIST, which won the Anthony Award for Best Novel of the year, and was ]an Agatha, Macavity and Mary Higgins Clark Award nominee, a number one legal thriller on Amazon, and a USA Today Bestseller.
Her first psychological standalone, TRUST ME (now in paperback) , is an Agatha Award nominee, and was named BEST of 2018 by the New York Post, Real Simple Magazine, BookBub, Crime Reads, and PopSugar. Mary Kubica says: "Dazzling!" and Lisa Gardner says "Mesmerizing!"
The Booklist *starred review says "...it's a knockout. First-rate psychological suspense."
Her thriller SAY NO MORE, is a Library Journal BEST OF 2016. And this just in: it's a nominee for the AGATHA AWARD and the MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD! And now, breaking news, it is also a DAPHNE AWARD nominee! Associated Press calls it "stellar" and Publishers Weekly calls it "thrilling" "unflinching" and "gratifying."
Her 2015 book, WHAT YOU SEE, is a Library Journal BEST of 2015, an ANTHONY and AGATHA Award nominee, and a Top Pick!, dubbed "exceptional suspense." It received a starred review from Library Journal which says: "Readers will find themselves racing to the finish!"
Her 2014 book, TRUTH BE TOLD, won the AGATHA Award for best mystery, and is a Library Journal Best of 2014. It received starred reviews from Booklist and Library Journal, which says, "Drop everything and binge read!"
THE WRONG GIRL won the Agatha Award and the Daphne Award, and is a seven-week Boston Globe bestseller and Anthony Award nominee.
THE OTHER WOMAN won the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award, and was listed as a Best Book of 2012 by the Kansas City Star, the Sacramento Bee, Suspense Magazine, and The Boston Globe, won the prestigious Mary Higgins Clark Award, and was the only novel nominated for the Agatha, Anthony, Macavity, Shamus and Daphne awards for Best Novel of 2012.
Her first four mysteries, beginning with the Agatha Award-winning PRIME TIME, feature Charlotte McNally, a Boston television reporter. FACE TIME was a BookSense Notable Book, and AIR TIME and DRIVE TIME were both Anthony and Agatha Award nominees for best novel of 2009 and 2010. They are now available in all new editions.
Her journalism work work has resulted in new laws, people sent to prison, homes removed from foreclosure, and millions of dollars in refunds and restitution for victims and consumers. She's been a radio reporter, a legislati
Her newest is ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS--an INSTANT USA TODAY bestseller.
Is a debut author’s blockbuster bestseller about to ruin her life? A glamorous book tour becomes a deadly cat-and-mouse chase in this new and captivating thriller!
(Freida McFadden says: "Engrossing! With a main character that I loved, and a twist the left me reeling!" And Jeneva Rose says: I absolutely loved it! This is Hank Phillippi Ryan at her best!”)
Don't miss ONE WRONG WORD, now in paperback. BA Paris says: "A gripping rollercoaster of a read!"
Her 2021 thriller THE HOUSE GUEST (Gaslight meets Thelma & Louise) now in a second printing!
Hank is also an award-winning investigative reporter at Boston's WHDH-TV. In addition to 37 EMMYs and 14 Edward R. Murrow awards, Hank's won dozens of other honors
for her ground-breaking journalism.
She is co-host and co-founder of The Back Room, co-host of First Chapter Fun, and host of CRIME TIME on A Mighty Blaze.
Her previous thriller, HER PERFECT LIFE, received starred reviews from Kirkus and Publishers Weekly, calling it "Stellar."
Her earlier psychological thrillers include,THE FIRST TO LIE (with several starred reviews) an Agatha Award and Mary HIggins CLark award nomination) and THE MURDER LIST, which won the Anthony Award for Best Novel of the year, and was ]an Agatha, Macavity and Mary Higgins Clark Award nominee, a number one legal thriller on Amazon, and a USA Today Bestseller.
Her first psychological standalone, TRUST ME (now in paperback) , is an Agatha Award nominee, and was named BEST of 2018 by the New York Post, Real Simple Magazine, BookBub, Crime Reads, and PopSugar. Mary Kubica says: "Dazzling!" and Lisa Gardner says "Mesmerizing!"
The Booklist *starred review says "...it's a knockout. First-rate psychological suspense."
Her thriller SAY NO MORE, is a Library Journal BEST OF 2016. And this just in: it's a nominee for the AGATHA AWARD and the MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD! And now, breaking news, it is also a DAPHNE AWARD nominee! Associated Press calls it "stellar" and Publishers Weekly calls it "thrilling" "unflinching" and "gratifying."
Her 2015 book, WHAT YOU SEE, is a Library Journal BEST of 2015, an ANTHONY and AGATHA Award nominee, and a Top Pick!, dubbed "exceptional suspense." It received a starred review from Library Journal which says: "Readers will find themselves racing to the finish!"
Her 2014 book, TRUTH BE TOLD, won the AGATHA Award for best mystery, and is a Library Journal Best of 2014. It received starred reviews from Booklist and Library Journal, which says, "Drop everything and binge read!"
THE WRONG GIRL won the Agatha Award and the Daphne Award, and is a seven-week Boston Globe bestseller and Anthony Award nominee.
THE OTHER WOMAN won the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award, and was listed as a Best Book of 2012 by the Kansas City Star, the Sacramento Bee, Suspense Magazine, and The Boston Globe, won the prestigious Mary Higgins Clark Award, and was the only novel nominated for the Agatha, Anthony, Macavity, Shamus and Daphne awards for Best Novel of 2012.
Her first four mysteries, beginning with the Agatha Award-winning PRIME TIME, feature Charlotte McNally, a Boston television reporter. FACE TIME was a BookSense Notable Book, and AIR TIME and DRIVE TIME were both Anthony and Agatha Award nominees for best novel of 2009 and 2010. They are now available in all new editions.
Her journalism work work has resulted in new laws, people sent to prison, homes removed from foreclosure, and millions of dollars in refunds and restitution for victims and consumers. She's been a radio reporter, a legislati
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 185 reviews
March 29, 2016
As a reporter, it didn't matter, really, how Mr. Sandoval felt. It didn't even matter whether he was a murderer. All that mattered was the truth.
Jane Ryland is back in Ryan's third novel in this mystery series. An investigative reporter, Jane innocently starts investigating foreclosures and mortgages as part of a more "fluff piece" her newspaper is doing - only to discover a web of lies, cash, and murder.
...
THE GOOD:
1.) Ryan's decision to tackle the issue of foreclosures was very timely and I feel like this book is impactful and relevant to what's going on currently. I liked that.
2.) Even though Jane and Jake (the two protagonists - the reporter and the cop who love each other but can never be together) are good people inside, they each have an edge to them. This was wonderful, because it makes our protagonists more three-dimensional characters. Even though they are compassionate and goodhearted people, they go after the truth with a vengeance and don't let much stand in their way.
3.) I feel like Ryan has gotten better with her sentence structure - both this book and her second book (The Wrong Girl) did not have her first book's huge problem of non-stop sentence fragments, although she still does a bit of stream-of-consciousness stuff.
THE BAD:
1.) Ryan still (and this is a major problem in every single book) has a very realistic and true way of writing the protagonists' hectic lives as reporters/cops. They are interrupted by phone calls during every conversation. They are interrupted by other people constantly during conversations. They are either ignoring a super-important phone call because they are in a conversation with a witness/suspect/source or they are ignoring a super-important conversation with a witness/suspect/source because they get an urgent phone call.
I'm not exaggerating. This happens in EVERY SCENE, sometimes multiple times.
Now, is this realistic? Supremely. But it's frustrating as hell to read about.
THE NEUTRAL:
None of the men in this book were pleasing me. None of them. And there were a lot of men.
1.) We have scumbag Aaron, who seems to believe he is an irresistible Casanova, but in reality was making me ill with his cheesy come-ons and obviously manipulative behavior. He's trying to seduce/manipulate Lizzie.
"It was your fault."
"MY fault?"
Aaron took another step into her office. Reached behind him. Put his hand on the doorknob. Pulled.
Lizzie heard the hiss of the door closing over the thick pile carpet, heard the click of the latch.
"Your fault for being irresistible," he said.
Ugh. Ew. I'll spare you my eighty billion examples (see my status updates below if you want to see some true skeezeball behavior), but look at this:
He teased her up the stairs, promised a "surprise." Now, after fifteen minutes of whatever, she was pretending to be reluctant?
