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Maeve Conlon #2
Lies That Bind
In the acclaimed Once Upon a Lie, Maggie Barbieri introduced enigmatic soccer-mom Maeve Conlon, a single mother and bakery owner hiding dark secrets behind her cookie-cutter suburban life.
Now, Maeve’s moving on with everyday life when the unthinkable happens: her father dies of a massive heart attack. Maeve’s mother died when Maeve was very young, and growing up, it was always just her and her father. But on the day of his funeral, Maeve learns a shocking secret. She might have a sister she’s never met. Maeve knows her father would never have kept something like that from her…Unless he thought he had to.
Meantime, someone keeps sneaking around Maeve’s bakery. At first the signs are subtle, but then it becomes vandalism, and then it grows even more frightening. Could it be related to Maeve’s search for her missing sister? Maeve soon realizes it’s time to take matters into her own capable hands. But administering her personal brand of justice is a dangerous undertaking, and between the ever-watchful eyes of her family and the lingering attention she's attracted from local police, Maeve will be forced to decide just how much she's willing to risk in the name of justice.
Now, Maeve’s moving on with everyday life when the unthinkable happens: her father dies of a massive heart attack. Maeve’s mother died when Maeve was very young, and growing up, it was always just her and her father. But on the day of his funeral, Maeve learns a shocking secret. She might have a sister she’s never met. Maeve knows her father would never have kept something like that from her…Unless he thought he had to.
Meantime, someone keeps sneaking around Maeve’s bakery. At first the signs are subtle, but then it becomes vandalism, and then it grows even more frightening. Could it be related to Maeve’s search for her missing sister? Maeve soon realizes it’s time to take matters into her own capable hands. But administering her personal brand of justice is a dangerous undertaking, and between the ever-watchful eyes of her family and the lingering attention she's attracted from local police, Maeve will be forced to decide just how much she's willing to risk in the name of justice.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
30 people are currently reading
627 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Barbieri
15 books191 followersMaggie Barbieri is the author of the Murder 101 series, which is comprised of Murder 101 (2006); Extracurricular Activities (2007), Quick Study (2008), Final Exam (2009) and Third Degree (due November 2010.) She lives in the New York metro area/Hudson Valley with her husband, and two children. By day she's a writer and editor of college textbooks. She is currently at work on the sixth book in the series, still untitled.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
December 5, 2017
I didn’t realize this was the second book in a series but I really enjoyed the writing and mystery behind the characters.
March 17, 2018
Took me forever to get through this easy-read book. It simply didn't keep me interested. None of the characters were deeply developed. And the acts of the main character were hard to believe. Doubt I'll read another book in this series. But it might have helped if I had read the first one first.
January 22, 2015
“Lies That Bind” By Maggie Barbieri
Maeve Conlin is back in this sequel to “Once Upon a Lie.” Maeve is still a single mom trying to keep her bakery afloat. But, when her father, Jack, passes away, a vindictive woman implies Maeve had a sister. Maeve considers the source, but can’t help but wonder if there is something to it.
As Maeve searches through her father’s things, she begins to unravel a long buried family secret. A sister she never knew existed, who was perhaps developmentally challenged and placed in an institution with a horrible reputation, making Maeve worry her sister may not have survived.
This sequel is not as strong as the first book, and I lost patience with Jo, Doug, and Maeve’s family. This is not a mystery in the traditional sense, but I think the author meant well in choosing this dark subject matter.
Maeve’s life has been a little dark and edgy from the beginning, but now Maeve has a gun and starts to have dark fantasies about using it leaving readers to worry her anger has gotten the better of her. To put the cherry on the cake, Maeve and her bakery is the target of a few unrelated crimes and she begins to suspect one of her daughters could be involved.
This novel draws attention to institutions of the past that were barbaric in the treatment of their residents and most likely has some basis in fact. What happened after the place was closed and what became of the survivors is hard to track down and Maeve doesn’t know if she will ever find out the truth of what happened to her sister.
Maeve does get some redemption in the end, but I still worried about her delicate balance. Maeve needs someone to care more about her than they do their yearbook money. Overall, this one was dark, emotional, and ultimately ended on positive note for Maeve, at least for now. This one is 3 stars.
Reviewed by Julie Whiteley for Suspense Magazine
Maeve Conlin is back in this sequel to “Once Upon a Lie.” Maeve is still a single mom trying to keep her bakery afloat. But, when her father, Jack, passes away, a vindictive woman implies Maeve had a sister. Maeve considers the source, but can’t help but wonder if there is something to it.
As Maeve searches through her father’s things, she begins to unravel a long buried family secret. A sister she never knew existed, who was perhaps developmentally challenged and placed in an institution with a horrible reputation, making Maeve worry her sister may not have survived.
