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The Liar's Child
In this intense and intimate family portrait that moves at a thriller's pace, a troubled woman faces a gripping moral dilemma after rescuing two abandoned children from a hurricane.
On the outskirts of North Carolina's Outer Banks sits the Paradise, an apartment complex where renters never stay long enough to call the place "home"--and neighbors are seldom neighborly. It's ideal for Sara Lennox, who moved there to escape a complicated past--and even her name--and rebuild a new life for herself under the radar. But Sara cannot help but notice the family next door, especially twelve-year-old Cassie and five-year-old Boon. She hears rumors and whispers of a recent tragedy slowly tearing them apart.
When a raging storm threatens then slams the coastal community, Sara makes a quick, bold decision: Rescue Cassie and Boon from the storm and their broken home--without telling a soul. But this seemingly noble act is not without consequences. Some lethal.
Carla Buckley crafts a richly rewarding psychological portrait, combining a heart-wrenching family drama with high-stakes suspense, as the lives of three characters intertwine in an unforgettable story of fury, fate--and redemption.
Advance praise for The Liar's Child
"Carla Buckley has a rare gift for character. In The Liar's Child, she digs deep into the hearts of the troubled, flawed, and all-too-human souls who populate this beautifully written and utterly involving novel. I didn't so much open the jacket on this book as fall inside the compelling story and get tangled up in all the lives, loves, broken dreams, and mistakes. Then I held tight, white knuckled, through the twisting inexorable ride."--Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Under My Skin
"Carla Buckley is a sly writer. Just when you think you have things figured out, she flips the story on its head. Deft plotting and psychologically fleshed-out characters make The Liar's Child a ripping good read!"--Diane Chamberlain, New York Times bestselling author of The Dream Daughter
"A mystery wrapped in an achingly good family drama, The Liar's Child hooked me from page one. An unconventional love story that broke my heart in all the best ways, Carla Buckley's emotionally complex, beautifully written tale is also a page-turner that will keep you up long past your bedtime."--Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of The Almost Sisters
On the outskirts of North Carolina's Outer Banks sits the Paradise, an apartment complex where renters never stay long enough to call the place "home"--and neighbors are seldom neighborly. It's ideal for Sara Lennox, who moved there to escape a complicated past--and even her name--and rebuild a new life for herself under the radar. But Sara cannot help but notice the family next door, especially twelve-year-old Cassie and five-year-old Boon. She hears rumors and whispers of a recent tragedy slowly tearing them apart.
When a raging storm threatens then slams the coastal community, Sara makes a quick, bold decision: Rescue Cassie and Boon from the storm and their broken home--without telling a soul. But this seemingly noble act is not without consequences. Some lethal.
Carla Buckley crafts a richly rewarding psychological portrait, combining a heart-wrenching family drama with high-stakes suspense, as the lives of three characters intertwine in an unforgettable story of fury, fate--and redemption.
Advance praise for The Liar's Child
"Carla Buckley has a rare gift for character. In The Liar's Child, she digs deep into the hearts of the troubled, flawed, and all-too-human souls who populate this beautifully written and utterly involving novel. I didn't so much open the jacket on this book as fall inside the compelling story and get tangled up in all the lives, loves, broken dreams, and mistakes. Then I held tight, white knuckled, through the twisting inexorable ride."--Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Under My Skin
"Carla Buckley is a sly writer. Just when you think you have things figured out, she flips the story on its head. Deft plotting and psychologically fleshed-out characters make The Liar's Child a ripping good read!"--Diane Chamberlain, New York Times bestselling author of The Dream Daughter
"A mystery wrapped in an achingly good family drama, The Liar's Child hooked me from page one. An unconventional love story that broke my heart in all the best ways, Carla Buckley's emotionally complex, beautifully written tale is also a page-turner that will keep you up long past your bedtime."--Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of The Almost Sisters
288 pages, Hardcover
First published March 12, 2019
134 people are currently reading
5778 people want to read
About the author
Carla Buckley
16 books731 followersCarla Buckley is the internationally bestselling author of The Good Goodbye, The Deepest Secret, Invisible, and The Things That Keep Us Here, which was nominated for a Thriller Award as a best first novel and the Ohioana Book Award for fiction. She is a graduate of Oberlin College and the Wharton School of Business, and currently lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She serves on the board of the International Thriller Writers as Vice President, Awards and is at work on her next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 352 reviews
April 4, 2019
My reviews can also be seen at: https://deesradreadsandreviews.wordpr...
4.5 Stars!!
I’ve read a few books from this author and have really enjoyed them. The description for “The Liar’s Child” intrigued me and I was excited to start reading.
Whit Nelson, his wife Diane, and their two children, twelve-year-old, Cassie and five-year-old, Boon live in an apartment complex called “The Paradise” which is on the outskirts of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. It’s the kind of place people don’t stay long. A place where people keep to themselves.
Whit's wife, Diane recently made a horrible mistake. Whit's feelings about his wife are complicated, but he wants to keep his family together. He says eventually people will forget what happened. “It was a mistake! It could have happened to anyone!” Unfortunately, it happened to them.
And now, Diane is missing. But she’s done this type of thing before, going off on what she calls “Adventures”. The police say there isn't much they can do. Diane is an adult. Adults are allowed to leave their lives. Now Whit is in a bind. He works long hours and doesn’t have a lot of support.
Where is Diane?
Whit’s daughter, Cassie is one of the first characters we meet. Cassie is angry. Dealing with what her mother did hasn’t been easy. And now that her mother is missing she doesn’t know where to turn.
Newcomer, Sara Lennox has recently moved to “Paradise” to start fresh. A new life and a new name. The apartment complex seems like the perfect place to lay low…at least for now. Sara really wants to keep to herself, but it’s hard not to notice the kids who live next door. She knows the family recently made the news after a near tragedy. Sara starts seeing them everywhere.
And now, a storm is coming, a hurricane that could destroy everything in its path. Sara wants to use the storm to her advantage. She has a plan.
Unfortunately, plans change.
Once again, Carla Buckley has written a story about secrets, lies, redemption, and courage that I found very entertaining and satisfying. I thought the characters were well-developed and I enjoyed getting to know them, flaws and all.
Told from multiple points of view, the intense storyline kept me intrigued with its surprising revelations. I really liked how things came together and thought the epilogue was excellent.
In my opinion, this was a very good psychological family drama. I am already looking forward to reading more from Carla Buckley.
I'd like to thank Ballantine Books for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions stated are my own.
4.5 Stars!!
I’ve read a few books from this author and have really enjoyed them. The description for “The Liar’s Child” intrigued me and I was excited to start reading.
Whit Nelson, his wife Diane, and their two children, twelve-year-old, Cassie and five-year-old, Boon live in an apartment complex called “The Paradise” which is on the outskirts of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. It’s the kind of place people don’t stay long. A place where people keep to themselves.
Whit's wife, Diane recently made a horrible mistake. Whit's feelings about his wife are complicated, but he wants to keep his family together. He says eventually people will forget what happened. “It was a mistake! It could have happened to anyone!” Unfortunately, it happened to them.
And now, Diane is missing. But she’s done this type of thing before, going off on what she calls “Adventures”. The police say there isn't much they can do. Diane is an adult. Adults are allowed to leave their lives. Now Whit is in a bind. He works long hours and doesn’t have a lot of support.
Where is Diane?
Whit’s daughter, Cassie is one of the first characters we meet. Cassie is angry. Dealing with what her mother did hasn’t been easy. And now that her mother is missing she doesn’t know where to turn.
Newcomer, Sara Lennox has recently moved to “Paradise” to start fresh. A new life and a new name. The apartment complex seems like the perfect place to lay low…at least for now. Sara really wants to keep to herself, but it’s hard not to notice the kids who live next door. She knows the family recently made the news after a near tragedy. Sara starts seeing them everywhere.
And now, a storm is coming, a hurricane that could destroy everything in its path. Sara wants to use the storm to her advantage. She has a plan.
Unfortunately, plans change.
Once again, Carla Buckley has written a story about secrets, lies, redemption, and courage that I found very entertaining and satisfying. I thought the characters were well-developed and I enjoyed getting to know them, flaws and all.
Told from multiple points of view, the intense storyline kept me intrigued with its surprising revelations. I really liked how things came together and thought the epilogue was excellent.
In my opinion, this was a very good psychological family drama. I am already looking forward to reading more from Carla Buckley.