Listen, asshole, she's not PRETENDING to be reluctant. She IS reluctant. And if you promise a woman a "surprise," and then that "surprise" turns out to be your penis,... I'm sorry, I don't know how to tell you this - she's not going to be very happy. Your penis is not a "surprise." o.O Try jewelry or chocolates or a book she loves or a cute picnic next time.
He also totally ignores her when he should be laser-focused on her. I'm not saying this as a criticism as Boyfriend, obviously he has no desire to be Boyfriend, he's seducing her and manipulating her and just using her to get what he wants (and I don't mean sex). However, it annoys me that he seems to think that he's so smooth, a master seducer and a master manipulator of women when really he frankly sucks at it.
He does stuff like comes into her office and says sweet things, and she's excited for kissing and then he just starts picking up a file off her desk and reading it. Because he wants to know the information in the file. Just, right in front of her. Without even giving her any kissing or trying to be sneaky about it or anything.
Was he going to kiss her? Right now? At WORK?
But Aaron had snatched up the Iantoscas' file and stepped away from her, leaning against the windowsill. Now he was actually paging through the paperwork inside.
And later, he's sweet-talking her because she has something he desperately needs. And he's making a date with her for later tonight, which will be a date but ALSO when she hands over this object to him. And
"Tonight then?" Aaron was texting and talking at the same time. Shouldn't he be paying attention to her? She tried not to change her mind, now that she'd said yes. But he wasn't helping. Or was that picky?
You're texting while talking with her? You're not giving her your complete attention and making her feel like she's important to you? You suck at this seduction thing, dude. I mean, this woman is what he perceives as weak and desperate and a sucker for a handsome face and a hard body. And he's right - she is all these things. But she's not a complete idiot. It's pathetic and weak to me that this man's all proud of his seducing skills and doesn't even seem to grasp the basics of what you have to do and say to get a woman to fall in love (or bed) with you.
Now, that's nothing against the author - obviously she was having fun with this character and it was a rather brilliant portrayal of this guy. Points to her, but I'm rolling my eyes at him.
Aaron took a bite of his well-done with cheddar, pretending to listen to whatever she was talking about.
If you're dating a woman partly to get information from her, perhaps you should - I don't know - PAY ATTENTION WHEN SHE'S TALKING TO YOU. Good God, man. Fucking idiot.
He takes her to a foreclosed house to seduce her. Which is beyond stupid. She feels bad for the evicted people and the house obviously depresses her. That's no place for a romantic interlude.
"Shouldn't? There is no 'shouldn't.' It's our house, Lizzie," he breathed. "We're here alone, just us. Let go a little. Life isn't all numbers and spreadsheets... sometimes it's - " He pulled at her zipper again, pulled down. "Sometimes it's just - sheets."
He waited.
Lizzie burst out laughing. LAUGHING? She'd flopped back onto the rumpled comforter, then instantly sat up again.
He's so insulted that she's laughing at his (very laughable) lines that he
Him slamming the door as he stormed out. He'd tossed his whole ring of keys at her, so frustrated, even kind of told her to lock up and find her own way home. It was a bush-league beer-fueled mistake, but she'd made him so damned angry, laughing at him, first about the sheets, and then about, seemed like, every freaking thing he said, that he'd pretty much lost it.
What a fucking amateur. If all it takes for you to lose your cool, Mr. Master Seducer, is a woman who has had one too many glasses of wine giggling at your stupid lines, you are worse than I thought. This could have been SO EASY for you. SO EASY. She's already had three glasses of wine. She's in a great mood. You just had an amazing dinner. a.) Don't take her to a foreclosed house! How the fuck is that romantic or sexy?! I have no clue why he didn't go to his place or hers. b.) Foreplay is not a burden or chore. When you are making out on the bed with a woman. You are trying to seduce her. You've been kissing/whatever for fifteen minutes. This is not a hardship. This guy acts like fifteen minutes of foreplay is huge chore/burden, which should be your first clue he's not cut out for this shit - you can't be a "master seducer" without having patience. And taking joy in your work. c.) If you are with a woman in bed, and she laughs at some cheesy line you said (not out of malice, but because she's a bit tipsy and or giddy), you should laugh with her. Nothing is more attractive than a guy who can laugh at himself and a man who proves that you can tease him a bit and he won't lose his temper. Also, men who have a sense of humor (and can keep that sense of humor even in bed) are very hot.
ANYWAY, I was shaking my head at how inept and clueless this guy was, yet he was still absolutely convinced that he knew exactly how to make her do whatever he wanted and give him whatever he asked for. Seriously deluded.
2.) Jake (the hero/lead) isn't even pleasing me. And he's usually my go-to guy in this series.
If D could close a case, faster was better. Jake still thought "right" was better.
He's a good guy. But like I mentioned earlier, he has an edge to him (that's not a compliment in this context) and it comes out here in the worst way possible. He acts jealous and jumps to conclusions. I mean, he's not an asshole here. Really, he's not. Not 'alpha,' not abusive, not disgusting. Not even close. But he just wasn't bringing it the way I'd hoped he would. Jane is confused and hurt and frustrated when Jake doesn't talk to her or give her a chance to explain what's going on - and so is the reader. However, I understand that Ryan is stringing us along here on the "Will Jake and Jane ever get to really be together as a couple?" tension that readers have come to expect from these books.
The problems between them are very understandable - after all, as a reporter and a cop, they are always hiding stuff from each other and/or trying to force each other to tell them what they know. It's a dynamic. Not always a pleasant one, but realistic enough.
She stopped, hearing the whine in her voice. This was Jake's job, he had no choice, he'd gotten a chain-of-command assignment, there was a murder involved, and she'd be doing exactly the same thing if their positions were reversed. It wasn't about her. Sometimes life didn't work out the way you hoped.
While I can take the 'our jobs are just not compatible, and it's keeping us apart' thing, I find it harder to take Jake's insecurity and mistrust.
3.) Lizzie's father. This poor woman can't catch a break, I'm afraid.
4.) Peter. Yet another attempt of Ryan's at creating a love triangle. But while Peter may be an excellent lawyer, I'm not so sure he was an excellent man.
...
Tl;dr - A solid entry into a series that I really believe is improving with every book. It will be interesting to see what Ryan brings to the table with her fourth Jane book, What You See: A Jane Ryland Novel, in October. Ryan (who is an investigative reporter herself and has been for four decades or so) knows her stuff inside and out, and her books are certainly accurate and on-point.
P.S. The cover, as always, is excellent.
Jane Ryland is back in Ryan's third novel in this mystery series. An investigative reporter, Jane innocently starts investigating foreclosures and mortgages as part of a more "fluff piece" her newspaper is doing - only to discover a web of lies, cash, and murder.
...
THE GOOD:
1.) Ryan's decision to tackle the issue of foreclosures was very timely and I feel like this book is impactful and relevant to what's going on currently. I liked that.
2.) Even though Jane and Jake (the two protagonists - the reporter and the cop who love each other but can never be together) are good people inside, they each have an edge to them. This was wonderful, because it makes our protagonists more three-dimensional characters. Even though they are compassionate and goodhearted people, they go after the truth with a vengeance and don't let much stand in their way.
3.) I feel like Ryan has gotten better with her sentence structure - both this book and her second book (The Wrong Girl) did not have her first book's huge problem of non-stop sentence fragments, although she still does a bit of stream-of-consciousness stuff.
THE BAD:
1.) Ryan still (and this is a major problem in every single book) has a very realistic and true way of writing the protagonists' hectic lives as reporters/cops. They are interrupted by phone calls during every conversation. They are interrupted by other people constantly during conversations. They are either ignoring a super-important phone call because they are in a conversation with a witness/suspect/source or they are ignoring a super-important conversation with a witness/suspect/source because they get an urgent phone call.
I'm not exaggerating. This happens in EVERY SCENE, sometimes multiple times.
Now, is this realistic? Supremely. But it's frustrating as hell to read about.
THE NEUTRAL:
None of the men in this book were pleasing me. None of them. And there were a lot of men.
1.) We have scumbag Aaron, who seems to believe he is an irresistible Casanova, but in reality was making me ill with his cheesy come-ons and obviously manipulative behavior. He's trying to seduce/manipulate Lizzie.
"It was your fault."
"MY fault?"
Aaron took another step into her office. Reached behind him. Put his hand on the doorknob. Pulled.
Lizzie heard the hiss of the door closing over the thick pile carpet, heard the click of the latch.
