Private Lies

Hush Money Mystery #3

by T.E. Woods

Murder’s on the menu at Sydney Richardson’s Hush Money restaurant in the tangled new thriller from the author of Hush Money and Bad Girl.
 
Praise for Hush Money

“Veteran crime writer and clinical psychologist T. E. Woods serves up a rich cast of characters, myriad motives, and a complex plot, making Hush Money deeply satisfying.”—Eve Karlin, author of City of Liars and Thieves 

“[A] sleek, delicious new mystery novel. With a smorgasbord of suspects and friends, a main course of action and suspense, and a side order of hot romance, T. E. Woods has delivered the perfect menu for the most discerning mystery lovers. I can’t wait for a second helping. Bon appétit!”—Tom Savage, USA Today bestselling author of the Nora Baron series

Genres: Mystery

291 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 14, 2018

About the author

T.E. Woods is a clinical psychologist and author living in Bayfield, WI. She is author of two series: The Justice Series (starring Lydia Corriger and Mort Grant) and The Hush Money Series (Starring Sydney Richardson). Her stand alone novel, The Wrong Sister, will be released on February 27, 2018.

Reviews

[Lee Husemann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in T. E. Woods Hush Money Mystery series and what a book it is! Sydney Richardson runs two restaurants with her adopted mother's help. Sydney has boyfriend problems that complicate things. Her late father's partner is being framed for stealing money from the police evidence room. One of her boyfriends is recuperating from a gunshot wound in the line of duty. Leslie, a new friend and the new police chief's wife enters the picture to complicate things even further. There are a lot of characters and a lot of different things going on in this book but it is all tied nicely together in the end. This was a fantastic read and was a real page turner. I highly recommend this book to all who love a good police/mystery/thriller book. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

[Shereadbookblog · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third in the Hush Money series by TE Woods, an author new to me. It features Sydney Richardson, a Madison, Wisconsin restaurateur, the adopted daughter of a police officer who was killed in the line of duty years ago. A present day case being investigated by friends of Sydney (and her father’s former partner) may hold a clue to his unsolved murder.

It took a while to get into the story, but once I did, I couldn’t put it down. Yes, there were some things that were obvious immediately, but it still made for a satisfying read with suspense and good character development.

There were some issues left unresolved; perhaps they will be addressed in the next book in this series. I will definitely put TE Woods on my reading list.

[Don Gorman · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3). I have read several other books by this author so when the NetGalley offer came on this one I grabbed it. It kind of reads like the way I would like to make my golf swing, a slow start to a fast finish. These is a fair amount of wasted effort and energy at the start, but once this story gets rolling, it is hard to put down. Sydney Richardson is a pretty good protagonist, and a reasonable supporting cast is here as well. We have a myriad of fun twists and turns at the end that really make this story worthwhile. Woods is one of those mid-level guys who writes nicely entertaining books. Give it a try.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down. So many twists and so many secrets that will have your head spinning! The Hush Money series keeps getting better with each installment. T. E. Woods never disappoints!

*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

[Vickie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is third in a series of Sydney Richardson’s Hush Money books, and I would definitely recommend that they be read in order. Although I had not read the other books and could understand the characters and the action, there always seemed to be something that I was missing because I had not read the other books. Sydney is easy to like since she is the adopted daughter of a policeman killed in action and also because she is an entrepreneur with several restaurants that she owns. She is a high-end clothes horse, and she has relationships with two different men. I found the plot complicated and hard to follow, but everything was resolved in the satisfying conclusion. There was a twist at the end which made it more of a mystery, but the big mystery of who took the money from the police locker was easy to figure out. The pace was very slow at the beginning of the book picks up in the middle and races to a satisfying conclusion. I stayed with it because I wanted to know if my guess for the whodunit was correct, but it was not a book that totally kept my attention. There were too many characters and too much happening in too many places at once to be able to say that the plot was well-developed. Part of my dismay may have been because this was the first book in the series that I had read. Readers of police mystery and spicy romance will enjoy this novel by a writer who demonstrates his craft well.

Disclosure
Disclaimer of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions that I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Libby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once I read about ten to twenty pages into the book, I began to enjoy the read. I had to forgo some grammar issues in order to do it. I liked the characters Syndey, Rick, and Horst. I love mysteries and thrillers because I love figuring out the puzzle. This one, I figured out within the first ten chapters so it was just reading through to see how the pieces all fit together. Syndney's seemed a bit out of character during a personal part of her story.