This sequel is not as strong as the first book, and I lost patience with Jo, Doug, and Maeve’s family. This is not a mystery in the traditional sense, but I think the author meant well in choosing this dark subject matter.
Maeve’s life has been a little dark and edgy from the beginning, but now Maeve has a gun and starts to have dark fantasies about using it leaving readers to worry her anger has gotten the better of her. To put the cherry on the cake, Maeve and her bakery is the target of a few unrelated crimes and she begins to suspect one of her daughters could be involved.
This novel draws attention to institutions of the past that were barbaric in the treatment of their residents and most likely has some basis in fact. What happened after the place was closed and what became of the survivors is hard to track down and Maeve doesn’t know if she will ever find out the truth of what happened to her sister.
Maeve does get some redemption in the end, but I still worried about her delicate balance. Maeve needs someone to care more about her than they do their yearbook money. Overall, this one was dark, emotional, and ultimately ended on positive note for Maeve, at least for now. This one is 3 stars.
Reviewed by Julie Whiteley for Suspense Magazine
January 17, 2015
Lies that Bind by Maggie Barbieri is the second novel about Maeve Colin. I did not read the first book (Once Upon a Lie) or even know about the first book when I read this one. I requested this book from Net Galley.
Maeve Conlin is a fantastically complex main character. She owns a bakery and is the divorced mother of two daughters. Maeve’s Dad recently died and at his wake, old neighbor drops a bomb. Maeve has a sister, an older sister. She is shocked. Meanwhile, there are some odd occurrences happening in her bakery, her best friend is pregnant, and money is missing! And there seems to some secret that Maeve works hard to keep secret.
I enjoyed this book and will go looking for the first novel to read when I have more time. I found myself curious to understand what was the “secrets” that were being kept. I wanted to know why who was messing with the bakery. I liked the mystery and suspense...
Maeve Conlin is a fantastically complex main character. She owns a bakery and is the divorced mother of two daughters. Maeve’s Dad recently died and at his wake, old neighbor drops a bomb. Maeve has a sister, an older sister. She is shocked. Meanwhile, there are some odd occurrences happening in her bakery, her best friend is pregnant, and money is missing! And there seems to some secret that Maeve works hard to keep secret.
I enjoyed this book and will go looking for the first novel to read when I have more time. I found myself curious to understand what was the “secrets” that were being kept. I wanted to know why who was messing with the bakery. I liked the mystery and suspense...
April 18, 2015
One of the slowest reading books I have ever read. It was not quite bad enough to stop reading, but the plot certainly dragged. Mauve is at her father's funeral when an old neighbor tells her that she has a sister. Mauve hunts down the mystery of the sister she never knew she had while trying to raise a troubled teen, running a bakery and starting a relationship with a local cop.
February 23, 2021
enjoyed this book very much. liked the characters, liked the storyline, liked that it was a satisfying conclusion as book 2, wish there was more. my first 2 books from this author, and a positive reading experience.
October 21, 2023
Maeve finds herself in the middle of a search for her sister, weather she be alive or dead. Such a search, and problems with her children. Maeve is a strong woman with goals that she will meet one way or another.
February 23, 2018
Enjoy the book! Love reading Maggie Barbieri's books. I'll look for Maeve Conlon #1 now!
November 6, 2018
love this character!
January 2, 2019
Love this character, dark in a unique way. Hope the series continues.
December 31, 2020
Couldn’t get into it. Found myself skipping pages at a time. Personally found it to be very boring. No character development.
March 18, 2022
Overall just meh. never felt drawn in, let alone invested
July 14, 2022
Good book. There were a few questions I asked that were not resolved, but it was an easy read and had a mystery that was interesting.
March 9, 2025
So many crimes for one woman…hahaha.
Easy read. Not on love with characters.
Easy read. Not on love with characters.
March 27, 2025
The narrator of this book is a bit scary. There are several references to what she did in the first book that I'm not sure I want to read. Is well-written, just maybe not for me.
February 17, 2015
A special thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Witty and talented Maggie Barbieri returns, with her second installment of suspenseful and humorous (Maeve Conlon series), with LIES THAT BIND, where Maeve discovers some dark family secrets.
In Once Upon a Lie (Maeve Conlon #1) , we met Maggie, a single divorced bakery owner with two teenage daughters, and a former husband now married to a younger woman with a baby, and her retired cop father, Jack with Alzheimer’s, and a childhood of abuse from a cousin, now dead.
The drama has not slowed down, as Maeve still harbors dark hidden secrets within the walls of her suburban life and bakery, The Comfort Zone. Her dad, Jack dies of a heart attack and she is sorting out his affairs, when she discovers a shocking secret, she has a sister? Why would her father keep something like this from her? She has to find information from his friend. Someone has to know the whereabouts of her sister.
