What do you think?
Rate this book
Tell Her No Lies
In Tell Her No Lies, a new romantic suspense novel, talented author Kelly Irvin explores the question of what makes a family—nature or nurture?—in a fast-paced race to the truth.
As children, Nina Fischer and her sister were plucked from foster care in Florida and brought to Texas by a wealthy uncle they’d never met after their mother went to prison for selling drugs. Now, as an adult, Nina loves her adopted father and wants to please him, but she’s chosen her own career path as a photographer and poet—choices state district court judge Geoffrey Fischer can’t appreciate. When she finds him murdered in his study on a night they’re home alone, she’s the prime suspect and has to prove her innocence or face her own prison term. Is she her mother’s daughter, after all?
The two men in her life want to help, each for their own reasons. Can she trust her on-again, off-again boyfriend, attorney Rick Zavala, whose political aspirations seem more important than Nina’s tragic loss? Can she trust her friend, photographer Aaron McClure, or will he use their friendship to break the biggest news story of his career?
While cleaning out her father’s things, Nina discovers a box of old letters and photos, revealing the secrets her father had been concealing for so long. When her biological mother makes an appearance at Geoffrey Fischer’s funeral and asks to be welcomed back into her daughters’ lives, Nina is even more determined to find the truth about her past. Following the evidence leads her on a journey of discovery about her father’s shocking masquerade as a law-abiding, family-loving Christian. Unlocking these secrets could prove deadly, but it’s the only way Nina will ever be able to trust love again.
As children, Nina Fischer and her sister were plucked from foster care in Florida and brought to Texas by a wealthy uncle they’d never met after their mother went to prison for selling drugs. Now, as an adult, Nina loves her adopted father and wants to please him, but she’s chosen her own career path as a photographer and poet—choices state district court judge Geoffrey Fischer can’t appreciate. When she finds him murdered in his study on a night they’re home alone, she’s the prime suspect and has to prove her innocence or face her own prison term. Is she her mother’s daughter, after all?
The two men in her life want to help, each for their own reasons. Can she trust her on-again, off-again boyfriend, attorney Rick Zavala, whose political aspirations seem more important than Nina’s tragic loss? Can she trust her friend, photographer Aaron McClure, or will he use their friendship to break the biggest news story of his career?
While cleaning out her father’s things, Nina discovers a box of old letters and photos, revealing the secrets her father had been concealing for so long. When her biological mother makes an appearance at Geoffrey Fischer’s funeral and asks to be welcomed back into her daughters’ lives, Nina is even more determined to find the truth about her past. Following the evidence leads her on a journey of discovery about her father’s shocking masquerade as a law-abiding, family-loving Christian. Unlocking these secrets could prove deadly, but it’s the only way Nina will ever be able to trust love again.
335 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2018
117 people are currently reading
2752 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Irvin
74 books831 followersBest-selling author Kelly Irvin splits her writing time between Amish romances and romantic suspense. Her latest release is Trust Me (2/8/22), a romantic suspense novel set in San Antonio's historic art district. It explores broken trust and whether trust can ever be restored. Publishers Weekly called it a "whirlwind romantic thriller" and "an emotional rollercoaster."
Her latest Amish romance is Love's Dwelling, the first book in the Amish Blessings series, which released in July 2021. The series takes place in Yoder and Haven, Kansas, and looks at adoption among the Amish. The series follows her Amish romance series, Amish of Sky Country includes Mountains of Grace, followed by The Long Bridge Home, and Peace in the Valley. The series explores Amish communities in northwest Montana and how they are impacted by wildfires.
Other romantic suspense novels include Her Every Move, which Publishers Weekly called gripping suspense and said, "loving descriptions of San Antonio’s attractions enhance the well-paced plot."
The publication called Closer Than She Knows a "brisk, smoothly written, thriller."
Kelly's Every Amish Season series includes Upon A Spring Breeze, Beneath the Summer Sun, Through the Autumn Air, and With Winter's First Frost from Zondervan/HarperCollins Christian Publishing. This follows the Amish of Bee County series, The Saddle Maker's Son, released in June 2016. It is an ECPA bestseller. It follows The Bishop's Son, and the critically acclaimed bestseller, The Beekeeper's Son, which earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly. The reviewer called it "a beautifully woven masterpiece." The Beekeeper's Son was a finalist in the romance category of the 2016 ACFW Carol Awards Contest.
Kelly is also the author of the Bliss Creek Amish series and the New Amish Amish series. The first series includes To Love and To Cherish, A Heart Made New, and Love’s Journey Home, published by Harvest House. The New Hope Amish series includes Love Still Stands, followed by Love Redeemed, which was an ACFW Carol Award finalist, and A Plain Love Song.
Kelly has also penned two other romantic suspense novels, A Deadly Wilderness and No Child of Mine..
The Kansas native is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and ACFW's San Antonio local chapter Alamo City Christian Fiction Writers.
A graduate of the University of Kansas William Allen White School of Journalism, Kelly has been writing nonfiction professionally for thirty years. She studied for three semesters at the University of Costa Rica, learning the Spanish language. As a journalist, she worked six years in the border towns of Laredo and El Paso.
She worked in public relations for the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department for 22 years before retiring earlier this year. Kelly has been married to photographer Tim Irvin for twenty-eight years. They have two young adult children and have three grandchildren. In her spare time, she likes to write short stories, read books by her favorite authors, and looks forward to visits with her grandchildren.
Her latest Amish romance is Love's Dwelling, the first book in the Amish Blessings series, which released in July 2021. The series takes place in Yoder and Haven, Kansas, and looks at adoption among the Amish. The series follows her Amish romance series, Amish of Sky Country includes Mountains of Grace, followed by The Long Bridge Home, and Peace in the Valley. The series explores Amish communities in northwest Montana and how they are impacted by wildfires.
Other romantic suspense novels include Her Every Move, which Publishers Weekly called gripping suspense and said, "loving descriptions of San Antonio’s attractions enhance the well-paced plot."
The publication called Closer Than She Knows a "brisk, smoothly written, thriller."
Kelly's Every Amish Season series includes Upon A Spring Breeze, Beneath the Summer Sun, Through the Autumn Air, and With Winter's First Frost from Zondervan/HarperCollins Christian Publishing. This follows the Amish of Bee County series, The Saddle Maker's Son, released in June 2016. It is an ECPA bestseller. It follows The Bishop's Son, and the critically acclaimed bestseller, The Beekeeper's Son, which earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly. The reviewer called it "a beautifully woven masterpiece." The Beekeeper's Son was a finalist in the romance category of the 2016 ACFW Carol Awards Contest.
Kelly is also the author of the Bliss Creek Amish series and the New Amish Amish series. The first series includes To Love and To Cherish, A Heart Made New, and Love’s Journey Home, published by Harvest House. The New Hope Amish series includes Love Still Stands, followed by Love Redeemed, which was an ACFW Carol Award finalist, and A Plain Love Song.
Kelly has also penned two other romantic suspense novels, A Deadly Wilderness and No Child of Mine..
The Kansas native is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and ACFW's San Antonio local chapter Alamo City Christian Fiction Writers.
A graduate of the University of Kansas William Allen White School of Journalism, Kelly has been writing nonfiction professionally for thirty years. She studied for three semesters at the University of Costa Rica, learning the Spanish language. As a journalist, she worked six years in the border towns of Laredo and El Paso.
She worked in public relations for the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department for 22 years before retiring earlier this year. Kelly has been married to photographer Tim Irvin for twenty-eight years. They have two young adult children and have three grandchildren. In her spare time, she likes to write short stories, read books by her favorite authors, and looks forward to visits with her grandchildren.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
December 19, 2018
About this book:
“As children, Nina Fischer and her sister were plucked from foster care in Florida and brought to Texas by a wealthy uncle they’d never met after their mother went to prison for selling drugs. Now, as an adult, Nina loves her adopted father and wants to please him, but she’s chosen her own career path as a photographer and poet—choices state district court judge Geoffrey Fischer can’t appreciate. When she finds him murdered in his study on a night they’re home alone, she’s the prime suspect and has to prove her innocence or face her own prison term. Is she her mother’s daughter, after all?