My issues start from the little things to bigger character holes. The issue with the first ten to twenty pages is that the tense would change (and this happened throughout the book) from past tense to past perfect quite frequently and the writing could have been tighter for that. There was a loss of time - something would be happening and then the next chapter significant time would have passed and the author would go back to describe what happened when - she woke up, went to the restaurant, came back from a cater. There were areas that were frequently overwritten. She has two restaurants to run and all the drama with those businesses and yet, Rick and Horst who are detectives, keep her in the loop of everything and ask her to come along.

Her love interest in the beginning of the story seemed like a jerk, even though the author kept "saying" what a nice guy he was. A nice guy doesn't leave his girl to go biking alone and doesn't drop her off at the hospital alone.

As I mentioned, I knew the end from the beginning so it wasn't a surprise to me. Though this book was the third in the series, you didn't need to read the others to get the gist of what happened.

For the most part, it was okay. Would I read the author again? Don't know.

I was given this uncorrected proof by Net Galley for an honest and unbiased review.

[2shay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review by 2shay..........

This is my first book by T.E. Woods. Hummm....I don’t know why. I have friends who are big fans, but I just never have had the time. I should have made time...this is a terrific book by a talented author. This is book three in a series, but I had no trouble reading it as a stand alone. The characters are vibrant, especially Sydney, who I liked immediately. As the adopted daughter of a police officer who was killed on duty eighteen years earlier, she has become a pretty good detective herself.

I was so attached to Sydney and friends that it surprised me a little. I seldom feel attachments to characters that are not people I would likely be friends with in real life. I might enjoy their story, but I remain...umm...detached, paying more attention to the quality of the writing. You see, Sydney is one of those high fashion women that wears expensive gowns and expensive high heels to work. Well, it’s work, so that helped. Sydney is the owner of a posh restaurant, Hush Money...a place I would never go, btw. But she also owns a cafe/bar, Ten-Ten, a cop hang out and altogether great place to hang out, a place I would love to frequent. So, the two sides balanced out nicely and I loved Sydney. She’s a smart cookie.

I could write several more paragraphs about the great characters and their relationships. If I did, I would get into spoilers. So, no. I’m going to keep this short. I think that this is a wonderful series. Even though this book worked well as a stand-alone, there is always backstory that adds to the current work. My advise would be to start from the beginning and have fun!

Enjoy! ARC graciously provided by Alibi and NetGalley for an honest and voluntary review.

[Alysha · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review.

I couldn't decide between 3 and 4 stars, but in the ended decided to round up.

In all fairness, I will say I haven't yet read the first two books in the series - I didn't even know they existed when I got the ARC, and that definitely factored into bumping my star rating up to 4 stars. This book is easily read by itself - though knowing that there are two other books, I can appreciate some moments where I felt the book lacked depth, especially around character development and the relationship between Sydney/Clay and Sydney/Rick.

Overall, the story was nicely paced and would keep most readers on their toes begging for more. I figured out the mystery very early on in the book, but did want to keep reading to confirm my suspicions. However, I usually guess the end of mysteries/twists, so while this book wasn't a surprise to me, it was a good mystery novel.

Where I thought there was an opportunity is around the relationships - specifically the bits of romance we see between Sydney and Clay and Rick and the total lack of closure between which love interest she chooses!!. Perhaps some of the context and depth I was looking for could be found in the first two books - they're definitely on my list as "to reads" now!

TE Woods has officially moved onto my list of authors to watch and I'll be (impatiently) waiting for the next Hush Money book!

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely need to read this series in order to get the full impact of this novel.

Private Lies wraps up a lifetime of questions Sydney Richardson has about her life; who are her birth parents? who murdered her adoptive father, Officer Joe Richardson? who sent her $15 Million on her 30th birthday?

This thriller delves deeply into psychological areas of a powerful family's abuses enacted to uphold their respected family name when their vile actions needed to be covered up.

Plot twists are complex and constant as we cheer on our beloved friends, Sydney, Nancy, Horst, Rick, and Clay.

I can't wait to see where TE Woods takes us next, unless this is the final episode in the Hush Money Mystery series.

I volunteered to read an ARC from Alibi through Net Galley.

[Book Him Danno · Rating 3 out of 5]

Private Lies by T.E. Woods is entering story that readers can enjoy but won't find themselves returning too with so many other amazing books on the to be read pile.
The story starts off slow picks up though the middle and ends as readers expect. The characters are descent and work will within the story the very basic story. The mystery is easy to solve with very little surprise.

