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Never Tell a Lie
It all started with the yard sale. Ivy was eight months and one week pregnant when she insisted that she and her husband, David, clean out the junk they’d inherited with with the old Victorian house they’d bought three years before. Call it nesting, call it nerves—she just wanted it all gone: the old electrical fixtures, the boxes of National Geographic from the 1960s, the four black wool greatcoats.
Neither she nor David recognized the woman at first. But it turned out that the customer asking about the lime-green glass swan dish—the woman who looked just about as pregnant as Ivy—was none other than Melinda White, a former high school classmate of David and Ivy’s. When Melinda was a child she used to play in their new house, she explained. Would it be all right if she took a look around? David took Melinda inside. And she never came out.
Now David’s under police suspicion, and Ivy finds herself digging deep into the past to clear his name. But David’s history, she begins to discover, is not necessarily the history she remembers, and before long Ivy has uncovered a twisted web of deceit, betrayal, and lies, both the ones we tell those we love and the ones we tell ourselves....
Relentlessly fast-paced and disturbingly creepy, Never Tell a Lie is a page-turning thrill ride about how well we know the people we love, and how far we are willing to go to protect the secrets of our past.
Neither she nor David recognized the woman at first. But it turned out that the customer asking about the lime-green glass swan dish—the woman who looked just about as pregnant as Ivy—was none other than Melinda White, a former high school classmate of David and Ivy’s. When Melinda was a child she used to play in their new house, she explained. Would it be all right if she took a look around? David took Melinda inside. And she never came out.
Now David’s under police suspicion, and Ivy finds herself digging deep into the past to clear his name. But David’s history, she begins to discover, is not necessarily the history she remembers, and before long Ivy has uncovered a twisted web of deceit, betrayal, and lies, both the ones we tell those we love and the ones we tell ourselves....
Relentlessly fast-paced and disturbingly creepy, Never Tell a Lie is a page-turning thrill ride about how well we know the people we love, and how far we are willing to go to protect the secrets of our past.
271 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
180 people are currently reading
3081 people want to read
About the author
Hallie Ephron
21 books559 followersHallie Ephron (http://hallieephron.com) is a New York Times bestselling author of suspense novels. Her last five have all been Mary Higgins Clark Award finalists.
Her (August 2019) Careful What You Wish For tells the story of a professional organizer married to man who can't pass a yard sale without stopping. In this respect, Hallie is writing from personal experience. Her husband is a champion yard sailor who's packed their basement, garage, and attic with his finds.
A STARRED review in Publisher's Weekly proclaimed it an "outstanding standalone." Reviewing it for TIME Magazine, Jamie Lee Curtis called it "thrilling and suspenseful." From Kirkus: "Ephron's tidy approach to stowing clues, arousing suspicions, keeping the chaos of the climax under control, then tying up loose ends makes her a professional organizer of this type of entertainment. In a word—neat."
Hallie's Never Tell a Lie was made into the Lifetime Movie Network film.
A book lover, she also wrote The Bibliophile's Devotional and 1001 Books for Every Mood. For twelve years she reviewed crime fiction for the Boston Globe. Her Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel (now in a revised/expanded edition) was an Edgar and Anthony award finalist. She teaches writing at writing conferences and workshops all around the world.
Hallie lives near Boston with her husband and has two fabulous daughters. She is the third of four writing Ephron sisters.
Her (August 2019) Careful What You Wish For tells the story of a professional organizer married to man who can't pass a yard sale without stopping. In this respect, Hallie is writing from personal experience. Her husband is a champion yard sailor who's packed their basement, garage, and attic with his finds.
A STARRED review in Publisher's Weekly proclaimed it an "outstanding standalone." Reviewing it for TIME Magazine, Jamie Lee Curtis called it "thrilling and suspenseful." From Kirkus: "Ephron's tidy approach to stowing clues, arousing suspicions, keeping the chaos of the climax under control, then tying up loose ends makes her a professional organizer of this type of entertainment. In a word—neat."