The two men in her life want to help, each for their own reasons. Can she trust her on-again, off-again boyfriend, attorney Rick Zavala, whose political aspirations seem more important than Nina’s tragic loss? Can she trust her friend, photographer Aaron McClure, or will he use their friendship to break the biggest news story of his career?
While cleaning out her father’s things, Nina discovers a box of old letters and photos, revealing the secrets her father had been concealing for so long. When her biological mother makes an appearance at Geoffrey Fischer’s funeral and asks to be welcomed back into her daughters’ lives, Nina is even more determined to find the truth about her past. Following the evidence leads her on a journey of discovery about her father’s shocking masquerade as a law-abiding, family-loving Christian. Unlocking these secrets could prove deadly, but it’s the only way Nina will ever be able to trust love again.”
Series: As of now, no.
Spiritual Content- Exodus 20:12 at the beginning; A few Scriptures are mentioned, remembered/repeated, & talked about; Prayers; Talks about trusting God; Nina has trust issues & finds it hard to believe about a loving Father or trusting anyone named ‘Father’; Aaron is a believer & tries to witness to Nina; *Spoiler* *End of Spoiler*; Mentions of God & Christians; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of churches & church going; A few mentions of hymns; A mention of a good Samaritan;
*Note: a ‘Thank God’ is said by someone who most likely doesn’t mean it; A mention of someone having a master’s in Eastern religions.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘biddy’, a form of ‘crap’, a ‘crummy’, a ‘dumb’, a ‘give a flip’, a ‘kick-butt’ (used to described something), a ‘little poop head’ (when referring to a cat), a ‘shush’, a ‘sissy’, a ‘suck it up’, a ‘wuss’, eleven ‘idiot’s, thirteen ‘stupid’s, sixteen forms of ‘shut up’; Curses are said, not written (by Rick and Melanie) & mentions of curses; Eye rolling; Finding a body of a loved one murdered, blood, & seeing how it happened (semi-detailed); Finding another body that was murdered, blood, & seeing how it happened (semi-detailed, *Major Spoiler* *End of Spoiler*); Being Punched & Blood/Bleeding (semi-detailed); Being pushed down the stairs & Pain (semi-detailed); Being held at gunpoint, aiming guns, guns are shot, & a setting up for a murder who look like a fight (up to semi-detailed); A car accident/crash & pain (up to semi-detailed); Rick has a hangover & remembers drinking; Rick remembers when he did drugs & wishes for a line of coke; All about many mentions of murders, how they happened, who did them, & blood (semi-detailed); Many mentions of gambling, taking bribes, & hiding it from a spouse; Many mentions of alcohol, alcohol addictions, drinking, drunks, hangovers, bars, & parties; Many mentions of cigarettes, tobacco, & smoke; Many mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of all the deaths Aaron has filmed (including a person being run-over, a body that was stabbed, horses who were abused, and children dying from a car crash, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of assassins, hiring one, & killing adults and minors; Mentions of a car running someone over & the murder/death; Mentions of morgue humor & jokes about dead bodies and deaths; Mentions of shootings, gunshots, injuries, & deaths; Mentions of being punched, injuries, blood/bleeding, & intruders/burglars; Mentions of someone being hit in the face by a gun (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a police officer shooting his partner (more details on how/why is not given); Mentions of wars overseas, fighting, & PTSD; Mentions of threats & blackmail; Mentions of prison/jail; Mentions of rehabs; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of drugs/pot, drug users/addicts, & drug sellers; Mentions of divorces & wives wanting one; Mentions of nightmares; Mentions of throwing up; Mentions of tattoos; Mentions of a threat of shooting a pet; Mentions of hunting; A few mentions of accidental deaths; A few mentions of graffiti; A couple mentions of mothers who lost their children from drive-by shootings; A couple mentions of a car accident & deaths; A couple mentions of deaths from cancer; A couple mentions of Rick getting beatings from stepfathers when growing up; A couple mentions of gangbangers; A couple mentions of being hateful & hatred; A couple mentions of DUIs & being a designated driver; A mention of a singer who was killed by a fan; A mention of a gang selling meth; A mention of grave robbers; A mention of a club; A mention of poker; A mention of seeing something like a pit ball mauling a kitten; A mention of someone passing gas;
*Note: Many mentions of singers & songs; Many mentions of brand names and designers; Mentions of TV shows, movies, characters, & actors; Mentions of car brands; Mentions of painters & paintings; Mentions of social media platforms; A couple mentions of Girl Scouts; A couple mentions of Starbucks; A couple mentions of Hallmark & Lifetime; A mention of GQ.
Sexual Content- two cheek kisses, a forehead kiss, two barely-above-not-detailed kisses, three (unwanted) semi-detailed kisses, and a detailed kiss; Remembering kisses (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to kiss; Touches, Shivers, & Embraces (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing; four ‘babe’s; Rick hugs Nina once when his hands going down her back into “forbidden territory”; Rick also forces three kisses on Nina and hints to wanting to do more with her (while the kisses are said to give her a burn, Nina says she does not want to bring children into the world that she couldn’t care for. Aaron comments on one of the kisses that Rick was groping her); Mentions of Nina’s sister getting pregnant out of wedlock (they later got married, the slang of her getting knocked up is said twice); Mentions of Rick’s past flings (including Melanie commenting that he always liked her bedroom); Mentions of kisses, kissing, & seeing others kissing; Mentions of dating, girlfriends, & boyfriends; Mentions of romance books (the Hallmark kind); A few mentions of Nina’s biological mother bringing different men to her room; A few mentions of a man’s crush on a married woman; A couple mentions of a man (Rick) looking at a woman’s well-endowed chest and figure & the woman looking at his backside; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of Nina’s biological mother getting “knocked up” and pregnant out of wedlock with Nina; A mention of Nina’s biological mother not having any idea who Jan’s father was; A mention of a man not being hinky with women; A mention of a man’s seduction moves; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
*Note: A mention of her sister’s curves that Nina always wanted; A mention of Jan’s attributes that make men pay attention to her; A mention of a woman’s amazing body (from Rick’s perspective); A mention of not meeting intruder while just wearing underwear; A mention of a woman’s cleavage showing; A mention of another woman having work done on her face and chest; A mention of getting a butt out of bed; A mention of someone who is a pain in the butt; A mention of butting heads; A mention of hauling someone’s butt to a police station; A mention of a baby’s butt; A mention of someone being a horse’s patootie; A mention of prostate cancer; A mention of someone having assets up the wazoo.
-Nina Fischer, age 27
P.O.V. switches between Nina, Rick, Aaron, & Melanie (x1)
330 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- One Star
Older High School Teens- One Star (and a half)
My personal Rating- One Star (and a half)
{Older girls interested in criminal justice may add up to a full star to the Oldest age category.}
That was 330 pages of intense action and an insanely dysfunctional family.
I knew that this book would be either a hit or a miss for me, and while I definitely wasn’t a fan of the majority of the content (I mean, there’s murders and a jerk), I did really like Nina as a character with her passion for film photography and people experiencing homelessness, but she also had her flaws that were very noticeable.
This book teetered between a two-star rating because of Nina and the film photography parts and a one-star because of the obvious content and the content of Rick (which I strongly disliked him, his forced kisses, and the lack of a restraining order that Nina should have done on him). I did have a bit of trouble with the writing style a few times as a handful of parts felt choppy or used a lot of slang/abbreviations. This was a roller-coaster of a book, but because of different content, the ratings are low for this suspense book.
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Thomas Nelson) for this honest review.
“As children, Nina Fischer and her sister were plucked from foster care in Florida and brought to Texas by a wealthy uncle they’d never met after their mother went to prison for selling drugs. Now, as an adult, Nina loves her adopted father and wants to please him, but she’s chosen her own career path as a photographer and poet—choices state district court judge Geoffrey Fischer can’t appreciate. When she finds him murdered in his study on a night they’re home alone, she’s the prime suspect and has to prove her innocence or face her own prison term. Is she her mother’s daughter, after all?
