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Beneath Her Lies
“A suspenseful read. Readers will never guess the big reveal at the end!” -
Author Melanie Berbrier
“An unparalleled mystery genre masterpiece!” - Thomas Anderson, Editor in Chief of Literary Titan.Beneath Her Lies is a beautifully twisted thriller that weaves together the dark past of a 32-year-old recovered drug addict, Ruby, with the delicate new life that she is trying to obtain.
It has been said that you can’t go home again. You can’t go home to the past, to where your favorite childhood memories lie. You can’t go back to where you once felt the most content and safe.
Ruby has run away from safety for her entire adult life, while running right towards danger. A true wild child, she found a false comfort in the arms of a man who drug her into his own personal hell. It would take years for Ruby to claw her way back out and be strong enough to crawl back home.
But what was home? Was it truly the place that her contorted heart remembered it to be? After the death of her Granddad, she was lulled back under the pretense of sorting out his affairs, only to be blindsided when she arrived, finding herself in a web of lies and deceit, while still trying to cling to her newly found, and carefully rebuilt sober life.
The twisted web becomes all-consuming, as Ruby is still struggling to find solid footing with her own past.
She may be able to outrun her own shadows, but can she keep her family secrets buried?
“An unparalleled mystery genre masterpiece!” - Thomas Anderson, Editor in Chief of Literary Titan.Beneath Her Lies is a beautifully twisted thriller that weaves together the dark past of a 32-year-old recovered drug addict, Ruby, with the delicate new life that she is trying to obtain.
It has been said that you can’t go home again. You can’t go home to the past, to where your favorite childhood memories lie. You can’t go back to where you once felt the most content and safe.
Ruby has run away from safety for her entire adult life, while running right towards danger. A true wild child, she found a false comfort in the arms of a man who drug her into his own personal hell. It would take years for Ruby to claw her way back out and be strong enough to crawl back home.
But what was home? Was it truly the place that her contorted heart remembered it to be? After the death of her Granddad, she was lulled back under the pretense of sorting out his affairs, only to be blindsided when she arrived, finding herself in a web of lies and deceit, while still trying to cling to her newly found, and carefully rebuilt sober life.
The twisted web becomes all-consuming, as Ruby is still struggling to find solid footing with her own past.
She may be able to outrun her own shadows, but can she keep her family secrets buried?
- GenresThriller
249 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 26, 2024
30 people are currently reading
513 people want to read
About the author
Staci Andrea
7 books69 followersI am a thriller/suspense author who got her start a little later in life. I think that I needed to experience the breathtaking highs and the soul crushing lows on my life's journey before I was able to really give the reader the emotional journey that I aimed to give. My style is to pull back the curtains on the ordinary person, the cookie cutter neighbor and the family that looks like they have it all together. The truth is, we all have secrets to hide.
I have four books currently in production, Fraidy Hole, Lake Laps, Beneath Her Lies and Ghosts in the Glades. (Fraidy Hole and Lake Laps have released, Beneath Her Lies is in preorder and launching April 26th, 2024, and Ghosts in the Glades is slated for later in 2024.
In the past two years that I have been writing, I have been blessed to have been part of some pretty cool awards. I have placed as a finalist in the Killer Nashville Claymore awards in 2022 and 2023, the shortlist on the Hawthorne Awards in 2023, London's Page Turner Awards Longlist for two of my books in 2023, Honorable Mention at the Hollywood Book Festival in 2023 , the Gold Five Star Award through Literary Titan, a quarter finalist in the ScreenCraft Cinematic Book Competition, and a finalist in the Literary Global Book Awards.
This has been a wild journey, and I can't wait to see where it goes!
I have four books currently in production, Fraidy Hole, Lake Laps, Beneath Her Lies and Ghosts in the Glades. (Fraidy Hole and Lake Laps have released, Beneath Her Lies is in preorder and launching April 26th, 2024, and Ghosts in the Glades is slated for later in 2024.
In the past two years that I have been writing, I have been blessed to have been part of some pretty cool awards. I have placed as a finalist in the Killer Nashville Claymore awards in 2022 and 2023, the shortlist on the Hawthorne Awards in 2023, London's Page Turner Awards Longlist for two of my books in 2023, Honorable Mention at the Hollywood Book Festival in 2023 , the Gold Five Star Award through Literary Titan, a quarter finalist in the ScreenCraft Cinematic Book Competition, and a finalist in the Literary Global Book Awards.