This readers was unable to connect with the characters and it could be due to starting on book 3 and never having read book 1 and 2.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of T.E. Woods Private Lies .

Kindle Edition
Expected publication: August 14th 2018 by Alibi

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Halfway through this book, I saw the news Ms. Woods had passed away. I so wanted to finish the book because I just had to know how this all turned out. But yet, I didn't want to finish it because this will be our last book written by T.E. Woods. I am heartbroken. This book is the third installment in the Hush Money series, and there certainly had to be a fourth. Sydney has her lifelong questions answered now, but the story is left wide open. I wanted to know how Sydney and her mom's trip to Ireland goes! Great book, as always. RIP, Teresa.

[Jay Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all of T. E. Woods' books, and this is the best so far, unquestionably. The characters are very well-developed, and the interactions very realistic. There are two mysteries to be solved and the answers to both are complete surprises. I really like how Woods tells a story, and this was a great story to tell. Some heart-pounding suspense and definitely some wild action to keep the reader on edge and engrossed. You won't regret buying this book.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started this book, I was not sure of it, it moved slow and I just couldn't get into it. It took about a couple of chapters into the book and I learned the characters and then I couldn't wait to see what happened at the end of this story. I was totally surprised who was causing the problem, I had figure out who lilac was but not who was above him and I half figured out who sidney's real parents was. You need to read the story to see what happens.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love when a book ends up being better than you expected, and that is the case with this book. Very strong characters. Very fast paced and suspenseful. I believe I have once again picked a book that is part of a series but was still able to enjoy the book independently of others written. I would like to read the rest though. Very easy to read and I finished it rather quickly. Great Book !

[Jane Goldberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Chicago mob, corrupt cops, extremely wealthy characters. One women on the search for her biological mother. Oh, she is going to regret that, for sure. The book was a little too high brow and the extreme wealth of some of the characters will make readers not want to read the either books in the series; they might feel ‘not rich enough.’

[Teresa Reitnauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

T E Woods writes an intense, suspenseful book. The plot was full of twist and turns. The characters were well developed. I loved the storyline and I didn't want to put the book down until I was finished.

[Geoff. Lamb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fine entry is this intriguing series. Still think that Sydney is a brilliant character. Really not enough about the restaurants this time out, but the police/crime storyline was very good. Read the series!

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good wrap up of previous 2 books’ story lines.

[Kaaren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have given this only two stars because of the choice of reader. There was VERY little voice intonation between characters. Even between male and female.

[Dick Ulmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good detective story. I read the audiobook, even though it's not listed in Goodreads.

[Barry Zerangue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story with several mysteries solved.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sydney Richardson owns two restaurants in Madison, Wisconsin: a fancy upscale restaurant as well as a bar popular with cops, including her father's former partner, Detective Horst Welke. Out on a double date, she receives word that a friend of hers still on the force, Rick Sheffield, has been shot at an attempted robbery. She and the entire police force take turns helping Rick recuperate once he's released from the hospital. The same night Rick was shot, a homeless man's body turns up at a construction site. He had recently been very generous with a large amount of money and told his friends there would be more where it came from. As Detective Welke looks into the suspicious death, he suddenly finds himself suspended when the money found with the body disappears and he's been framed as the one who stole it. Sydney and Rick team up with Horst to investigate who is trying to frame him, and they begin to suspect this may link back to the case of the murder of Sydney's father.

This was a really good mystery. Good pacing, great twists and turns, including a couple that I did not see coming at all. Sydney is a great protagonist, and it's refreshing for a change that the cops (mostly) willingly let her assist with the investigation since she's basically one of their own. The side plots and supporting characters were interesting as well. It was pretty clean other than some strong language in the chapters involving the mob (really great work keeping Lilac's identity a big surprise). I thoroughly enjoyed it and was gutted when I looked to see if a new one had come out since this one and discovered that the author died the same year this was published. I will have to read the earlier books in the series to get my Sydney Richardson fix and imagine what might have come after. Thanks to NetGalley for the free ebook.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Private Lies by T.E. Woods, grabbed ahold from the 1st chapter and kept me interested and reading along throughout the whole book. This is the only book I have read by this author but I am going to have to pick up more! Kept me wondering and guessing until the end, definitely a book that I didn't want to put down til I was finished! Thank you Netgalley and the Publishers for allowing me to read this and give my honest opinion of...I would recommend this book!

[JoAnn Kane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read, especially if you live in or know Madison, WI! T.E. Woods is a terrific writer!