BOOK REVIEW: This is How I Lied by Heather Gudenkauf

Publication Date: May 12, 2020
Publisher: Park Row
Format: ebook
Pages:  370 Pages
Genre:  Mystery/Thriller
Buy: Kindle | Audible

Synopsis:

Everyone has a secret they’ll do anything to hide…

Twenty-five years ago, the body of sixteen-year-old Eve Knox was found in the caves near her home in small-town Grotto, Iowa—discovered by her best friend, Maggie, and her sister, Nola. There were a handful of suspects, including her boyfriend, Nick, but without sufficient evidence the case ultimately went cold.

For decades Maggie was haunted by Eve’s death and that horrible night. Now a detective in Grotto, and seven months pregnant, she is thrust back into the past when a new piece of evidence surfaces and the case is reopened. As Maggie investigates and reexamines the clues, secrets about what really happened begin to emerge. But someone in town knows more than they’re letting on, and they’ll stop at nothing to keep the truth buried deep.

Review: 

Flipping back and forth in time this book investigates the death of 16 year old Eve Knox by her best friend turned police detective Maggie.  Eve's death has haunted Maggies family for decades.  Her father was the police chief when Maggie died and her unsolved murder has plagued him into his dementia ridden older years. 

When children find a boot that had belonged to Eve the case gets re-opened.  Maggie who is very pregnant and now on desk duty decides to try and finally solve the death of her best friend.  With this new evidence the whole town starts talking about Eve and her younger sister Nola the town freak, who as a child was often found dissecting animals.  

There are a lot of secrets about what happened to Eve and the dark pasts of many of the people who live in this small town.  Someone knows something and the secrets are starting to surface. 

This was a great whodunnit with many possible suspects. I like how the secrets are slowly revealed as the narrative flips back and forth between present day and what Eve's last few days were like. Everyone has secrets but some are deadly. 

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review

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