The two men in her life want to help, each for their own reasons. Can she trust her on-again, off-again boyfriend, attorney Rick Zavala, whose political aspirations seem more important than Nina’s tragic loss? Can she trust her friend, photographer Aaron McClure, or will he use their friendship to break the biggest news story of his career?
While cleaning out her father’s things, Nina discovers a box of old letters and photos, revealing the secrets her father had been concealing for so long. When her biological mother makes an appearance at Geoffrey Fischer’s funeral and asks to be welcomed back into her daughters’ lives, Nina is even more determined to find the truth about her past. Following the evidence leads her on a journey of discovery about her father’s shocking masquerade as a law-abiding, family-loving Christian. Unlocking these secrets could prove deadly, but it’s the only way Nina will ever be able to trust love again.”
Series: As of now, no.
Spiritual Content- Exodus 20:12 at the beginning; A few Scriptures are mentioned, remembered/repeated, & talked about; Prayers; Talks about trusting God; Nina has trust issues & finds it hard to believe about a loving Father or trusting anyone named ‘Father’; Aaron is a believer & tries to witness to Nina; *Spoiler* *End of Spoiler*; Mentions of God & Christians; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of churches & church going; A few mentions of hymns; A mention of a good Samaritan;
*Note: a ‘Thank God’ is said by someone who most likely doesn’t mean it; A mention of someone having a master’s in Eastern religions.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘biddy’, a form of ‘crap’, a ‘crummy’, a ‘dumb’, a ‘give a flip’, a ‘kick-butt’ (used to described something), a ‘little poop head’ (when referring to a cat), a ‘shush’, a ‘sissy’, a ‘suck it up’, a ‘wuss’, eleven ‘idiot’s, thirteen ‘stupid’s, sixteen forms of ‘shut up’; Curses are said, not written (by Rick and Melanie) & mentions of curses; Eye rolling; Finding a body of a loved one murdered, blood, & seeing how it happened (semi-detailed); Finding another body that was murdered, blood, & seeing how it happened (semi-detailed, *Major Spoiler* *End of Spoiler*); Being Punched & Blood/Bleeding (semi-detailed); Being pushed down the stairs & Pain (semi-detailed); Being held at gunpoint, aiming guns, guns are shot, & a setting up for a murder who look like a fight (up to semi-detailed); A car accident/crash & pain (up to semi-detailed); Rick has a hangover & remembers drinking; Rick remembers when he did drugs & wishes for a line of coke; All about many mentions of murders, how they happened, who did them, & blood (semi-detailed); Many mentions of gambling, taking bribes, & hiding it from a spouse; Many mentions of alcohol, alcohol addictions, drinking, drunks, hangovers, bars, & parties; Many mentions of cigarettes, tobacco, & smoke; Many mentions of lies, lying, & liars; Mentions of all the deaths Aaron has filmed (including a person being run-over, a body that was stabbed, horses who were abused, and children dying from a car crash, barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of assassins, hiring one, & killing adults and minors; Mentions of a car running someone over & the murder/death; Mentions of morgue humor & jokes about dead bodies and deaths; Mentions of shootings, gunshots, injuries, & deaths; Mentions of being punched, injuries, blood/bleeding, & intruders/burglars; Mentions of someone being hit in the face by a gun (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a police officer shooting his partner (more details on how/why is not given); Mentions of wars overseas, fighting, & PTSD; Mentions of threats & blackmail; Mentions of prison/jail; Mentions of rehabs; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of drugs/pot, drug users/addicts, & drug sellers; Mentions of divorces & wives wanting one; Mentions of nightmares; Mentions of throwing up; Mentions of tattoos; Mentions of a threat of shooting a pet; Mentions of hunting; A few mentions of accidental deaths; A few mentions of graffiti; A couple mentions of mothers who lost their children from drive-by shootings; A couple mentions of a car accident & deaths; A couple mentions of deaths from cancer; A couple mentions of Rick getting beatings from stepfathers when growing up; A couple mentions of gangbangers; A couple mentions of being hateful & hatred; A couple mentions of DUIs & being a designated driver; A mention of a singer who was killed by a fan; A mention of a gang selling meth; A mention of grave robbers; A mention of a club; A mention of poker; A mention of seeing something like a pit ball mauling a kitten; A mention of someone passing gas;
*Note: Many mentions of singers & songs; Many mentions of brand names and designers; Mentions of TV shows, movies, characters, & actors; Mentions of car brands; Mentions of painters & paintings; Mentions of social media platforms; A couple mentions of Girl Scouts; A couple mentions of Starbucks; A couple mentions of Hallmark & Lifetime; A mention of GQ.
Sexual Content- two cheek kisses, a forehead kiss, two barely-above-not-detailed kisses, three (unwanted) semi-detailed kisses, and a detailed kiss; Remembering kisses (up to semi-detailed); Wanting to kiss; Touches, Shivers, & Embraces (barely-above-not-detailed); Noticing; four ‘babe’s; Rick hugs Nina once when his hands going down her back into “forbidden territory”; Rick also forces three kisses on Nina and hints to wanting to do more with her (while the kisses are said to give her a burn, Nina says she does not want to bring children into the world that she couldn’t care for. Aaron comments on one of the kisses that Rick was groping her); Mentions of Nina’s sister getting pregnant out of wedlock (they later got married, the slang of her getting knocked up is said twice); Mentions of Rick’s past flings (including Melanie commenting that he always liked her bedroom); Mentions of kisses, kissing, & seeing others kissing; Mentions of dating, girlfriends, & boyfriends; Mentions of romance books (the Hallmark kind); A few mentions of Nina’s biological mother bringing different men to her room; A few mentions of a man’s crush on a married woman; A couple mentions of a man (Rick) looking at a woman’s well-endowed chest and figure & the woman looking at his backside; A couple mentions of jealousy; A mention of Nina’s biological mother getting “knocked up” and pregnant out of wedlock with Nina; A mention of Nina’s biological mother not having any idea who Jan’s father was; A mention of a man not being hinky with women; A mention of a man’s seduction moves; Love, falling in love, & the emotions;
*Note: A mention of her sister’s curves that Nina always wanted; A mention of Jan’s attributes that make men pay attention to her; A mention of a woman’s amazing body (from Rick’s perspective); A mention of not meeting intruder while just wearing underwear; A mention of a woman’s cleavage showing; A mention of another woman having work done on her face and chest; A mention of getting a butt out of bed; A mention of someone who is a pain in the butt; A mention of butting heads; A mention of hauling someone’s butt to a police station; A mention of a baby’s butt; A mention of someone being a horse’s patootie; A mention of prostate cancer; A mention of someone having assets up the wazoo.
-Nina Fischer, age 27
P.O.V. switches between Nina, Rick, Aaron, & Melanie (x1)
330 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- One Star
Older High School Teens- One Star (and a half)
My personal Rating- One Star (and a half)
{Older girls interested in criminal justice may add up to a full star to the Oldest age category.}
That was 330 pages of intense action and an insanely dysfunctional family.
I knew that this book would be either a hit or a miss for me, and while I definitely wasn’t a fan of the majority of the content (I mean, there’s murders and a jerk), I did really like Nina as a character with her passion for film photography and people experiencing homelessness, but she also had her flaws that were very noticeable.
This book teetered between a two-star rating because of Nina and the film photography parts and a one-star because of the obvious content and the content of Rick (which I strongly disliked him, his forced kisses, and the lack of a restraining order that Nina should have done on him). I did have a bit of trouble with the writing style a few times as a handful of parts felt choppy or used a lot of slang/abbreviations. This was a roller-coaster of a book, but because of different content, the ratings are low for this suspense book.
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
*I received this book for free from the Publisher (Thomas Nelson) for this honest review.
April 27, 2019
This book was quite an anomaly for me. The story kept my interest most of the time and there were several unexpected twists and turns--as any good suspense book should include. The characters were interesting and multi-faceted, although they drove me crazy half the time.