"Your fault for being irresistible," he said.
Ugh. Ew. I'll spare you my eighty billion examples (see my status updates below if you want to see some true skeezeball behavior), but look at this:
He teased her up the stairs, promised a "surprise." Now, after fifteen minutes of whatever, she was pretending to be reluctant?
Listen, asshole, she's not PRETENDING to be reluctant. She IS reluctant. And if you promise a woman a "surprise," and then that "surprise" turns out to be your penis,... I'm sorry, I don't know how to tell you this - she's not going to be very happy. Your penis is not a "surprise." o.O Try jewelry or chocolates or a book she loves or a cute picnic next time.
He also totally ignores her when he should be laser-focused on her. I'm not saying this as a criticism as Boyfriend, obviously he has no desire to be Boyfriend, he's seducing her and manipulating her and just using her to get what he wants (and I don't mean sex). However, it annoys me that he seems to think that he's so smooth, a master seducer and a master manipulator of women when really he frankly sucks at it.
He does stuff like comes into her office and says sweet things, and she's excited for kissing and then he just starts picking up a file off her desk and reading it. Because he wants to know the information in the file. Just, right in front of her. Without even giving her any kissing or trying to be sneaky about it or anything.
Was he going to kiss her? Right now? At WORK?
But Aaron had snatched up the Iantoscas' file and stepped away from her, leaning against the windowsill. Now he was actually paging through the paperwork inside.
And later, he's sweet-talking her because she has something he desperately needs. And he's making a date with her for later tonight, which will be a date but ALSO when she hands over this object to him. And
"Tonight then?" Aaron was texting and talking at the same time. Shouldn't he be paying attention to her? She tried not to change her mind, now that she'd said yes. But he wasn't helping. Or was that picky?
You're texting while talking with her? You're not giving her your complete attention and making her feel like she's important to you? You suck at this seduction thing, dude. I mean, this woman is what he perceives as weak and desperate and a sucker for a handsome face and a hard body. And he's right - she is all these things. But she's not a complete idiot. It's pathetic and weak to me that this man's all proud of his seducing skills and doesn't even seem to grasp the basics of what you have to do and say to get a woman to fall in love (or bed) with you.
Now, that's nothing against the author - obviously she was having fun with this character and it was a rather brilliant portrayal of this guy. Points to her, but I'm rolling my eyes at him.
Aaron took a bite of his well-done with cheddar, pretending to listen to whatever she was talking about.
If you're dating a woman partly to get information from her, perhaps you should - I don't know - PAY ATTENTION WHEN SHE'S TALKING TO YOU. Good God, man. Fucking idiot.
He takes her to a foreclosed house to seduce her. Which is beyond stupid. She feels bad for the evicted people and the house obviously depresses her. That's no place for a romantic interlude.
"Shouldn't? There is no 'shouldn't.' It's our house, Lizzie," he breathed. "We're here alone, just us. Let go a little. Life isn't all numbers and spreadsheets... sometimes it's - " He pulled at her zipper again, pulled down. "Sometimes it's just - sheets."
He waited.
Lizzie burst out laughing. LAUGHING? She'd flopped back onto the rumpled comforter, then instantly sat up again.
He's so insulted that she's laughing at his (very laughable) lines that he
Him slamming the door as he stormed out. He'd tossed his whole ring of keys at her, so frustrated, even kind of told her to lock up and find her own way home. It was a bush-league beer-fueled mistake, but she'd made him so damned angry, laughing at him, first about the sheets, and then about, seemed like, every freaking thing he said, that he'd pretty much lost it.
What a fucking amateur. If all it takes for you to lose your cool, Mr. Master Seducer, is a woman who has had one too many glasses of wine giggling at your stupid lines, you are worse than I thought. This could have been SO EASY for you. SO EASY. She's already had three glasses of wine. She's in a great mood. You just had an amazing dinner. a.) Don't take her to a foreclosed house! How the fuck is that romantic or sexy?! I have no clue why he didn't go to his place or hers. b.) Foreplay is not a burden or chore. When you are making out on the bed with a woman. You are trying to seduce her. You've been kissing/whatever for fifteen minutes. This is not a hardship. This guy acts like fifteen minutes of foreplay is huge chore/burden, which should be your first clue he's not cut out for this shit - you can't be a "master seducer" without having patience. And taking joy in your work. c.) If you are with a woman in bed, and she laughs at some cheesy line you said (not out of malice, but because she's a bit tipsy and or giddy), you should laugh with her. Nothing is more attractive than a guy who can laugh at himself and a man who proves that you can tease him a bit and he won't lose his temper. Also, men who have a sense of humor (and can keep that sense of humor even in bed) are very hot.
ANYWAY, I was shaking my head at how inept and clueless this guy was, yet he was still absolutely convinced that he knew exactly how to make her do whatever he wanted and give him whatever he asked for. Seriously deluded.
2.) Jake (the hero/lead) isn't even pleasing me. And he's usually my go-to guy in this series.
If D could close a case, faster was better. Jake still thought "right" was better.
He's a good guy. But like I mentioned earlier, he has an edge to him (that's not a compliment in this context) and it comes out here in the worst way possible. He acts jealous and jumps to conclusions. I mean, he's not an asshole here. Really, he's not. Not 'alpha,' not abusive, not disgusting. Not even close. But he just wasn't bringing it the way I'd hoped he would. Jane is confused and hurt and frustrated when Jake doesn't talk to her or give her a chance to explain what's going on - and so is the reader. However, I understand that Ryan is stringing us along here on the "Will Jake and Jane ever get to really be together as a couple?" tension that readers have come to expect from these books.
The problems between them are very understandable - after all, as a reporter and a cop, they are always hiding stuff from each other and/or trying to force each other to tell them what they know. It's a dynamic. Not always a pleasant one, but realistic enough.
She stopped, hearing the whine in her voice. This was Jake's job, he had no choice, he'd gotten a chain-of-command assignment, there was a murder involved, and she'd be doing exactly the same thing if their positions were reversed. It wasn't about her. Sometimes life didn't work out the way you hoped.
While I can take the 'our jobs are just not compatible, and it's keeping us apart' thing, I find it harder to take Jake's insecurity and mistrust.
3.) Lizzie's father. This poor woman can't catch a break, I'm afraid.
4.) Peter. Yet another attempt of Ryan's at creating a love triangle. But while Peter may be an excellent lawyer, I'm not so sure he was an excellent man.
...
Tl;dr - A solid entry into a series that I really believe is improving with every book. It will be interesting to see what Ryan brings to the table with her fourth Jane book, What You See: A Jane Ryland Novel, in October. Ryan (who is an investigative reporter herself and has been for four decades or so) knows her stuff inside and out, and her books are certainly accurate and on-point.
P.S. The cover, as always, is excellent.
May 19, 2017
Hmmm, I am torn on this book because if I am honest I was bored and struggling to follow the story and connect with the characters in the first half of the book, the second half however was excellently done, so I am sitting here on a middle ground rating of 3 stars for this one.
I found the writing "jerky" and not flowing for much of the book, I had to keep going back and reading paragraphs as I felt my brain jumping all over the place, certainly I was not hooked in from the word go, the plot was there but it seemed out of reach until the second half, at least for me.
The book begins with tragedy: a middle-class family evicted from their suburban home. In digging up the facts on this heartbreaking story—and on other foreclosures— reporter Jane Ryland soon learns the truth behind a big-bucks scheme and the surprising players who will stop at nothing, including murder, to keep their goal a secret. Turns out, there’s more than one way to rob a bank.
Boston police detective Jake Brogan has a liar on his hands. A man has just confessed to the famous twenty-year-old Lilac Sunday killing, and while Jake’s colleagues take him at his word, Jake is not so sure. But he has personal reasons for hoping they’ve finally solved the cold case.
Jane Ryland is hot on the trail of a news story when she finds herself getting more than she bargained for as secrets, cover-ups and lies are revealed against the backdrop of bank foreclosures on homes, family distress and corporate greed. She has a somewhat strange "distant" relationship with Detective Jake Brogan, their paths crossing often at crime scenes where they need to keep the relationship under wraps, it's not good for a cop and the press to be involved with each other, way too much conflict of interest, hence the distant relationship.
Two story lines - murders, confessions to murder and the police on the case and homes being taken, the bank hiding it's secrets and players not playing by the rules. It's interesting when it all intersects fully together. Certainly a unique plot in this book, have not read anything similar that I can recall.