Hallie's Never Tell a Lie was made into the Lifetime Movie Network film.
A book lover, she also wrote The Bibliophile's Devotional and 1001 Books for Every Mood. For twelve years she reviewed crime fiction for the Boston Globe. Her Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel (now in a revised/expanded edition) was an Edgar and Anthony award finalist. She teaches writing at writing conferences and workshops all around the world.
Hallie lives near Boston with her husband and has two fabulous daughters. She is the third of four writing Ephron sisters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 495 reviews
August 5, 2022
"I always adored this house," Melinda said. "All those fire places. Great for playing hide-and- seek, so many nooks and crannies".
Never Tell a Lie by Hallie Ephron
Yet another book with "Lie" in the title.
Premise is good though..young married couple having a yard sale. Old female friend of the groom turns up. He gives her a tour of their house..and she never comes out again.
This was a quick and engaging book. Read it in a night. While I enjoyed it, it did not "wow" me.
So this is a mystery and it was marketed as having a sort of Hitchcock vibe. That sounded pretty cool.
To be honest, however, I really did not see alot of Hitchcock in here. I also felt many times the book was trying to be scary when it wasn't. However, it did succeed in drawing me in. I wanted to see how it would all work out.
The premise is what caused me to pick this one. What a great original concept! A Yard sale gone terribly wrong. I have had yard sales and do not think I will ever look at them in quite the same way after reading this book.
SPOILERS:
So I enjoyed it but was a bit baffled by the ending. Some of it made no sense to me and there were questions I still had that were not answered. Recommended for a quick fun read.
Never Tell a Lie by Hallie Ephron
Yet another book with "Lie" in the title.
Premise is good though..young married couple having a yard sale. Old female friend of the groom turns up. He gives her a tour of their house..and she never comes out again.
This was a quick and engaging book. Read it in a night. While I enjoyed it, it did not "wow" me.
So this is a mystery and it was marketed as having a sort of Hitchcock vibe. That sounded pretty cool.
To be honest, however, I really did not see alot of Hitchcock in here. I also felt many times the book was trying to be scary when it wasn't. However, it did succeed in drawing me in. I wanted to see how it would all work out.
The premise is what caused me to pick this one. What a great original concept! A Yard sale gone terribly wrong. I have had yard sales and do not think I will ever look at them in quite the same way after reading this book.
SPOILERS:
So I enjoyed it but was a bit baffled by the ending. Some of it made no sense to me and there were questions I still had that were not answered. Recommended for a quick fun read.
March 9, 2018
This wasn't a book I had ever even heard of until it showed up on my doorstep. Apparently I'd won it in a giveaway, and seeing as I had just finished my last book and this one looked interesting I gave it a try. If you know my reading tastes, it's generally easy to presume that if it's gruesome and creepy or downright graphic in it's thrills, there's almost a guarantee that I'll love it. In the case of this book, that love is a good and bad thing. On the one hand, this isn't a book thats gruesome or graphic despite aiming for the "creepy thriller" genre (as told by it's comparison to old Hitchcock on the cover). It is, however, pretty good at suspense so I'll give it a bump up for that.
Overall, it was an enjoyable and easy read but it didn't have that special "oomph" that would make me bump it up past 3 stars. Worth a read, but not a favorite.
Should you buy it?: If this is one that looks interesting to you, I'd say go for it! Especially now that I think it's been out long enough to have made it's way into trade paperback status meaning you can pick it up for pretty cheap.
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Overall, it was an enjoyable and easy read but it didn't have that special "oomph" that would make me bump it up past 3 stars. Worth a read, but not a favorite.
Should you buy it?: If this is one that looks interesting to you, I'd say go for it! Especially now that I think it's been out long enough to have made it's way into trade paperback status meaning you can pick it up for pretty cheap.
WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM
April 30, 2017
It turned out to be a fast enjoyable read. Some nice turnabouts and just fun.