This has been a wild journey, and I can't wait to see where it goes!
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
May 20, 2024
Special thanks to the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
After the death of her grandfather, Ruby has returned to the house she knows as ‘home’, to sort through and pack up her grandparents’ things. After a whirlwind few years of a volatile marriage, a divorce and a battle with drugs, Ruby is happy to have some stability and to spend some time living in the past. Then she finds a posthumous note from her grandmother, which leads to a journal, which leads to family secrets that Ruby could never have predicted.
“Beneath Her Lies” by Staci Andrea is a domestic suspense. New to Andrea, I didn’t know what to expect, but overall, it was a slow burn suspense with multiple twists and turns.
Right away, I was able to guess the massive twist, likely because I read this genre primarily and there isn’t much that can get past me when it comes to twisty suspense. However, I was still invested enough to see how it all played out.
Andrea doesn’t focus a lot on settings and doesn’t use a lot of adjectives, she gets right down to the nitty gritty of the plot, so the reader is left to their own devices when it comes to setting the stage (which isn’t all bad). Personally, I wanted more of Ruby’s drug dealing past and her toxic relationship. This played such a role in defining who Ruby is, and it was barely touched on.
I admired the relationship between Ruby and her sister, Banks, and the close-knit farming family dynamic was believable and honest. As Ruby uncovers secrets from her family’s past she also struggles with challenges from diabetes, compounded by her medical issues as a result of her past drug use.
In general, I enjoyed some of “Lies”, enough that I was able to finish it. But it was awkwardly written and I wanted more detail in just about every way. I have not read Staci Andrea before but she has four novels (one to be published) under her belt, so it’s clear that she has developed a devoted audience. “Lies” was emotional and entertaining, with a satisfying ending, but I was able to guess the plot twists and I wanted more- more adjectives, more setting development and more on Ruby’s past and struggles.
After the death of her grandfather, Ruby has returned to the house she knows as ‘home’, to sort through and pack up her grandparents’ things. After a whirlwind few years of a volatile marriage, a divorce and a battle with drugs, Ruby is happy to have some stability and to spend some time living in the past. Then she finds a posthumous note from her grandmother, which leads to a journal, which leads to family secrets that Ruby could never have predicted.
“Beneath Her Lies” by Staci Andrea is a domestic suspense. New to Andrea, I didn’t know what to expect, but overall, it was a slow burn suspense with multiple twists and turns.
Right away, I was able to guess the massive twist, likely because I read this genre primarily and there isn’t much that can get past me when it comes to twisty suspense. However, I was still invested enough to see how it all played out.
Andrea doesn’t focus a lot on settings and doesn’t use a lot of adjectives, she gets right down to the nitty gritty of the plot, so the reader is left to their own devices when it comes to setting the stage (which isn’t all bad). Personally, I wanted more of Ruby’s drug dealing past and her toxic relationship. This played such a role in defining who Ruby is, and it was barely touched on.
I admired the relationship between Ruby and her sister, Banks, and the close-knit farming family dynamic was believable and honest. As Ruby uncovers secrets from her family’s past she also struggles with challenges from diabetes, compounded by her medical issues as a result of her past drug use.
In general, I enjoyed some of “Lies”, enough that I was able to finish it. But it was awkwardly written and I wanted more detail in just about every way. I have not read Staci Andrea before but she has four novels (one to be published) under her belt, so it’s clear that she has developed a devoted audience. “Lies” was emotional and entertaining, with a satisfying ending, but I was able to guess the plot twists and I wanted more- more adjectives, more setting development and more on Ruby’s past and struggles.
April 24, 2024
Highly disappointed…the synopsis labels this book as a twisted thriller. I started reading it with that mindset but the genre is definitely miscategorized in my opinion and should be labeled a fiction novel. This may cause the target audience for a thriller to be disappointed (like me) as well as readers looking for fiction may not pick up this book to read.
The majority of the book is about one character and her life struggles. It drags on and on until nearing the end when the “mystery” is solved. The ending fell short leaving incomplete and unresolved issues.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The majority of the book is about one character and her life struggles. It drags on and on until nearing the end when the “mystery” is solved. The ending fell short leaving incomplete and unresolved issues.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
April 12, 2024
Beneath Her Lies is essentially about family secrets. Should they be kept? Who really needs to know? How far do they go? How dark can they get?