So homes are being taken but what next? There is more to this than meets the eye, but again, I found the plot devoid of excitement, or pace for much of this book, if I am honest, I nearly gave up on it just before the 50% mark but I dug my heels in, pushed my eyelids open and hung on. It did get better, such a shame the whole book did not have the punch that the second half did.
I won't share much more of the story as too many reveals, I did not get particularly involved with any of the characters if I am honest, they all remained at arms length for this reader. This is a middle of the road, slightly better than just okay read for me. The ending is great, and saved the book somewhat. I think some will love this one and others not so much.
The writing style itself, I struggled with as I said earlier, I don't know what it was but I felt "jarred" reading it, could not get fully into the story as I felt it was switching perspectives too frequently and the transitions were not smooth sailing for this reader. A bumpy reading ride for me. This is where the book lost stars for me.
I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, many thanks.
I found the writing "jerky" and not flowing for much of the book, I had to keep going back and reading paragraphs as I felt my brain jumping all over the place, certainly I was not hooked in from the word go, the plot was there but it seemed out of reach until the second half, at least for me.
The book begins with tragedy: a middle-class family evicted from their suburban home. In digging up the facts on this heartbreaking story—and on other foreclosures— reporter Jane Ryland soon learns the truth behind a big-bucks scheme and the surprising players who will stop at nothing, including murder, to keep their goal a secret. Turns out, there’s more than one way to rob a bank.
Boston police detective Jake Brogan has a liar on his hands. A man has just confessed to the famous twenty-year-old Lilac Sunday killing, and while Jake’s colleagues take him at his word, Jake is not so sure. But he has personal reasons for hoping they’ve finally solved the cold case.
Jane Ryland is hot on the trail of a news story when she finds herself getting more than she bargained for as secrets, cover-ups and lies are revealed against the backdrop of bank foreclosures on homes, family distress and corporate greed. She has a somewhat strange "distant" relationship with Detective Jake Brogan, their paths crossing often at crime scenes where they need to keep the relationship under wraps, it's not good for a cop and the press to be involved with each other, way too much conflict of interest, hence the distant relationship.
Two story lines - murders, confessions to murder and the police on the case and homes being taken, the bank hiding it's secrets and players not playing by the rules. It's interesting when it all intersects fully together. Certainly a unique plot in this book, have not read anything similar that I can recall.
So homes are being taken but what next? There is more to this than meets the eye, but again, I found the plot devoid of excitement, or pace for much of this book, if I am honest, I nearly gave up on it just before the 50% mark but I dug my heels in, pushed my eyelids open and hung on. It did get better, such a shame the whole book did not have the punch that the second half did.
I won't share much more of the story as too many reveals, I did not get particularly involved with any of the characters if I am honest, they all remained at arms length for this reader. This is a middle of the road, slightly better than just okay read for me. The ending is great, and saved the book somewhat. I think some will love this one and others not so much.
The writing style itself, I struggled with as I said earlier, I don't know what it was but I felt "jarred" reading it, could not get fully into the story as I felt it was switching perspectives too frequently and the transitions were not smooth sailing for this reader. A bumpy reading ride for me. This is where the book lost stars for me.
I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, many thanks.
August 31, 2021
Truth Be Told (#3 Jane Ryland Series) by Hank Phillippi Ryan is an intense, edgy, and complex suspense mystery drama, of two cases, twenty years apart—from bank fraud, real estate foreclosures, to murder with a hint of romance, between detective and journalist, as they work together, to piece together the puzzle, before the next hit.
Jane Ryland, an investigative reporter is working on two major stories for the Boston Register. An apparent murder of a real estate agent woman in a recently foreclosed house, as well as a bank reputation customer service story for the bank president’s daughter. Not realizing the two are connected, Jane soon learns things are not as they appear and digs deeper into the mystery, and wonders why there are renters in a foreclosed home and who is taking the money?
Detective Jack Brogan, Boston PD is investigating a twenty year old cold case unsolved murder. You have people losing their homes, foreclosures, murders, and a confession which he thinks is false, so the question is why? Who is this person covering for? Who is lying and who is telling the truth? To make this more personal, Jake’s deceased grandfather, a former police commissioner, was involved, so he further motivated to finding the real killer.
An ex-con turned himself in, claiming to be the Lilac Sunday killer, responsible for the murder of a seventeen-year-old girl twenty years earlier, a case that continues to haunt Boston, and the Brogans due to Jake’s family connection. And what is the deal with Peter Hardesty, the lawyer representing the man who has confessed to the Lilac Sunday Murder, and another man charged with the empty house murder? The motive?
If you love crime fiction, intriguing mysteries involving cops, and the media, Truth Be Told, is an engrossing fast-paced thriller, mixed with a human interest twist, keeping you guessing, turning, and listening to the end, to learn the fate of these well- developed characters, while two twisted plots are connected for an explosive resolution of whodunit.
The account is so realistic in today’s world of foreclosures, families going through hard times, dead bodies in vacant homes, real estate and bank fraud, financial manipulation, corruption and greedy schemes and those stopping at nothing to keep their dark secrets.
The author creates a clever mix of mystery, corruption, home, family, and romance, for a riveting thriller. This is my first book by Ryan, as have not read (#1 The Other Woman, or #2 The Wrong Girl), so look forward to reading more from this dynamic duo and love interest; however, Truth Be Told can be read as a standalone.
A powerful combination, author Hank Phillippi Ryan with her vast real life expertise in this world, along with Xe Sands, an excellent performer, making for a captivating audiobook listening experience and thrilling ride!
#JDCMustReadBooks
Top Books 2014
Jane Ryland, an investigative reporter is working on two major stories for the Boston Register. An apparent murder of a real estate agent woman in a recently foreclosed house, as well as a bank reputation customer service story for the bank president’s daughter. Not realizing the two are connected, Jane soon learns things are not as they appear and digs deeper into the mystery, and wonders why there are renters in a foreclosed home and who is taking the money?
Detective Jack Brogan, Boston PD is investigating a twenty year old cold case unsolved murder. You have people losing their homes, foreclosures, murders, and a confession which he thinks is false, so the question is why? Who is this person covering for? Who is lying and who is telling the truth? To make this more personal, Jake’s deceased grandfather, a former police commissioner, was involved, so he further motivated to finding the real killer.
An ex-con turned himself in, claiming to be the Lilac Sunday killer, responsible for the murder of a seventeen-year-old girl twenty years earlier, a case that continues to haunt Boston, and the Brogans due to Jake’s family connection. And what is the deal with Peter Hardesty, the lawyer representing the man who has confessed to the Lilac Sunday Murder, and another man charged with the empty house murder? The motive?
If you love crime fiction, intriguing mysteries involving cops, and the media, Truth Be Told, is an engrossing fast-paced thriller, mixed with a human interest twist, keeping you guessing, turning, and listening to the end, to learn the fate of these well- developed characters, while two twisted plots are connected for an explosive resolution of whodunit.
The account is so realistic in today’s world of foreclosures, families going through hard times, dead bodies in vacant homes, real estate and bank fraud, financial manipulation, corruption and greedy schemes and those stopping at nothing to keep their dark secrets.
The author creates a clever mix of mystery, corruption, home, family, and romance, for a riveting thriller. This is my first book by Ryan, as have not read (#1 The Other Woman, or #2 The Wrong Girl), so look forward to reading more from this dynamic duo and love interest; however, Truth Be Told can be read as a standalone.
A powerful combination, author Hank Phillippi Ryan with her vast real life expertise in this world, along with Xe Sands, an excellent performer, making for a captivating audiobook listening experience and thrilling ride!
#JDCMustReadBooks
Top Books 2014
November 26, 2015
For Jane Ryland, a reporter at the Boston Register, it started as a story about foreclosures. But as she waits outside the home of one of the properties, she soon learns that something more is afoot. There is a dead body inside…and very quickly, Detective Jake Brogan, Jane’s “secret” lover, is also involved.
Meanwhile, back at the station, a man is confessing to a twenty-year-old murder dubbed the Lilac Sunday killing, and nobody believes him. His attorney, Peter Hardesty, gets him released, and within days, there is another killing. Similar to the cold case. What is happening? Who is lying? And what is the truth hiding beneath the lies?
Other plot lines involve bank employees falsifying cases and illegally profiting from the foreclosures.