I'd like to thank Ballantine Books for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions stated are my own.
December 12, 2018
4.5*
Whit Nelson is struggling to hold his family together. His wife, not exactly mother of the year, is gone and his twelve year old daughter Cassie has entered the Goth phase! (Oh joy). His younger son Boon is petrified to get into the family car having being left inside for hours by his mother. Can Whit keep his family together? Or is the damage irreparable.
Sara Lennox has unwillingly entered the witness protection program. Placed in a less than desirable apartment complex ironically called Paradise, located in a sleepy beach-side town in North Carolina. Coincidentally, it just happens to be the same complex as Whit and his children.
Hank is the towns’ retired sheriff, still grieving the death of his wife and the loss of his only son. Now it’s become his personal mission to help find all lost children since he couldn’t help his own.
Worlds are about to collide!
This was my first book by Carla Buckley . She writes a riveting, positively suspenseful read that will pin you to the edge of your seat! Told from multiple POV’s - that includes anyone with maybe a little something to hide.
I was instantly caught up in the story, excited to see how both stories would intersect!
And when they did… Wow! Totally unexpected! This is so much more than just a thriller. Expect to be pulled in and vested in these characters! As for Boon, you will absolutely fall in love with him! I know I did!
I will definitely be looking for more from this author! Highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Carla Buckley for granting my wish for an ARC to read and review.
Whit Nelson is struggling to hold his family together. His wife, not exactly mother of the year, is gone and his twelve year old daughter Cassie has entered the Goth phase! (Oh joy). His younger son Boon is petrified to get into the family car having being left inside for hours by his mother. Can Whit keep his family together? Or is the damage irreparable.
Sara Lennox has unwillingly entered the witness protection program. Placed in a less than desirable apartment complex ironically called Paradise, located in a sleepy beach-side town in North Carolina. Coincidentally, it just happens to be the same complex as Whit and his children.
Hank is the towns’ retired sheriff, still grieving the death of his wife and the loss of his only son. Now it’s become his personal mission to help find all lost children since he couldn’t help his own.
Worlds are about to collide!
This was my first book by Carla Buckley . She writes a riveting, positively suspenseful read that will pin you to the edge of your seat! Told from multiple POV’s - that includes anyone with maybe a little something to hide.
I was instantly caught up in the story, excited to see how both stories would intersect!
And when they did… Wow! Totally unexpected! This is so much more than just a thriller. Expect to be pulled in and vested in these characters! As for Boon, you will absolutely fall in love with him! I know I did!
I will definitely be looking for more from this author! Highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Carla Buckley for granting my wish for an ARC to read and review.
February 7, 2019
3.5 stars rounded to 4!
I've been a longtime fan of Buckley's writing, as her stories create the most suspenseful, character driven thrillers I think I've ever read. The Liar's Child is another example of her ability to hook the reader early on, weave together multiple POVs into one seamless plot, and have you pondering her story for days to come. While at times predictable, I found this to be an experience that satisfied me emotionally and satiated my need for a compulsive page turner. Although this is not my favorite book by the author (that award has to go to The Good Goodbye), this was still an excellent read. Full review to come.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy via NetGalley.
I've been a longtime fan of Buckley's writing, as her stories create the most suspenseful, character driven thrillers I think I've ever read. The Liar's Child is another example of her ability to hook the reader early on, weave together multiple POVs into one seamless plot, and have you pondering her story for days to come. While at times predictable, I found this to be an experience that satisfied me emotionally and satiated my need for a compulsive page turner. Although this is not my favorite book by the author (that award has to go to The Good Goodbye), this was still an excellent read. Full review to come.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy via NetGalley.
February 26, 2019
Set on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, The Liar’s Child is a family drama with tension and pacing that makes it engaging and surprising.
Sara Lennox moves to the Paradise, an apartment complex with a transient and not necessarily friendly group of occupants. She moves there for the change of pace and to hide, so the Paradise is perfect for her.
Her newest neighbors include a 12-year-old named Cassie and a 5-year-old named Boon. The thing is, rumors are swirling about this family and some tragedy they have experienced, and she can’t keep herself from worrying about the children.
Whit is Cassie and Boon’s father, and he’s doing the best he can to hold his family together. Is it even possible at this point?
A hurricane is on its way to the Outer Banks, an area completely vulnerable during storms like these, and Sara has to make a split-second decision to rescue these children from both the storm and their difficult family life.
But this move comes at a cost. A serious one.
The Liar’s Child is a book full to brim with lies. It’s hard to know where the truth lives. There are surprises, great tension, skillful dialogue, and two intersecting plot lines that merge in a masterful way. Well-paced and astutely written, The Liar’s Child is an a compelling and emotional story of family.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
Sara Lennox moves to the Paradise, an apartment complex with a transient and not necessarily friendly group of occupants. She moves there for the change of pace and to hide, so the Paradise is perfect for her.
Her newest neighbors include a 12-year-old named Cassie and a 5-year-old named Boon. The thing is, rumors are swirling about this family and some tragedy they have experienced, and she can’t keep herself from worrying about the children.
Whit is Cassie and Boon’s father, and he’s doing the best he can to hold his family together. Is it even possible at this point?
A hurricane is on its way to the Outer Banks, an area completely vulnerable during storms like these, and Sara has to make a split-second decision to rescue these children from both the storm and their difficult family life.
But this move comes at a cost. A serious one.
The Liar’s Child is a book full to brim with lies. It’s hard to know where the truth lives. There are surprises, great tension, skillful dialogue, and two intersecting plot lines that merge in a masterful way. Well-paced and astutely written, The Liar’s Child is an a compelling and emotional story of family.
I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com
March 11, 2019
In the land of the mediocre...
This book has mediocre written all over it. I hate it when everything—language, plot, characters, dialogue—are all blah. It’s odd—most people zip through a book when it’s simple, but for me, it trips me up. They zip, I trip. My mind refuses to cooperate and do its reading thing. I get stuck and have to reread and reread; the sentences just don’t sink in. My mind wants to go faster; it wants to slurp up something more substantial or jazzy. A simple book puts me into slo-mo mode.
Okay, but about the book. The story is about a young woman who has committed a crime and has to work with the Feds, and it’s about a man who has a wife who left a 6-year-old kid in a hot car (don’t worry, the kid is fine). The mom did this before the story began so we didn’t have to go through any of that drama; we’re just seeing the repercussions of her crime. The couple has another kid, a sullen teenage daughter. We see how all the lives intersect. Oh, and there’s a death and a hurricane, although they aren’t related. That’s all I’m saying about the plot.
There are a few things that I appreciated about the book, but the Complaint Board is what’s front and center.
Joy Jar
-The author did have the kids right—their lines and their actions matched their ages.
-The interactions between the two kids and the non-mom (who was clueless about kids) were realistic.
-The little kid did get to me.
-Good description of the hurricane; atmospheric.
-The second half of the book wasn’t so boring and it pulled me out of slo-mo for a bit.
Complaint Board
-The pacing was wrong. It took too long to find out the story of the mom. And it took way too long to get back to the character in the Prologue.
-The Prologue led me to believe that the plot was about something else. Maybe the Prologue was supposed to create suspense, but instead it just created confusion.
-The angsty teenage girl was a stereotype, and an annoying one at that. I’m sick of sullen teens!
-The ending was sappy.
-The ending was unsatisfying because it didn’t tell how one character got out of a jam.
-The language was too simple. Blah-ville.
-The book was boring until about the half-way mark.
-I wish the mom had been developed more.
-There’s a paragraph about flowers in a garden. Huh? What does that have to do with anything? Why include it?
-The book title seems random and didn’t make sense to me.
-Super-short poem-y intros to chapters were odd and usually made no sense.
In all, a big ho-hum. Readable but forgettable. The book sort of thinks it’s a thriller but there’s no thrill. If you’re up for a Lifetime movie, try this book.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.
This book has mediocre written all over it. I hate it when everything—language, plot, characters, dialogue—are all blah. It’s odd—most people zip through a book when it’s simple, but for me, it trips me up. They zip, I trip. My mind refuses to cooperate and do its reading thing. I get stuck and have to reread and reread; the sentences just don’t sink in. My mind wants to go faster; it wants to slurp up something more substantial or jazzy. A simple book puts me into slo-mo mode.
