In the little town of Walton, Georgia, everybody knows your name–but no one knows your secret. At least that’s what Lane Kent is counting on when she returns to her hometown with her five-year-old son. Dangerously depressed after the death of her husband, Lane is looking for hope. What she finds instead is a dead body.Lane must work with Walton’s newest deputy, Charlie Lynch, to uncover the … uncover the truth behind the murder. But when that truth hits too close to home, she’ll have to decide if saving the life of another is worth the cost of revealing her darkest secret.
Debut novelist Natalie Walters pulls you to the edge of your seat on the first page and keeps you there until the last in this riveting story that will have you believing no one is defined by their past.
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Living Lies is the story of Lane, a widowed mother who struggles with depression, and her battle to find self-acceptance, self-worth, and forgiveness for herself so she can allow herself to be loved and move forward with her life. When Lane stumbles upon a dead body in the woods, she is caught up in an intense murder investigation led by Charlie, a handsome deputy who just moved to town. Lane finds herself fighting to defend a Vietnam Vet who suffers from PTSD, certain that his condition is just as misunderstood as hers.
I really enjoyed Living Lies. I appreciate the light it sheds on depression and how misunderstood it and those suffering with it often are. I found the emotions and fears that Lane struggled with to be true to life for those who struggle with depression. I really liked Charlie’s character — how he was so encouraging and wanted to help and not shaming at all, in contrast to her parents. The story line was exciting, unpredictable, and moved at a good speed. It kept me wanting to read more. I would definitely recommend this book.
*My thanks to the publisher and author for sending me an early reviewers copy of Living Lies. I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I was under no obligation to give a positive review, and all opinions expressed are my own.
Thank you to Just Read Tours and Revell Books (division of Baker Books) for a review copy of this book which was given without payment or exchange for a positive review.
“Living Lies” is Natalie Walters’ first novel in the romance/suspense “Harbored Secrets” series and is also her debut novel. It is about a young widow, Lane Kent, who has returned to her hometown of Walton, Georgia. A widow with a little boy, Lane also harbors a dark secret – one that continues to haunt her. It is because of that secret she meets one of Walton Police Department’s newest deputies – Charlie Lynch, who has his own secrets as well.
When Lane discovers the body of a young girl, she has to not only suppress her secret even deeper, but work to uncover the truth behind the murder.
While Lane struggles with her secret past, she finds herself feeling more normal around Charlie, almost as if she’s being given a second chance. But, after her husband’s death, Lane can’t or won’t take another chance. It takes everything she has to just keep going, especially with her father’s Senate election coming up.
As the investigation into the young girl’s murder progresses, Lane is not only in danger from her past, but someone else. Someone, who is also trying to keep their secret as well. The investigation isn’t the only thing progressing – Charlie and Lane’s friendship begins to progress as well. But, Lane still wonders if she is worth saving and if life is worth fighting for.
As I read this, it was (for me), more of a suspense story with the romance woven into it naturally and not “forced”. There were multiple plots and sub-plots that worked together without seeming to overwhelm the reader:
** Grisly murder (of a teenager)
** Depression
** Suicide
** PTSD
** Treatment of Vietnam War Vets post-return
Walters weaves a story that is not only entertaining, engaging, thrilling – but compassionate and informative as seen from Lane’s point of view (POV). The writer also constructs multiple viewpoints from those with depression, to the denial of the family, and the misunderstanding of strangers. Adequately represented are the views of the grieving family, the community’s reaction, and the (near-accurate) media sensationalizing the murder.
I was conflicted while reading this book – I wanted to take my time reading it, but I also couldn’t put it down and wanted to keep reading straight to the end.
I’m very much looking forward to the author’s second title in this series.
In the little town of Walton, Georgia, everybody knows your name–but no one knows your secret. At least that’s what Lane Kent is counting on when she returns to her hometown with her five-year-old son. Dangerously depressed after the death of her husband, Lane is looking for hope. What she finds instead is a dead body.
Lane must work with Walton’s newest deputy, Charlie Lynch, to uncover the truth behind the murder. But when that truth hits too close to home, she’ll have to decide if saving the life of another is worth the cost of revealing her darkest secret.