This book has been called both a mystery and a thriller. While the mystery started from the very beginning, the thriller aspect remained to be seen until Ms. Andrea hit me in the face with it and I realized that everything I thought I knew from the first three quarters of the book was wrong! I had an actual jaw dropping moment. Bravo! This is the reaction I want to experience when I read this style of book.
Thank you to Kingsley Publishing and Staci Andrea for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
This book has been called both a mystery and a thriller. While the mystery started from the very beginning, the thriller aspect remained to be seen until Ms. Andrea hit me in the face with it and I realized that everything I thought I knew from the first three quarters of the book was wrong! I had an actual jaw dropping moment. Bravo! This is the reaction I want to experience when I read this style of book.
Thank you to Kingsley Publishing and Staci Andrea for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
May 10, 2024
I was given this one as an ARC and expected it to be as enjoyable as her previous titles, but wasn't expecting the level of mystery, which was a great surprise! Once again, the author thoroughly flushes out the main character's past, allowing the reader to fully understand the torment that she has risen from and is trying so hard to change her path. The description was of movie script quality and the MAJOR twists were not what I was expecting at all. At points, I was holding my breath because I thought I knew where it was going and then.... nope. HA. These are the kind of mysteries that I enjoy. Once again, easy to read, yet not easily forgotten, and I look forward to more from this author.
May 9, 2024
A thriller? Not so much. Predictable? Most definitely.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I really wanted to like this book more as it had a lot going for it on the surface but unfortunately it wasn’t executed well.
It did have some suspense in a sense.. but it was suspense that the reader was waiting for something big to happen or some big twist but unfortunately it never came.
If you want to read a story about a family and the secrets they keep, then great, this may be for you in a beach type read, but if you’re looking for a thriller than skip
It as you’ll be disappointed.
⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I really wanted to like this book more as it had a lot going for it on the surface but unfortunately it wasn’t executed well.
It did have some suspense in a sense.. but it was suspense that the reader was waiting for something big to happen or some big twist but unfortunately it never came.
If you want to read a story about a family and the secrets they keep, then great, this may be for you in a beach type read, but if you’re looking for a thriller than skip
It as you’ll be disappointed.
⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again
April 23, 2024
If there was ever a slow burn, this is it. The majority of the story tells us about Ruby and her family’s time living and growing together on her grandparents’ farm. It was a wonderful story with tales of love and togetherness that reminded me of my own childhood memories with a fond smile. BUT where this book is labeled a mystery and thriller, I was waitingggggg for something to make my jaw drop. I don’t feel like that came until the very end of the book.
There were a few twists that I felt were built up so you saw them coming from a mile away. When the story finally came to a conclusion, I was left with many unanswered questions that will continue to bother me. While I did enjoy the added details provided in the prologue, I also found it long winded and repetitive.
I might not label this a thriller since only a quarter of the book seems to fall in that genre. It was still a good read. Just wouldn’t scratch that thriller itch if it’s what you’re seeking.
Thank you NetGalley and Kingsley Publishers for the ARC.
There were a few twists that I felt were built up so you saw them coming from a mile away. When the story finally came to a conclusion, I was left with many unanswered questions that will continue to bother me. While I did enjoy the added details provided in the prologue, I also found it long winded and repetitive.
I might not label this a thriller since only a quarter of the book seems to fall in that genre. It was still a good read. Just wouldn’t scratch that thriller itch if it’s what you’re seeking.
Thank you NetGalley and Kingsley Publishers for the ARC.
April 14, 2024
This book was not what I expected but in the best way! The story pulls you in from the very beginning. The more you read, the more questions you have because the story continues to make unexpected turns.
Ruby is a complex character that is on the road to healing and recovery only to be taken on a detour with the task of going through her grandparent’s house and deal with the grief that has overcome her after their deaths.
They were her constant and their home was her safe place so to discover family secrets that have long been buried, her world starts to unravel.
This is a plot twisting tale of the lengths we will go to in order to protect the people that we love.
Ruby is a complex character that is on the road to healing and recovery only to be taken on a detour with the task of going through her grandparent’s house and deal with the grief that has overcome her after their deaths.
They were her constant and their home was her safe place so to discover family secrets that have long been buried, her world starts to unravel.
This is a plot twisting tale of the lengths we will go to in order to protect the people that we love.