Okay, but about the book. The story is about a young woman who has committed a crime and has to work with the Feds, and it’s about a man who has a wife who left a 6-year-old kid in a hot car (don’t worry, the kid is fine). The mom did this before the story began so we didn’t have to go through any of that drama; we’re just seeing the repercussions of her crime. The couple has another kid, a sullen teenage daughter. We see how all the lives intersect. Oh, and there’s a death and a hurricane, although they aren’t related. That’s all I’m saying about the plot.
There are a few things that I appreciated about the book, but the Complaint Board is what’s front and center.
Joy Jar
-The author did have the kids right—their lines and their actions matched their ages.
-The interactions between the two kids and the non-mom (who was clueless about kids) were realistic.
-The little kid did get to me.
-Good description of the hurricane; atmospheric.
-The second half of the book wasn’t so boring and it pulled me out of slo-mo for a bit.
Complaint Board
-The pacing was wrong. It took too long to find out the story of the mom. And it took way too long to get back to the character in the Prologue.
-The Prologue led me to believe that the plot was about something else. Maybe the Prologue was supposed to create suspense, but instead it just created confusion.
-The angsty teenage girl was a stereotype, and an annoying one at that. I’m sick of sullen teens!
-The ending was sappy.
-The ending was unsatisfying because it didn’t tell how one character got out of a jam.
-The language was too simple. Blah-ville.
-The book was boring until about the half-way mark.
-I wish the mom had been developed more.
-There’s a paragraph about flowers in a garden. Huh? What does that have to do with anything? Why include it?
-The book title seems random and didn’t make sense to me.
-Super-short poem-y intros to chapters were odd and usually made no sense.
In all, a big ho-hum. Readable but forgettable. The book sort of thinks it’s a thriller but there’s no thrill. If you’re up for a Lifetime movie, try this book.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.
November 14, 2018
Random crossings of people, place, and time. Footprints left upon the sands of our lives.
Carla Buckley presents a tightly knotted theme in The Liar's Child. She presses upon the thought of unexpected presences that show up briefly or long-term......fleeting moments of contact in which one's aura leaves its indelible mark. And we are forever changed.
Sara Lennox has been on the run. Plain and simple. She stares down the darkened hallway of prison time or the suffocating existence of a federal protection program. Pick your poison. She hoists a shot of protection and finds herself in a beach town in Outer Banks, North Carolina. All compliments of the government. Sara drags her suitcase up four flights of stairs at The Paradise apartment complex which has seen better days. But then, so has Sara.
With very few options, Sara finds a job cleaning rental units nearby. Payment in cash and no background checks. At the end of the day, climb all those stairs and then pour a glass of cheap wine. Rinse and repeat. But Sara begins to get a feel for the comings and goings of her neighbors. The thin walls allow her an unwanted litany of shouting and arguments from next door. She observes the two children, a girl about twelve, and a young boy about five who seem to be on their own most of the time.
Phantom parents, Diane and Whit Nelson provide backup music in this little ensemble. As readers, their backstories begin to take focus thanks to Carla Buckley's innate ability for drawing upon strangely complicated characters who spread themselves vividly across the pages of this book. The dialogue is spot-on in regard to these kiddos, Cassie and Boon. Cassie's pubescent presence will make your teeth ache with intense frustration. But Boon, oh Boon, you'll find endearing.
But Buckley ain't done yet, Folks. We're at the seashore and a hurricane of mammoth proportions is on the horizon. And one of the parents has taken off on a solo excursion of life leaving behind said children and said partner. Stormy weather and high winds abound on the outside of The Paradise and from within.
The Liar's Child is an intensely good read. If you've read The Good Goodbye by Buckley, you know that she works magic with a storyline. Buckley captures the inner workings of these individuals who keep tripping over their lies and she keeps it high interest until the end. Just plain good stuff page after page.
I received a copy of The Liar's Child through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Random House Publishing (Ballantine Books) and to the talented Carla Buckly for the opportunity.
Carla Buckley presents a tightly knotted theme in The Liar's Child. She presses upon the thought of unexpected presences that show up briefly or long-term......fleeting moments of contact in which one's aura leaves its indelible mark. And we are forever changed.
Sara Lennox has been on the run. Plain and simple. She stares down the darkened hallway of prison time or the suffocating existence of a federal protection program. Pick your poison. She hoists a shot of protection and finds herself in a beach town in Outer Banks, North Carolina. All compliments of the government. Sara drags her suitcase up four flights of stairs at The Paradise apartment complex which has seen better days. But then, so has Sara.
With very few options, Sara finds a job cleaning rental units nearby. Payment in cash and no background checks. At the end of the day, climb all those stairs and then pour a glass of cheap wine. Rinse and repeat. But Sara begins to get a feel for the comings and goings of her neighbors. The thin walls allow her an unwanted litany of shouting and arguments from next door. She observes the two children, a girl about twelve, and a young boy about five who seem to be on their own most of the time.
Phantom parents, Diane and Whit Nelson provide backup music in this little ensemble. As readers, their backstories begin to take focus thanks to Carla Buckley's innate ability for drawing upon strangely complicated characters who spread themselves vividly across the pages of this book. The dialogue is spot-on in regard to these kiddos, Cassie and Boon. Cassie's pubescent presence will make your teeth ache with intense frustration. But Boon, oh Boon, you'll find endearing.
But Buckley ain't done yet, Folks. We're at the seashore and a hurricane of mammoth proportions is on the horizon. And one of the parents has taken off on a solo excursion of life leaving behind said children and said partner. Stormy weather and high winds abound on the outside of The Paradise and from within.
The Liar's Child is an intensely good read. If you've read The Good Goodbye by Buckley, you know that she works magic with a storyline. Buckley captures the inner workings of these individuals who keep tripping over their lies and she keeps it high interest until the end. Just plain good stuff page after page.
I received a copy of The Liar's Child through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Random House Publishing (Ballantine Books) and to the talented Carla Buckly for the opportunity.
March 14, 2019
a vividly told domestic thriller packed with characters you won’t soon forget!
Carla Buckley is a master storyteller, this is my second book by her and they both have completely captivated me. This is a compelling domestic thriller with characters that just leap off the pages. The story is mesmerizing and taught with tension and emotion. You won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough, and you won’t want it to end.
Sarah reluctantly enters witness protection and finds herself on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. In an apartment building named Paradise that is anything but. She spends her time working as a house cleaner and observing her neighbors. Soon she finds herself crossing paths with the two kids that live next-door to her, 12-year-old Cassie and five-year-old Boone. Sarah recognizes that Paradise is certainly no paradise for these kids. The walls are thin and she hears constant fighting between their parents. She also hears other rumors of the family’s recent tragedy. When a devastating hurricane hits and Sarah realizes the kids are on their own she makes a split second decision that will alter the course of all three of their lives.
The story is told from multiple perspectives allowing you to see the entire picture. The characters are extremely well fleshed out and the kids are perfectly portrayed for the ages they were. Cassie was surly, antagonistic, and had a huge chip on her shoulder. Boone was sweet, adorable, and utterly charming. He definitely pulled at my heartstrings as well as Sarah’s. Sarah was strong, complex, and a little mysterious. The three of them made quite the team, and I truly cherished every minute I got to spend with them. I read another review that said this was an unconventional love story and I’d have to say that is a perfect way to describe this book. Three unlikely people who found the best in one another in the midst of tragedy. And can I just say the ending to this book was simple perfection!
A beautifully told story that is simultaneously heartbreaking and uplifting. A domestic thriller with a splash of mystery. Absolutely recommend!
*** A huge thank you to Random House Valentine for my copy of this book ***
Carla Buckley is a master storyteller, this is my second book by her and they both have completely captivated me. This is a compelling domestic thriller with characters that just leap off the pages. The story is mesmerizing and taught with tension and emotion. You won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough, and you won’t want it to end.
Sarah reluctantly enters witness protection and finds herself on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. In an apartment building named Paradise that is anything but. She spends her time working as a house cleaner and observing her neighbors. Soon she finds herself crossing paths with the two kids that live next-door to her, 12-year-old Cassie and five-year-old Boone. Sarah recognizes that Paradise is certainly no paradise for these kids. The walls are thin and she hears constant fighting between their parents. She also hears other rumors of the family’s recent tragedy. When a devastating hurricane hits and Sarah realizes the kids are on their own she makes a split second decision that will alter the course of all three of their lives.