I was honestly rather surprised and put off by some of the crudeness and foul language and didn't expect to find that kind of content from a Christian publisher. But the romance is what pushed this to a lower rating for me. I was so annoyed at Nina for allowing advances from Rick when she obviously A) wasn't interested in him and B) was interested in Aaron. A completely unnecessary and frustrating love triangle. Rick also kissed\touched her against her will, and she should have gotten a restraining order very early on in the book, but never did much about it. Not cool. Not to mention Rick was just a complete jerk in general.
Overall, I was just not thrilled with some of the content and ended up more frustrated with the characters than enjoying their story. The pretty cover is the best part of this book, to be honest.
I was honestly rather surprised and put off by some of the crudeness and foul language and didn't expect to find that kind of content from a Christian publisher. But the romance is what pushed this to a lower rating for me. I was so annoyed at Nina for allowing advances from Rick when she obviously A) wasn't interested in him and B) was interested in Aaron. A completely unnecessary and frustrating love triangle. Rick also kissed\touched her against her will, and she should have gotten a restraining order very early on in the book, but never did much about it. Not cool. Not to mention Rick was just a complete jerk in general.
Overall, I was just not thrilled with some of the content and ended up more frustrated with the characters than enjoying their story. The pretty cover is the best part of this book, to be honest.
February 4, 2019
This suspense novel offers a lot of action and plenty of plot twists. Nina is a strong lead with a rough early childhood and the need to protect others. Tell Her No Lies is set in San Antonio and I love that the two main characters are alumni from the same college that I attended.
My gratitude to publisher Thomas Nelson for a complimentary copy of the novel. I was not required to post a review and the opinions expressed are my own.
My gratitude to publisher Thomas Nelson for a complimentary copy of the novel. I was not required to post a review and the opinions expressed are my own.
November 14, 2018
Tell Her No Lies is a great Christian suspense that is complicated and multi-layered. Nina Fischer lives at her family home where she has her own apartment on the third floor. She has a photojournalist background and carries her camera everywhere. She has a trust issue and the camera helps. Nina and her friend Aaron are putting together a photo/video exhibit and the deadline is coming up. Working on the project late one night in her darkroom, she becomes hungry and travels downstairs to get a snack in the kitchen only to hear a noise in her father's study. Her father's body is on the floor. She tries CPR but he is gone. Police detective King of the San Antonio Police Department takes her in for questioning. Her dad is a judge, an important man. Her friend, Rick, a civil law attorney can't represent her but his firm calls someone for her. Nina is let go and then the rest of her family is questioned. Her family is an odd group. Nina and her sister Jan are really the nieces of her dad and mom. Her dad's sister is a druggie and alcoholic who left the girls in a tent city in Florida when they were young and they were put in the foster system, only to be rescued by her uncle and aunt, who raised them. Her aunt, whom she calls Grace, is a romance author and travels frequently. Her parents have a son, Trevor, who is a college professor. Jan is a sniper in the Army and her husband is in the Army. They have a seven year old daughter that lives in the Fischer home. This is a strange household but it seems to work for them. Their dad always expects the best from them and he gives the best. He is a fair judge, a Christian man, always doing the right thing. Or is he? Why would someone want to kill a beloved judge?
As Aaron and Nina investigate who might have killed her dad, they find out that things are not always how they seem. People are not who they appear to be. People start to die as Aaron and Nina talk to them. On the other hand, Rick is possessive of Nina. He is trying to get into politics and thinks that Nina would be a great wife for him. He does love her but he loves himself more. Aaron and Nina are close but have not taken a step beyond friends. The two guys are jealous of each other. There is friction everywhere. Nina is attacked and Detective King tries to get her to stay out of the investigation but she thinks that she is protecting her family.
This is a wild ride with corruption, greed, hurt and surprises. Aaron helps Nina see that she can trust God when others have caused her pain and grief. Nina has to forgive others in order to move forward in her life. Great suspense!
I received a complimentary ARC from Thomas Nelson Publishing through NetGalley. The thoughts and opinions stated are mine only.
As Aaron and Nina investigate who might have killed her dad, they find out that things are not always how they seem. People are not who they appear to be. People start to die as Aaron and Nina talk to them. On the other hand, Rick is possessive of Nina. He is trying to get into politics and thinks that Nina would be a great wife for him. He does love her but he loves himself more. Aaron and Nina are close but have not taken a step beyond friends. The two guys are jealous of each other. There is friction everywhere. Nina is attacked and Detective King tries to get her to stay out of the investigation but she thinks that she is protecting her family.
This is a wild ride with corruption, greed, hurt and surprises. Aaron helps Nina see that she can trust God when others have caused her pain and grief. Nina has to forgive others in order to move forward in her life. Great suspense!
I received a complimentary ARC from Thomas Nelson Publishing through NetGalley. The thoughts and opinions stated are mine only.
July 10, 2020
When she finds her father dead she is the prime suspect being the only one in the house at the time of his death.
With everyone questioning what happened and what her reasoning might be she is forced to dace a difficult decision about her faith, family and friends.
I liked the characters and the story was very entertaining and kept me wanting more.
**********Spoilers********+**
The one thing i really didnt like was the ending. Like the last freaking page.
Aaron and her were just friends she kept telling him no we are not dating i dont want to ruin the friendship and then hes like marry me and she says yes and that ruined it for me.
Datefirst and make sure you like him that way. It was just no. I didnt like it.
With everyone questioning what happened and what her reasoning might be she is forced to dace a difficult decision about her faith, family and friends.
I liked the characters and the story was very entertaining and kept me wanting more.
**********Spoilers********+**
The one thing i really didnt like was the ending. Like the last freaking page.
Aaron and her were just friends she kept telling him no we are not dating i dont want to ruin the friendship and then hes like marry me and she says yes and that ruined it for me.
Datefirst and make sure you like him that way. It was just no. I didnt like it.
December 27, 2019
Tell Her No Lies by Kelly Irvin is a book you don’t want to miss!
All I can say is, WOW! I started this book during my five-hour layover when I flew home from the Writer’s Police Academy’s Murder Con, and I almost didn’t want to get off the plane because I only had a few pages left to read. Even though I didn’t get home until one a.m., I took the time to finish the book because I had to know how it ended. Every time I thought I had it figured out, there was another twist. Kelly Irvin is a master storyteller.
I’ve read Kelly Irvin’s Amish books, but this was her first romantic suspense that I’d read but it won’t be her last. I see that a second book released in June, Over the Line, and that one has gone to the top of my TBR table.
All I can say is, WOW! I started this book during my five-hour layover when I flew home from the Writer’s Police Academy’s Murder Con, and I almost didn’t want to get off the plane because I only had a few pages left to read. Even though I didn’t get home until one a.m., I took the time to finish the book because I had to know how it ended. Every time I thought I had it figured out, there was another twist. Kelly Irvin is a master storyteller.
I’ve read Kelly Irvin’s Amish books, but this was her first romantic suspense that I’d read but it won’t be her last. I see that a second book released in June, Over the Line, and that one has gone to the top of my TBR table.
September 4, 2022
Tell Her No Lies is set in San Antonio. I like how the author incorporated restaurant names, street names, etc of places I’m very familiar with.
November 21, 2018
Wow, this one starts out with a bang and keeps up the tension until the end! One of the best romantic suspense stories I've read. Plenty of action, mystery, and a complex plot kept the pages turning. It also hits on some serious issues relevant to today--addiction, child abandonment, homelessness--and their lingering damaging affects on families. Faith and prayer are touched on, and the need to trust God and forgive others. “God is a good Father. We can’t always understand what His plan is, but we have to trust He has one.”
The romance is a complicated one between friends. The ending is a tender one though, and worth the wait. Poor Nina definitely gets put through the ringer, but seems to come out better for it, emotionally and spiritually.
Highly recommend for fans of Christian romantic suspense!
(I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
The romance is a complicated one between friends. The ending is a tender one though, and worth the wait. Poor Nina definitely gets put through the ringer, but seems to come out better for it, emotionally and spiritually.
