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
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