The Diary: Succession of Lies

by J.C. Carpenter

What if you discovered that the sins of your mother’s past will forever haunt your future? That finding out the secrets she took to her grave would turn your life upside down? To the rest of the world Corynn Hayes was a brilliant writer and entrepreneur. To Karlee Jones, she was not only a mother but a best friend. Until Corynn’s unexpected death, Karlee thought that she knew everything there was to know about her mother. Then Karlee receives her mother’s diary as a farewell gift. The depth of the secrets within those pages end up devastating Karlee, forever changing the memory of her mother. The Succession of Lies is a novel that exposes the secret life of a mistress. It is a story of love, lust, loss, and redemption and takes us through the trials of two generations of women. The Diary gives a different perspective on the image of a mistress, a woman often vilified throughout literature as a harlot and a home wrecker. It tackles several questions as to why a mistress stays, is love possible in such a taboo relationship, and is love ever really enough to endure the consequences that come later.

368 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 9, 2021

Reviews

[Ben Pick · Rating 4 out of 5]

J.C. Carpenter writes an emotional story all about family, mistakes, and the lies told to cover complicated lives. Through her characters, J.C. Carpenter shows how lies compound and end up hurting everyone around those involved.

The characters felt real in the bad decisions they made. At times, this story was grim, but surprisingly hopeful. One of its most crucial messages across this story is to talk to someone, whether that is family, a friend, or a psychiatrist.

J.C. Carpenter demonstrates her writing abilities through the sibling relationships that evolve and strengthen over the course of the novel.

There are trigger warnings for drugs, violence, and sexual assault.

[Deidre-Ann Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Diary: Succession of Lies is the perfect book for anyone who love seeing a good story of secrets, twists, and recognizing self-worth. Nothing is as it seems in this book and it folds in the best way. I went through every emotion there was to go through with Karlee and I still stand with her as the characters felt so real. There are characters I loved and one specific one is legitimately dead to me (if you know you know). If you are on the fence you should definitely, check this out.

[Swinton Woolfe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasant writing but...

The author has a very readable style, but the story is slow with the second half constantly summarizing all the characters' opinions over and over. The brother "D" was likable and his reaction to all the events happening were believable, unlike some of the other characters. I cannot recommend this book,but I do like the author's prose and will likely try her latest offering. Triggers for grief, suicide, and rape.

[Bethanne Bruninga-Socolar · Rating 3 out of 5]

One thing I loved about the writing style in this book was that it felt completely immersive - I really felt like I was right in the main character's head, weighing her decisions and experiencing her emotions. Excited to see what else J. C. Carpenter comes out with!