Highly recommend for fans of Christian romantic suspense!
(I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)
November 24, 2018
This is my first time reading a book by this author, and I enjoyed it. Romantic suspense is one of my favorite genres and this one had some great edge of your seat moments, but the pace felt a bit slow for my taste. I loved Aaron instantly! I'm personally not crazy about love triangles, but I did end up liking how that aspect of the story was handled. I liked Nina, but I didn't feel like I ever fully connected with her, which kept me from feeling very invested in her story.
Overall, Tell Her No Lies is a very good read that I recommend to fans of romantic suspense. I am very intrigued by the description of this author's next romantic suspense novel which I definitely plan on reading!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, which did not influence my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions are one hundred percent my own.
Overall, Tell Her No Lies is a very good read that I recommend to fans of romantic suspense. I am very intrigued by the description of this author's next romantic suspense novel which I definitely plan on reading!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, which did not influence my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions are one hundred percent my own.
October 31, 2018
3.5 stars
Tell Her No Lies was a story that got better as I continued to read. The story started without much backstory and I felt like I had to try to figure out what was all going on, which was a little frustrating. Once I got further into the story, I started to really enjoy it and I liked suspense aspect as well.
Even though there was romance in Tell Her No Lies, I didn't feel like it was a main focus and maybe that is why I didn't care about the romance between certain characters.
All in all, Tell Her No Lies was a good suspense novel, but not a favorite.
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. 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.*
Tell Her No Lies was a story that got better as I continued to read. The story started without much backstory and I felt like I had to try to figure out what was all going on, which was a little frustrating. Once I got further into the story, I started to really enjoy it and I liked suspense aspect as well.
Even though there was romance in Tell Her No Lies, I didn't feel like it was a main focus and maybe that is why I didn't care about the romance between certain characters.
All in all, Tell Her No Lies was a good suspense novel, but not a favorite.
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. 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.*
December 20, 2018
This was a perfect read between my thrillers which had me forgetting realities of life. I didn't even analyse the book. I just went with the flow.
Nina moved back home to pursue photography and one day working late, discovered her adopted father's dead body which led to her racing against time to get to the murderer.
There was romance as she was liked by Rick her childhood friend and a lawyer with political aspirations, and colleague and competitor of sorts, Aaron, both if them want to help her. But could she trust them?
My first book by Kelly Irvin, had me enjoying the twists in the plot and secrets that slowly kept getting uncovered. There was action, suspense, mystery and tension across the scenes which made it a quick read, the triangle in the romance niggled me quite a bit.
Overall an enjoyable read
Nina moved back home to pursue photography and one day working late, discovered her adopted father's dead body which led to her racing against time to get to the murderer.
There was romance as she was liked by Rick her childhood friend and a lawyer with political aspirations, and colleague and competitor of sorts, Aaron, both if them want to help her. But could she trust them?
My first book by Kelly Irvin, had me enjoying the twists in the plot and secrets that slowly kept getting uncovered. There was action, suspense, mystery and tension across the scenes which made it a quick read, the triangle in the romance niggled me quite a bit.
Overall an enjoyable read
November 7, 2018
Wow - what a great ride! This was my first book by Kelly Irvin and will not be my last. While the title and cover had drawn me, it was other advanced reviews that lead me to seek out this book for myself So glad I did!
Nina Fischer is a night owl, up late listening to music while she does work in her dark-room. And is the only other person at home when her father is murdered in his study. When she finds him, she calls the police and starts CPR, but that doesn't change the likelihood of her being a suspect in the detective's mind. When she is connected with 2 other murders in town, suspicions rise even further. Nina and the 2 guys fighting for her affection have to find a way to determine who really committed these murders and clear her name.
This story had a lot of character development and growth. It had great suspense with a lot of twists and turns. I didn't know who did it until the very end! This is considered romantic suspense, but unlike most romantic suspense where a guy and girl are thrown together in a life-threatening situation and fall in love hard and fast in a super cheesy way, the romantic elements in this book are deeper-rooted and realistic. I'm not one for romance (especially cheesy romance), but I found the romance elements of this one to be sweet.
All in all, this was an excellent book that would appeal to a broad range of audiences. With the romance element and the suspense element, it caters to both of those audiences. Though it was fast paced, it was never so intense that it would give a person nightmares. I thoroughly enjoyed the story-line and writing style. I definitely look forward to more books from this author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Nina Fischer is a night owl, up late listening to music while she does work in her dark-room. And is the only other person at home when her father is murdered in his study. When she finds him, she calls the police and starts CPR, but that doesn't change the likelihood of her being a suspect in the detective's mind. When she is connected with 2 other murders in town, suspicions rise even further. Nina and the 2 guys fighting for her affection have to find a way to determine who really committed these murders and clear her name.
This story had a lot of character development and growth. It had great suspense with a lot of twists and turns. I didn't know who did it until the very end! This is considered romantic suspense, but unlike most romantic suspense where a guy and girl are thrown together in a life-threatening situation and fall in love hard and fast in a super cheesy way, the romantic elements in this book are deeper-rooted and realistic. I'm not one for romance (especially cheesy romance), but I found the romance elements of this one to be sweet.
All in all, this was an excellent book that would appeal to a broad range of audiences. With the romance element and the suspense element, it caters to both of those audiences. Though it was fast paced, it was never so intense that it would give a person nightmares. I thoroughly enjoyed the story-line and writing style. I definitely look forward to more books from this author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
February 19, 2019
So, how do I put this? Well, I pride myself in providing honest, and quality, reviews, so, I'll say this. I didn't care for this one. It took me three times to get through just the first four chapters. As someone who has read and loved Kelly Irvin's Amish romances, I was very disappointed in the outcome of reading this one. I didn't finish it past chapter 4.
The dialogue was not easy to follow, as it felt stiff. I just could not enjoy a book like that. The characters weren't life like to me, like I like to feel when reading about them. I like to become the characters, to feel as though I'm a part of the story. Not being able to get past chapter 4.....well, that's because the characters all felt forced.
That said, I do still encourage you to try this book. Not everyone is for every book and not every book is for everyone. What I found forced and undesirable, you may find beautifully chiseled and absolutely gripping, as you can see that Kelly Irvin really does have a great writing style, if you've read her past Amish novels. So, this will be my first 2 star review in quite some time. I hope that you find you like it, if you give it a try.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harper Collins (Thomas Nelson) and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
The dialogue was not easy to follow, as it felt stiff. I just could not enjoy a book like that. The characters weren't life like to me, like I like to feel when reading about them. I like to become the characters, to feel as though I'm a part of the story. Not being able to get past chapter 4.....well, that's because the characters all felt forced.
That said, I do still encourage you to try this book. Not everyone is for every book and not every book is for everyone. What I found forced and undesirable, you may find beautifully chiseled and absolutely gripping, as you can see that Kelly Irvin really does have a great writing style, if you've read her past Amish novels. So, this will be my first 2 star review in quite some time. I hope that you find you like it, if you give it a try.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Harper Collins (Thomas Nelson) and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
October 27, 2018
Tell Her No Lies is the first book I have read by Kelly Irvin and I firstly want to say how pleased I am that she has attained her dream, as she mentions in her note at the end of the.book, of publishing suspense. I have read lots of psychological thrillers, suspense, crime, and mystery books. This kept my interest throughout and it was so refreshing to read a book which did not contain swearing to distract and stunt my reading. I look forward to other suspence books by Kelly Irvin. Being a Christian I was keen to see in what ways a book marketed as Christian genre differs from mainstream or general adult fiction. I was pleased to find that Kelly Irvin in a very honest and earthed way includes the thoughts many of us have about God as we search for Him, question His ways, and try ro make sense of our lives,and things that happen to us all, whether we are Christian or not. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and recommend it to others that like thrillers with twists.
November 3, 2018
Thanks to the publisher for an advance reader's copy.
I had to quit reading this from boredom. Nothing happened in the first 60+ pages of the book! The murder happened in the first chapter before I had the chance to learn enough about the character to care, and the next 50+ pages are all repetitive establishing conversations.