Of course, she is not thrilled with the Haggerty sisters, (some bad blood, and ill will since childhood) who happens to be hiding this information and she hates they know something she does not. She begins to search for her sister, and not stopping with blackmailing a cop to help with the search (Jo’s new husband has a wandering eye and she is pregnant).
There is always drama at The Comfort Zone, the bakery, when she learns her landlord is growing pot, raising the rent; she hates her daughter’s boyfriend and dislikes her secretive attitude, someone broke into the bakery and leaves a severed finger in the freezer, and her three thousand dollars has been stolen. (her insurance settlement).
She begins working with Cal, her ex-husband in trying to solve their daughter’s issues while continuing her search for her sister. She learns her sister, Aibhlinn was disabled and was placed in Mansfield, a mental hospital in the 60s, and was closed years ago, due to abuse and poor conditions. While she continues her search, she joins a support group, and of course, more drama and suspense. To make things more interesting the cop investigating her breakin, has a fondness for more than Maeve's muffins.
Maeve is a fearless, witty, edgy, and rebellious character, hiding behind her suburban lifestyle (she colors outside the line, which I love) with sarcasm and dark humor, making for an engaging read.
This was my first series by the author, and enjoy her style for an entertaining, mystery suspense series which will keep you laughing for hours. I will say, I missed Jack (as loved his character); however, it was fun catching up with his past and his friends.
A good exploration of life in the 60s with families of disabilities with limited choices and an emotional story of strong family bonds. Looking forward to reading more by this author, who seems to have real life experience with her own cop father!
Judith D. Collins Must Read Books
Witty and talented Maggie Barbieri returns, with her second installment of suspenseful and humorous (Maeve Conlon series), with LIES THAT BIND, where Maeve discovers some dark family secrets.
In Once Upon a Lie (Maeve Conlon #1) , we met Maggie, a single divorced bakery owner with two teenage daughters, and a former husband now married to a younger woman with a baby, and her retired cop father, Jack with Alzheimer’s, and a childhood of abuse from a cousin, now dead.
The drama has not slowed down, as Maeve still harbors dark hidden secrets within the walls of her suburban life and bakery, The Comfort Zone. Her dad, Jack dies of a heart attack and she is sorting out his affairs, when she discovers a shocking secret, she has a sister? Why would her father keep something like this from her? She has to find information from his friend. Someone has to know the whereabouts of her sister.
Of course, she is not thrilled with the Haggerty sisters, (some bad blood, and ill will since childhood) who happens to be hiding this information and she hates they know something she does not. She begins to search for her sister, and not stopping with blackmailing a cop to help with the search (Jo’s new husband has a wandering eye and she is pregnant).
There is always drama at The Comfort Zone, the bakery, when she learns her landlord is growing pot, raising the rent; she hates her daughter’s boyfriend and dislikes her secretive attitude, someone broke into the bakery and leaves a severed finger in the freezer, and her three thousand dollars has been stolen. (her insurance settlement).
She begins working with Cal, her ex-husband in trying to solve their daughter’s issues while continuing her search for her sister. She learns her sister, Aibhlinn was disabled and was placed in Mansfield, a mental hospital in the 60s, and was closed years ago, due to abuse and poor conditions. While she continues her search, she joins a support group, and of course, more drama and suspense. To make things more interesting the cop investigating her breakin, has a fondness for more than Maeve's muffins.
Maeve is a fearless, witty, edgy, and rebellious character, hiding behind her suburban lifestyle (she colors outside the line, which I love) with sarcasm and dark humor, making for an engaging read.
This was my first series by the author, and enjoy her style for an entertaining, mystery suspense series which will keep you laughing for hours. I will say, I missed Jack (as loved his character); however, it was fun catching up with his past and his friends.
A good exploration of life in the 60s with families of disabilities with limited choices and an emotional story of strong family bonds. Looking forward to reading more by this author, who seems to have real life experience with her own cop father!
Judith D. Collins Must Read Books
February 20, 2020
February 2020
Maeve is a divorced mother of two teenage daughters. Her ex-husband, Cal, had left her for her best friend and now they have a baby. Maeve owns a bakery in a small town and her friend, Jo, is her only employee. Her father, Jack, a former cop had recently passed away suddenly.
At her father's funeral, her former childhood neighbour who was always mean to her reveals that Maeve had a sister she never knew about. As she starts digging, she discovers that her sister was developmentally challenged and put in a home when she was a child ... a home that turned out to be abusing its residents and many were unaccounted for when it was closed down. Was Maeve's sister one of the ones who disappeared?
In the meantime, strange things are happening at the bakery. A flour bin was left open, Maeve was attacked from behind and knocked out, and a finger was left in her fridge. Christmas is coming up and she is happy to have a break from the bakery so things will hopefully settle down.