April 13, 2024
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of Beneath Her Lies by Staci Andrea, published by Kingsley Publishers
This was a great read. I loved how the story developed, then twisted and twisted again. The characters were great, well described and introduced at good intervals, not too many at once. I love the setting and the plot. I also liked how Ruby's story was told present tense but her memories recounted so much of the story.
As a reader, during the first part of the novel, we really get the know the characters and their history and then all of a sudden half way through, I'm sitting on the edge of my seat needing to know what happens next.
This is the first book I have read by Staci, but not the last. She is a great author, love the way she tells a story.
This was a great read. I loved how the story developed, then twisted and twisted again. The characters were great, well described and introduced at good intervals, not too many at once. I love the setting and the plot. I also liked how Ruby's story was told present tense but her memories recounted so much of the story.
As a reader, during the first part of the novel, we really get the know the characters and their history and then all of a sudden half way through, I'm sitting on the edge of my seat needing to know what happens next.
This is the first book I have read by Staci, but not the last. She is a great author, love the way she tells a story.
April 11, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Kingsley Publishers for the ARC. I had more expectations for this book. I thought it was going to be more suspenseful. It read, to me, more like a family saga with the little secrets that some families keep. Based on the cover and description it didn't lead up to the "twisted thriller" that I was looking for.
December 26, 2025
Staci Andrea's Beneath Her Lies is a simple and intriguing idea battered into mediocrity by an inexperienced author, a nonchalant editor, and a baffling marketing strategy that bills it as a "suspenseful read".
What Andrea's book is actually about is a woman named Ruby who stumbles onto a family secret that nobody outside of small town Christian nowhereville would bat an eyelid over. The prose is painfully overwritten. The events of the novel take up maybe a third of the total pages and the rest is backstory and repetitive exposition. Readers will tire fast of being walloped over the head with information rather than being left to discover the characters through action. Saving it would only have taken an editor with a sharp scalpel but this seems to have been lacking.
The last two chapters are absurdly self-congratulatory and depart reality entirely. The final twist isn't really worth trudging through the murk of mountainous exposition readers will have by now been buried in. The sad thing is that Andrea could have had something here. A few more drafts. Don't try so hard to be impressive, especially with your opening sentence. But she's also let down by others. Her editor was asleep at the wheel. The marketing completely misrepresents the content. It's unfortunate.
What Andrea's book is actually about is a woman named Ruby who stumbles onto a family secret that nobody outside of small town Christian nowhereville would bat an eyelid over. The prose is painfully overwritten. The events of the novel take up maybe a third of the total pages and the rest is backstory and repetitive exposition. Readers will tire fast of being walloped over the head with information rather than being left to discover the characters through action. Saving it would only have taken an editor with a sharp scalpel but this seems to have been lacking.
The last two chapters are absurdly self-congratulatory and depart reality entirely. The final twist isn't really worth trudging through the murk of mountainous exposition readers will have by now been buried in. The sad thing is that Andrea could have had something here. A few more drafts. Don't try so hard to be impressive, especially with your opening sentence. But she's also let down by others. Her editor was asleep at the wheel. The marketing completely misrepresents the content. It's unfortunate.
April 25, 2024
This was such a nostalgic ride! The depiction of an idyllic childhood against all that the main character has had to overcome was so well balanced. The writing not only held my interest, but I had a hard time putting it down. I thought I knew where it may be headed, but was completely wrong, which I loved. I also like emotional reads, and this one was a heavy hitter. Great book, and I look forward to reading more from this author. I am thankful for my ARC copy!
May 23, 2024
Beneath Her Lies is a slow burn. There are great twists, but it takes quite some time to get to them. During that time, you learn to have great compassion for Ruby, a flawed but resilient woman. It is easy to fall in love with her grandparents as well. Ruby has been through a lot in her relatively short life and is about to get one heck of a shock while on her grandparent's farm.
This book does a great job of working through family bonds and small-town neighbors looking out for one another. When I thought I had the story figured out, boom, another twist. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author.
This book does a great job of working through family bonds and small-town neighbors looking out for one another. When I thought I had the story figured out, boom, another twist. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author.
November 27, 2024
Having previously read work from this author, I expected to encounter a highly descriptive and thrilling ride, but what I was happily surprised by was the mystery genre that unfolded within the pages of this one! Again, Andrea is masterful at making a grab for the reader's heart while yet doling out a few clever twists. It wasn't a difficult read, by any means, and was a great one to take on the plane. Intriguing book.