I had to quit reading this from boredom. Nothing happened in the first 60+ pages of the book! The murder happened in the first chapter before I had the chance to learn enough about the character to care, and the next 50+ pages are all repetitive establishing conversations.
July 18, 2022
This romantic suspense kept my interest and there were a few twists and turns which kept me guessing. The Lies that came to light was intriguing and kept me wondering what will happen next.
The love triangle was good, but with readers seeing a bit more about one character, it is easy to know what we hope will happen.
This suspense showed what can happen when people are desperate and feel like they have no other options.
It was my first suspense by this author, and I liked it enough to want to read her other suspense as well.
*I listened to the audiobook on Scribd.*
The love triangle was good, but with readers seeing a bit more about one character, it is easy to know what we hope will happen.
This suspense showed what can happen when people are desperate and feel like they have no other options.
It was my first suspense by this author, and I liked it enough to want to read her other suspense as well.
*I listened to the audiobook on Scribd.*
July 12, 2024
Love this book!❤️ I totally would have not guessedthe plot!This is a romance suspense novel.
⚠️Content warning 3 times people kiss, but it doesn't go it to detail 😃
⚠️Content warning 3 times people kiss, but it doesn't go it to detail 😃
November 26, 2018
If you like a good dose of family drama with your romantic suspense, then look no further. It’s all happening in this story! When the only father Nina has ever known is murdered, all the skeletons begin falling out of the closet. Add in (a) Detective No-Filter, who’s itching to arrest Nina, and (b) the two men vying for her affection, both of whom have a conflict of interest, and you’ve got a whole lot of tension, quite aside from the rising body count.
It was certainly a book that kept me turning the pages, but I found myself debating whether one particular character’s POV was necessary to the story. In some ways it would have had more of an impact if this character’s motives and actions had remained hidden for longer, although it perhaps could have worked if the character had been more developed—if there had been more of an internal struggle as the situation progressed or a greater sense that external pressures had painted the character into a corner.
Despite knowing what the aforementioned character was up to, there were still some surprises as the plot unfolded, and I confess I didn’t pick the culprit at the end—although in hindsight I probably should have at least wondered. Throughout the story, Nina also grapples with the idea of trusting a God people refer to as “Father” when both her earthly fathers have left her, and the one she knew and trusted is turning out to have a secret life that’s very different to the model Christian one he displayed to the world.
So, yes. Plenty going on, and I look forward to more romantic suspense titles from this author.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.
It was certainly a book that kept me turning the pages, but I found myself debating whether one particular character’s POV was necessary to the story. In some ways it would have had more of an impact if this character’s motives and actions had remained hidden for longer, although it perhaps could have worked if the character had been more developed—if there had been more of an internal struggle as the situation progressed or a greater sense that external pressures had painted the character into a corner.
Despite knowing what the aforementioned character was up to, there were still some surprises as the plot unfolded, and I confess I didn’t pick the culprit at the end—although in hindsight I probably should have at least wondered. Throughout the story, Nina also grapples with the idea of trusting a God people refer to as “Father” when both her earthly fathers have left her, and the one she knew and trusted is turning out to have a secret life that’s very different to the model Christian one he displayed to the world.
So, yes. Plenty going on, and I look forward to more romantic suspense titles from this author.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not influenced the content of my review, which is my honest and unbiased opinion.
December 3, 2018
Kelly Irvin is a new author to me. It looks like she has only written Amish fiction prior to this book, so that is one reason I haven't read anything by her. I am always eager to try out new authors, especially in the Christian suspense genre', so I was happy to get Tell Me No Lies to review.
I like books that jump immediately into the suspense, and this one started out with a murder in the first chapter, and the suspense kept building from that point. I liked the characters, the plot, and definitely the suspense. I'll admit the idea of a photographer sounded a bit boring, but the book was far from boring.
Christian books like this often address a certain topic, or have a theme. Trust was the one addressed in this book, trust of others and God. The author also dealt with the issue of homelessness in the book, and is something it is good to be reminded of and what a problem it for so many.
Romance played a part in the story, as it usually does in this kind of book. I tend to get into that more than I used to, and found myself rooting for the one dude over the other...... and was happy to see the author agreed with me. :) And it made for a great ending.
And just when I thought the crime had been solved, and all of the guilty parties arrested, the author threw a curve ball I did not see coming.
As I stated, I have not read the author's Amish novels, but Tell Me No Lies shows she is great at suspense.
I like books that jump immediately into the suspense, and this one started out with a murder in the first chapter, and the suspense kept building from that point. I liked the characters, the plot, and definitely the suspense. I'll admit the idea of a photographer sounded a bit boring, but the book was far from boring.
Christian books like this often address a certain topic, or have a theme. Trust was the one addressed in this book, trust of others and God. The author also dealt with the issue of homelessness in the book, and is something it is good to be reminded of and what a problem it for so many.
Romance played a part in the story, as it usually does in this kind of book. I tend to get into that more than I used to, and found myself rooting for the one dude over the other...... and was happy to see the author agreed with me. :) And it made for a great ending.
And just when I thought the crime had been solved, and all of the guilty parties arrested, the author threw a curve ball I did not see coming.
As I stated, I have not read the author's Amish novels, but Tell Me No Lies shows she is great at suspense.
December 30, 2018
Oh my what a bang bang and bang!!
The author has hit home in some of my feelings and yes I was even homeless for a while but God has seen me through.
I can relate to Nina in so many ways and I felt the same shock she did!!
Even tho she had a real mom to me, the person who raised you is ur real parents. I adopted and I lived my mom for it.
I stayed up late into the night to finish this book because I wanted to se what happens next!!
I think that this is Kelly's best novel yet!!
I enjoyed the mystery, plot and I especially loved how I could connect with Nina.
Alex was a great supporter. I don't think Nina could ask for a better friend than that. I wished I had a best friend that lived close by. But I've learned since not to trust people.
I know that God did it for reasons I cannot understand but I'm so glad He's always there for me, for us and most of all anyone who calls on Him
For God doesn't do is wrong it's people who do us wrong. Yes it took me awhile to understand!! But now I'm so glad I do
Nina had an amazing sister too through thick and thin. I missed out on that too while growing up
I admired Jan in many ways as well.
I liked her almost as much as Nina.
I hope to see these two girls in more future books by Kelly Irvin
I received a copy from the publisher. In no way were compensations received. All opinions are my own
The author has hit home in some of my feelings and yes I was even homeless for a while but God has seen me through.
I can relate to Nina in so many ways and I felt the same shock she did!!
Even tho she had a real mom to me, the person who raised you is ur real parents. I adopted and I lived my mom for it.
I stayed up late into the night to finish this book because I wanted to se what happens next!!
I think that this is Kelly's best novel yet!!
I enjoyed the mystery, plot and I especially loved how I could connect with Nina.
Alex was a great supporter. I don't think Nina could ask for a better friend than that. I wished I had a best friend that lived close by. But I've learned since not to trust people.
I know that God did it for reasons I cannot understand but I'm so glad He's always there for me, for us and most of all anyone who calls on Him
For God doesn't do is wrong it's people who do us wrong. Yes it took me awhile to understand!! But now I'm so glad I do
Nina had an amazing sister too through thick and thin. I missed out on that too while growing up
I admired Jan in many ways as well.
I liked her almost as much as Nina.
I hope to see these two girls in more future books by Kelly Irvin
I received a copy from the publisher. In no way were compensations received. All opinions are my own
December 27, 2018
A high-stakes race for truth, Tell Her No Lies by Kelly Irvin is a story full of drama, suspense, and romance.
When Nina Fischer discovers her adopted father dead, she embarks on a search for the truth behind the unexpected secrets and mystery. More bodies then begin to accumulate, and discovering that truth becomes all the more important.
Despite the mystery, Tell Her No Lies does progress slowly. Between major plot points, the story drags without the action I expected. Still, it kept me interested enough to want to know what would happen next with Nina, and I enjoyed it enough to read more from Kelly Irvin in the future.