This is the second in the Maeve Conlin series and it works as a stand alone, though there are many references to the things that happened in the first one so you should read it first. I liked the writing style ... it is written in third person perspective. As a head's up, there is swearing, adult activity and violence.
I wasn't crazy about Jo, Maeve's best friend and employee. She's now pregnant and weirder and slacker than usual. I find her character a bit unbelievable. I find Maeve's daughters annoying ... one just started university and the other is still in high school and they aren't very nice to their mother but she puts up with it ... no wonder she doesn't want to spend time with them.
This was a reread for me. I'd read it five years ago but didn't realize it. I didn't remember reading it so it was like reading it for the first time. It's interesting and weird to note that the first time around I didn't like it and gave up after 60%. For some reason, I liked it this time and look forward to reading the next one in the series.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2020/02...
August 2015
I'd read and enjoyed this author's "Murder 101" series. I'd read "Once Upon a Lie", the first in this series, this week. Though it was dark, I thought it was okay so moved onto this one.
I found this one slow and draggy and boring and had to push myself to keep reading it. I finally gave up at 60% and gave it 1/5 then.
The one bright character of the first one, Jack, Maeve's dad, has died so I had no character to like. Maeve has started dating a cop named Chris and I found zero spark between them.
Maeve has discovered that she has/had a older sister who she never knew about one storyline has her trying to find her. Another storyline has her finding a finger in her fridge at work and figuring out who it belongs to.
I won't be continuing on with this series.
Maeve is a divorced mother of two teenage daughters. Her ex-husband, Cal, had left her for her best friend and now they have a baby. Maeve owns a bakery in a small town and her friend, Jo, is her only employee. Her father, Jack, a former cop had recently passed away suddenly.
At her father's funeral, her former childhood neighbour who was always mean to her reveals that Maeve had a sister she never knew about. As she starts digging, she discovers that her sister was developmentally challenged and put in a home when she was a child ... a home that turned out to be abusing its residents and many were unaccounted for when it was closed down. Was Maeve's sister one of the ones who disappeared?
In the meantime, strange things are happening at the bakery. A flour bin was left open, Maeve was attacked from behind and knocked out, and a finger was left in her fridge. Christmas is coming up and she is happy to have a break from the bakery so things will hopefully settle down.
This is the second in the Maeve Conlin series and it works as a stand alone, though there are many references to the things that happened in the first one so you should read it first. I liked the writing style ... it is written in third person perspective. As a head's up, there is swearing, adult activity and violence.
I wasn't crazy about Jo, Maeve's best friend and employee. She's now pregnant and weirder and slacker than usual. I find her character a bit unbelievable. I find Maeve's daughters annoying ... one just started university and the other is still in high school and they aren't very nice to their mother but she puts up with it ... no wonder she doesn't want to spend time with them.
This was a reread for me. I'd read it five years ago but didn't realize it. I didn't remember reading it so it was like reading it for the first time. It's interesting and weird to note that the first time around I didn't like it and gave up after 60%. For some reason, I liked it this time and look forward to reading the next one in the series.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2020/02...
August 2015
I'd read and enjoyed this author's "Murder 101" series. I'd read "Once Upon a Lie", the first in this series, this week. Though it was dark, I thought it was okay so moved onto this one.
I found this one slow and draggy and boring and had to push myself to keep reading it. I finally gave up at 60% and gave it 1/5 then.
The one bright character of the first one, Jack, Maeve's dad, has died so I had no character to like. Maeve has started dating a cop named Chris and I found zero spark between them.
Maeve has discovered that she has/had a older sister who she never knew about one storyline has her trying to find her. Another storyline has her finding a finger in her fridge at work and figuring out who it belongs to.
I won't be continuing on with this series.
March 19, 2015
I was given the opportunity to read "Lies that Bind" as a First Reader. "Lies that Bind" is the second novel in a series, following "Once Upon a Lie (Maeve Conlon #1)", which I read first, so I could get a good feel for the characters and the back story. I got to know Maeve Conlon, an single mom with two teenaged daughters who owns a bakery, and her extended family. Maeve's mother was killed in a hit and run accident, leaving her police officer father, Jack, to raise her, with the help of some loving and not so loving family members. There were many family secrets that came to light after her abusive cousin, Sean, was murdered in the first novel.
"Lies that Bind" opens with the death of Maeve's father. When Jack dies of a heart attack, Maeve sorts out his affairs, and discovers a shocking secret: she has a sister she never knew about. Why would her father keep something like this from her? She begins the search for information from Jack's close friend, Jimmy, and family members. Someone has to know where she is and why Jack hid her from Maeve all these years.She begins working with Cal, her ex-husband in her search for her sister. She learns her sister, Aibhlinn was disabled and was placed in Mansfield, a mental hospital in the 60s, and was closed years ago, due to abuse and poor conditions. She finds that several residents had gone missing after the institution closed and she joins a support group for families of the missing,and builds a friendship with a mother whose son was missing. Her search for her sister brings her back in contact with Rodney Poole, the detective who investigated her cousin's murder in the first novel.