January 15, 2009
I wouldn't call this "a novel of suspense". I knew exactly who, what, and why from the first chapter.
February 24, 2009
Picture this; a creepy girl from high school shows up at your yard sale but now she’s a weird pregnant woman. She obviously wants something, and is making you a little uncomfortable. You’re saved by your gallant husband who offers to show her the house. You breathe a sigh of relief until she turns up missing, and yet with dozens of witnesses, no one can confirm they saw her exit your house. The clues start to pile up, and they threaten to ruin your life.
And so goes Hallie Ephron’s Never Tell a Lie. This novel is exactly what you’d expect it to be--an incredibly fast paced if predictable mystery. It’s a good guilty pleasure with a lot of things going for it: a sainted heroine, a sexy husband, and a scary lunatic. Ephron writes with a nice flow, and the book is easily finished in a day. If you’re looking for an addictive effortless read, you’ve found your novel.
And so goes Hallie Ephron’s Never Tell a Lie. This novel is exactly what you’d expect it to be--an incredibly fast paced if predictable mystery. It’s a good guilty pleasure with a lot of things going for it: a sainted heroine, a sexy husband, and a scary lunatic. Ephron writes with a nice flow, and the book is easily finished in a day. If you’re looking for an addictive effortless read, you’ve found your novel.
December 28, 2012
Prompted by the title, I must admit that I found this book to be quite a disappointment. The story manages to be both incredibly predictable while also incredibly implausible. Reading it exercises all of your eye-rolling muscles, that’s for sure! The characters, straightforward and simple, aren’t engaging enough to compensate for the shockingly trite plot. It completely spoils the reading experience. And Ivy’s pregnancy only adds to the ridiculous nature of the majority of her actions. At the same time, the major “twist” (and sole creator of motive) goes remarkably unresolved. I wish there had been something redeeming here, but this is just a total “miss” for me.
July 28, 2024
I honestly don't know what to think right now. This book had me on the edge of my seat and then I didn't like the ending, lol. The way this book made me feel says five stars, but the ending says four stars (of course I marked it five stars just because of the reading experience and how this made me feel, but more like four 🤷♀️🤦♀️). I can say I have found a new author to read.
November 16, 2014
DNF
This sounded like such a great story. Terrible formatting, missing words and missing letters made it difficult to read, and I didn't have the patience to finish it.
December 14, 2008
I literally could not put this book down and powered through it in a matter of hours. It's a gripping tale of a young couple who have a yard sale one Sunday that an old high school acquaintance shows up at. This is an innocent start to a nightmare that threatens to
shatter, even end, their lives. Pay attention--there are clues throughout the text.
shatter, even end, their lives. Pay attention--there are clues throughout the text.
October 17, 2009
Hallie Ephron's book has a blurb on the cover describing it as "compelling,chilling... 'unputdownable'". One would expect this mystery novel to be a gripping, suspenseful tale, but she has failed to meet expectations. I soon developed suspicions of the solution of this contrived plot, which in the end proved to be correct. Somehow, this book was just an ordinary "teaser", with few redeeming factors.
In all fairness to Ms. Ephron's efforts, I probably should have rated this with three stars because she did manage to stimulate my curiosity to read this to the conclusion.
In all fairness to Ms. Ephron's efforts, I probably should have rated this with three stars because she did manage to stimulate my curiosity to read this to the conclusion.
November 16, 2022
This read like a bad Lifetime movie. It was easily predictable. I knew from the day of the yard sale what was going to happen.
I gave it an extra star because the writing style flowed easily. The chapters werent excessively long.
I gave it an extra star because the writing style flowed easily. The chapters werent excessively long.
March 14, 2019
Me ha parecido entretenido sin más. Demasiado peliculero y con muchas cosas algo inverosímiles y un poco cogidas con pinzas. En ocasiones me parecía una película de sobremesa de Antena 3. Hay libros mucho mejores dentro de este género, así que no sé si lo recomendaría.
