Skip to main content

Book Review: The Weight of Lies by Emily Carpenter



Book: The Weight of Lies

Author: Emily Carpenter

Pages: 382

Read on: Kindle {Via Kindle Unlimited}

Read in: 3-4 hours 

Plot Summary: Reformed party girl Meg Ashley leads a life of privilege, thanks to a bestselling horror novel her mother wrote decades ago. But Meg knows that the glow of their very public life hides a darker reality of lies, manipulation, and the heartbreak of her own solitary childhood. 

Desperate to break free of her mother, Meg accepts a proposal to write a scandalous, tell-all memoir.
Digging into the past—and her mother’s cult classic—draws Meg to Bonny Island, Georgia, and an unusual woman said to be the inspiration for the book. At first island life seems idyllic, but as Meg starts to ask tough questions, disturbing revelations come to light…including some about her mother.
Soon Meg’s search leads her to question the facts of a decades-old murder. She’s warned to leave it alone, but as the lies pile up, Meg knows she’s getting close to finding a murderer. When her own life is threatened, Meg realizes the darkness found in her mother’s book is nothing compared to the chilling truth that lurks off the page.

Things I Like:
  • This is a book-within-a-book novel and I simply love this format, where you get to read two stories in one book. Always a win! 
  • The premise of the book is interesting. A daughter who has had a troubled relationship with her mother decides to unearth a murder mystery at the heart of her mom's cult classic bestseller book. This leads her back to the little island, where her mom's book was based and the consequences of her actions are quite devastating. So much drama to be expected, right?! And the book does deliver on all the drama- both in the present day and 40 years ago. 
  • The writing is solid and the scenes set of Bonny Island are very atmospheric. The spookiness and derelict-ness of the place comes to life in the pages of the book. As Meg tries to question the super-elusive and also super-weird Doro (the owner of the island and the child that was accused in Meg's mom's book of a murder 40 years ago), strange things start happening. The island has a slightly crazy vibe with wild horses running free and snakes of all kinds slithering around. Very atmospheric. 
  • There is a 40-year old murder mystery at the heart of Meg's mother's book, which attracts a ton of hardcore wanna detective fans, who did a lot of research in their attempt to solve the murder. I thought even this was nicely depicted in the book. Meg lays her hands on one such fan's book and the annotations and theories on the sidebars were really interesting. 
  • There is a nice little twist at the end of the book, which you, sort of, see coming, but not fully, which is always a good thing!  

Things I Didn't Like:
  • I wish there was a little more time spent showing Meg unearthing the mystery of the island than fighting with her mom or her weird 'agent' (a dude called Asa, who seems super sketchy!) 
Rating: 4/5
 


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Review: The Magic of the Lost Temple by Sudha Murthy.

Book: The Magic of the Lost Temple Author: Sudha Murthy Pages: 163 Read On: Paperback How Long it took Me To Read: 1 day Plot Summary:   City girl Nooni is surprised at the pace of life in her grandparents' village in Karnataka. But she quickly gets used to the gentle routine there and involves herself in a flurry of activities, including papad making, organizing picnics and learning to ride a cycle, with her new-found friends. Things get exciting when Nooni stumbles upon an ancient fabled stepwell right in the middle of a forest.Join the intrepid Nooni on an adventure of a lifetime in this much-awaited book by Sudha Murty that is heart-warming, charming and absolutely unputdownable. General Thoughts: Ah! A happy little Children's Book! I wanted it the minute I spotted it in the bookshop. And I started reading it pretty much immediately. :)  I read it after reading a beyond dull and boring and soulless book. This book just cured my bookish blues. I l

Book Review: The Room on the Roof by Ruskin Bond.

Some snippets of the stunning art inside the book!  Book: The Room on the Roof Author: Ruskin Bond Illustrator: Ahlawat Gunjan Pages: 171 Read On: Hardback How Long It Took Me To Read: 3 days or so. Plot Summary:   Rusty, a sixteen-year-old Anglo-Indian boy, is orphaned and has to live with his English guardian in the claustrophobic European part in Dehra Dun. Unhappy with the strict ways of his guardian, Rusty runs away from home to live with his Indian friends. Plunging for the first time into the dream-bright world of the bazaar, Hindu festivals and other aspects of Indian life, Rusty is enchanted … and is lost forever to the prim proprieties of the European community.  General Thoughts: This book is super special. Not only this 60th anniversary edition an absolute beauty. This is also a signed copy I picked up from Mussoorie when I was in Landour earlier in the year. This is perhaps one of Ruskin Bond's most well kn

Review: Grandma's Bag of Stories by Sudha Murthy.

Book: Grandma's Bag of Stories Author: Sudha Murthy Pages: 176 Read On: Paperback How Long It Took Me Read: 2 hours Plot Summary:   When Grandma opens her bag of stories, everyone gathers Around. Who can resist a good story, especially when it’s being told by Grandma? From her bag emerges tales of kings and cheats, monkeys and mice, bears and gods. Here comes the bear who ate some really bad dessert and got very angry; a lazy man who would not put out a fire till it reached his beard; a princess who got turned into an onion; a queen who discovered silk, and many more weird and wonderful people and animals. Grandma tells the stories over long summer days and nights, as seven children enjoy life in her little town. The stories entertain, educate and provide hours of enjoyment to them. So come, why don’t you too join in the fun? General Thoughts: I've read quite a few Sudha Murthy books this year and really enjoyed them. I find them soothing, simple a