There is always drama at Maeve's bakery, The Comfort Zone. She learns her that landlord is growing pot and has a creepy associate she suspects has been skulking around the bakery. She hates her daughter’s boyfriend and dislikes her secretive attitude. Someone breaks into the bakery and leaves a severed finger in the freezer, and her three thousand dollars life insurance settlement has been stolen from her home. To make things more interesting, she finds love with the cop investigating her breakin.
Maeve is a fearless, witty, edgy, and rebellious character, hiding behind her suburban lifestyle (she colors outside the line, which I love) with sarcasm and dark humor, making for an engaging read. I also enjoyed the novel's exploration of life in the 60s, when families with children with special needs had limited choices. I loved the emphasis on strong family bonds, even when things are messy and imperfect. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.
"Lies that Bind" opens with the death of Maeve's father. When Jack dies of a heart attack, Maeve sorts out his affairs, and discovers a shocking secret: she has a sister she never knew about. Why would her father keep something like this from her? She begins the search for information from Jack's close friend, Jimmy, and family members. Someone has to know where she is and why Jack hid her from Maeve all these years.She begins working with Cal, her ex-husband in her search for her sister. She learns her sister, Aibhlinn was disabled and was placed in Mansfield, a mental hospital in the 60s, and was closed years ago, due to abuse and poor conditions. She finds that several residents had gone missing after the institution closed and she joins a support group for families of the missing,and builds a friendship with a mother whose son was missing. Her search for her sister brings her back in contact with Rodney Poole, the detective who investigated her cousin's murder in the first novel.
There is always drama at Maeve's bakery, The Comfort Zone. She learns her that landlord is growing pot and has a creepy associate she suspects has been skulking around the bakery. She hates her daughter’s boyfriend and dislikes her secretive attitude. Someone breaks into the bakery and leaves a severed finger in the freezer, and her three thousand dollars life insurance settlement has been stolen from her home. To make things more interesting, she finds love with the cop investigating her breakin.
Maeve is a fearless, witty, edgy, and rebellious character, hiding behind her suburban lifestyle (she colors outside the line, which I love) with sarcasm and dark humor, making for an engaging read. I also enjoyed the novel's exploration of life in the 60s, when families with children with special needs had limited choices. I loved the emphasis on strong family bonds, even when things are messy and imperfect. I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.
July 1, 2015
The book had possibilities but I must say that I was a bit confused. It feels very much like a sequel and doesn't work well as a stand alone. I couldn't keep the male characters straight and her relationship to each of them.
The whole bakery thing was unbelievable. Bakers get up at the crack of dawn and need more than one pregnant employee to make all those baked goods and sell them. Most small family businesses have to get their kids to help out. Mauve doesn't understand that this might solve some of the problems she has with her kids. They would learn responsibility and get to spend a lot more time with her.
I thought she was a terrible mother and a very scary person boiling over with deep anger. I actually thought her ex husband sounded like an okay guy and her daughters would be better off living with him and his new wife. I hated it when my mother went out and spent the night with someone without telling me first. I really seems like she doesn't like her daughters since she is so self-absorbed in tracking down a missing sister. I was miffed that she was so passionate about missing out on the whole sibling thing.
There was a great deal of repetition in the story. We had to hear over and over about her gun and where she kept it hidden. She took the law into her own hands and went around seriously threatening people. The ending was wrapped up a bit too nicely and wasn't very satisfying. Not a good mystery. Finding a digit in the fridge would have been a big obsession for me but she is hardly curious.
It was hard to understand why she had such a close relationship with her father. It was his fault that he left her with her abusive cousin when she was a kid.
So I don't recommend this book.
The whole bakery thing was unbelievable. Bakers get up at the crack of dawn and need more than one pregnant employee to make all those baked goods and sell them. Most small family businesses have to get their kids to help out. Mauve doesn't understand that this might solve some of the problems she has with her kids. They would learn responsibility and get to spend a lot more time with her.
I thought she was a terrible mother and a very scary person boiling over with deep anger. I actually thought her ex husband sounded like an okay guy and her daughters would be better off living with him and his new wife. I hated it when my mother went out and spent the night with someone without telling me first. I really seems like she doesn't like her daughters since she is so self-absorbed in tracking down a missing sister. I was miffed that she was so passionate about missing out on the whole sibling thing.