The story is told from multiple perspectives allowing you to see the entire picture. The characters are extremely well fleshed out and the kids are perfectly portrayed for the ages they were. Cassie was surly, antagonistic, and had a huge chip on her shoulder. Boone was sweet, adorable, and utterly charming. He definitely pulled at my heartstrings as well as Sarah’s. Sarah was strong, complex, and a little mysterious. The three of them made quite the team, and I truly cherished every minute I got to spend with them. I read another review that said this was an unconventional love story and I’d have to say that is a perfect way to describe this book. Three unlikely people who found the best in one another in the midst of tragedy. And can I just say the ending to this book was simple perfection!
A beautifully told story that is simultaneously heartbreaking and uplifting. A domestic thriller with a splash of mystery. Absolutely recommend!
*** A huge thank you to Random House Valentine for my copy of this book ***
December 19, 2018
Copy furnished by Net Galley for the price of a review.
With an impending hurricane howling at their backs, a woman races to keep herself and two abandoned children out of harm's way. The urgency of the situation is there, impossible decisions have to be made. Parallels are nicely drawn and the dialogue rings true. The ending was strangely unsatisfying for me, as though someone had slipped some sugar in my coffee when I wasn't looking.
With an impending hurricane howling at their backs, a woman races to keep herself and two abandoned children out of harm's way. The urgency of the situation is there, impossible decisions have to be made. Parallels are nicely drawn and the dialogue rings true. The ending was strangely unsatisfying for me, as though someone had slipped some sugar in my coffee when I wasn't looking.
March 8, 2019
This is a suspenseful and entertaining story that takes place in North Carolina and is narrated from different points of view.
In one of the storylines, we have Carla. She's a young woman who is entering a witness-protection program and in her new life works as a cleaner, something she never envisioned for herself. The other storyline follows her neighbors, a dysfunctional family living next door to Carla that is going through their own problems.
When a hurricane threatens the coast, Carla makes a quick decisions that affects them all. This is the premise, I don't want to go into more details as not to spoil anything.
I enjoyed the novel, the characters are intriguing, the beginning is set at a slower pace that picks up after the halfway point. I recommend the book to those who enjoy reading contemporary fiction.
Received ARC from the publisher via Netgalley
In one of the storylines, we have Carla. She's a young woman who is entering a witness-protection program and in her new life works as a cleaner, something she never envisioned for herself. The other storyline follows her neighbors, a dysfunctional family living next door to Carla that is going through their own problems.
When a hurricane threatens the coast, Carla makes a quick decisions that affects them all. This is the premise, I don't want to go into more details as not to spoil anything.
I enjoyed the novel, the characters are intriguing, the beginning is set at a slower pace that picks up after the halfway point. I recommend the book to those who enjoy reading contemporary fiction.
Received ARC from the publisher via Netgalley
March 15, 2019
I received a free e-copy of The Liar's Child by Carla Buckley from NetGalley for my honest review.
The Nelson family lives in an apartment complex called the Paradise. Unfortunately, is is anything but a paradise. Life is hard for Cassie (12 years old) and her brother, Boon (5 years old). Although their parents tell them they love them they are lacking being able to help and protect their children, both mentally and physically. Cassie, who is in high school is hanging out with the wrong crowd and Boon still wet's his bed and sucks his thumb.
Sara Lennox, just relocated to the Paradise as a part of the Witness Protection program. She lives next door to the Nelson family. Sara is trying to live an anonymous life. The Nelson family, however, is a complete mess. The mother has made a very big mistake, and the father doesn't know what to do.
A hurricane hits suddenly changing everyone's life. An exciting and thrilling read written with great characters and depth.
The Nelson family lives in an apartment complex called the Paradise. Unfortunately, is is anything but a paradise. Life is hard for Cassie (12 years old) and her brother, Boon (5 years old). Although their parents tell them they love them they are lacking being able to help and protect their children, both mentally and physically. Cassie, who is in high school is hanging out with the wrong crowd and Boon still wet's his bed and sucks his thumb.
Sara Lennox, just relocated to the Paradise as a part of the Witness Protection program. She lives next door to the Nelson family. Sara is trying to live an anonymous life. The Nelson family, however, is a complete mess. The mother has made a very big mistake, and the father doesn't know what to do.
A hurricane hits suddenly changing everyone's life. An exciting and thrilling read written with great characters and depth.
March 30, 2019
2.5 stars
A storm is on approach, a storm that is not only a physical one but one that is mirrored in the lives of the characters that we are presented with in the book, The Liar's Child.
Sara Lennox is running away, she is running from her past, she is running from the Feds, she is running right into the arms of a storm and the children she will eventually protect.
Sara has moved into a ragtag apartment complex and she lives next door to a family. She wants nothing to do with them but, there is something not right as she hears rumblings from next door and sees the children Cassie, a totally wise ass twelve year old, her brother five year old Boon, and a father who seems to be at the end of his tether since his wife, who suffers mental issues, has once again left the family.
The father tries, to hold the family together. However, now the storm approaches, the father has left to help his father, and Sara is left, much to her chagrin, with the children. Will she save them or will she in true Sara fashion think only of herself?
Atmospherically, facing a raging hurricane while in charge of two young children is pretty threatening. However, I had difficulty with the characters as none of them seemed to be really well defined. We never quite knew what Sara had done, the details of the missing mother were hazy and the introduction of some characters seemed a bit superfluous. I am a reader who likes her characters defined and have a definite purpose in the story which unfortunately, did not happen in this book, for me. Many of the descriptions of the storm that was supposedly raging were off as well. I have lived through my share of hurricanes, and I do remember their intensity and danger. The characters in this story seemed to prance around outside as if the danger of the storm was not there. It was odd really.
This was a quick read and one others have truly liked, so please take a look at their reviews to help you decide if this book is for you. Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of this book to be released on March 12, 2019
A storm is on approach, a storm that is not only a physical one but one that is mirrored in the lives of the characters that we are presented with in the book, The Liar's Child.
Sara Lennox is running away, she is running from her past, she is running from the Feds, she is running right into the arms of a storm and the children she will eventually protect.
Sara has moved into a ragtag apartment complex and she lives next door to a family. She wants nothing to do with them but, there is something not right as she hears rumblings from next door and sees the children Cassie, a totally wise ass twelve year old, her brother five year old Boon, and a father who seems to be at the end of his tether since his wife, who suffers mental issues, has once again left the family.
The father tries, to hold the family together. However, now the storm approaches, the father has left to help his father, and Sara is left, much to her chagrin, with the children. Will she save them or will she in true Sara fashion think only of herself?
Atmospherically, facing a raging hurricane while in charge of two young children is pretty threatening. However, I had difficulty with the characters as none of them seemed to be really well defined. We never quite knew what Sara had done, the details of the missing mother were hazy and the introduction of some characters seemed a bit superfluous. I am a reader who likes her characters defined and have a definite purpose in the story which unfortunately, did not happen in this book, for me. Many of the descriptions of the storm that was supposedly raging were off as well. I have lived through my share of hurricanes, and I do remember their intensity and danger. The characters in this story seemed to prance around outside as if the danger of the storm was not there. It was odd really.
This was a quick read and one others have truly liked, so please take a look at their reviews to help you decide if this book is for you. Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for a copy of this book to be released on March 12, 2019
October 23, 2018
Carla Buckley never fails to deliver an intensely emotional and exciting read. With each new book, her writing has become more nuanced without losing any power. The Liar’s Child is rich in setting, complex characters, and a full bodied story that will hold you in its grasp all the way to the end.
February 9, 2019
Sara Lennox has been placed by the “Witness Protection Program” in an apartment complex called “The Paradise” on the outskirts of North Carolina’s Outer Banks.
Her neighbors are Whit Nelson and his wife, Diane....the woman who recently made the news for mistakenly leaving her young son, Boon, in a hot car, while she went to work. Their daughter, Cassie, was not in the car, but she has not been left unscathed.
Some people should not be parents.
When Whit and Sara meet, standing on their side by side balconies, he tells her that Diane “took off” about a month ago.
Excerpt: “They need their mother.” He sighed.
Society seemed to revere motherhood. Sara never understood it. Women got pregnant. They had babies. It was simple biology. Didn’t make them Saints. “Depends on the mother.”
“Yeah?” He looked at her.
She’d said too much. It was the small things that would trip her up.