Debut novelist Natalie Walters pulls you to the edge of your seat on the first page and keeps you there until the last in this riveting story that will have you believing no one is defined by their past.
This was a very good book. Not only is it an excellent mystery, it addresses the problem of depression. Many people have it to varying degrees. Natalie has it bad. She is afraid of how people will react to her if they find out. She judges that opinion on how her family, especially her father, reacts to it. By the end of the story Natalie decides to speak out about depression and help the man who saved her life. A man suffering from PTDS from the war.
The mystery wasn’t edge of your seat. The culprits were pretty easy to figure out. But how they were caught was a good story. This is the first book for Ms. Waters. I will be looking forward to reading more by her.
I was given this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not compensated in any way.
This debut offering by Natalie Walters was fantastic. With the right balance of romance and suspense, I turned the pages every chance that I got. Walters used the small town of Walton to invite me into the lives of all types of realistic characters. I truly appreciated the way in which the author respectfully handled the characters who were dealing with mental health issues. Hopefully, that type of compassion will rub off on us all. The romance, mixed with humor, simply made me smile. It was probably the cherry on top. Meanwhile, at a perfect pace, the mystery was revealed. I can’t wait for the second book in the series. I was given a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions are my own.
‘Not even God heard her prayers. Or if he did, he chose to ignore them.’
Place: Walton, Georgia. Tiny town where everybody knows everybody else. But some people have secrets. And want to keep those secrets hidden. Lane Kent doesn’t want anyone to know her secrets when she returns to her hometown with her little boy. Lane suffers from depression, badly sometimes. She walks out to a bridge, wondering how she could possibly do what she thinks she wants to do, when she is startled by the town’s new deputy, Charlie Lynch. She runs off, not knowing who he is, and heads into the woods and falls. And stares into the eyes of a dead body.
Charlie sees into Lane’s eyes and heart and desperately wants her to feel worthy of love again. If only she will give him a chance to prove that he really means it when he says he wants to get to know her and will take care of her. But he has to solve this crime.
I love discovering new authors and Natalie Walters gives us her debut novel here and does a wonderful job! She shows us small town life like she’s been there. I live in a small town and I could feel the vibes coming off the page here about this one. She also is very adept at her characterizations, causing this reader to feel their hearts. I loved all the cast members; well, not the bad guys, of course, but this town has more than a few characters I’d love to meet. Well done!
*My thanks to the publisher and author for a preview copy of this book via Net Galley. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
“If there’s one thing I know about God – He’s a God of second chances. And sometimes second chances come tall and in a uniform.”
Natalie Walters takes readers on an incredibly emotional and thrilling ride in her debut novel. Living Lies immediately captures the readers’ interest and keeps them invested in the storyline throughout the entire novel. Readers will be introduced to the handsome and charming former Marine Charlie Lynch, who just started a new job as a deputy in the town of Walton, Georgia. He is immediately thrust into a murder investigation when he encounters the distraught Lane Kent, who has just discovered the dead body of a young woman in the woods. The investigation takes many twists and turns, with Lane finding herself in extreme danger, while still dealing with the guilt regarding the death of her husband. Lane and Charlie find themselves attached to each other, but Lane worries that her mental health issues make her undeserving of love. Charlie’s Aunt Byrdie is an extraordinary source of inspiration and provides encouragement through love and faith to those around her, especially Lane and Charlie.
Natalie Walters portrays several difficult issues in a realistic and compassionate manner, such as suicide and attempted suicide, depression, anxiety, and PTSD. There is frequently a stigma in society regarding mental health issues, and people often do not feel comfortable discussing these issues out in the open. This book provides a wonderful opportunity for people to have the needed conversations regarding mental health issues. This is a story of second chances, forgiveness, and love. Readers will fall in love with the handsome Charlie Lynch and will eagerly anticipate the second book of the Harbored Secrets series which features Charlie’s co-worker Deputy Ryan Frost. Who doesn’t love a man in uniform?! Living Lies is highly recommended for fans of romantic suspense, and readers who enjoy novels by authors such as Lynette Eason, Lynn H. Blackburn, Elizabeth Goddard, and Rachel Dylan.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Publishing and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.