April 28, 2024
A great mystery! Once again, this author writes a deeply emotional story that comes from a solidly build character background. The farm setting added to the endearing nostalgia, and I was hooked from the beginning. Andrea has mastered the art of the twist, much like Lucinda Berry. I am hooked, and am looking forward to more work by this author.
June 9, 2024
This plot had a lot of fun twists and turns and is way more mystery than thriller. The beginning of the book started off slow and took me a minute to get into but once the plot was developed the book built up a burn that was enjoyable. I did enjoy the character development and the exploration of family dynamics and relationships
April 17, 2024
I thought that I knew where this story may be headed, but I was SO wrong, and in a shocking and wonderful way. I like it when a book like this can hold my attention with deep emotional draws and still manage to surprise me. Cannot wait to see more from this author.
March 17, 2024
A great, but tough read. The family struggles that are involved are easily relatable and it's a quick read. Great attention to detail, and the end was a gut punch!
April 26, 2024
Interesting going down someone's memory lane with secrets and twists. Not the most interesting book I've read and felt a bit repetitive at times.
May 1, 2024
Great mystery! Had me shocked by the end. Recommend!
July 9, 2024
Okish story, but the narration was HORRIBLE
August 19, 2024
NOT A THRILLER. Slow burn read. It was ok. Keep waiting for the thrill. Was disappointed.
September 7, 2024
Plot twist at the end. Must read!
January 12, 2025
The story and the mystery pulls you in with some very unexpected twists.
May 3, 2025
Beneath Her Lies
Is very interesting another great read.
Had me going &wondering. Looking forward to the next one. Thank you . Have a great weekend.
Is very interesting another great read.
Had me going &wondering. Looking forward to the next one. Thank you . Have a great weekend.
May 3, 2024
The author is amazing how she builds the story with intricate details, suspense, and twists that don't see coming. I've read all of her books. Her characters are well developed with emotional human characteristics. It makes you feel that you are experiencing the story, and then she masterfully creates a suspense and mystery that draws you in to see what will happen next. We'll write and definitely recommend
March 18, 2024
🤫 M Y S T E R I O U S M O N D A Y review 🤫 featuring “Beneath Her Lies” by Staci Andrea!!
BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5
Ruby is trying to put her life back together after battling drug addiction and a traumatic divorce. After her grandfather’s death she goes back home to help clean out the old farmhouse that holds a lifetime of memories.
While sorting through her grandparent’s things, Ruby finds a letter from her Gramma with specific instructions to burn boxes of letters that have been hidden for decades. Much to her surprise, these letters contain secrets of her beloved Grandpa’s adulterous affair way back when. Ruby finds herself completely immersed in these letters and this throws open the door to a lifetime of sinister secrecy and painful family memories. Now there is no going back …
“I could feel my heart fluttering wildly beneath my rib cage now as I reached for the next letter in the stack. There has to be answers hidden in there somewhere. There had to be something that would validate what had gone on, something that Gramma was trying to lead me to”.
This story starts off with a slow burn, but then becomes highly addictive as you read through a mix of letters and journal entries that explode with dark secrets and a twisted web of shocking information!
Thank you kindly to Staci Andrea and Kingsley Publishers for sending me an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on April 26, 2024!
BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5
Ruby is trying to put her life back together after battling drug addiction and a traumatic divorce. After her grandfather’s death she goes back home to help clean out the old farmhouse that holds a lifetime of memories.
While sorting through her grandparent’s things, Ruby finds a letter from her Gramma with specific instructions to burn boxes of letters that have been hidden for decades. Much to her surprise, these letters contain secrets of her beloved Grandpa’s adulterous affair way back when. Ruby finds herself completely immersed in these letters and this throws open the door to a lifetime of sinister secrecy and painful family memories. Now there is no going back …
“I could feel my heart fluttering wildly beneath my rib cage now as I reached for the next letter in the stack. There has to be answers hidden in there somewhere. There had to be something that would validate what had gone on, something that Gramma was trying to lead me to”.
This story starts off with a slow burn, but then becomes highly addictive as you read through a mix of letters and journal entries that explode with dark secrets and a twisted web of shocking information!
Thank you kindly to Staci Andrea and Kingsley Publishers for sending me an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on April 26, 2024!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2024
It's a very slow burn book but the story line is really good
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews