Telling Lies

Sam Mason Mysteries #1

by L.A. Dobbs

The small police force of White Rock, New Hampshire, is still reeling from the death of Officer Tyler Richardson when they are called to the scene of the accidental drowning of an out-of-town camper.

But Chief Sam Mason and Sergeant Jody Harris soon discover the drowning was no accident. Someone murdered Lynn Palmer and staged the scene to make it look that way.

With a pool of suspects who aren’t telling the truth and a corrupt mayor who wants the case solved yesterday, Sam and Jo follow a puzzling trail of clues with a surprise ending. And when a stray dog points them in the right direction, Sam discovers the killer is closer than he thought.

Just when Sam and Jo think they can rest after having solved Lynn’s murder, a shocking discovery proves that sometimes even those you trust can be telling lies.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Suspense, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Thriller

264 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 16, 2017

About the author

L.A. Dobbs is the not-so-cozy pen name of USA Today bestselling cozy mystery author Leighann Dobbs. Under the name L.A. Dobbs, she writes engaging mysteries that have twisty plots filled with secrets and lies.

Reviews

[Tulay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dog lovers will enjoy this book.

This one being the first book in this series, not much character development. But I hope next book will get into characters more, also ending looks like the start of the next book.
Started with loved police officer funeral, killed by a person driving a stolen car. This was the mystery one, second is the Lynn Palmer. She was found flooding in the river, she was the one of the campers. Lucy the dog was found by the river barking. Good dog Lucy...Yes, don't feed her jelly donuts.
Small town White Rock, New Hampshire mayor isn't liked many people, all he thinks is his next election. Will be reading all the books in this series, parts slow, but good story.

[Debbie Oxier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book from start to finish. There wasn't anything deep or dark about it and didn't have me sitting on the edge of my seat biting my nails at the end. But it kept my attention all the way through and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I wouldn't exactly classify it as a mystery. I'm not sure what attributes a book has to possess to be considered a police procedural though Sam's investigative skills were certainly at the forefront of the story. The setting is a small New England town where police chief Sam Mason has just lost one of his officers in a brutal slaying. The killer is still at large. While attending the dead man's funeral, Sam and his Sergeant Jo are called to the scene of what appears to be an accidental drowning. A group of campers who all work at the same software company were celebrating the release of a new game sure to be a success. They'd started partying in town then carried the party out to the campgrounds. They were stunned when they discovered their friend and co-worker, Lynn Palmer, face down in the river wearing nothing but her underpants.

When it turns out the woman was murdered, Sam launches an investigation and step by step gathers evidence that will hopefully end in finding the person responsible. While doing this, Sam has to contend with a crooked mayor and finding a replacement for his slain officer. Jo, in the meantime, suspects another officer of possibly being involved in something underhanded. This actually carries over to the next book but there is no big cliffhanger involving the main crime. It is solved satisfactorily, tied up nice and neat at the end.

I liked the characters as well. Sam had been married twice and has twin girls from his first wife. The girls are both in college and only come for occasional visits. Jo loves her job but no one, not even Sam, knows her real reason for moving to town. She has a secret she's keeping that is revealed in the book that I won't give away here. I figure more about her circumstances will be unveiled in a future book. There's also, Lucy, the wonder dog, who has investigative skills of her own and certainly adds to the appeal of the story.

[Mara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another new series for Leighann Dobbs. It's a not so cozy mystery that's written under L.A. Dobbs to separate it from her cozy mysteries.
This series takes place in the small town of White Rock, New Hampshire where the small police force has recently lost one of their own to a senseless killing and the killer is still at large and they really don't have much information to work with. That leaves Sam Mason (the Police Chief), Sergeant Jody (or Jo as she's called) Harris, Kevin (a part time officer), and Reese Hordon, the department receptionist who hasn't graduated from the academy yet to take care of things.
A call comes in that a body has been found in the Sacagewasset River. She was one of a group of campers--Lynn Palmer half owner of Lyah Games, with her business partner Noah Brickey. They had been camping along the river with employees Amber Huffman, Tara Barrett, Julie Swan and Joshua Moore.
There are a lot of clues and some of them don't add up, but who's lying and why?
There's also a subplot of a homeless dog that helps with the investigation which I liked and I'm glad that part had a happy ending.
Ms. Dobbs adds in other characters to the story which gives it that small town feel--the full-of-himself mayor Harley Dupont, Reese’s boyfriend Eric, suspicious real estate developer Lucas Thorne, bar owner "Reverend" Billie, and Sam’s best friend P.I. Mick Gervasi. There's also two old ladies Nettie Deardorff and Rita Hoelscher who keep the police department busy with their ongoing feud.
I liked the story--it took me in from the beginning and I kept changing my mind over who the murderer was. I think the characters are fairly well developed for the first book in a series, but there's still a lot to find out about them as more books are written. There's also something going on with Kevin, the part time officer, Harley Dupont,the mayor and Lucas Thorne, the real estate developer and I can't wait to find out what it is.
This book has mild cursing but no expletives.

[CoCo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Glad things turned out okay for the dog. The rest? Meh.

[Bryan Higgs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another inexpensive Kindle book that was pretty much worth the price. In other words, not great.

I must admit, I am confused as to why there are quite a few 5-star reviews on this one. The story/plot is average, the mystery is not much of one, the characters are a little more interesting than the plot. Note that there is a mystery in the background that apparently future books will shed light on. I, for one, am not interested, because I won't be looking for other books in this series.

Mostly Meh!

[meher !]

JohNnY JoHnNy No PaPa

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This mystery is set in a small town in New Hampshire. I really loved the dog Lucy!

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a 3.5 star read.

A remarkably quick read that introduces you to Leighann Dobbs' more serious murder mysteries. I loved the protagonist Chief Sam Mason and his offsider Sgt. Jodie Harris and how they work together as two halves of a whole. Even though I worked out the perpetrator early on in the piece, the plot held my interest and pretty much hooked me with the mystery of secrets hidden in the main character's pasts.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Back to the first in the series so getting the backstory of the later ones I have read. Still readable light mysteries, probably best taken in order, but ok as I have in order as they became available. Small Hew Hampshire town with small police dept, a conniving mayor, a greedy developer and a dead camper on their hands and a murder to solve.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't Doubt What You Don't Know

Leighann Dobbs by any other name is a good author. She knows how to keep you interested, trying to figure 'whodunit' and what's behind the next door. This book is no different. There is a murder at the campground followed by a lot of finger pointing. Lies, hunches, trails of deceit make you wonder friend or foe. The character development keeps you wondering about what you don't know.

[Sandy Bartles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book from beginning to end and didn't put it down until I finished it. It begins with the funeral of a police officer, moves on to a possible drowning and leads to far much more. L.A. Dobbs knows how to keep you on the edge of your seats. I believe I have read most, if not all, of this author's books and find she is a terrific storyteller. I can't wait for the next book so I can learn more about some of the characters in the series. We may be in for a bumpy ride!

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was a whole lot of wonderful.
I really love the old church turned pub as the town watering hole, and I love all the descriptions of the town very picturesque especially the view from Sam's office window.
The characters were awesome Sam is amazing what an investigative mind he has and Jo she is intriguing, there are layers to her I can't wait until they are peeled back more, Kevin well he has some choices to make it will be very interesting to see where he goes and as for Reece I can't wait until she is finished training and working full time with everyone, she is young eager and very enthusiastic and then there is Lucy I love how this gorgeous dog shine's the most and Lucy is just magical I loved how she kept escaping from the shelter...lol and her investigative skills were top shelf.
The Mayor cracks me up what and self centered twat.....lol he is highly entertaining in an annoying way the town would be different without him.
The mystery was captivating, thrilling and really hard to put down so I didn't I just kept turning the pages lol
I found great depth in the storyline and characters and so much potential for more stories my mind is going wild with which way you'll go in the next book and i am very excited to read more.

[Elyssa (Elyssa's Editions) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually just read this book this week to add one more book into the mix that contains the word Lie! This was a very short audio book that you can definitely squeeze in if you’re interested. One of the best parts of this book was the dog character, so I asked Truman to help with this book review! :) (Click the link below to see a pic of Truman with the book!!)

Telling Lies takes place in White Rock, NH, where a group of friends/coworkers go camping to take a break from their 9-5. On this trip, one of the friends is found drowned - and all signs point to it not being an accident. The police force start to investigate while also dealing with the recent loss of a police officer. As the name of the book implies, many of the characters start TELLING LIES and it’s up to the police (and pup) to decide what’s really going on. Bonus points for the coffee shop being called Brewed Awakenings. It made me nostalgic to the RI coffee shop with the same name.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bi-dFjDll...

[Ted Tayler · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Less is more"

Talk about leaving nothing to the imagination! By all means set the scene to give the reader something to work with, but half the enjoyment for me is to colour in the pictures myself. A standard plot that could have been done and dusted in half the time was padded out with reams of superfluous detail. I'm happy to know that the two police colleagues went into a bar for a beer. I think the only thing that was missing in that chapter was what was printed on the labels of the bottles. What was the story like? How were the characters? Sorry, I haven't a clue.

[Rebecca Hollingsworth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook and although it had a decent storyline, the person who narrated this book made it drag on & was extremely monotone. Also, multi person point of view books, should have multi narrators. I couldn't tell the difference between Sam and Joe... that's never good for me, I like to know who's talking by more than them mentioning the other person... To me (not that my opinion truly matters) this made a good story, horrible.

[JoLynn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t know where to begin with how much I disliked this book. The characters were blah and the storyline was flat and slow. It didn’t have much details going along and the police work was so ridiculous, it made no sense. I kept thinking, this will get better but it didn’t. I’m glad I made it through. I can’t imagine reading another book from this series.

[Eli · Rating 1 out of 5]

Full disclosure, I didn't actually finish the book - I'm just finished WITH the book.
I absolutely hated the author's writing style; way too descriptive and repetitive.

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, entertaining mystery this book lays the foundation of what I think is the main arc of the series.

There is an exceedingly smart dog in this story which I feel was the most developed character in the whole book *laughs* Because, so far, neither Sam nor Jody are more than tools in the storytelling. And I really, really hope the romance that it's hinted at here, by way of insisting that it will never happen, won't ever happen.

The narration, though, is not really good. The two main characters are okay but some of the voices of the rest of the cast are downright annoying.

I'll stick for the rest of the series to see what comes next :P

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Wish I could afford to get the rest of the series on my Kindle Fire! Great story..and first time reading this author.

[Jennifer Cagle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short mystery is straightforward and easy to follow, likely designed for a younger audience, yet it contains a few curse words. The story was engaging and provided a pleasant diversion.

[Richard · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's an OK book, but a little trite. There is the story line about Officer Tyler's death that is too obviously an on-going thing to tie this and following books together. There is another sub-plot that is also obvious (both in existence and how it plays out as the book goes on) and also designed to tie into later books. There are several other obvious and trite sub-plots that are apparently designed to pique your interest so you'll read the other books.

The police procedural part is also lacking; when they figure out "whodunit" and explain the whole thing at the end in a group setting (both a trite way to end the book and a great example of "It's plot exposition; it has to go somewhere"), they manage to elicit a confession from the killer. At that point they take the killer off to read them their rights. Unfortunately the confession will be completely inadmissible in court because, even though they knew who the killer was, they didn't read them their rights first.

The most interesting character in the book was Lucy - a stray German Shepherd who is a better detective than the main characters. The detectives need a clue; don't worry, Lucy will stumble across it. She has no relation to any of the characters in the book, but still manages to find exactly what's needed, when it's needed (or at least most convenient for the police).

Other than Lucy, the character development is abysmal. Everyone has something to hide (typical), and we find out so little about the characters as people that the only reason you know who's important is because they get more lines or have a well-defined role (like being the chief of police).

*** Spoiler ***
There is no way that the town could get a K-9 grant that costs them nothing. Every grant requires at least some financial participation from the recipient. Not only that, but a K-9 program requires not only a dog, but also a handler. The department is already short-handed, so who are they going to send off to school to become an handler? Implausible at best.

[Shawn Callon · Rating 4 out of 5]

L.A. Dobbs has published 22 mystery novels under her own name Leighann Dobbs. This novel is her first in the Sam Mason murder mystery series. It centers on the inexplicable drowning death of Lynn, an employee of a tech company whose leadership team have gone camping in northern NH. Initially, accidental death was the obvious cause but the evidence didn’t support that easy conclusion.
As Sheriff Sam Mason and his investigator Jody Harris struggle to find the killer, we slowly learn about the complexities surrounding the investigation. There’s no love lost between Sam and his boss, the Mayor Dupont; in fact there are a few hints that Dupont could be a criminal. Tyler, one of Sam’s team, died recently and there are suggestions that his death may be linked to illegal activities; also there are suspicions about Kevin, a part-time member of Sam’s team. Lastly, the author makes vague references about Jody’s past implying that bad things had happened before she moved to join Sam’s team.
The author spends considerable time describing Sam’s conversations with Jody about possible solutions to the crime as they chase a false lead and finally concentrate looking at Lynn’s colleagues in the camp as possible murderers. They of course identify the actual perpetrator after a long and gripping series of interviews where the investigators do their best to make everyone very uncomfortable, physical and emotionally.
The author did a good job in laying the groundwork for the rest of the Sam Mason series with questions and doubts hanging over the heads of Tyler, Dupont, Kevin and Jody. Her style of writing is easy on the eye but lacks that excitement I always look for in an author I’ve never read before.

Shawn Callon, author of The Simon Montfort Spy Series, wrote this review.

[Nadishka Aloysius · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like mystery stories that are set in small towns. I've read a lot of British books in the last few months so it was good to get across the Atlantic.
Sam Mason and his very small PD live in New England. They are under funded (they have to use the old post office building) and so have to beware the Mayor who has it in for them. Sam is twice divorced, he likes the local wildlife, he's good with people. In this first book they acquire a K-9 dog for the force. The book starts at the funeral of one of the officers who was hot while on duty. That storyline continues over all the books. Another story that continues is the hatred between Sam and developer Thorne.
The individual mysteries themselves are interesting and keep you reading to the end.
There were 2 things I did not like, though -
1. Kevin (the part time officer) is so conflicted he borders on being stupid. I can't imagine a person being so naive and gullible.
2. The dog is cute but I can't imagine a dog being able to listen in on conversations and solve the crime on their own
The series is interesting enough for me to want to read the rest of the books.

[J.J. Rusz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Initial books in a mystery series have a lot of lifting to do—establishing key relationships, setting a mood, defining a locale, etc. Those details are handled reasonably well in the first Sam Mason tale, “Telling Lies,” set in a rural New Hampshire town, where the body of a young woman is found in a stream. Police Chief Sam Mason is quickly on the case, aided by an able sergeant Jo Harris and, eventually, Lucy, a stray canine with remarkable investigative instincts.

The problem here is that the potential murder case is far from compelling, partly because the suspects—most of whom are youthful campers working for the same high-tech company—aren’t memorable enough to make the eventual unravelling of the mystery satisfying. They just don’t pop. So what’s the motive for moving on to the next book? Lucy. And lots of backstory that hints at darker issues ahead.

[Brooke Lektorich · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was a fast read, but nothing overly exciting to write about. I don’t think I’ll continue the series.

[Pamela Davis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Where are all of the 5 star reviews coming from?!

This book was boring and fell completely flat. The characters were uninteresting, the storyline was nothing special, and the ridiculous interaction with the dog was completely far fetched and unbelievable.... What's that girl?..... little Timmy fell down the well? I might have bought this kind of dog story when I was growing up watching Lassie, but come on!!!!

I can't think of a single good thing to say about this book, other than that at 264 pages it was fairly short. This is the last book of this series that I will be reading.

[Vera Mottino · Rating 1 out of 5]

So slow, too slow

I had to drop this story at half point because it is so slow to move into interesting action... I became bored.

[Jazmine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love a good who-dun-it mystery so I was excited to find this one in my Kindle library, but it quickly fell short. The characters were all very one-dimensional & there were soooooo many details about nothing. I love details that bring the scenes to life in your mind, but there is a such thing as too much detail. DNF.

[Mcf1nder_sk · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like a thriller with a decent plot and more twists and turns than the Monte Carlo Grand Prix, this book is for you. Dobbs has created a fun cast of characters, some you may like, and some you may love to hate. The premise is not an original, but the author has a way of keeping the reader off-kilter and interested. At multiple times, I thought I knew who the culprit was, but the surprises kept me intrigued nonetheless. Dobbs is one author I will definitely be following closely..

[CHM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good start and hopefully characters will develop as the series continues. Dog was a bit overplayed, not likely, unless there has been training previously. Maybe more to come on that as well.