This review is also posted on Book by Book.
Thanks to JustRead Tours, I received a complimentary copy of Tell Her No Lies and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.
When Nina Fischer discovers her adopted father dead, she embarks on a search for the truth behind the unexpected secrets and mystery. More bodies then begin to accumulate, and discovering that truth becomes all the more important.
Despite the mystery, Tell Her No Lies does progress slowly. Between major plot points, the story drags without the action I expected. Still, it kept me interested enough to want to know what would happen next with Nina, and I enjoyed it enough to read more from Kelly Irvin in the future.
This review is also posted on Book by Book.
Thanks to JustRead Tours, I received a complimentary copy of Tell Her No Lies and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.
March 4, 2019
Wow. Just. Wow. Gripping suspense, complicated plot twists and an intricate labyrinth of emotions thanks to some major family dysfunction makes this a riveting read! My heart got a workout between the pulse-pounding suspense and the gut-wrenching emotional turmoil. Oy. Still catching my breath!
A stellar start had me settling into my favourite sleuthing armchair for a marathon read. The murder happens right at the beginning and then Nina's life starts unraveling at an alarming rate. Love the way Irvin weaves back story into present day. This heroine has major trust issues...and for good reason...and that just complicates things so much more. Unsure of who to trust, she either holds things back or tests the waters with the wrong person and I was hyperventilating through it all!
And the suspects! I started having trust issues by the end of this book! lol Mind-blowing page-turner that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very last page.
A stellar start had me settling into my favourite sleuthing armchair for a marathon read. The murder happens right at the beginning and then Nina's life starts unraveling at an alarming rate. Love the way Irvin weaves back story into present day. This heroine has major trust issues...and for good reason...and that just complicates things so much more. Unsure of who to trust, she either holds things back or tests the waters with the wrong person and I was hyperventilating through it all!
And the suspects! I started having trust issues by the end of this book! lol Mind-blowing page-turner that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very last page.
August 27, 2019
Very well written. Keeps you on the edge of your seat...lots of elements and depth to the story, but still easy to follow. It takes a while to unravel the mystery, and toward the end you can (most likely) figure it out, but it is not easy at the beginning to determine how the book will end.
October 12, 2018
Thank you NetGalley, Kelly Irvin and Thomas Nelson for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.
Nina and her sister were plucked from their absentee mother at a very early age and were placed with their well off aunt and uncle, who were like parents to them. Nina loves her adopted father, even if he doesn’t support her career choices. One night, while getting ready for a show, Nina hears something downstairs and investigates only to find her father dead on the floor and she is the only one in the house. She becomes the prime suspect and the two other men in her life try to help her, but for their own very different reasons. Which one can she trust? While cleaning out her father’s things, she finds letters from her biological mom and realizes that there was more to her father’s life than he let on. Suddenly everyone around Nina starts to die and she knows she has to find out who is calling the shots.
I felt like I was just dropped right into this novel and I didn’t enjoy that because I didn’t feel like I knew what was going on at all. I was thrown off by the beginning and really didn’t feel like I got my bearings at any point during this novel. I unfortunately didn’t feel like I could connect to any of the characters and found that the novel was too confusing for me to full understand what was going on. I enjoyed some of Nina and Aaron’s relationship and the ending of the novel, but otherwise I didn’t understand most of the characters choices and felt like the book was just not for me.
The writing was good and if I could have connected with the characters, I feel like this would have been a great novel. There was just a lot going on and I felt myself getting confused and having to go back and reread parts of the novel. The ending though was a surprise to me and I enjoyed the last 10% of the novel much more than the rest of the book. I also really enjoyed Nina’s ex-boyfriend Rick because I love a character that we can hate and not feel bad about it. Overall, I didn’t enjoy the entire novel but parts of it were superb.
Nina and her sister were plucked from their absentee mother at a very early age and were placed with their well off aunt and uncle, who were like parents to them. Nina loves her adopted father, even if he doesn’t support her career choices. One night, while getting ready for a show, Nina hears something downstairs and investigates only to find her father dead on the floor and she is the only one in the house. She becomes the prime suspect and the two other men in her life try to help her, but for their own very different reasons. Which one can she trust? While cleaning out her father’s things, she finds letters from her biological mom and realizes that there was more to her father’s life than he let on. Suddenly everyone around Nina starts to die and she knows she has to find out who is calling the shots.
I felt like I was just dropped right into this novel and I didn’t enjoy that because I didn’t feel like I knew what was going on at all. I was thrown off by the beginning and really didn’t feel like I got my bearings at any point during this novel. I unfortunately didn’t feel like I could connect to any of the characters and found that the novel was too confusing for me to full understand what was going on. I enjoyed some of Nina and Aaron’s relationship and the ending of the novel, but otherwise I didn’t understand most of the characters choices and felt like the book was just not for me.
The writing was good and if I could have connected with the characters, I feel like this would have been a great novel. There was just a lot going on and I felt myself getting confused and having to go back and reread parts of the novel. The ending though was a surprise to me and I enjoyed the last 10% of the novel much more than the rest of the book. I also really enjoyed Nina’s ex-boyfriend Rick because I love a character that we can hate and not feel bad about it. Overall, I didn’t enjoy the entire novel but parts of it were superb.
November 15, 2018
3.5 stars.
Tell Her No Lies by Kelly Irvin is an intriguing mystery with slight Christian and romantic elements.
Twenty-seven year old Nina Fischer has recently moved back in with her parents in order to pursue her photography and poetry career. After working late in her darkroom, she goes downstairs and discovers her adopted father and biological uncle, Geoffrey, has been murdered. As the only person at home with Geoffrey, Detective Matt King is quick to pounce on her as a suspect. Afraid King won't search for the real killer, she and her best friend, videographer Aaron McClure, uncover shocking information about her adoptive father. When two more people connected to case are murdered, Nina and Aaron are more determined than ever to figure out exactly what Geoffrey was doing leading up to his death and how his activities might have lead to murder.
When Nina and Jan were children, their aunt and uncle completely welcome them into the family. She never quite felt comfortable calling her Aunt Grace mom, but Nina certainly views her as a maternal figure. Her cousin, Trevor, also easily adapt to Jan and Nina becoming his sisters. Geoffrey has high expectations for all three of his children and he never hesitates to let them know when they disappoint him. This makes Nina's discovery that Geoffrey was leading a secret, double life that much more stunning.
Nina finds it difficult to trust people since her birthmother let her and Jan down so many times. She and childhood friend Rick Zavala bonded over their similar backgrounds. Although a romance never quite worked out between them, they have remained close friends. Rick is a lawyer with political aspirations and after Geoffrey's death, he is not exactly someone Nina can rely on for emotional support. Although she implicitly trusts Aaron to help her in her quest, she is wary of revealing anything to Rick. Nina is taken off guard by Rick's possessive and somewhat aggressive behavior but she continues to give him the benefit of the doubt due to their complicated history.
After uncovering the stunning information about her father, Nina's first instinct is to protect his name. Instead of turning the details over to Detective King, she instead attempts to find out exactly what Geoffrey was involved in. Nina unwittingly puts herself and others in danger since someone is desperate to keep the truth from ever seeing the light of day.
With a gentle undercurrent of faith, Tell Her No Lies is a perplexing mystery with a multi-layered storyline. Nina is a sympathetic but somewhat frustrating character. She does not always make the best decisions and her inability to trust the people in her life is a little irritating. Aaron is a fantastic character who has the patience of a saint where Nina is concerned. Rick is a selfish and ambitious man who rarely thinks of anyone but himself. The pacing of the novel is a little uneven and some of the story is a little repetitious. Kelly Irvin does a wonderful job keeping the perpetrator's identity cleverly concealed until the novel's conclusion. An enjoyable read despite a few annoying elements.
Tell Her No Lies by Kelly Irvin is an intriguing mystery with slight Christian and romantic elements.
