ARC Review: Every Last Lie by Mary Kubica

Title: Every Last Lie Written by: Mary Kubica Published: June 27, 2017 by Park Row Books (Harlequin) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author of THE GOOD GIRL, Mary Kubica is back with another exhilarating thriller as a widow's pursuit of the truth leads her to the darkest corners of the psyche.  "The bad man, Daddy. The bad man is after us."   Clara Solberg's world shatters when her husband and their four-year-old daughter are in a car crash, killing Nick while Maisie is remarkably unharmed. The crash is ruled an accident…until the coming days, when Maisie starts having night terrors that make Clara question what really happened on that fateful afternoon.  Tormented by grief and her obsession that Nick's death was far more than just an accident, Clara is plunged into a desperate hunt for the truth. Who would have wanted Nick dead? And, more important, why? Clara will stop at nothing to find out—and the truth is only the beginning of this twisted tale of secrets and deceit.  Told in the alternating perspectives of Clara's investigation and Nick's last months leading up to the crash, master of suspense Mary Kubica weaves her most chilling thriller to date—one that explores the dark recesses of a mind plagued by grief and shows that some secrets might be better left buried.

Every summer I devote a month to reading mysteries because nothing says beach reads like a thriller messing with your head. It has become a bit of a tradition to read a Mary Kubica book as a part of that month. Her books are some of my favorites and this one was really good.

As far as the mystery goes, this was not one of my favorites. Now don't get me wrong, it was interesting and very engrossing. I've read every single on of Kubica's books and she definitely has a way of making me question everything. I love that in my mysteries. I love spending the whole book doubting who could be responsible and how it all went down. But I also love when the mystery is solvable. I like when there are subtle clues along the way that help you figure things out so that when you get to the big reveal you feel vindicated and like you accomplished something. And while the mystery here was technically solvable it didn't have as big an impact when it all came out. It just fell a little flat for me.

But that isn't to say that this had bad pacing in plot development. No, in fact it had amazing plot development and pacing. The book slowly built to a thrilling conclusion that had me completely on the edge of my seat. I seriously did not want to put this book down as it neared the climax and big reveal. It was seriously so thrilling. I would probably say this book is more of a psychological thriller. The plot development is more of the mess with your head kind of book and less the detective, or even average person, solving some crime. I'm totally okay with the thriller aspect I just went into it thinking it would be more of a mystery.

I think a lot of the thriller aspects also came from the characterizations. This is a book full of complex characters. I mean with a title like Every Last Lie you have to imagine that the book is going to have plenty of lies and there definitely were. The characters were all so untrustworthy. On top of that the narrators totally had an unreliable narrator vibe to them. The book alternated perspectives between Clara and Nick. Clara's were the after and Nick's were the before. I think because of these two things, Every Last Lie had a bit of a Gone Girl vibe as you spent a lot of the book trying to figure out what happened and who to trust. Clara in particular had that unreliable thing going as she was not dealing with what happened very well and much of this book is her downward spiral. But it absolutely made for interesting and engaging characters. I really enjoyed this aspect of the book.

But the thing that Kubica does really well is make you connect with the characters. Despite the fact that, or maybe because of it, Clara is not dealing with the crash very well you are rooting for her. Her world is torn apart and you want to help her piece it all together. You want her to find closure and solace in what happened to Nick so she can move on. And as far as Nick's story despite all the lies and bad decisions that unfold throughout the book you can't help but like Nick. He's sweet and compassionate and loves his family. That's what is at the heart of this book. It's about family, loss, and so much more.

On the whole this was a good read. I do wish the big reveal had more of an impact but this isn't really a mystery. It's a psychological thriller about a woman who is figuring out what happened to her husband after she shortly gives birth. In that respect it was a great read.

I give Every Last Lie by Mary Kubica 8.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. If you like Mary Kubica or similar thrillers and mysteries in the vein of Gillian Flynn or Paula Hawkins definitely check this one out. If you're looking for a gripping read that will keep you hooked from beginning to end this summer check this one out.

Have you read Every Last Lie? What did you think? What's your favorite psychological thriller? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!