Now a hurricane is about to hit, and the kids are home alone. As Sara flees “The Paradise” she faces a moral dilemma... leave them there? Or take them with her and risk everything?
“There are two kinds of people, her Dad used to say. Some people make their choices. Others have choices made for them.”
This was my third novel by Carla Buckley and I have NEVER been disappointed. But, I do caution readers that her novels would be better categorized as Family Drama/Suspense, NOT thrillers, in my opinion. The first half of this book develops the characters, and vividly portrays the scene. The hurricane does not hit till the 50% point and that is when the pace picks up, and the SURPRISES are revealed, but the story IS well worth the wait.
Pay attention to the “objects” described every so often, between chapters....you will be glad you did.!
I would like to thank Netgalley, Random House Publishing-Ballantine Books, and Carla Buckley for the ARC I was provided in exchange for a candid review!
Publication date for this book is March 12, 2019!
Her neighbors are Whit Nelson and his wife, Diane....the woman who recently made the news for mistakenly leaving her young son, Boon, in a hot car, while she went to work. Their daughter, Cassie, was not in the car, but she has not been left unscathed.
Some people should not be parents.
When Whit and Sara meet, standing on their side by side balconies, he tells her that Diane “took off” about a month ago.
Excerpt: “They need their mother.” He sighed.
Society seemed to revere motherhood. Sara never understood it. Women got pregnant. They had babies. It was simple biology. Didn’t make them Saints. “Depends on the mother.”
“Yeah?” He looked at her.
She’d said too much. It was the small things that would trip her up.
Now a hurricane is about to hit, and the kids are home alone. As Sara flees “The Paradise” she faces a moral dilemma... leave them there? Or take them with her and risk everything?
“There are two kinds of people, her Dad used to say. Some people make their choices. Others have choices made for them.”
This was my third novel by Carla Buckley and I have NEVER been disappointed. But, I do caution readers that her novels would be better categorized as Family Drama/Suspense, NOT thrillers, in my opinion. The first half of this book develops the characters, and vividly portrays the scene. The hurricane does not hit till the 50% point and that is when the pace picks up, and the SURPRISES are revealed, but the story IS well worth the wait.
Pay attention to the “objects” described every so often, between chapters....you will be glad you did.!
I would like to thank Netgalley, Random House Publishing-Ballantine Books, and Carla Buckley for the ARC I was provided in exchange for a candid review!
Publication date for this book is March 12, 2019!
February 17, 2019
A quick, easy and entertaining read with well-drawn characters.
SUMMARY
Sara Lennox is escaping her complicated and dangerous past. She just moved to Paradise, an apartment complex on the beach of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She is trying to keep to herself, but she can’t help but hear the fighting coming from the apartment next door. The kids that live there, twelve-year-old Cassie, and five-year-old Boon, seem to be left on their on most of the time. Sara has also heard the rumors about a recent tragedy that is tearing the family apart. When a category three hurricane, complete with heavy wind and torrential rain bears down on the coast, Sara decides to evacuate, and makes a quick decision to take Cassie and Boon with her. Their parents, Whit and Diane are once again nowhere to be found. Sara’s decision to help the kids escape the storm will certainly have consequences that she may come to regret.
REVIEW
Read in a day! THE LIAR’S CHILD is a quick, easy and entertaining read. Well drawn and troubled character’s propel the story as their lives intersect with one another. Sara has got so much going on in her life, you are amazed when she chooses to rescue the stranded kids. You may not like Cassie, but you’ll fall madly in love with Boon. You will also feel sorry for Whit, who is doing his best to keep his family together.
CARLA BUCKLEY’s writing is smooth and the story is skillfully told from four different points of view. Buckley has woven an intriguing tale that seems to end all to soon. While the ending itself was satisfying, I would have loved more closure for the various characters that were so well-developed. The Liar’s Child is Buckley’s fifth novel. Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Publisher Ballantine Books
Published March 12, 2019
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com
SUMMARY
Sara Lennox is escaping her complicated and dangerous past. She just moved to Paradise, an apartment complex on the beach of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She is trying to keep to herself, but she can’t help but hear the fighting coming from the apartment next door. The kids that live there, twelve-year-old Cassie, and five-year-old Boon, seem to be left on their on most of the time. Sara has also heard the rumors about a recent tragedy that is tearing the family apart. When a category three hurricane, complete with heavy wind and torrential rain bears down on the coast, Sara decides to evacuate, and makes a quick decision to take Cassie and Boon with her. Their parents, Whit and Diane are once again nowhere to be found. Sara’s decision to help the kids escape the storm will certainly have consequences that she may come to regret.
REVIEW
Read in a day! THE LIAR’S CHILD is a quick, easy and entertaining read. Well drawn and troubled character’s propel the story as their lives intersect with one another. Sara has got so much going on in her life, you are amazed when she chooses to rescue the stranded kids. You may not like Cassie, but you’ll fall madly in love with Boon. You will also feel sorry for Whit, who is doing his best to keep his family together.
CARLA BUCKLEY’s writing is smooth and the story is skillfully told from four different points of view. Buckley has woven an intriguing tale that seems to end all to soon. While the ending itself was satisfying, I would have loved more closure for the various characters that were so well-developed. The Liar’s Child is Buckley’s fifth novel. Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Publisher Ballantine Books
Published March 12, 2019
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com
February 10, 2019
Yay! I've discovered another North Carolina writer I like. This book is chock-full of liars because not only is the "liar's child" a liar, so is everyone else in this book it seems. They are all lying to each other. Makes it difficult to find the truth.
There are two storylines here. One is Sara who is placed in an apartment at the Outer Banks of North Carolina by the witness protection program. She is supposed to testify against a criminal to keep from going to prison herself. The other story involves Sara's neighbors - a mother, father, and two children. The wife disappears shortly after leaving her son in a hot car while she went to work. The father is struggling to take care of the kids and work to make a living. The two stories really come together during a hurricane.
The story kept my attention and I enjoyed it. There were a few surprises. I felt sorry for the two children, Boon and Cassie who were caught up in a horrible situation. I liked the writing style and the pace of the plot.
Thanks to Carla Buckly and Ballantine Books through Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
There are two storylines here. One is Sara who is placed in an apartment at the Outer Banks of North Carolina by the witness protection program. She is supposed to testify against a criminal to keep from going to prison herself. The other story involves Sara's neighbors - a mother, father, and two children. The wife disappears shortly after leaving her son in a hot car while she went to work. The father is struggling to take care of the kids and work to make a living. The two stories really come together during a hurricane.
The story kept my attention and I enjoyed it. There were a few surprises. I felt sorry for the two children, Boon and Cassie who were caught up in a horrible situation. I liked the writing style and the pace of the plot.
Thanks to Carla Buckly and Ballantine Books through Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 30, 2019
"The secret to lying successfully was to stick to the truth as much as possible. Lies by themselves gave way under scrutiny. But if you hooked them to the truth they bore up. Convince yourself that what you're saying is true, then you can convince someone else."
This is the lesson that Sara Lennox has learned at the foot of her father. A career criminal, he taught her how to read people and keep her wits about her. She never knew her mother so she was essentially orphaned when his lifestyle led him to prison. Presently, Sara has been placed by the FBI into the witness protection program, a key witness against a human trafficking ring. She's supposed to be lying low, not drawing attention to herself, not making waves. The Paradise apartment seems like just the right place - run down and unassuming. Sara's aim though is to start a new life on her own terms outside the grasp of the FBI. This is why she is always testing their surveillance measures looking for holes in their system. But all her best plans fall through when she realizes that her neighbor's children have been left home alone during a major hurricane. Despite her survival instincts telling her this is an unwise decision she is drawn to Cassie and Boon. In their own way, each reminds her of her troubled youth. Boon is a loner that makes appeals for her attention. Cassie rebuffs her, using defiance as a shield of protection. In The Liar's Child, Buckley has drawn a picture of a dysfunctional family on the brink of calamity. Sara knows all too well the ramifications. Can Sara save the children? Can she save herself?
I received this book through Goodreads Giveaways program.