Lizzie McDivitt works for one of the banks and was an intriguing character, but I couldn’t decide if I should root for her or not…some of her questionable actions were puzzling. Her boyfriend was definitely someone I did not like. Aaron Gianelli was one of those characters who has surface charm but little else.
Fast paced and moving from subplot to subplot, Truth Be Told kept me intrigued throughout. More questions arose as I wondered what master manipulator might be behind all of the crimes, including the murders, and as I reached the final page, I was stunned by what unfolded. 4.5 stars.
Meanwhile, back at the station, a man is confessing to a twenty-year-old murder dubbed the Lilac Sunday killing, and nobody believes him. His attorney, Peter Hardesty, gets him released, and within days, there is another killing. Similar to the cold case. What is happening? Who is lying? And what is the truth hiding beneath the lies?
Other plot lines involve bank employees falsifying cases and illegally profiting from the foreclosures.
Lizzie McDivitt works for one of the banks and was an intriguing character, but I couldn’t decide if I should root for her or not…some of her questionable actions were puzzling. Her boyfriend was definitely someone I did not like. Aaron Gianelli was one of those characters who has surface charm but little else.
Fast paced and moving from subplot to subplot, Truth Be Told kept me intrigued throughout. More questions arose as I wondered what master manipulator might be behind all of the crimes, including the murders, and as I reached the final page, I was stunned by what unfolded. 4.5 stars.
March 19, 2015
The story of “Truth Be Told” opens with reporter Jane Ryland looking into the heartbreaking displacement of families who have lost their homes to the bank in foreclosures. Meant to focus on the housing crisis, the story quickly evolves into something much more sinister as bodies begin turning up in supposedly-empty houses. What is the truth lurking in the shadows of these foreclosed homes . . . and why are people dying there?
At the same time, Jake Brogan has his hands full trying to determine the truth behind a man’s unexpected confession to the brutal twenty-year-old murder of Carley Marie Schaefer --- the one case Jake’s police commissioner grandfather was never able to solve. Now, so many years later, someone has come forward and confessed, but is he really the infamous Lilac Sunday killer, or is it all a well-crafted lie?
Displaced families and murders old and new keep the detective and the reporter on the go but as they try to connect with each other, Jake and Jane find their relationship might just be a bit more precarious than either of them had thought. But what they think they know may not be the truth at all . . . .
Next in the Jane Ryland/Jake Brogan series, “Truth Be Told” weaves enough plot twists and surprises into its pages that it is impossible to lay this book aside. Suspense and excitement weave a tangled web that grabs the reader from the very first page . . . and you’ll be perched on the edge of your chair until the very last page is turned.
Highly recommended.
At the same time, Jake Brogan has his hands full trying to determine the truth behind a man’s unexpected confession to the brutal twenty-year-old murder of Carley Marie Schaefer --- the one case Jake’s police commissioner grandfather was never able to solve. Now, so many years later, someone has come forward and confessed, but is he really the infamous Lilac Sunday killer, or is it all a well-crafted lie?
Displaced families and murders old and new keep the detective and the reporter on the go but as they try to connect with each other, Jake and Jane find their relationship might just be a bit more precarious than either of them had thought. But what they think they know may not be the truth at all . . . .
Next in the Jane Ryland/Jake Brogan series, “Truth Be Told” weaves enough plot twists and surprises into its pages that it is impossible to lay this book aside. Suspense and excitement weave a tangled web that grabs the reader from the very first page . . . and you’ll be perched on the edge of your chair until the very last page is turned.
Highly recommended.
February 21, 2015
The third Jane Ryland novel, which has been nominated for the 2014 Agatha for Best Contemporary Novel, was another fast-paced page turner. There are a lot of plot twists along the way that make for a fun read. There are several threads running through the book, to include the requisite murder mystery, a mystery from the past that has bearing on the characters currently, a banking/mortgage plot line, Jane's investigative reporting, and, of course, the romantic trials and tribulations of Jane and Boston PD detective Jake Brogan (why, oh why, do they keep having such failures to communicate?). The author does a great job of creating likable, realistic characters while telling an entertaining tale. Readers new to Jane and Jake could probably read this one without having read the first two in the series; however, you'll appreciate Jane and Jake's relationship dynamic more reading these books in order, as well as getting to read two excellent thrillers that will keep you guessing until the very end. As was the case with the first two books, I loved seeing how the various aspect of the complex plot were resolved and stayed up late to finish this one.
September 13, 2015
Another interesting story with Jane Ryland reporting on-line now for her paper and her relationship getting hotter with Detective Jake Brogan even though it is not necessarily good for either's careers. This book had two twisting plots, one with a false confession on an infamous murder case unsolved by Jake's Grandfather and financial fraud and manipulation in banking bought on by the housing/mortgage crisis. Fast paced and an unexpected ending.
I received this ARC from Goodreads.com. Thanks for the fun and entertaining sneak peak.
I received this ARC from Goodreads.com. Thanks for the fun and entertaining sneak peak.
February 12, 2017
The Jane Ryland series is one of those examples of how much an audiobook can do for a book. Having listened to the first two books in the series, I felt interested in the series; however, in trying to read the third title, all that interest went out the window. The plot was tedious and the jerky method of relating the story did not work in print form.
November 15, 2024
This mystery never really managed to click with me. Probably some of it is that I haven't read the first two books, so I have no real attachment to Jane or Jake, and especially not to their relationship. So when so much of the book is around them having relationship problems, I just didn't really care - in fact, I would've been happier and possibly willing to give this book three stars if Jane had dumped the cop and hooked up with the lawyer.
That's probably another part of the problem - one of the main characters is a Boston police detective. And I'm probably supposed to think he's super cool and great, but if you want to do that, maybe don't have a lawyer constantly correctly and rightly calling him out for trying to trample on the civil rights of suspects. You can at least in theory write a cop protagonist I'm interested in, but this guy wasn't the way to do it.
And in general there's too many perspectives here. The book starts out seeming that it will just bounce back and forth between Jane and Jake as they investigate mysteries that may or may not be tied together. But pretty soon there's point of view sections for a defense attorney, a bank employee, and even the bank employee's criminal boyfriend. And the points of view jump around within chapters, which I could keep up with, but felt weird after the way the first few chapters handled things. Plus it's not like these extra POVs help much. In fact, the banker, who's the least tolerable, disappears for much of the book so as to slight of hand some information away from the reader. Which to me makes it clear she should've just been cut altogether.
At least the plot of the mystery is alright. Or mysteries, rather, since we have two, and while there's some connective tissue and overlap, there's never really a strong link tying them together beyond being investigated at the same time by the same people. On the one hand, there's a man who appears to confess to a cold case murder right before the 20th anniversary of said murder. On the other hand, there's the bodies that keep popping up in houses that have been foreclosed on and now stand empty.
Both of the mysteries end up being solved in an at least roughly satisfactory manner, though they probably would've been solved a lot faster if the two protagonists were actually capable of communicating with each other. Which is another reason I didn't enjoy this one too much. There was too much relationship drama and that really fouled up the mystery plot.
At least this book wasn't too hard to read, feeling overall like a not great TV show. But I can't say I feel interested in reading more of this series. With this book being smack dab in the middle of five books, I kinda feel like things are unlikely to be much better in either direction.
That's probably another part of the problem - one of the main characters is a Boston police detective. And I'm probably supposed to think he's super cool and great, but if you want to do that, maybe don't have a lawyer constantly correctly and rightly calling him out for trying to trample on the civil rights of suspects. You can at least in theory write a cop protagonist I'm interested in, but this guy wasn't the way to do it.
And in general there's too many perspectives here. The book starts out seeming that it will just bounce back and forth between Jane and Jake as they investigate mysteries that may or may not be tied together. But pretty soon there's point of view sections for a defense attorney, a bank employee, and even the bank employee's criminal boyfriend. And the points of view jump around within chapters, which I could keep up with, but felt weird after the way the first few chapters handled things. Plus it's not like these extra POVs help much. In fact, the banker, who's the least tolerable, disappears for much of the book so as to slight of hand some information away from the reader. Which to me makes it clear she should've just been cut altogether.
At least the plot of the mystery is alright. Or mysteries, rather, since we have two, and while there's some connective tissue and overlap, there's never really a strong link tying them together beyond being investigated at the same time by the same people. On the one hand, there's a man who appears to confess to a cold case murder right before the 20th anniversary of said murder. On the other hand, there's the bodies that keep popping up in houses that have been foreclosed on and now stand empty.
