The Liar’s Child by Carla Buckley
Published by Ballantine Books on March 12, 2019
Genres: Coming of Age, Fiction
Pages: 288
Format: ARC, eBook
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In this intense and intimate family portrait that moves at a thriller’s pace, a troubled woman faces a gripping moral dilemma after rescuing two abandoned children from a hurricane.
On the outskirts of North Carolina’s Outer Banks sits the Paradise, an apartment complex where renters never stay long enough to call the place “home”–and neighbors are seldom neighborly. It’s ideal for Sara Lennox, who moved there to escape a complicated past–and even her name–and rebuild a new life for herself under the radar. But Sara cannot help but notice the family next door, especially twelve-year-old Cassie and five-year-old Boon. She hears rumors and whispers of a recent tragedy slowly tearing them apart.
When a raging storm threatens then slams the coastal community, Sara makes a quick, bold decision: Rescue Cassie and Boon from the storm and their broken home–without telling a soul. But this seemingly noble act is not without consequences. Some lethal.
Carla Buckley crafts a richly rewarding psychological portrait, combining a heart-wrenching family drama with high-stakes suspense, as the lives of three characters intertwine in an unforgettable story of fury, fate–and redemption.
Advance praise for The Liar’s Child “Carla Buckley has a rare gift for character. In The Liar’s Child, she digs deep into the hearts of the troubled, flawed, and all-too-human souls who populate this beautifully written and utterly involving novel. I didn’t so much open the jacket on this book as fall inside the compelling story and get tangled up in all the lives, loves, broken dreams, and mistakes. Then I held tight, white knuckled, through the twisting inexorable ride.”–Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Under My Skin
“Carla Buckley is a sly writer. Just when you think you have things figured out, she flips the story on its head. Deft plotting and psychologically fleshed-out characters make The Liar’s Child a ripping good read!”–Diane Chamberlain, New York Times bestselling author of The Dream Daughter
“A mystery wrapped in an achingly good family drama, The Liar’s Child hooked me from page one. An unconventional love story that broke my heart in all the best ways, Carla Buckley’s emotionally complex, beautifully written tale is also a page-turner that will keep you up long past your bedtime.”–Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of The Almost Sisters
It looks like I’m late to the game with author, Carla Buckley. I had never heard of her before, but when I looked into her further, I see she has written some pretty awesome books so I’ll be adding her prior books to my TBR stack since today’s book, Liar’s Child, was so good.
The start of The Liar’s Child was a bit slow, but I felt it was necessary to get this story going with enough background information needed in advance of the real story. Once the real story did get going, BAM! it got going!
Cassie and Boon had the perfect example of a dysfunctional family. Their father, Whit Nelson is struggling to hold the family together. His wife is gone and it seems he is the only stable person in the lives of his children. He’s never around though because he works so much. His 12-year old daughter, Cassie is entering a “goth” phase and his younger 5-year old son, Boon is afraid to get in the car because his mother used to leave him in there for hours at a time.
Readers don’t get a whole lot of background information on Sarawas though, and yes, her name isn’t real. Her real name is actually Sara Lennox and she has unwillingly entered the witness protection program due to case she has to testify in or go to jail. As part of the witness protection program, Sara is put in an undesirable type of apartment complex called Paradise, which is located in a sleepy beach town in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, which is exactly the same complex where Whit Nelson and his children, Cassie and Boon live.
When a devastating hurricane hits town, Sara realizes Cassie and Boon are on their own, so she makes a quick decision that alters the course of all three of their lives.
The story is told from multiple points of view and in fact, that basically including anyone with a little something to hide. The Liar’s Child is a book filled to the top full of lies. In fact, it’s actually pretty hard to know where the truth lives. The author provides lots of surprises and emotion, along with amazing dialogue to keep folks well engaged. The plots intersect with each other and merge in a well-paced, tension filled way, making The Liar’s Child a very compelling story.
Carla Buckley was born in Washington, DC. After traveling around the world with her parents as a child, including stints in Africa and Thailand, she went on to attend Oberlin College. There, she majored in English/Studio Art/Art History because she loved the arts and dreamed of being a writer. Eventually she went on to earn her MBA from the Wharton School of Business. Yes, she knows that is a detour, but she prefers to call it “well-rounded.” Along the way, she met and married an environmental scientist, and together they’ve raised three children.
Carla is the author of five psychological suspense novels, including The Things That Keep Us Here, which was nominated for a Thriller Award as a Best First novel and the Ohioana Book Award for fiction. She has taught numerous workshops on novel writing, and served on the board of the International Thriller Writers as Vice President, Awards. Her work has been optioned for film and TV, and published in multiple countries, which she would love to visit one day. Currently, she lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and is at work on her next novel.
Connect with Ms. Buckley on social media ~~
WEBSITE // FACEBOOK // TWITTER // INSTAGRAM // GOODREADS
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing – Ballantine Books for providing a digital copy for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
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