This is the lesson that Sara Lennox has learned at the foot of her father. A career criminal, he taught her how to read people and keep her wits about her. She never knew her mother so she was essentially orphaned when his lifestyle led him to prison. Presently, Sara has been placed by the FBI into the witness protection program, a key witness against a human trafficking ring. She's supposed to be lying low, not drawing attention to herself, not making waves. The Paradise apartment seems like just the right place - run down and unassuming. Sara's aim though is to start a new life on her own terms outside the grasp of the FBI. This is why she is always testing their surveillance measures looking for holes in their system. But all her best plans fall through when she realizes that her neighbor's children have been left home alone during a major hurricane. Despite her survival instincts telling her this is an unwise decision she is drawn to Cassie and Boon. In their own way, each reminds her of her troubled youth. Boon is a loner that makes appeals for her attention. Cassie rebuffs her, using defiance as a shield of protection. In The Liar's Child, Buckley has drawn a picture of a dysfunctional family on the brink of calamity. Sara knows all too well the ramifications. Can Sara save the children? Can she save herself?
I received this book through Goodreads Giveaways program.
February 21, 2022
The thing that first sold me about The Liar's Child by Carla Buckley was the cover. I saw it and was instantly intrigued, then I read the synopsis and knew I had to read it since I love a good book about family. Unfortunately, it ended up falling a little flat for me, but that wasn’t to say I didn’t enjoy it. I was really into it when I started, and I loved the way the chapters are broken up into different viewpoints. I also loved the mystery surrounding Sara's past as well as the aspect of missing kids, but neither of them ended up being quite what I was hoping for. I was a little confused about what this book wanted to be, and instead of the mystery I was hoping for after reading the beginning, it was more literary fiction with a few mysterious elements. The majority of the part the synopsis talks about isn't until towards the middle to end of the book and I think my favorite parts were those leading up to that.
I enjoyed The Liar's Child on audiobook and was happy with the narrator George Newbern, but I do wish there had been a female narrator for the many chapters from female viewpoints. That being said, I thought that his narration was very engaging, and in another book with more of a male viewpoint, I would have loved him. I think if you are going to read this you just have to go in expecting it to be more of a drama than anything else, and I don't agree with it being a thriller's pace either. This was more of a slow burn in my opinion with a very strong beginning. The middle is where I ended up not being as wowed as I was hoping to be, but then the last chapter made me tear up. Clearly, I am a little all over the place with my feelings. While this was not my favorite, I did enjoy Buckley's writing and I would definitely read her again with more aligned expectations.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I enjoyed The Liar's Child on audiobook and was happy with the narrator George Newbern, but I do wish there had been a female narrator for the many chapters from female viewpoints. That being said, I thought that his narration was very engaging, and in another book with more of a male viewpoint, I would have loved him. I think if you are going to read this you just have to go in expecting it to be more of a drama than anything else, and I don't agree with it being a thriller's pace either. This was more of a slow burn in my opinion with a very strong beginning. The middle is where I ended up not being as wowed as I was hoping to be, but then the last chapter made me tear up. Clearly, I am a little all over the place with my feelings. While this was not my favorite, I did enjoy Buckley's writing and I would definitely read her again with more aligned expectations.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
February 22, 2019
Flawed humans and troubled souls make Carla Buckley’s THE LIAR’S CHILD a riveting and pulse pounding read that will keep readers on the edge of their seats throughout.
Do not expect to have this one figured out, the twists are dizzying, the turns are razor sharp and the characters are so much more than they seem at first blush. Part chilling mystery, part family saga, you will find yourself asking, what would I have done?
I received a complimentary ARc edition from Random House Publishing Group
Publisher: Ballantine Books (March 12, 2019)
Publication Date: March 12, 2019
Genre: Mystery
Print Length: 288 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Do not expect to have this one figured out, the twists are dizzying, the turns are razor sharp and the characters are so much more than they seem at first blush. Part chilling mystery, part family saga, you will find yourself asking, what would I have done?
I received a complimentary ARc edition from Random House Publishing Group
Publisher: Ballantine Books (March 12, 2019)
Publication Date: March 12, 2019
Genre: Mystery
Print Length: 288 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Read
March 24, 2019No rating because I've abandoned this book at about the 100 page mark. There's not a character in this book within the style that it is written that has caused me to become embedded in plots or outcomes. Boon is the only semi interesting character and he is only 5 and rather helpless. His sister is obnoxious and the parents hapless and mediocre dumb uninteresting. Sara seemed too flawed and boringly mundane too to intrigue me for any of her motives. Why would she let that girl hang in her apartment like that? A seventh grader without parental knowledge of what that "hanging" could include? Ugh!
The storm might be an element of interest but it couldn't surmount. This just didn't ever get past a 2 star enough for me to continue it. There are at least 10 or 11 in my pile and all of the non-fiction are more time worthy. And intriguing too at the same time. Clock is ticking away.
The storm might be an element of interest but it couldn't surmount. This just didn't ever get past a 2 star enough for me to continue it. There are at least 10 or 11 in my pile and all of the non-fiction are more time worthy. And intriguing too at the same time. Clock is ticking away.
February 23, 2019
4.5 stars, actually.
Five primary characters - three adults, two kids, some related to each other, some not - are at the center of this well-written, engrossing story that's full of twists. Just when I thought I had a handle on one character, poof - that handle came unglued, shattering my perspective on what was happening (or had happened previously).
The exceptionally well-developed characters really drive this complex but easy to follow story; chapters shift from person to person, with each revealing a little more about their past and present lives and how they're all intertwined. The grown-ups include Whit, the father of young Boon and his older sister Cassie. There's Sara, a mysterious young woman with a past she's trying to escape (or is it return to?) by way of the Witness Protection Program; and Hank, a retired law enforcement chief who tries to follow the disappearance of children amid nearly debilitating emotional issues of his own. Even more interesting to me is that most of the action takes place on the North Carolina Outer Banks where my husband and I spent time just about every summer for 27 years (someone down there once told me that Ohio visitors there rank second only to North Carolinians in number, and even if that's not true, I know we've had plenty of Buckeye company).
Cassie is what I'd not so affectionately call a little snot, sassing her parents and, most times, bullying her timid little brother. Whit and his wife, Diane, are ostracized by their community because of something Diane did that put him in the hospital. They're living at The Paradise, the same motel in which Sara has been placed by the Feds to start her new life (and clearly isn't happy about it). Hank lives next door to the motel and pops in now and again.
Suddenly, all their lives are threatened by an oncoming hurricane - a regular occurrence in this neck of the woods to be sure, but this time it's rolling in amid dire predictions and a rush to evacuate. Whit heads for the mainland to help his aging parents, with the intent of returning in a few hours to pick up the kids. But the storm takes a nasty turn, putting the motel squarely in its sights. Feelling sorry for the kids, Sara - who's also eyeing a possible escape - puts them in her clunker of a car and heads for the bridge to the mainland - becoming the last car to be allowed to cross as the wind picks up steam and the water rises. Electricity and cell phone service are sketchy at best, so communication is virtually impossible (for Sara, a good thing; for the kids and their dad, not so much).
From this point on, I can't say more without spoiling things for others - so you'll just have to read it for yourself. The epilogue, I admit, left me with too many unanswered questions for my liking, but that didn't take away from the rest of the story. Highly recommended, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.
Five primary characters - three adults, two kids, some related to each other, some not - are at the center of this well-written, engrossing story that's full of twists. Just when I thought I had a handle on one character, poof - that handle came unglued, shattering my perspective on what was happening (or had happened previously).
The exceptionally well-developed characters really drive this complex but easy to follow story; chapters shift from person to person, with each revealing a little more about their past and present lives and how they're all intertwined. The grown-ups include Whit, the father of young Boon and his older sister Cassie. There's Sara, a mysterious young woman with a past she's trying to escape (or is it return to?) by way of the Witness Protection Program; and Hank, a retired law enforcement chief who tries to follow the disappearance of children amid nearly debilitating emotional issues of his own. Even more interesting to me is that most of the action takes place on the North Carolina Outer Banks where my husband and I spent time just about every summer for 27 years (someone down there once told me that Ohio visitors there rank second only to North Carolinians in number, and even if that's not true, I know we've had plenty of Buckeye company).
Cassie is what I'd not so affectionately call a little snot, sassing her parents and, most times, bullying her timid little brother. Whit and his wife, Diane, are ostracized by their community because of something Diane did that put him in the hospital. They're living at The Paradise, the same motel in which Sara has been placed by the Feds to start her new life (and clearly isn't happy about it). Hank lives next door to the motel and pops in now and again.