Both of the mysteries end up being solved in an at least roughly satisfactory manner, though they probably would've been solved a lot faster if the two protagonists were actually capable of communicating with each other. Which is another reason I didn't enjoy this one too much. There was too much relationship drama and that really fouled up the mystery plot.
At least this book wasn't too hard to read, feeling overall like a not great TV show. But I can't say I feel interested in reading more of this series. With this book being smack dab in the middle of five books, I kinda feel like things are unlikely to be much better in either direction.
September 27, 2015
This is my first book by Hank Phillippi Ryan. She can write a great story. I enjoyed this one. It was creative and different. I used to work in Escrow and in loan servicing so I could identify with the story line. I thought that was kind of fun. There were some great twists. The plot felt well thought out and I loved the execution.
There were two things that felt problematic for me. Her sentence structure drove me crazy. It was short and crisp. It was just a portion of a thought at a time. The other thing was that the main two female characters continually second guessed themselves and they thought every thought that entered their head was open season and needed constant clarification.
Usually those two things affect my rating, but I have to admit I loved the substance of the story. So, 4 stars.
There were two things that felt problematic for me. Her sentence structure drove me crazy. It was short and crisp. It was just a portion of a thought at a time. The other thing was that the main two female characters continually second guessed themselves and they thought every thought that entered their head was open season and needed constant clarification.
Usually those two things affect my rating, but I have to admit I loved the substance of the story. So, 4 stars.
September 3, 2015
A solid mystery and the continuation of the relationship between a reporter and a police detective.
November 2, 2014
In a plot which uses the housing crash of recent years, various facets of which are still in today’s headlines, as a jumping-off point, Jane Ryland returns in this newest entry in the wonderful series by Hank Phillippi Ryan. After having been an award-winning investigative tv reporter before she lost her job a year ago for refusing to give up a source, Jane is now working as a reporter for the new online video news department of the Boston Register. That job remains somewhat tenuous in today’s endangered world of print newspapers. The opening pages find Jane at the site of a foreclosed house in the course of researching the housing crisis and the forced evictions of the mostly middle-class homeowners when, bizarrely, a woman’s dead body is found inside the house.
But things become much more complicated, as we learn much more than we ever wanted to about REOs (“real estate owned” properties), which have become a huge business for banks and the real estate agents with whom they work, and those who work the system for their own profit.
Liz McDivitt, magna cum laude MBA, is the first Customer Affairs Liaison for the bank for which she works, of which her father happens to be president. She has developed her own plan for helping those who have fallen into the desperate position of having their homes foreclosed, despite its illegality. She has told no one about it, not even Aaron, who handles the bank’s foreclosed properties, who she has started seeing socially, and who has his own secrets.
A second story line has a man, Gordon Thorley, coming into the police station to confess to a notorious crime committed almost twenty years ago. Detective Jake Brogan, one of the cops hearing his story, does not believe it. That killing, of a 17-year-old girl, had haunted Jake’s grandfather, the then Police Commissioner, up to his dying day, and it is very personal for Jake, 14 years old at the time, who is determined to find out the truth. The reader enters a bizarre world of false confessions, whether manipulated, coerced, or the product of a disturbed mind. The tale unfolds over the course of only several days, with p.o.v. alternating from Jane and Jake’s worlds as well as Liz and Aaron as well as Peter Hardesty, attorney extraordinaire, and Gordon Thorley, who was either a liar or a murderer.
Jane is still somewhat ambivalent about her romantic involvement with Jake, given the unwritten rule that one should not be ‘involved’ with a source, which Jake certainly is and has been, their respective professional obligations a constant challenge.
We are told that though “nothing mattered except what was true,” it is also the case that “sometimes you had to lie to get to the truth.” The plot is so convincing that one can only hope, as one continues quickly turning the pages, that this not an instance where “fiction is indeed the lie that tells the truth.” Another excellent entry in the series, and one which is recommended.
November 8, 2014
I had some trouble with the latest installment of of the Jane and Jake show. Don't get me wrong, The Other Woman was great and I have enjoyed many of Ms Ryan's other books, But this one was taxing. The shifts in the story lines were too abrupt, instead of heightening the tension, it left this reader wondering why bother?
The awkwardness between Jane and Jake was distracting. They have been together for some time, long enough to go way together yet the "tension" is that of early in relationship and a bit sophomoric. More, 'why hasn't he called' or' will he take me to the dance on Saturday' then that of two mature adults who have been together for awhile. I found the teenage drama annoying and hoped that Jane would have a drink with Peter or some grown up.
The awkwardness between Jane and Jake was distracting. They have been together for some time, long enough to go way together yet the "tension" is that of early in relationship and a bit sophomoric. More, 'why hasn't he called' or' will he take me to the dance on Saturday' then that of two mature adults who have been together for awhile. I found the teenage drama annoying and hoped that Jane would have a drink with Peter or some grown up.
September 6, 2015
More tension as the police detective and reporter try to figure out how / if their personal relationship can work in light of the conflict in their professional relationship. This story kept you guessing who the bad guy was, but there were so many moving parts and characters it got a bit overwhelming at time with the sub-plots. Right down the middle for me -- 5 out of 10.
August 1, 2014
Ryan is a master both with head-snapping action and characters the reader cares about--not a combination you find very often! Love the newspaper reporter Jane Ryland's dedication to getting the truth of a story.
July 3, 2015
"Truth Be Told" by Hank Phillippi Ryan is my kind of good read: mystery, journalism and a plot that keeps you guessing until the end. I definitely will follow this author.
March 17, 2016
Loved this one!
April 9, 2018
I wasn't sure about this book.I struggled to stay interested for the first half, although the second half was certainly better. Jane Ryland is writing a story on bank for closures of single famiy homes when she steps into a much deeper story involving a scheme to make money off of the vacant homes by a couple of the bank employees, people begin to be murdered and one man confesses to a 20 year old murder. The case is being invesitgated by Jake Brogan , a Boston police detective, the love interest of Jane. Jane, a repoter and Jake, as the detective in charge, the two struggle not cross the necessary boundries imposed by their indivudual careers. Jake is particularily driven to resolve the old case as his grandfather, a former police comissioner went to his grave regretting his inability to solve the case. As the investigation proceeds the pieces start to fall into place and it seems the old case has a connection to new cases. The means the police used to draw out the culprits to solve the case was unexpected.
April 26, 2018
Jane finds her investigative skills invigorated when she takes over completing a story from a colleague.
Jane is settling into newspaper journalism, though the on-line portion is a lot like her former TV job. Coming to terms with the conflict between reporter and police officer is a major stumbling block to a serious relationship between Jane and Jake.
Jane finds herself investigating a housing scheme that has her risking her life and her relationships.
Old murders, new deaths, bankers, mortgage & real estate transactions, parolees all make for interesting characters and plot twists to follow.
Jane is settling into newspaper journalism, though the on-line portion is a lot like her former TV job. Coming to terms with the conflict between reporter and police officer is a major stumbling block to a serious relationship between Jane and Jake.
Jane finds herself investigating a housing scheme that has her risking her life and her relationships.
Old murders, new deaths, bankers, mortgage & real estate transactions, parolees all make for interesting characters and plot twists to follow.
July 2, 2017
Kept me hooked till the end
November 21, 2024
As per her usual. I always finish wanting more
July 23, 2019
This book had lots of twists, and kept me guessing. There were a few out of the blue surprises but it made the book a real page turner.
November 18, 2020
Well, I tried but this third book was awful. Too many story lines, too confusing and just plain convoluted. Jane is supposed to be a crackerjack reporter and she drives me crazy with her jumping to conclusions, forgetting to eat, and having no common sense at all. She is distracted all the time, thinking of 5 things at once and just not making any sense. This book was very disappointing.
October 2, 2014
In Truth Be Told, Jane Ryland is dealing with a new editor at the Register, the newspaper where Jane is still getting her footing after a public parting of the ways with her television news career. Jane's current assignment is the foreclosure aspect of banks against those who have taken out loans and can no longer keep up the payments due to unemployment or some other unforeseen hardship. Covering the emptying of one such family's possessions from their home by sheriff's deputies, Jane and her camera man are taking notes and recording the callousness of the event when the dead body of a young woman is found inside the house, putting a halt to the action and transforming yet an eviction story into a murder scene. As the only reporter on the scene, Jane is there when Jake Brogan, Boston PD detective shows up to take charge. Jane's and Jake's yet undetermined relationship that is moving towards definition with an upcoming weekend to Bermuda is still under wraps due to their conflicting careers, her wanting the scoop on a story and Jake required to keep mum about his cases. With the eviction story intertwined with a murder, Jane and Jake must once again work out their personal and professional boundaries. Jake's involvement in another case, the twenty-year-old Lilac Sunday murder and a new confession to that murder, coupled with the now empty house murder results in the cancellation of his and Jane's romantic weekend. That's just the beginning of complicated in this story.