There was a great deal of repetition in the story. We had to hear over and over about her gun and where she kept it hidden. She took the law into her own hands and went around seriously threatening people. The ending was wrapped up a bit too nicely and wasn't very satisfying. Not a good mystery. Finding a digit in the fridge would have been a big obsession for me but she is hardly curious.
It was hard to understand why she had such a close relationship with her father. It was his fault that he left her with her abusive cousin when she was a kid.
So I don't recommend this book.
July 27, 2015
I hope the author does not continue to write more books in this series, and if she does, I won't be reading them. She should have stopped with the first book and kept it as a single novel.
Here's the problem with more books after the first one. The first book had a Mystic River kind of feel to it (nowhere near as well written as Lehane's book) with Maeve's murky, dark personality that left me feeling ambivalent about her as I read. The actions Maeve takes are horrific but also understandable but not condoned. Her dualistic nature is what draws the reader in to the story.
Sadly, this book left me wanting on so many levels. It feels as if the author wanted to capitalize on the success of her first novel, so she fabricated a thin story featuring Maeve again, hoping that Maeve's character could sustain this little tale. Alas, Maeve is not fully developed enough to do this. Barbieri must have realized this because she gives us two mysteries in this book because one was simply not enough, and one of the mysteries feels like a lukewarm rewrite of The Memory Keeper's Daughter.
I wish I had not read this book because it has taken away some of the pleasure I felt for the first book. I can't imagine how the author can continue to write more books in this series unless she writes prequels to the original story. That is where the true mystery lies. What was Maeve like before book one? Did she always have Barbieri should read Hoffman's Blue Diary which shows how a person can live one life for years and years but have a secret hidden away that reveals an alternate life and personality that mesmerizes the reader.
Here's the problem with more books after the first one. The first book had a Mystic River kind of feel to it (nowhere near as well written as Lehane's book) with Maeve's murky, dark personality that left me feeling ambivalent about her as I read. The actions Maeve takes are horrific but also understandable but not condoned. Her dualistic nature is what draws the reader in to the story.
Sadly, this book left me wanting on so many levels. It feels as if the author wanted to capitalize on the success of her first novel, so she fabricated a thin story featuring Maeve again, hoping that Maeve's character could sustain this little tale. Alas, Maeve is not fully developed enough to do this. Barbieri must have realized this because she gives us two mysteries in this book because one was simply not enough, and one of the mysteries feels like a lukewarm rewrite of The Memory Keeper's Daughter.
I wish I had not read this book because it has taken away some of the pleasure I felt for the first book. I can't imagine how the author can continue to write more books in this series unless she writes prequels to the original story. That is where the true mystery lies. What was Maeve like before book one? Did she always have Barbieri should read Hoffman's Blue Diary which shows how a person can live one life for years and years but have a secret hidden away that reveals an alternate life and personality that mesmerizes the reader.
March 5, 2015
Maeve suffers an unexpected shock after the death of her ailing father when she learns for the first time that she may have a sister who was placed in a home for the mentally-challenged. She is driven to learn the truth, but is thwarted every step of the way by the cruelty of people from her childhood. As she searched for clues, she must also juggle running a bakery that appears to suffering from a streak of vandalism, and deal with two daughters who seem to be making bad choices in life as a result of delayed teenage rebellion. Somehow she feels that the vandalism might be connected to her missing sister and she borders on the edge of becoming a vigilante when she discovers the horrific truth of what became of the few unfortunate people that went missing from the asylum after it closed. The romantic interests from a local cop and the prenatal antics of her friend seem to keep her on a somewhat even keel, but for how long?
I have read most all of the books in Maggie Barbieri's Murder 101 series, but this series is the total opposite of the lighthearted, fun mystery. I really liked the story, although the underlying tone is dark. The story covers a lot of past memories in Maeve's upbringing and touches on her past abuse at the hands of a family member and her unknown involvement in his death. Because of that, her character seems to fantasize about exacting her own brand of justice if the situation presents itself. Outwardly, she seems to be the typical working single mom, although I feel a bit detached in reality.
I have read most all of the books in Maggie Barbieri's Murder 101 series, but this series is the total opposite of the lighthearted, fun mystery. I really liked the story, although the underlying tone is dark. The story covers a lot of past memories in Maeve's upbringing and touches on her past abuse at the hands of a family member and her unknown involvement in his death. Because of that, her character seems to fantasize about exacting her own brand of justice if the situation presents itself. Outwardly, she seems to be the typical working single mom, although I feel a bit detached in reality.
October 20, 2015
2.5 stars
I hadn't read the first book, in fact this is the first one by this author, and did get a bit side tracked wondering what happened in that one and if it gave more back story to her abuse as a child.
Maeve is a divorced, single mother of two teenage daughters. She owns and operates a wonderful bakery, how she does this all by herself (as Jo, her assistant is useless), I don't know. But she also manages to have enough time to solve mysteries.