June 9, 2010
4.0 out of 5 stars Suspense thriller for the squeamish, July 17, 2009
This review is from: Never Tell a Lie: A Novel of Suspense (Hardcover)
This is not the typical suspense thriller on the market today -- in fact, I enjoyed it even more because it didn't contain grisly details of torture and murder! Sure there's murder -- but -- is there?
This is a really fast read that grabs you and keeps you glued to the pages through the night. Easy to finish in one sitting, it's a great debut mystery novel by an author I haven't previously read.
Pregnant Ivy and her husband David are having a yard sale when they reconnect with a former acquaintance -- a fellow high school classmate named Melinda. She's friendly and interested in them and their lives -- coincidentally, she's also pregnant. It's after their conversation that the roller coaster takes off and the wild ride ensues.
Even though most readers will figure out what's going on long before the end, they will still enjoy the ride to the final destination. Enjoy!
This review is from: Never Tell a Lie: A Novel of Suspense (Hardcover)
This is not the typical suspense thriller on the market today -- in fact, I enjoyed it even more because it didn't contain grisly details of torture and murder! Sure there's murder -- but -- is there?
This is a really fast read that grabs you and keeps you glued to the pages through the night. Easy to finish in one sitting, it's a great debut mystery novel by an author I haven't previously read.
Pregnant Ivy and her husband David are having a yard sale when they reconnect with a former acquaintance -- a fellow high school classmate named Melinda. She's friendly and interested in them and their lives -- coincidentally, she's also pregnant. It's after their conversation that the roller coaster takes off and the wild ride ensues.
Even though most readers will figure out what's going on long before the end, they will still enjoy the ride to the final destination. Enjoy!
February 29, 2020
Don't Lie
Wow, this a nail biting edge-of-your seat thriller. A woman who is pregnant has a yard sale, and one of her former classmates from high school shows up there. She too is pregnant and about as far along as the other woman. She tells the woman whose having the sale, that she Melinda used to live here. Melinda wants a tour of the house, and ivy the other woman's husband agreed to show her the house. Then, Melinda turns up missing, and Ivy's husband was the last person to see her. This is a thriller full of twists and turns. I know you'll enjoy it, check it out. I want to read more of Hallie Ephron's books!
Wow, this a nail biting edge-of-your seat thriller. A woman who is pregnant has a yard sale, and one of her former classmates from high school shows up there. She too is pregnant and about as far along as the other woman. She tells the woman whose having the sale, that she Melinda used to live here. Melinda wants a tour of the house, and ivy the other woman's husband agreed to show her the house. Then, Melinda turns up missing, and Ivy's husband was the last person to see her. This is a thriller full of twists and turns. I know you'll enjoy it, check it out. I want to read more of Hallie Ephron's books!
December 6, 2020
No está mal se deja leer pero me recordó a las peliculas de los domingos por la tarde, jajaja.
January 13, 2009
Never Tell a Lie, by Hallie Ephron, a "new to me author", is a must read for anyone who enjoys a fast paced thriller. I read half of the book last night (hated to stop for sleep), and then I woke up early today to finish it. I could not wait to see how this one ended.
Ivy and David Rose are a young couple expecting the first baby is just a few weeks. The live in a charming old Victorian home in (fictional) Brush Hills, MA. Amy convinces her husband to have a yard sale to clean out a bunch of junk that was left in the house by the former owner. An old high school classmate of Ivy and David shows up at the sale. Melinda White who was a plain-Jane, and a bit of an odd-ball in school, has now improved her appearance and, she also appears to be about as pregnant as Ivy. Melinda tells the couple she use to play in their house when she was a child, and that she would love to look inside. David takes Melinda inside. Several days later they learn that Melinda has disappeared and no one can remember seeing her leave the sale. The evidence uncovered makes the couple prime suspects; has Melinda been murdered?
Before long Ivy has uncovered a twisted web of deceit, betrayal, and lies. Just when I thought that I had the story figured out it took another twist. I loved the fast pace appeal that made you want to continue turning the pages, but I was just slightly disappointed by the final outcome.
Ivy and David Rose are a young couple expecting the first baby is just a few weeks. The live in a charming old Victorian home in (fictional) Brush Hills, MA. Amy convinces her husband to have a yard sale to clean out a bunch of junk that was left in the house by the former owner. An old high school classmate of Ivy and David shows up at the sale. Melinda White who was a plain-Jane, and a bit of an odd-ball in school, has now improved her appearance and, she also appears to be about as pregnant as Ivy. Melinda tells the couple she use to play in their house when she was a child, and that she would love to look inside. David takes Melinda inside. Several days later they learn that Melinda has disappeared and no one can remember seeing her leave the sale. The evidence uncovered makes the couple prime suspects; has Melinda been murdered?
Before long Ivy has uncovered a twisted web of deceit, betrayal, and lies. Just when I thought that I had the story figured out it took another twist. I loved the fast pace appeal that made you want to continue turning the pages, but I was just slightly disappointed by the final outcome.
February 9, 2013
When a novel is tagged as a thriller by reviewers, I expect to read one. I expect to read a lot of intrigue, suspense plot and a consistent plot. Also the story has to be fast paced, it cannot leap all over the place and the plot must interest me enough to keep reading. There are many accolades about this book and I left wondering about all the critical acclaim. In the beginning of the novel, it started off good, learning about David and Ivy garage sell, meeting Melinda after years but then the author lost focus. I really do not care about characters that holds no relevance to the story, I am not suppose to guess what role they have. If they are not contributing to the story, then DON'T ADD THEM! Besides the writing style was mediocre, nothing made me care about what happened to any of these characters.
Poor quality, undeveloped characters, inconsistency, unnecessary drama and terrible all around! I was not impressed, I actually got so annoyed that I was flipping pages to see how this tragedy ended. I wish I can say that I enjoyed the ending at least but I did not get to it. This book did not deserve all the praise it received, it was horrific! Absolutely poor attempt to be a suspense, far more better books than this, PASS!
Poor quality, undeveloped characters, inconsistency, unnecessary drama and terrible all around! I was not impressed, I actually got so annoyed that I was flipping pages to see how this tragedy ended. I wish I can say that I enjoyed the ending at least but I did not get to it. This book did not deserve all the praise it received, it was horrific! Absolutely poor attempt to be a suspense, far more better books than this, PASS!
June 15, 2017
I thought this was your typical, predictable psychological story at the beginning of the story, but my opinion changed as I read more of the book. It was a guessing game until the last page!
It all begins when Ivy , eight months pregnant and her husband David decide to clean out the junk from previous owners by having a garage sale. An old high school classmate , Melinda comes to the event and asks to be shown inside the house where she used to play. She was bullied in high school and still has an obsession with David which is still evident. No one sees Melinda leave the house, and soon after, she is declared missing. The police soon suspect David in the disappearance and eventually murder. He is arrested and Ivy must search for answers, risking both her life and her unborn child's in an attempt to clear her husband. The terror mounts with each page as horrifying events unfold.
I received this book from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed reading it and couldn't wait for the truth to be unveiled!!
It all begins when Ivy , eight months pregnant and her husband David decide to clean out the junk from previous owners by having a garage sale. An old high school classmate , Melinda comes to the event and asks to be shown inside the house where she used to play. She was bullied in high school and still has an obsession with David which is still evident. No one sees Melinda leave the house, and soon after, she is declared missing. The police soon suspect David in the disappearance and eventually murder. He is arrested and Ivy must search for answers, risking both her life and her unborn child's in an attempt to clear her husband. The terror mounts with each page as horrifying events unfold.
I received this book from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed reading it and couldn't wait for the truth to be unveiled!!
January 17, 2009
Even though in the title it says this is a novel of suspense, it wasn't suspenseful to me in the slightest. I had it figured out early on. Too many clues thrown straight at you. It just made me want to scream at the main character for taking so long to figure it out. I just skimmed through the last third of the book. Thank goodness I got it on my Kindle and saved some money. Fortunately it is a very fast read.
February 15, 2009
This book was very fast-paced. Like the cover read, it was "unputdownable". The ending was a little abrupt for my liking, but overall I really enjoyed the book.
Want to read
July 3, 2019i’m not gonna lie, i 100% grabbed this solely because the main characters name is ivy rose and that’s my dog’s name.
January 18, 2022
Rýchly spád, málo postáv, správne zamotaná, napínavá, nie príliš dlhá ... Suma sumárum dobrá oddychovka.
August 18, 2016
Sometimes I pick up a book or decide to take a quick look on my Kindle with no intention of reading it right then, and, of course, I end up reading it through non-stop. Never Tell a Lie by Hallie Ephron has been on my Kindle for a bit, and in looking through the books on my Kindle, I came across it, wondering why I hadn't read it yet. So, I decided to take a quick look, and finally at 3 a.m. and 61% into the book, I got some sleep and finished it the next day. The story grabs you, period. I had to know what happened, no choice in the matter.
Ivy Rose is finally having all her dreams come true, as she and husband David, are awaiting the birth of their first child. They decide to have a yard sale to rid themselves of old items left behind by the previous owner in their Victorian house, and an old school mate from high school shows up at the sale. Melinda White was the butt of many jokes in high school due to her odd behavior and dowdy looks, not a friend of either Ivy's or David's. But, this Melinda is the new, improved version and is wearing a top announcing a pregnancy as full as Ivy's. Ivy becomes uncomfortable with Melinda's probing questions and in-her-face closeness, and David offers to show the house to Melinda, the house where, interestingly enough, Melinda played in as a child when her mother was a housekeeper there.
When Melinda White is reported missing, Ivy's life is turned upside-down. Last seen at Ivy's and David's house, the focus centers on that location and the couple. Odd occurrences and police scrutiny are making a nightmare out of a time that should have been one of the happiest of Ivy's life. She starts questioning her knowledge of the man whom she has loved since high school. There seem to be more and more questions and no answers.
Never Tell a Lie is full of psychological suspense that will keep the reader turning each page, needing to know what happens and, yet, afraid to know. Told from Ivy's point of view, we feel her terror in her world of imploding disaster. Life for Ivy has become a quagmire of confusion in who to believe, a mind game of extreme consequences. A read well worth worrying through.
Ivy Rose is finally having all her dreams come true, as she and husband David, are awaiting the birth of their first child. They decide to have a yard sale to rid themselves of old items left behind by the previous owner in their Victorian house, and an old school mate from high school shows up at the sale. Melinda White was the butt of many jokes in high school due to her odd behavior and dowdy looks, not a friend of either Ivy's or David's. But, this Melinda is the new, improved version and is wearing a top announcing a pregnancy as full as Ivy's. Ivy becomes uncomfortable with Melinda's probing questions and in-her-face closeness, and David offers to show the house to Melinda, the house where, interestingly enough, Melinda played in as a child when her mother was a housekeeper there.
When Melinda White is reported missing, Ivy's life is turned upside-down. Last seen at Ivy's and David's house, the focus centers on that location and the couple. Odd occurrences and police scrutiny are making a nightmare out of a time that should have been one of the happiest of Ivy's life. She starts questioning her knowledge of the man whom she has loved since high school. There seem to be more and more questions and no answers.
Never Tell a Lie is full of psychological suspense that will keep the reader turning each page, needing to know what happens and, yet, afraid to know. Told from Ivy's point of view, we feel her terror in her world of imploding disaster. Life for Ivy has become a quagmire of confusion in who to believe, a mind game of extreme consequences. A read well worth worrying through.
February 27, 2009
Oh, my goodness, this is a nail-biter! I started to read this in a chain bookstore, couldn't afford to buy it that night and so put it on hold for myself at my local public library. I can't remember the last time I have anticipated a book so eagerly.
And then, when it finally came in for me, I devoured it.
Ivy and her husband, David, are having a yard sale of all of the stuff that the previous owner of their old, Victorian house left behind. A woman shows up who says she went to high school with them. They sort of remember her. She asks for a tour of the house, which David gives her, just to be nice...but later the police show up and say the woman is now missing. What happened to her? And what is that scratching noise that Ivy keeps hearing in the walls of the house?
Even though this adult novel is about a woman (Ivy) in her 30s, I think some teens will find it appealing, too, because of the fast pace, the twists in the plot, and the fact that the characters all knew each other back in high school. AND because of the ending, which I won't spoil for you, but which invites grown-up slumber-party-esque discussion.
I think the book might appeal to both fans of Jodi Picoult and fans of Stephen King. And maybe Mary Higgins Clark, although it is not quite as "clean" or romantic as I remember her books to be.
It IS a murder mystery, but it is NOT gory horror. Hmm. But it IS creepy. I finished reading it at home in the morning, and when I went into work that afternoon, I about jumped out of my skin when I saw that someone had left the light on and the door closed to my office. I got the heebie-jeebies because in the book, the main character keeps finding things not the way she left them in her home.
Very readable.
And then, when it finally came in for me, I devoured it.
Ivy and her husband, David, are having a yard sale of all of the stuff that the previous owner of their old, Victorian house left behind. A woman shows up who says she went to high school with them. They sort of remember her. She asks for a tour of the house, which David gives her, just to be nice...but later the police show up and say the woman is now missing. What happened to her? And what is that scratching noise that Ivy keeps hearing in the walls of the house?
Even though this adult novel is about a woman (Ivy) in her 30s, I think some teens will find it appealing, too, because of the fast pace, the twists in the plot, and the fact that the characters all knew each other back in high school. AND because of the ending, which I won't spoil for you, but which invites grown-up slumber-party-esque discussion.
I think the book might appeal to both fans of Jodi Picoult and fans of Stephen King. And maybe Mary Higgins Clark, although it is not quite as "clean" or romantic as I remember her books to be.
It IS a murder mystery, but it is NOT gory horror. Hmm. But it IS creepy. I finished reading it at home in the morning, and when I went into work that afternoon, I about jumped out of my skin when I saw that someone had left the light on and the door closed to my office. I got the heebie-jeebies because in the book, the main character keeps finding things not the way she left them in her home.
Very readable.
March 9, 2010
http://tinyurl.com/cs3gho
This is the first mystery by a woman famous for having written the bible on how to write mysteries (Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel)? Huh, I guess practicing what you preach is a lot harder than it sounds.
I've never seen so many telegraphed clues in one book; I think I spotted at least 6. Anyone who's read at least a dozen mysteries will be able to spot them all as well, I guarantee it. This means that by page 25 I knew the outcome of the book. I even bet my husband a thousand dollars that I'd be right (which he cleverly didn't take since I was bemoaning clues and plot as I read).
It's not that the writing is terrible. In fact, it's good-- I would be surprised if it weren't, seeing as Ephron is a professor of creative writing. Her post-crisis ending is particularly inspired. But it seems to me that clever writing is a different talent from clever plot direction. While you are enjoying the story of Ivy and her too-good-to-be-true husband about to have their first baby and what unfolds around their seemingly perfect life, you just wish it were over because you already know what will transpire. Or maybe for some, that lets everything off the hook and you can just sit back and relax?
This is the first mystery by a woman famous for having written the bible on how to write mysteries (Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel)? Huh, I guess practicing what you preach is a lot harder than it sounds.
I've never seen so many telegraphed clues in one book; I think I spotted at least 6. Anyone who's read at least a dozen mysteries will be able to spot them all as well, I guarantee it. This means that by page 25 I knew the outcome of the book. I even bet my husband a thousand dollars that I'd be right (which he cleverly didn't take since I was bemoaning clues and plot as I read).
It's not that the writing is terrible. In fact, it's good-- I would be surprised if it weren't, seeing as Ephron is a professor of creative writing. Her post-crisis ending is particularly inspired. But it seems to me that clever writing is a different talent from clever plot direction. While you are enjoying the story of Ivy and her too-good-to-be-true husband about to have their first baby and what unfolds around their seemingly perfect life, you just wish it were over because you already know what will transpire. Or maybe for some, that lets everything off the hook and you can just sit back and relax?
July 16, 2017
Ak mate rady J. Fieldingovu, toto je nieco pre vas.
Mlady par, ona tesne pred porodom, robi garazovy vypredaj. Zrazu sa tam objavi byvala spoluziacka, taktiez vo vysokom stupni tehotenstva. Ivy ju kedysi lutovala a nemala ju velmi rada, preto je rada, ked ju David, manzel, zbavi tej zeny a ide jej ukazat veci na povale. Ivy ju uz nevidi odchadzat.
O nejaky cas vsak pride policia s tym, ze Melinda, ta zena, je nezvestna a oni boli posledni, co ju videli.
A ked sa zacnu postupne objavovat veci, ako Melindine zakrvavene tricko ci noz z ich kuchyne, Ivy zacne pochybovat o manzelovi. Hovori pravdu, ak tvrdi, ze on Melindu nezabil? A co ten hovor na Melindinom telefone? A co ta objednana letenka?
Vyborne, napinave, bez zbytocnych postav, jednoducho tak si predstavujem skvely triler. Urcite budem citat dalsie autorkine knihy.
Mlady par, ona tesne pred porodom, robi garazovy vypredaj. Zrazu sa tam objavi byvala spoluziacka, taktiez vo vysokom stupni tehotenstva. Ivy ju kedysi lutovala a nemala ju velmi rada, preto je rada, ked ju David, manzel, zbavi tej zeny a ide jej ukazat veci na povale. Ivy ju uz nevidi odchadzat.
O nejaky cas vsak pride policia s tym, ze Melinda, ta zena, je nezvestna a oni boli posledni, co ju videli.
A ked sa zacnu postupne objavovat veci, ako Melindine zakrvavene tricko ci noz z ich kuchyne, Ivy zacne pochybovat o manzelovi. Hovori pravdu, ak tvrdi, ze on Melindu nezabil? A co ten hovor na Melindinom telefone? A co ta objednana letenka?
Vyborne, napinave, bez zbytocnych postav, jednoducho tak si predstavujem skvely triler. Urcite budem citat dalsie autorkine knihy.
February 3, 2015
had me wondering till the end the who dun it part. lost me in sections of extraneous words but overall enjoyed it.
April 21, 2018
***Goodreads Giveaway Win***
I can't say I was blown away by this book but I did like it. The characters were well-written in the sense that I was never annoyed by their decisions or dialog. Hallie Ephron does a good job writing people who act like people, not characters in a book. That said, the plot was fine; as others have said, it was pretty easy to guess the outcome. Nothing about this book blew me away. I think Hallie Ephron has an excellent book in her, this just wasn't that book.
I can't say I was blown away by this book but I did like it. The characters were well-written in the sense that I was never annoyed by their decisions or dialog. Hallie Ephron does a good job writing people who act like people, not characters in a book. That said, the plot was fine; as others have said, it was pretty easy to guess the outcome. Nothing about this book blew me away. I think Hallie Ephron has an excellent book in her, this just wasn't that book.
March 17, 2019
Questo libro mi è piaciuto ma non mi ha entusiasmato granché. Consiglio di leggerlo
April 22, 2019
Good read
I would recommend this book. Kept me on the edge on my seat. Was trying to read it as fast as I could to see how it ended.
I would recommend this book. Kept me on the edge on my seat. Was trying to read it as fast as I could to see how it ended.
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