Truth is always the goal for reporter Jane Ryland and detective Jake Brogan, but never more than now in stories/cases where innocence and guilt are hidden in complex motivations and decades-old secrets. Who is guilty? Who is innocent? Are they exclusive of one another? Is the complete truth ever told? Jane's job depends on getting the big scoop, but Jane's personal wiring demands that the innocent are not collateral damage. Jake has a responsibility to the victims and their families to bring some closure to a tragic event, but closure is never more important than justice. Joining the two truth seekers in their quest is a new character, Peter Hardesty, who is a lawyer representing the man who has confessed to the Lilac Sunday Murder and another man charged with the empty house murder. He believes deeply in the right to any person's day in court, and, yet, he is a kindred soul to Jane and Jake in the attainment of truth. Peter's character also presents a bit of a wrinkle in Jake's clear path to Jane's affections, although that may be a false alarm. It will be interesting to see what the author's intentions are concerning this appealing new character.
There is so much to recommend about this book that it might just be easier to say, "Read the book and then we will head nod about its perfection." Cold cases, the human impact of foreclosures, the power of big banks, the manipulation of money and people, the costs of greed, the ugly twists of love, and the choices that unite and divide us. Truth is the theme here, but as Liz McDivitt, A & A Bank's first customer affairs liaison notes, "in reality, nothing (is) black and white."
Truth is always the goal for reporter Jane Ryland and detective Jake Brogan, but never more than now in stories/cases where innocence and guilt are hidden in complex motivations and decades-old secrets. Who is guilty? Who is innocent? Are they exclusive of one another? Is the complete truth ever told? Jane's job depends on getting the big scoop, but Jane's personal wiring demands that the innocent are not collateral damage. Jake has a responsibility to the victims and their families to bring some closure to a tragic event, but closure is never more important than justice. Joining the two truth seekers in their quest is a new character, Peter Hardesty, who is a lawyer representing the man who has confessed to the Lilac Sunday Murder and another man charged with the empty house murder. He believes deeply in the right to any person's day in court, and, yet, he is a kindred soul to Jane and Jake in the attainment of truth. Peter's character also presents a bit of a wrinkle in Jake's clear path to Jane's affections, although that may be a false alarm. It will be interesting to see what the author's intentions are concerning this appealing new character.
There is so much to recommend about this book that it might just be easier to say, "Read the book and then we will head nod about its perfection." Cold cases, the human impact of foreclosures, the power of big banks, the manipulation of money and people, the costs of greed, the ugly twists of love, and the choices that unite and divide us. Truth is the theme here, but as Liz McDivitt, A & A Bank's first customer affairs liaison notes, "in reality, nothing (is) black and white."
October 14, 2014
Review Originally Posted:Traveling With T
This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration.
Truth Be Told
It’s a day in the life of Jane Ryland. Siting outside of a family home, looking for details for a story on foreclosed homes. What should just be a run of the mill ordinary day- a day where Jane gets a few photos, some video, and another sad story to add to her overall piece of foreclosed homes suddenly gets a lot more interesting. What made it more interesting?
A dead body.
Yep, a dead body always adds interesting to the story- and when Jane sees Jake- she knows that this dead body is more than just a dead body.
Jake, finding out about the dead body, has to wonder why is there a dead body in an empty house. But, that is not his only question. A man has confessed to the Lilac Sunday killing. With the anniversary of Lilac Sunday fast approaching- Jake wants to know all the details of this case- the case that went unsolved by his grandfather.
Jane and Jake soon find themselves working on two cases- Jane with the foreclosed home story and Jake with the Lilac Sunday confession- and both finding out clues that could help the other. Can Jane and Jake slow down enough to help each other- or is this the crux of their potential relationship problem- not being able to fully reveal everything they know because of their chosen professions?
As Jane gets deeper into the story of the foreclosed homes- her investigative reporter instincts are screaming that there is more than meets the eye to this story-the question is- will she figure out all the pieces to the story? And Jake- will he be able to solve the Lilac Sunday Murders- or will this case go unsolved for another Brogan man?
Traveling With T’s Thoughts:
I have loved some Hank Phillippi Ryan ever since I read THE WRONG GIRL. Hank’s style of writing just creates tension in the suspense/mystery storyline she loves to create- and I dig that. It makes for fast turning, got to know what happens next reading. TRUTH BE TOLD is told in the same style- which just works!
But the other magic of the Jane Ryland series is the relationship between Jane and Jake. The flirting. The longing looks. The chemistry. The sizzle. Ooh la la…. They are hotness personified.
Looking for a good mystery with characters you can care about and root for? Give TRUTH BE TOLD a try!
*Traveling With T was sent a copy of TRUTH BE TOLD for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.
Happy Reading and Bookishly Yours,
T @ Traveling With T
This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration.
Truth Be Told
It’s a day in the life of Jane Ryland. Siting outside of a family home, looking for details for a story on foreclosed homes. What should just be a run of the mill ordinary day- a day where Jane gets a few photos, some video, and another sad story to add to her overall piece of foreclosed homes suddenly gets a lot more interesting. What made it more interesting?
A dead body.
Yep, a dead body always adds interesting to the story- and when Jane sees Jake- she knows that this dead body is more than just a dead body.
Jake, finding out about the dead body, has to wonder why is there a dead body in an empty house. But, that is not his only question. A man has confessed to the Lilac Sunday killing. With the anniversary of Lilac Sunday fast approaching- Jake wants to know all the details of this case- the case that went unsolved by his grandfather.
Jane and Jake soon find themselves working on two cases- Jane with the foreclosed home story and Jake with the Lilac Sunday confession- and both finding out clues that could help the other. Can Jane and Jake slow down enough to help each other- or is this the crux of their potential relationship problem- not being able to fully reveal everything they know because of their chosen professions?
As Jane gets deeper into the story of the foreclosed homes- her investigative reporter instincts are screaming that there is more than meets the eye to this story-the question is- will she figure out all the pieces to the story? And Jake- will he be able to solve the Lilac Sunday Murders- or will this case go unsolved for another Brogan man?
Traveling With T’s Thoughts:
I have loved some Hank Phillippi Ryan ever since I read THE WRONG GIRL. Hank’s style of writing just creates tension in the suspense/mystery storyline she loves to create- and I dig that. It makes for fast turning, got to know what happens next reading. TRUTH BE TOLD is told in the same style- which just works!
But the other magic of the Jane Ryland series is the relationship between Jane and Jake. The flirting. The longing looks. The chemistry. The sizzle. Ooh la la…. They are hotness personified.
Looking for a good mystery with characters you can care about and root for? Give TRUTH BE TOLD a try!
*Traveling With T was sent a copy of TRUTH BE TOLD for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.
Happy Reading and Bookishly Yours,
T @ Traveling With T
April 5, 2015
Reviewed by Marissa
Book provided by the author in contest win
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
This book happened along at an interesting time. I happen to be studying for my real estate license, pouring over mortgage and foreclosure laws, and this book lands in my mailbox. (Thank you, Ms. Ryan!) While I haven’t read books one and two in the series, book three was no problem. Yes, there are background references and a developing relationship to catch up on but I was never lost. Quite the opposite, I was immediately drawn into the story of foreclosure as told from different sides of the bank note.
Jane Ryland is a veteran reporter now working for the internet side of a daily newspaper. I really liked Jane’s attitude. She’s adult and doesn’t whine (too badly) over men. She’s also intelligent and knows when to back down in order to get what she needs. But she’s also human and gets her feelings hurt when she can’t figure out why Jake doesn’t tell her that his business trip was canceled.
Jake seems to have the qualities of an actual man. Unlike most other fictional heroes, he has no clue that Jane would question the things he does and doesn’t realize there’s a problem. Like a real man, he thinks it’s just her. This made me frustrated but at the same time I like Jake more than a lot of other fictional men I’ve come across.