Suddenly, all their lives are threatened by an oncoming hurricane - a regular occurrence in this neck of the woods to be sure, but this time it's rolling in amid dire predictions and a rush to evacuate. Whit heads for the mainland to help his aging parents, with the intent of returning in a few hours to pick up the kids. But the storm takes a nasty turn, putting the motel squarely in its sights. Feelling sorry for the kids, Sara - who's also eyeing a possible escape - puts them in her clunker of a car and heads for the bridge to the mainland - becoming the last car to be allowed to cross as the wind picks up steam and the water rises. Electricity and cell phone service are sketchy at best, so communication is virtually impossible (for Sara, a good thing; for the kids and their dad, not so much).
From this point on, I can't say more without spoiling things for others - so you'll just have to read it for yourself. The epilogue, I admit, left me with too many unanswered questions for my liking, but that didn't take away from the rest of the story. Highly recommended, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.
February 9, 2019
Sara Lennox has been placed by the “Witness Protection Program” in an apartment complex called “The Paradise” on the outskirts of North Carolina’s Outer Banks.
Her neighbors are Whit Nelson and his wife, Diane....the woman who recently made the news for mistakenly leaving her young son, Boon, in a hot car, while she went to work. Their daughter, Cassie, was not in the car, but she has not been left unscathed.
Some people should not be parents.
When Whit and Sara meet, standing on their side by side balconies, he tells her that Diane “took off” about a month ago.
Excerpt: “They need their mother.” He sighed.
Society seemed to revere motherhood. Sara never understood it. Women got pregnant. They had babies. It was simple biology. Didn’t make them Saints. “Depends on the mother.”
“Yeah?” He looked at her.
She’d said too much. It was the small things that would trip her up.
Now a hurricane is about to hit, and the kids are home alone. As Sara flees “The Paradise” she faces a moral dilemma... leave them there? Or take them with her and risk everything?
“There are two kinds of people, her Dad used to say. Some people make their choices. Others have choices made for them.”
This was my third novel by Carla Buckley and I have NEVER been disappointed. But, I do caution readers that her novels would be better categorized as Family Drama/Suspense, NOT thrillers, in my opinion. The first half of this book develops the characters, and vividly portrays the scene. The hurricane does not hit till the 50% point and that is when the pace picks up, and the SURPRISES are revealed, but the story IS well worth the wait.
Pay attention to the “objects” described every so often, between chapters....you will be glad you did.!
I would like to thank Netgalley, Random House Publishing-Ballantine Books, and Carla Buckley for the ARC I was provided in exchange for a candid review!
Publication date for this book is March 12, 2019!
Her neighbors are Whit Nelson and his wife, Diane....the woman who recently made the news for mistakenly leaving her young son, Boon, in a hot car, while she went to work. Their daughter, Cassie, was not in the car, but she has not been left unscathed.
Some people should not be parents.
When Whit and Sara meet, standing on their side by side balconies, he tells her that Diane “took off” about a month ago.
Excerpt: “They need their mother.” He sighed.
Society seemed to revere motherhood. Sara never understood it. Women got pregnant. They had babies. It was simple biology. Didn’t make them Saints. “Depends on the mother.”
“Yeah?” He looked at her.
She’d said too much. It was the small things that would trip her up.
Now a hurricane is about to hit, and the kids are home alone. As Sara flees “The Paradise” she faces a moral dilemma... leave them there? Or take them with her and risk everything?
“There are two kinds of people, her Dad used to say. Some people make their choices. Others have choices made for them.”
This was my third novel by Carla Buckley and I have NEVER been disappointed. But, I do caution readers that her novels would be better categorized as Family Drama/Suspense, NOT thrillers, in my opinion. The first half of this book develops the characters, and vividly portrays the scene. The hurricane does not hit till the 50% point and that is when the pace picks up, and the SURPRISES are revealed, but the story IS well worth the wait.
Pay attention to the “objects” described every so often, between chapters....you will be glad you did.!
I would like to thank Netgalley, Random House Publishing-Ballantine Books, and Carla Buckley for the ARC I was provided in exchange for a candid review!
Publication date for this book is March 12, 2019!
January 23, 2020
I stuck with this book because of the many 4 and 5 star reviews.... Well, I finished- and I still can't figure out why the hell I did! Oh well.......
January 14, 2019
Huge fan of Carla Buckley. I read all of her books and loved them. I hate to say that this was not one of my favorites. I usually love books that I alternate between characters but not this one. At times I was confused and wondered what that person had to do with the story. That person would be Hank. He shows up in the beginning and his purpose isn’t fully explained until much later on. The story seemed interesting at first, with Sara being in the Federal Witness Program. Unfortunately, Sara was not very likable. I never got to really know her and didn’t feel like I would want to. I felt horrible for Boon. He’s such a lovable little boy, with his scruffy Wolf always in his arms. He’s gone through so much in his short life and is lucky to be alive. I kept hoping someone would get that rash looked at by a doctor. Cassie was just screaming for help, but no one was listening. I still can’t believe she was only twelve. Their mom had mental issues and their dad left them alone all hours to work, I knew something bad would happen. There were so many storylines going on plus a hurricane. The Nelsons could have been a separate book with all the issues that family had. The ending was so disappointing. Nothing was resolved for me. What happened to Sara?
I recommend the book, it just wasn’t for me. I didn’t hate it, but also didn’t love it like the author’s previous books.
Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and the author, Carla Buckley, for a free electronic ARC of this novel.
I recommend the book, it just wasn’t for me. I didn’t hate it, but also didn’t love it like the author’s previous books.
Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and the author, Carla Buckley, for a free electronic ARC of this novel.
November 16, 2018
Sara moves to the Outer Banks part of the witness protection program. In the apartment next to her’s, she discovers 12-year-old Cassie and her younger brother Boon, who have been left to fend for themselves during a hurricane. Sara makes a split decision and drives off with the children into the storm.
Carla Buckley’s the Good Goodbye is one of my all-time favorite books, but this one just did not move me. I found that the first half drew me in, but the second half seemed to be all over the place and lack purpose. There were characters, Hank and Joyce, that were only introduced in the second half and I did not understand how they added to the story. In turn, several of the characters from the first half were completely forgotten about in the second. I felt like there were too many minor storylines and characters with no real focus. I finished the book without really understanding the overall point of it. Sadly, this one just wasn’t for me.
Many thanks to Edelweiss, Ballantine Books and Carla Buckley for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Carla Buckley’s the Good Goodbye is one of my all-time favorite books, but this one just did not move me. I found that the first half drew me in, but the second half seemed to be all over the place and lack purpose. There were characters, Hank and Joyce, that were only introduced in the second half and I did not understand how they added to the story. In turn, several of the characters from the first half were completely forgotten about in the second. I felt like there were too many minor storylines and characters with no real focus. I finished the book without really understanding the overall point of it. Sadly, this one just wasn’t for me.
Many thanks to Edelweiss, Ballantine Books and Carla Buckley for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
March 1, 2019
Buckley is a force to be reckoned with, an established writer, but she is new to me; I wasn’t done with this grab-you-by-the-hair thriller when I lurched over to my desktop to order two more of her novels from Seattle Bibliocommons, a thing I rarely do. Big thanks go to Net Galley and Random House Ballantine for the review copy. You can get this book March 12, 2019, and you should.
Sara Lennox is starting life new under the witness protection program. She has a new name and a dull new life, working as a cleaner—seriously, her a house cleaner?—and living in a damp, dull one-bedroom at the Paradise Apartments on North Carolina’s outer banks. It’s sweltering here. She asked to be placed on the Pacific Ocean, but no, she’s stuck here. Welcome to Paradise!
To top it all off, her handlers tell her not to go anywhere for a while; don’t take risks. It’s like telling a fish not to swim for a few months.
Meanwhile, the family next door is in crisis, but then for them, that’s not new. Whit and Diane Nelson have a stormy relationship; they know how to yank each other’s chains, and they do it constantly. Diane is gorgeous, a stunning woman that’s accustomed to owning every room she enters. She’s also completely irresponsible, devoid of even the most basic maternal instincts, and this came to a head when she snapped their little boy into his car seat, then went to work without dropping him off first. She forgot he was there, okay?
But it’s not okay. In the end, little Boon did come out of that coma—but psychologically he’s a mess, and once he is home, Diane is no better a mother than she was before. Add to this the ensuing visits from Robin the social worker and the intrusion of the state into their lives.