As the novel opens, we learn that her beloved father, Jack, has just died. At the wake, an old, hated neighbour, tells Maeve she has an older sister that Jack never told her about. She doesn't know whether to believe her or not, but discovers it might be true.
Odd things are happening at her business: the flour bin has been tampered with, there is a break in, and a severed finger is found in her fridge. And money is missing from her house.
During the Christmas break, Maeve sets out to find out more about her sister. Maeve is an oddly disfunctional person with very real anger issues. She is easily moved to use violence and threats to make people tell her things.
I liked the writing style, the build up of characters and the pace of the novel but the plot line is a bit far fetched and Maeve a bit of a loose cannon.
Her budding relationship with Chris s doomed to fail as she has so many unhealthy secrets.
I hadn't read the first book, in fact this is the first one by this author, and did get a bit side tracked wondering what happened in that one and if it gave more back story to her abuse as a child.
Maeve is a divorced, single mother of two teenage daughters. She owns and operates a wonderful bakery, how she does this all by herself (as Jo, her assistant is useless), I don't know. But she also manages to have enough time to solve mysteries.
As the novel opens, we learn that her beloved father, Jack, has just died. At the wake, an old, hated neighbour, tells Maeve she has an older sister that Jack never told her about. She doesn't know whether to believe her or not, but discovers it might be true.
Odd things are happening at her business: the flour bin has been tampered with, there is a break in, and a severed finger is found in her fridge. And money is missing from her house.
During the Christmas break, Maeve sets out to find out more about her sister. Maeve is an oddly disfunctional person with very real anger issues. She is easily moved to use violence and threats to make people tell her things.
I liked the writing style, the build up of characters and the pace of the novel but the plot line is a bit far fetched and Maeve a bit of a loose cannon.
Her budding relationship with Chris s doomed to fail as she has so many unhealthy secrets.
April 23, 2015
In Maggie Barbieri's second Maeve Conlon mystery novel, the book opens with Maggie purchasing a gun illegally.
Maeve (which means Warrior Goddess in the Celtic tongue) is a strange little character. Irreparably damaged from childhood abuse, this single mother runs a bakery, quarrels with her ex-husband, fusses over her teenage daughters, and hates her first cousins. (She even killed one of them.) One would never expect the woman who is more than generous with her clients and friends to be so deadly. (Indeed, part of the charm of the book is wondering if Maeve is going to lose it and pop off somebody else.)
The same day of the gun purchase, Maeve's father dies. And, at his funeral she learns, through one of the odious cousins, that she may have, or have had, a sister--a developmentally disabled sister, who was sent away, as was commonly done 50 years ago.
The search is on. Maeve uses every means she can to locate the sister she never met. It makes for an intriguing story.
If Maeve weren't of Irish descent, she would ask for help, find a good counsellor, and learn to unload some of her terrible burden of anger. But who Maeve is and how she battles her demons--or not--make for very good reading indeed.
Maeve (which means Warrior Goddess in the Celtic tongue) is a strange little character. Irreparably damaged from childhood abuse, this single mother runs a bakery, quarrels with her ex-husband, fusses over her teenage daughters, and hates her first cousins. (She even killed one of them.) One would never expect the woman who is more than generous with her clients and friends to be so deadly. (Indeed, part of the charm of the book is wondering if Maeve is going to lose it and pop off somebody else.)
The same day of the gun purchase, Maeve's father dies. And, at his funeral she learns, through one of the odious cousins, that she may have, or have had, a sister--a developmentally disabled sister, who was sent away, as was commonly done 50 years ago.
The search is on. Maeve uses every means she can to locate the sister she never met. It makes for an intriguing story.
If Maeve weren't of Irish descent, she would ask for help, find a good counsellor, and learn to unload some of her terrible burden of anger. But who Maeve is and how she battles her demons--or not--make for very good reading indeed.
December 30, 2015
Take note of this one. Recommend reading the book that precedes this one, which is Once Upon a Lie as it gives background on who Maeve Conlon is. She owns the Comfort Zone Bakery in Westchester, New York, on the train line to NYC. Baking is her life—but other things interfere, like her thirst for justice. She’s almost a vigilante. In this story her father dies (alive in the first book and an interesting character). She learns she has a sister and spends as much time as she can searching for the woman. There’s a parallel story with her two daughters who are covering for each other—as sisters do. Rebecca is in Vassar and Heather is still living at home. Heather, in particular, plays a part in the story.