The one secondary character I really liked was Liz McDivitt. While what she did was highly illegal, I admired her trying to help people out of foreclosure. I wish there had been more background on her. There was enough about her childhood that made me want more. I’m hoping she’ll show up as a main character in another book and we’ll get more.
The one thing I didn’t understand was why Jake and Jane would have to keep their relationship a secret. I see the point about divulging information about cases but it seems to me that as long as they’re open about the relationship and agree that work information can’t be shared, it doesn’t seem like it would be a problem.
This is a great book and I’m looking forward to reading the first two books of the series, not to mention the next book. I’m so grateful that I won this in a contest and found a wonderful author to follow.
Book provided by the author in contest win
Review originally posted at Romancing the Book
This book happened along at an interesting time. I happen to be studying for my real estate license, pouring over mortgage and foreclosure laws, and this book lands in my mailbox. (Thank you, Ms. Ryan!) While I haven’t read books one and two in the series, book three was no problem. Yes, there are background references and a developing relationship to catch up on but I was never lost. Quite the opposite, I was immediately drawn into the story of foreclosure as told from different sides of the bank note.
Jane Ryland is a veteran reporter now working for the internet side of a daily newspaper. I really liked Jane’s attitude. She’s adult and doesn’t whine (too badly) over men. She’s also intelligent and knows when to back down in order to get what she needs. But she’s also human and gets her feelings hurt when she can’t figure out why Jake doesn’t tell her that his business trip was canceled.
Jake seems to have the qualities of an actual man. Unlike most other fictional heroes, he has no clue that Jane would question the things he does and doesn’t realize there’s a problem. Like a real man, he thinks it’s just her. This made me frustrated but at the same time I like Jake more than a lot of other fictional men I’ve come across.
The one secondary character I really liked was Liz McDivitt. While what she did was highly illegal, I admired her trying to help people out of foreclosure. I wish there had been more background on her. There was enough about her childhood that made me want more. I’m hoping she’ll show up as a main character in another book and we’ll get more.
The one thing I didn’t understand was why Jake and Jane would have to keep their relationship a secret. I see the point about divulging information about cases but it seems to me that as long as they’re open about the relationship and agree that work information can’t be shared, it doesn’t seem like it would be a problem.
This is a great book and I’m looking forward to reading the first two books of the series, not to mention the next book. I’m so grateful that I won this in a contest and found a wonderful author to follow.
October 21, 2014
“Write what you know.” One of the most commonly given pieces of advice to new writers. Most people take it too literally. It becomes a pair of handcuffs. Ms. Ryan took that advice and used it to write an exciting, fast-paced mystery thriller. She uses her experience as an investigative reporter in Boston to enhance the realism of her descriptions. Her journalism background also comes through in the tightness of her prose. She doesn’t waste words, just says what needs to be said to tell the story, but she always says enough so that it feels real.
Truth Be Told is an excellent book. The multiple story-lines twist around each other. They intersect, and then separate. You are sure that they are tied together, but then something else happens that throws that idea into doubt. Then just when you think that you know what is going on, Ms. Ryan throws in something totally unexpected. You never feel that the action is forced or unrealistic. It is all totally believable. You don’t want to put the book down.
Ms. Ryan does a great job of putting life into her characters. Jane Ryland feels like a tough reporter. She is hard-working and goes the extra mile to get her story. Her personal life isn’t as clear. She and Jake Brogan have something going, but there is a lot in the way. How can a reporter and a police detective be together? How can they deal with the different demands of their jobs.
The main idea behind this whole book is the search for truth. Some people want to find it and expose it for all to see, and others want to hide it, to twist it, to bury it, so that nobody ever knows the truth. But “Truth Be Told”. The book lives up to its name. The truth comes out, mostly.
This was a great book. I’m going to have to keep and eye on Ms. Ryan, and if I ever get any free time, search out her earlier works. Even though this is book three in the series, you won’t have any problem jumping right into the story. I didn’t.
I give Truth Be Told 5 stars out of 5, and Two Big Thumbs Up! Once you start reading it you won’t want to stop. Great job.
I received a review copy of this book from the publisher, Forge Books.
Truth Be Told is an excellent book. The multiple story-lines twist around each other. They intersect, and then separate. You are sure that they are tied together, but then something else happens that throws that idea into doubt. Then just when you think that you know what is going on, Ms. Ryan throws in something totally unexpected. You never feel that the action is forced or unrealistic. It is all totally believable. You don’t want to put the book down.
Ms. Ryan does a great job of putting life into her characters. Jane Ryland feels like a tough reporter. She is hard-working and goes the extra mile to get her story. Her personal life isn’t as clear. She and Jake Brogan have something going, but there is a lot in the way. How can a reporter and a police detective be together? How can they deal with the different demands of their jobs.
The main idea behind this whole book is the search for truth. Some people want to find it and expose it for all to see, and others want to hide it, to twist it, to bury it, so that nobody ever knows the truth. But “Truth Be Told”. The book lives up to its name. The truth comes out, mostly.
This was a great book. I’m going to have to keep and eye on Ms. Ryan, and if I ever get any free time, search out her earlier works. Even though this is book three in the series, you won’t have any problem jumping right into the story. I didn’t.
I give Truth Be Told 5 stars out of 5, and Two Big Thumbs Up! Once you start reading it you won’t want to stop. Great job.
I received a review copy of this book from the publisher, Forge Books.
March 22, 2015
This was a very good book. It kept you enthralled as you tried to put all the pieces together before the end. Jane was a reporter, writing a piece on the increase in home foreclosures. That and the fact people keep winding up dead in empty foreclosed houses. Her so-called boyfriend, Jake, is a detective. He is so-called because they really haven't established what they are at the moment besides involved. Jake is working a cold case after a man walks into the police station and confesses to killing the victim all those years ago. While Jake would love nothing more than to solve the case, his grandfather having originally worked it and having died without bringing it to a satisfying conclusion, things just don't add up to his way of thinking. When it appears what he's working on is somehow tied to Jane's investigation, they have to be careful not to cross any lines and reveal more than they should to one another. This causes all kinds of misunderstandings and tension in their relationship. Very well-written and an excellent job of tying everything together in the end. People are definitely not what they seem in this story, full of lies and receipt, the worst being an innocent man trying to take the fall for a crime he didn't commit. Really enjoyed it
December 19, 2014
This is the 3rd book in the series and I think the books keep getting better and better. I could relate to this book because it is an industry that I am very familiar with - banking/mortgages and real estate. I was rooting for Liz but was unsure as to what exactly she was doing at the bank. Was she manipulating the customer files so that they didn't lose their homes? How did she do that? She was definitely a champion for the underdog.
As with her last book, there are several story lines and most of them all tie together in the end. The first deals with home foreclosures and the second is a twenty year old mystery that Jake's grandfather dealt with when he was alive and commissioner. There are some characters that you think are the good guys but then you find out that they really aren't. The stories are edgy, as are most of her books, and deal with real issues that affect many of us.
I am wondering where Jake and Jane's relationship is headed. They keep it under wraps which can be tough when you are talking a news reporter and a police detective. It is apparent it causes some issues when it comes to the cases.
As with her last book, there are several story lines and most of them all tie together in the end. The first deals with home foreclosures and the second is a twenty year old mystery that Jake's grandfather dealt with when he was alive and commissioner. There are some characters that you think are the good guys but then you find out that they really aren't. The stories are edgy, as are most of her books, and deal with real issues that affect many of us.
I am wondering where Jake and Jane's relationship is headed. They keep it under wraps which can be tough when you are talking a news reporter and a police detective. It is apparent it causes some issues when it comes to the cases.
January 27, 2015
I have to say I was disappointed in this entry in the Jane Ryland series. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of them from the beginning of the series, as I enjoyed Hanks' earlier Charlotte MacNally books. All draw from Hank's distinguished career as an investigative television reporter, and I especially liked the "inside" bits about the life and times of her characters. However, I found it hard to get into this book, but I stuck it out and did finish it. The solution to the puzzle is satisfying, but one major thread (involving real estate chicanery and banks) was undeveloped and unresolved. I'm not totally sure what that character was up to, what her motivation was. With Jane's move from television to print journalism, the character seems to lose a little of the pizzazz I expect from seemingly glamorous media careers. That all said, the author has a pleasant writing style with alternating points of view that some might find disconcerting but which are fine with me. I also was unconvinced as to the reason one character was arrested early in the book--seemed a little hasty to me. Maybe that was the author's intention? Will I look for the next Jane Ryland book? Sure.
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