Why can’t that woman just mind her own business?
Whit loves his kids and knows he should leave Diane, but he can’t. They are the codependents from hell. So as twelve-year-old Cassie develops, she is burdened with many of the tasks that Diane ought to be doing; she’s the one Boon comes to when their parents’ raging battles scare him. Cassie has a right to be a preteen, but she can’t have a normal adolescence because Diane is doing that despite her age. It isn’t fair.
Sara meets Cassie when Cassie breaks into her apartment. It sat empty for a long time, and Cassie had become accustomed to thinking of it as her own space. Leap across the balcony railing onto the one adjoining, and there you are. Cassie is a ball of rage, furious at her mother’s abdication and her father’s inability to set boundaries. Angry kids get into a lot of trouble.
And then Diane disappears. She’s done that before, taken off in a huff with no warning, abandoning her children and then reappearing after days, a weekend, a week or more. But this time is different. Her car and her purse are still here, for instance. And as the story climbs toward its crescendo, we get the sense that something sinister has occurred. Oh, Whit. What did you do?
Despite her disinclination to be involved with this family, Sara is pulled into the lives of the children. When a record-setting storm hurls its fury down upon the Outer Banks and the Paradise Apartments and evacuation is the order of the day, Sara sees Boon, then Cassie as she leaps into her car to peel out of there. His father’s car is gone. Though it’s the last thing she wants to do, Sara gets back out and lets Cassie and Boon scramble into her car. They’re off, and nobody knows who these children left with.
Buckley is absolutely unerring in her development of Sara and all of the members of the Nelson family. When an inconsistency appears, later in the story we see why the author put it there in order to move the story forward. Psychological fiction can be written without deeply layered characters, but it’s a lot better with characters like these, so achingly real.
So in the end, which character is the liar’s child? Every single one of them.
Those that love a true thriller, one that makes your pulse race and your breath stop from time to time should buy this book and read it. Buckley is a master storyteller of the first order, and you won’t want to miss it.
Sara Lennox is starting life new under the witness protection program. She has a new name and a dull new life, working as a cleaner—seriously, her a house cleaner?—and living in a damp, dull one-bedroom at the Paradise Apartments on North Carolina’s outer banks. It’s sweltering here. She asked to be placed on the Pacific Ocean, but no, she’s stuck here. Welcome to Paradise!
To top it all off, her handlers tell her not to go anywhere for a while; don’t take risks. It’s like telling a fish not to swim for a few months.
Meanwhile, the family next door is in crisis, but then for them, that’s not new. Whit and Diane Nelson have a stormy relationship; they know how to yank each other’s chains, and they do it constantly. Diane is gorgeous, a stunning woman that’s accustomed to owning every room she enters. She’s also completely irresponsible, devoid of even the most basic maternal instincts, and this came to a head when she snapped their little boy into his car seat, then went to work without dropping him off first. She forgot he was there, okay?
But it’s not okay. In the end, little Boon did come out of that coma—but psychologically he’s a mess, and once he is home, Diane is no better a mother than she was before. Add to this the ensuing visits from Robin the social worker and the intrusion of the state into their lives.
Why can’t that woman just mind her own business?
Whit loves his kids and knows he should leave Diane, but he can’t. They are the codependents from hell. So as twelve-year-old Cassie develops, she is burdened with many of the tasks that Diane ought to be doing; she’s the one Boon comes to when their parents’ raging battles scare him. Cassie has a right to be a preteen, but she can’t have a normal adolescence because Diane is doing that despite her age. It isn’t fair.
Sara meets Cassie when Cassie breaks into her apartment. It sat empty for a long time, and Cassie had become accustomed to thinking of it as her own space. Leap across the balcony railing onto the one adjoining, and there you are. Cassie is a ball of rage, furious at her mother’s abdication and her father’s inability to set boundaries. Angry kids get into a lot of trouble.
And then Diane disappears. She’s done that before, taken off in a huff with no warning, abandoning her children and then reappearing after days, a weekend, a week or more. But this time is different. Her car and her purse are still here, for instance. And as the story climbs toward its crescendo, we get the sense that something sinister has occurred. Oh, Whit. What did you do?
Despite her disinclination to be involved with this family, Sara is pulled into the lives of the children. When a record-setting storm hurls its fury down upon the Outer Banks and the Paradise Apartments and evacuation is the order of the day, Sara sees Boon, then Cassie as she leaps into her car to peel out of there. His father’s car is gone. Though it’s the last thing she wants to do, Sara gets back out and lets Cassie and Boon scramble into her car. They’re off, and nobody knows who these children left with.
Buckley is absolutely unerring in her development of Sara and all of the members of the Nelson family. When an inconsistency appears, later in the story we see why the author put it there in order to move the story forward. Psychological fiction can be written without deeply layered characters, but it’s a lot better with characters like these, so achingly real.
So in the end, which character is the liar’s child? Every single one of them.
Those that love a true thriller, one that makes your pulse race and your breath stop from time to time should buy this book and read it. Buckley is a master storyteller of the first order, and you won’t want to miss it.
February 12, 2019
A woman in the WITSEC program who is plotting to slip her bonds, two kids whose AWOL mother holds more sway over them than she should, a father who is trying to keep it all together, a haunted ex-police sheriff with a ton of baggage -- lives blown apart and then together by a hurricane threatening the Outer Banks. I chose this as a potential sorbet after reading some heavily engaging works, and was pleasantly surprised at the depth and scope of the writing and characterizations. The redemption and self discovery between these pages lift it above the ordinary, and I'll look for more of Buckley's books.
May 12, 2019
Really enjoyed this! Several surprises, revealed appropriately, and well written. Realistic ending, everything didn’t turn out perfectly but it was satisfying.
May 20, 2020
She's on the run, in the witness protection program, using her new name - Sara Lennox.
She's a mother who disappeared after accidentally leaving her son locked in a hot car on a sweltering day. Diane has disappeared, and her husband and children don't know where she is.
She's in 7th grade, and is in charge of her little brother while her Dad works and her mom is who-knows-where. Cassie is angry, sad, and a typical teenager.
These characters are part of the make up this exciting thriller. We don't know exactly what Sara did, but we know she doesn't like her current situation. We don't know where Diane went, and we don't know what's going to happen to Cassie and her little brother. All of these questions, and then a hurricane bears down on the Outer Banks, where they live in an apartment complex called The Paradise. Everyone, and everything, is in turmoil.
Thanks to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for a copy of this suspenseful novel in exchange for my review.
4 stars
She's a mother who disappeared after accidentally leaving her son locked in a hot car on a sweltering day. Diane has disappeared, and her husband and children don't know where she is.
She's in 7th grade, and is in charge of her little brother while her Dad works and her mom is who-knows-where. Cassie is angry, sad, and a typical teenager.
These characters are part of the make up this exciting thriller. We don't know exactly what Sara did, but we know she doesn't like her current situation. We don't know where Diane went, and we don't know what's going to happen to Cassie and her little brother. All of these questions, and then a hurricane bears down on the Outer Banks, where they live in an apartment complex called The Paradise. Everyone, and everything, is in turmoil.
Thanks to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for a copy of this suspenseful novel in exchange for my review.
4 stars
December 10, 2018
There are stories within stories in this powerhouse drama of family, children, guilt, remorse and the trusting innocence of a child. Sara is in witness protection. Whitt is trying to keep his and his two children’s lives from spiraling out of control, at the same time missing the only woman he truly loved. Hank is a washed out sheriff who keeps trying to make amends for that awful night years ago. There are many secrets and more trauma than any child or parent should have to endure. But, they all go on doing what they think is best for themselves and those they love until finally everything comes to a head and their stories intersect during one of the worst hurricanes to ever hit the outer banks.
January 24, 2019
This was an amazing story. Cassie and Boon are Whit’s children. Sara is their neighbor, a woman in Witness Protection who has plans to run as soon as she can. The children’s mother had recently disappeared and was believed to have run away from her responsibilities. Everything comes to a head during and following a hurricane on the NC outer banks. Whit leaves the children alone at their apartment to go “help” his parents who had severe damage to their home. Sara takes the children with her while she is attempting to get away from the storm. The story is told from different viewpoints each chapter. The reader gets to learn the whole story in bits and pieces and gets to watch the characters develop throughout...and learn about themselves. Thanks to Net Galley and Ballantine for an e-Galley for an honest review.
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