Maeve wants to find her sister. She learns that a former neighbor who still lives in the area was a employee of the institution where her sister may have been. It was closed down several years ago and the residents scattered to different places. Maeve thinks some of them lived with the woman she is watching. Maeve literally stalks the woman, sits outside of her house to find out more about her. And she does. She still has the gun her father, a former police officer, owned. Gripping story, a page turner. Minotaur
Maeve wants to find her sister. She learns that a former neighbor who still lives in the area was a employee of the institution where her sister may have been. It was closed down several years ago and the residents scattered to different places. Maeve thinks some of them lived with the woman she is watching. Maeve literally stalks the woman, sits outside of her house to find out more about her. And she does. She still has the gun her father, a former police officer, owned. Gripping story, a page turner. Minotaur
June 23, 2015
In this fast-paced mystery, Maeve Conlon is not the typical suburban mom. Owner of a bakery and mother of two daughters, Maeve loses her beloved father suddenly from a heart attack. At the funeral, Maeve's already tumultuous life is thrown into chaos when a relative tells her she has a sister that her father kept hidden from her. Spurred by her desire to find out the truth now that she has no family left, Maeve is thrown into the mystery surrounding her father's secret. But once money goes missing and vandalism is brought to her bakery, Maeve keeps her gun close and launches into tracking down her sister. Although this is the second novel in a series, I found I enjoyed it immensely even though I hadn't read the first novel. It is a well-written mystery that can be easily read as a stand alone novel, and I look forward to reading more in this series!
Sarah M. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.
April 13, 2015
Normally the 2nd in a series doesn't always live up to the first. This is the exception as I thought it was better. I love that Maeve is a kicka$$ person, who takes no prisoners. I love that the rage is not squelched or tempered. Hell hath no fury than when Maeve is angry and that is makes such a better read/fictional character than someone who is weak or suppresses it. Maeve's craziness is in a way pretty awesome as no other "ordinary" (bakery, ex-wife, mom) is like it. Love that she doesn't suppress the "bad part of her." My only complaint - as in the first book - what is with this author and the constant gun reference. It would be humorous if it wasn't annoying. Just about every other page - Maeve touches her gun in her person or in the car. I also thought the way she "found" her sister to be a bit mundane and not quite as believable ~ more like a quick way to resolve the mystery. (Library book)
September 21, 2015
A divorced mother of teen agers and owner of a bakery, Maeve Conlon appears to be a typical suburban career woman. But there are dark secrets in her life, and at the wake for her beloved father, who raised her, she is told that she has a sister she knew nothing about. She becomes fixated on the search for her sister, but there are constant distractions ranging from daughter problems to her best friend and only employee's advanced pregnancy. But Maggie is never about to settle for less than the truth, and she is fierce in dealing with her many problems. Whether you empathize with Maggie or question her actions, she is a unique character and fascinating to follow.
I highly recommend reading the book preceding this, "Once Upon a Lie", as it really helps the reader completely understand Maggie's childhood and her intensity in following up on family issues.
I highly recommend reading the book preceding this, "Once Upon a Lie", as it really helps the reader completely understand Maggie's childhood and her intensity in following up on family issues.
February 18, 2015
This was a story that had a lot of potential - I was drawn in and really wanted to read the story, but it slowed down and I began to not love it as much any more. I finished the book, but it wasn't great and I wasn't thrilled by it. I felt like I wanted to know more about Maeve, but I think that this might have been Book #2 in a series and I didn't read the first book.
That being said: the story was great and I was happy to have gotten the chance to read it. Maeve was a character that I think many people could relate to - someone that was a mostly good person, but had a past and had a very wild and bad side.
Overall, not a bad read but because of my lost interest in the middle, I didn't like it as much I could have probably.
That being said: the story was great and I was happy to have gotten the chance to read it. Maeve was a character that I think many people could relate to - someone that was a mostly good person, but had a past and had a very wild and bad side.
Overall, not a bad read but because of my lost interest in the middle, I didn't like it as much I could have probably.
February 23, 2015
After reading Once Upon a Lie, I wasn't sure how Barbieri would be able to continue the series. Well, I need not wonder any more. She did an excellent job of continuing the story of Maeve Conlon. Lies That Bind is not a traditional mystery. It is more of a thriller. I believe that in order to truly appreciate this book, one must first read Once Upon a Lie. That is imperative to understanding the true complexity of Maeve and the other characters. Lies That Bind is very psychological while looking at the normal, boring life of a divorced mother of two high school /college age daughters. Or, is her life as normal as we think?
April 2, 2015
Maeve Conlon appears to be a typical suburban mother and small business owner, but she also has a gun-toting dark side. As Maeve searches for the sister she never knew she had, she discovers the disturbing conditions the mentally ill and mentally challenged experienced when they were basically warehoused in asylums. Although I know that type of treatment existed, it was distressing to read about. That, along with Maeve’s challenges and struggles with her daughters and her business added real depth to the story. Not a light read, but a worthwhile one.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
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