This Is Why We Lied

Note: Spoilers for previous installments of this series.

Slaughter’s 12th thriller featuring Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent Will Trent begins with Will and Sara’s honeymoon at the secluded McAlpine Lodge in northern Georgia. But on their first night, their idyll was interrupted by the vicious murder of one of the owners; they literally heard her calling for help before she died.

The one access road to the property had been washed out by a storm, so it was clear the murderer is someone at the lodge, and just about everyone there - a total of 18 people - seemed to be a likely suspect.

Will called in the FBI for help, but it would take them at least four hours to get to the site. The local sheriff had been able to get there, but show more had no interest in pursuing the case. They had better luck with the local coroner, but she was not a physician but rather an HVAC tech.

Will’s partner Faith Mitchell finally arrived with along with local FBI agent Kevin Rayman, but not in time to prevent another dead body.

Will, Sara, and then Faith, questioned everyone, most of whom could accurately be described as “hostile witnesses,” gradually finding out their sordid secrets. Faith characterized the situation as “an Agatha Christie locked-room mystery with a VC Andrews twist” with good reason.

As is generally the case in a Slaughter novel, the depiction of gruesome aspects of crimes is not gratuitous. She seeks to shed light on them, especially violence against women, and the investigators in the book provide plenty of statistics to show how pervasive and dangerous the problems are. This book also touches upon child abuse, substance abuse, incest, and the incel movement. (An incel is a member of an online community of young men who consider themselves unable to attract women sexually, and are typically associated with views that are hostile toward women and men who are sexually active.)

Evaluation: Karin Slaughter simply never disappoints. I tend to avoid books involving violence against women, but she treats the matter with such compassion, illuminates so much that should be brought to light, and writes so skillfully, that I always make an exception for her books. Make no mistake, the crimes she depicts are gritty and appalling, and the aftermath for women is tragic. show less

This Is Why We Lied by Karin Slaughter is a very highly recommended, exceptional investigative mystery. A character perfectly describes this procedural as “an Agatha Christie locked-room mystery with a VC Andrews twist.” This Is Why We Lied is absolutely one of the best novels of the year! Although it is the twelfth book in the Will Trent series it can be read as a standalone. Don't miss this one!

Georgia Bureau of Investigator Will Trent and medical examiner Sara Linton have (finally) gotten married and are on their honeymoon at the McAlpine Lodge, a mountaintop property in northwest Georgia. The gorgeous setting promises a memorable and relaxing place for them to celebrate. Then they hear a bone-chilling scream during a swim on show more their first night. The two quickly dress and take off running toward the cry for help. Will finds the manager of the Lodge, Mercy McAlpine, viciously stabbed. She manages to say a few words to Will before she dies.

The murderer must be someone on the mountain after a predicted storm arrives and washes out the one access road to the property. There are eight guests along with the members of the McAlpine family. The family had a major disagreement hours before the murder. At that time Mercy threatened to ruin the lives of all the family members, giving every one of them a motive. Will partner in the GBI Faith Mitchell arrives with others on the team to investigate.

This is a gripping, heart-stopping, riveting, fast-paced thriller that just happens to also be a locked-room/isolated group mystery. The number of secrets and lies being uncovered is astronomical. There isn't one person who is not guilty or a suspect in some way. Just following the leads during the investigation will have you suspecting everyone. The McAlpine family puts the dys in dysfunctional. Some of the secrets that are revealed are shocking, including those of the guests. The final denouement was a stupefying surprise.

As the investigation unfolds, all the characters are going from cabin to cabin and one place to another. It is easy to follow their actions because to help readers visualize the area, there is a map of the lodge property at the opening so you can see where the action is taking place.

For those following the series, Will, Sara, Faith, and Amanda are well-known, fully-realized characters. The interaction between them is always a welcomed addition to every novel. The approach they all take to any investigation is as individual as they are. This is really a wonderful series with great characters. I can't wait for another installment! Thanks to HarperCollins for providing me with an advance reader's copy via Edelweiss. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
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Will Trent, special agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Sara Linton, pediatrician turned Medical Examiner with GBI, have finally married and are honeymooning at a secluded resort in the mountains.The guests must hike in to the individual cabins and lodge.There is no WIFI for guests and phone reception is not the best…and then a storm further isolates them. When Mercy McAlpine, the manager and daughter of the owners, is viciously murdered, Will and Sara get caught up in the investigation. Good thing they are there as the dysfunctional, vile McAlpine family could care less about Mercy, the local sheriff seems uninterested in the investigation, and many of the guests appear to be harboring secrets.

Faith, Will’s partner, show more characterizes the situation as “an Agatha Christie locked-room mystery with a VC Andrews twist” and that is a perfect descriptor for this dark story. It is a long book and I thought it a bit of a slow read, but there were twists, turns, red herrings, near death experiences, and some humor. The McAlpine family is particularly abhorrent and for those who need them, there are lots of trigger warnings here which, as I understand it, is not uncommon in this author’s books. TWs include child abuse, domestic violence, brutal treatment of women, incest, substance abuse, rape.

This is the twelfth in the Will Trent series and while the main characters’ stories progress with successive books, each one can be read as a stand alone. I started the series at number eleven. show less

THIS IS WHY WE LIED is typical of Karin Slaughter in one way: it grabbed me from page 1 and held on until the end. But it is atypical because the story is a whodunnit that takes place in two days, all on the grounds of a secluded family-owned cabin retreat.

This is the honeymoon Will has planned for him and Sara. But, of course, all goes awry beginning with their first dinner with the family and other guests. That's when the tension begins. Soon after one of them is murdered, and all of them, plus the staff, look suspicious.

There are lots of twists and turns, and you, too, will become suspicious of everyone. With every twist and turn you'll have to reevaluate. You'll be guessing throughout. Even if you think you have it figured out, show more there's always more to the story, more to be considered.

I've read all of Karin Slaughter's books, and this is her first locked-room mystery that I can recall. I think you'll love it as much as I did. show less

For GBI investigator Will Trent and medical examiner Sar Linton, McAlpine Lodge seems like an ideal getaway to celebrate their honeymoon. Set on a gorgeous, off-the-grid mountaintop property, it’s the perfect place to unplug and reconnect. Until a bone-chilling scream cuts through the night.
A murderer in theirmidst. Mercy McAlpine, the manager of the Lodge, is dead. With a vicious storm raging and the one access road to the property washed out, the murderer must be someone on the mountain. But as Will and Sara investigate the McAlpine family and the other guests, they realize that everyone here is lying…. Lying to their family. Lying about their past, lying to themselves.

This Is Why We Lied (Will Trent, #12) by Karin Slaughter

I have to start with (this) is probably one of the best Will Trent books to date. So many twists, turns, secrets and "I-didn't-see-that-coming" moments. Great as a stand-alone (and/or) for those who love locked room type crime.

Karin Slaughter is the Queen of crime thrillers. You will not be disappointed in this newest installment of the fantastic Will Trent series. I highly recommend This Is Why We Lied to all.

Karin Slaughter gives insight into the character of GBI investigator Will Trent. Will spent his early years in a terrible orphanage where torture ran wild. But due to a lucky break, from his current boss, Amanda, Will has overcome his horrors. Until he and Sara go for a honeymoon in the mountains of Georgia. A brutal boy from the past lives and works at the resort, and immediately starts to belittle Will. Too soon, the manager of the McAlpine Lodge, Mercy McAlpine, is brutally murdered. The story focuses on all the McAlpines and their current guests. What a terrible family! But who has the greatest reason to murder Mercy? I suspected the villain, but the road to discovery runs with so many complications. Worth the long story.