Twenty-seven year old Nina Fischer has recently moved back in with her parents in order to pursue her photography and poetry career. After working late in her darkroom, she goes downstairs and discovers her adopted father and biological uncle, Geoffrey, has been murdered. As the only person at home with Geoffrey, Detective Matt King is quick to pounce on her as a suspect. Afraid King won't search for the real killer, she and her best friend, videographer Aaron McClure, uncover shocking information about her adoptive father. When two more people connected to case are murdered, Nina and Aaron are more determined than ever to figure out exactly what Geoffrey was doing leading up to his death and how his activities might have lead to murder.
When Nina and Jan were children, their aunt and uncle completely welcome them into the family. She never quite felt comfortable calling her Aunt Grace mom, but Nina certainly views her as a maternal figure. Her cousin, Trevor, also easily adapt to Jan and Nina becoming his sisters. Geoffrey has high expectations for all three of his children and he never hesitates to let them know when they disappoint him. This makes Nina's discovery that Geoffrey was leading a secret, double life that much more stunning.
Nina finds it difficult to trust people since her birthmother let her and Jan down so many times. She and childhood friend Rick Zavala bonded over their similar backgrounds. Although a romance never quite worked out between them, they have remained close friends. Rick is a lawyer with political aspirations and after Geoffrey's death, he is not exactly someone Nina can rely on for emotional support. Although she implicitly trusts Aaron to help her in her quest, she is wary of revealing anything to Rick. Nina is taken off guard by Rick's possessive and somewhat aggressive behavior but she continues to give him the benefit of the doubt due to their complicated history.
After uncovering the stunning information about her father, Nina's first instinct is to protect his name. Instead of turning the details over to Detective King, she instead attempts to find out exactly what Geoffrey was involved in. Nina unwittingly puts herself and others in danger since someone is desperate to keep the truth from ever seeing the light of day.
With a gentle undercurrent of faith, Tell Her No Lies is a perplexing mystery with a multi-layered storyline. Nina is a sympathetic but somewhat frustrating character. She does not always make the best decisions and her inability to trust the people in her life is a little irritating. Aaron is a fantastic character who has the patience of a saint where Nina is concerned. Rick is a selfish and ambitious man who rarely thinks of anyone but himself. The pacing of the novel is a little uneven and some of the story is a little repetitious. Kelly Irvin does a wonderful job keeping the perpetrator's identity cleverly concealed until the novel's conclusion. An enjoyable read despite a few annoying elements.
December 3, 2018
"It seems your father had another life he forgot to tell me - us - about."
When the only father that Nina Fischer has ever known is brutally murdered in his own home, the police cannot help but direct their suspicions towards the one person who was in the house at the time of his death; Nina. Devastated after finding Geoffrey's dead body, Nina tries to make sense of the facts that litter the trail back to her; no forced entry, single gun shot wound, . . . . .but after all, her father was a state district court judge, surely there were people who wanted him dead. Nina dearly the man who had plucked her sister and her off off the streets after abandonment by their drug-ridden mother, she would never kill him.
Determined to find answers, Nina places her trust in two men; Rick Zavala, an up and coming attorney with political aspirations . . . . who makes no secret about wanting to include his childhood friend, Nina, in his future. The other man is Aaron McClure, a news videographer, and her best friend; the kind of man who exudes his faith and has patiently stood by Nina's side through her awkward attempts at relationship building.
The case is complicated and members of the supporting cast keep turning up dead; Nina Fischer only wants to know the truth; "tell her no lies".
A fast paced thriller that is sure to satisfy fans of romantic suspense!
When the only father that Nina Fischer has ever known is brutally murdered in his own home, the police cannot help but direct their suspicions towards the one person who was in the house at the time of his death; Nina. Devastated after finding Geoffrey's dead body, Nina tries to make sense of the facts that litter the trail back to her; no forced entry, single gun shot wound, . . . . .but after all, her father was a state district court judge, surely there were people who wanted him dead. Nina dearly the man who had plucked her sister and her off off the streets after abandonment by their drug-ridden mother, she would never kill him.
Determined to find answers, Nina places her trust in two men; Rick Zavala, an up and coming attorney with political aspirations . . . . who makes no secret about wanting to include his childhood friend, Nina, in his future. The other man is Aaron McClure, a news videographer, and her best friend; the kind of man who exudes his faith and has patiently stood by Nina's side through her awkward attempts at relationship building.
The case is complicated and members of the supporting cast keep turning up dead; Nina Fischer only wants to know the truth; "tell her no lies".
A fast paced thriller that is sure to satisfy fans of romantic suspense!
December 13, 2018
The reader jumps in with both feet and hits the ground running as the pages turn at the beginning of "Tell Her No Lies." The author doesn't, though, keep up the rapid fire pace as the story progresses. A bit of a lag. That doesn't, however, deter the reader from pursing this who-dunnit.
This book doesn't just tell the tale of who killed the judge. There are multiple murders and a slew of suspects.
Underlying the multi-layered suspense is the heroin's involvement with her photographic art and poetry that draws attention to the "homeless experience." She is a volunteer and supporter of efforts to help the homeless.
But this is not a societal issues propaganda story. This is a suspense with a bit of romance (just enough to call it Romantic Suspense). The "homeless experience" is a force from horrific memories in Nina's own personal life. The thread is woven into her very thought and experiences on a daily basis. She was a homeless waif along with her younger sister until rescued by her Uncle - the Judge that was found murdered at the beginning of the story.
So while the story lagged a bit and whilst it had more "murders" than I care to have sprinkled in books I read, the story was good. The detectives did their work and the case or cases were solved.
DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from the BookLook Book Review program to facilitate a review. Opinions are my own and are freely given.
This book doesn't just tell the tale of who killed the judge. There are multiple murders and a slew of suspects.
Underlying the multi-layered suspense is the heroin's involvement with her photographic art and poetry that draws attention to the "homeless experience." She is a volunteer and supporter of efforts to help the homeless.
But this is not a societal issues propaganda story. This is a suspense with a bit of romance (just enough to call it Romantic Suspense). The "homeless experience" is a force from horrific memories in Nina's own personal life. The thread is woven into her very thought and experiences on a daily basis. She was a homeless waif along with her younger sister until rescued by her Uncle - the Judge that was found murdered at the beginning of the story.
So while the story lagged a bit and whilst it had more "murders" than I care to have sprinkled in books I read, the story was good. The detectives did their work and the case or cases were solved.
DISCLOSURE: I received a complimentary copy from the BookLook Book Review program to facilitate a review. Opinions are my own and are freely given.
December 23, 2018
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Tell Her No Lies was overall an enjoyable book but at times a little slow.
Nina Fischer is a photographer with a lot of baggage. Struggling to trust her friends, family, and even God, she tries to find the truth of her father's murder while trying to forgive the people in her past.
Aaron McClure is one of Nina's friends and has been in love with her from when they first met in college. He helps her find the killer while trying to convince her she can trust the people in her life and in God again.
The writer did a good job at describing the struggles that homeless people go through and encourages the reader to be more involved with helping in his/her local homeless shelters.
I recommend this book for ages 13 and up for slight (non-graphic) violence and contains no sexual content or inappropriate language.
Tell Her No Lies was overall an enjoyable book but at times a little slow.
Nina Fischer is a photographer with a lot of baggage. Struggling to trust her friends, family, and even God, she tries to find the truth of her father's murder while trying to forgive the people in her past.
Aaron McClure is one of Nina's friends and has been in love with her from when they first met in college. He helps her find the killer while trying to convince her she can trust the people in her life and in God again.
The writer did a good job at describing the struggles that homeless people go through and encourages the reader to be more involved with helping in his/her local homeless shelters.
I recommend this book for ages 13 and up for slight (non-graphic) violence and contains no sexual content or inappropriate language.
February 19, 2025
Book read better than many reviews sought to discourage. There was redemption. There was justice, and their was grace found in forgiveness. I think I may search out Kelly's next book, 'Over the Line.'
Good Reading!
Good Reading!
Read
December 31, 2018read and reviewed this editorially for Mystery Scene Magazine
read my review in the holiday edition of Mystery Scene Magazine
read my review in the holiday edition of Mystery Scene Magazine
Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews