Truthful Lies

Mikky dos Santos #5

by Janet Pywell

SHE SIGNED UP FOR DOWNTON ABBEY.
SHE STEPPED INTO THE HOUSE OF USHER.

Family dysfunction turns deadly in this riveting thriller! At first blush, the Chedwell Estate, with its sprawling grounds and sumptuous Tudor architecture, appears to be a tranquil palace tucked away in the English countryside, but appearances deceive—the Manor is more House of Usher than Downton Abbey.

In a toothsome take on a classic set-up, after their father’s death and their mother’s debilitating stroke, siblings Roberto and Stella are about to kill each other over the estate (figuratively, of course!) In a last-ditch effort to keep things civil, Stella demands they hire a curator to prevent Roberto from ransacking the estate.

Enter Mikky dos Santos, tenacious artist, forger, and all-around talented criminal. From her first day on the job, Mikky feels like she’s being taken for a ride by fancy con artists—most of all by Roberto, who is at once flirtatious and threatening. But he’s also promised her a £175,000 reward if she gets the job done swiftly while neglecting to account for certain high-end items.

The crowning touch comes when he offers Mikky an extremely valuable bargaining chip, a Dutch painting he’s acquired through a mutual colleague of theirs. The thing is, it’s a fake, and she’s the one who forged it.

As Mikky does recon, she even learns that Roberto has dirty dealings with the mafia, and they once had a price on his head. And there’s plenty more she isn’t saying. She’s secretly collaborating with an agent from Europol, the EU’s top brass, to catch Roberto red-handed.

Author Janet Pywell’s storytelling is as mesmerizing and complex as her characters, and you’ll find yourself rooting for one character and then turning against them on a dime. As Mikky tries to piece together this puzzle of deception, illicit sex, and thinly-veiled threats, she can’t tell anymore which lies are “truthful” and what’s just dead wrong. But she’d better hurry—these people are lethal.

And you’d hate to lose Mikky once you’ve met her. She’s a unique—and uniquely lovable—female protagonist: a tough, tattooed, yet vulnerable badass who’ll steal your heart with one hand while pilfering priceless paintings with the other. She’s a must-read for devotees of complex female sleuths from Kinsey Millhone to the sly Jennifer Crusie novels, especially those with an international flavor, like THE [equally-inked] GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO.

334 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 3, 2020

About the author

Janet writes gripping crime thriller novels that will keep you quickly turning the pages. The Mikky dos Santos series are set in different locations throughout Europe while the Ronda George series are set in unusual properties in the UK.

After the Covid pandemic Janet published the first book in the Westbay Romance Series, Someone Else’s Dream — a heart-warming, uplifting, feel-good novel about courage, integrity and friendship.

All the other novels in the series have a resolution at Christmas and will leave you tingling with emotion.

Janet gained an MA in Creative Writing at the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s University, Belfast. She has a background in travel and tourism and she writes using her knowledge of foreign places gained from living abroad and travelling extensively.

Janet currently lives on the Kent coast.

Subscribe to her crime newsletter here: https://www.subscribepage.com/janetpy...

Subscribe to her romance newsletter here:
https://www.subscribepage.com/the-wes...

Janet Pywell’s recently published her first non-fiction book: Ten Simple Steps for Writing Your Book. For more details check out her website:

https://janetpywellauthor.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janet.pywell/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janetpywell...

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanPywellAuthor

She can also be found on Goodreads, Bookbub and TikTok.

Reviews

[Pete · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Janet Pywell has written a complex intriguing mystery featuring her charismatic but very flawed heroine Mikky Dos Santos.
There are a number of aspects that I have come to expect from this author's books, and they include great characters, brilliant storytelling and great background. This book has all these in spades.
We get to reconnect with most of the characters that have appeared in the previous books in the series, and also get to meet lots of new ones, some are good, some are very bad, but they are all complex, three-dimensional and very believable.
The plot has so many twists and turns that it is sometimes quite difficult to follow, but very rewarding when you do, this is a book that you have to concentrate on, but for me that is a very good thing.
This book could just about be read as a standalone, but really to get the most from it it should be read in sequence with the rest of the series, the characters, especially Mikky, have developed so much through the series, and this influences their actions and choices in this book.
I received an advance copy of the book, but have voluntarily written this honest review.

[Shelley Amazon ca reviews as Purrrplehaze · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typical Mikky !!

As a huge fan of the series I eagerly awaited this installment. It was Mikky as we know and love her..stubborn, feisty and fearless. True to herself. Brazenly throwing caution and common sense to the wind.

I see that Janet is already working on the next (and final) sequel and I'm glad it will be the last one.

Having said that, I found it took too long to get "there". Janet has always done a great job of prepping us and laying down the groundwork for the action to follow. Although it all came together at the end, I found it wasn't her usual stunner. But was great nonetheless!!

I received a free ARC of this book from the author and I am thrilled to be able to give you my honest review.

[Bettyboop · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first Mikky book, now the prequel is a must read!

I’m behind, just read book 5, Truthful Lies, a complex, fascinating story with a complex, fascinating character, Mikky dos Santos. How is it possible to have ‘Truthful Lies’, Ms Pywell revealed that in her story about deceit and greed at any cost. Lots of suspense and thrilling action with Mikky at the center making the pages fly to get to the truth. Thoroughly engaged, I have catching up to do, it’s the prequel, Golden Icon for me.

[Hannelore Cheney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the eARC.
This book was mildly fun to read, but there wasn't enough in-depth information about art for me, something I was hoping for. The mystery was a bit predictable and the characters just ok. I wish I could have liked the story more as I was looking forward to reading the book, but it all seemed a bit unrealistic and predictable. I didn't really care for any of the characters and wish Nikki's character had been more fleshed out. Although I hadn't read the previous books in the series...maybe that's why I couldn't really get into the story.

[Michael Goldman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but somewhat contrived

I was hoping for a good mystery with a background in the find art world. There was only very superficial content related to the world of cataloging collections etc. The mystery was not really rewarding as the proverbial "bad guys" , we're clearly identified from the beginning of the story. Personally did not find the characters interesting

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The saga of Mikky dos Santos continues. This time she starts curating at the manor of a dysfunctional family in England, follows a lead to Croatia, and finally resolves the issues in Italy - with the help of her Europol colleagues after more twists than a dozen crullers. Well done, Janet Pywell; please continue to go from strength to strength.

[Sherelyn Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book!

I liked each and every one of the characters in this book which is very fast paced and very exciting to read. I was so wound up in the ending I stayed up late to finish. I think anyone who likes a thriller so enjoy this book..

[Linda Haug · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mikky doing what she does best

A fun ride with a few twists. But some of it was too unrealistic and at other times it all became a tad too predictable.

[T Olsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly fantastic plot, very intricate and unpredictable, as well as great writing with excellent characters.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

very knowledgeable about art - this is a fast paced thriller, with some hints of over description but a good read

[Gregory Trammell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intense

Amazing characters and a twisty plot keep you absorbed. A great ending you will find highly satisfying. Also gives you a look at exotic locales.