This Is How I Lied: A Novel

Heather Gudenkauf

May 2020 · Sold by Harlequin

About this ebook

Gudenkauf proves herself the master of the smart, suspenseful small-town thriller that gets right under your skin.” —Gilly Macmillan, New York Times bestselling author of The Nanny

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.

Don’t miss Heather’s upcoming twisty locked-room thriller, EVERYONE IS WATCHING!

Check out these other riveting novels of suspense by bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf:

The Weight of Silence
These Things Hidden
Little Mercies
MIssing Pieces
Not a Sound
Before She Was Found
The Overnight Guest

Ratings and reviews

Lies lies and more lies. This is a deeply rooted murder that went unsolved because of layers of lies one over the other. This author doesn't just tell the story she has you live it. Through the investigation and the unraveling of the present with glimpse of the past and what actually happened we get through the incident. Lots of details that don't bog down the story and plenty of dirty details of their reality, guilt and secrets. Things aren't black and white and no one is as innocent as they seem. This is my first read by this author and it was a great one to hook me in and make me a fan.

This is How I Lied certainly kept me on my toes. Heather Gudenkauf gives us a tragic loss, an unsolved murder, and more suspects than you can shake a stick at. I think at one point there were seven possible suspects to weed through, but that count could be off considering how things move from past to present and back again between different characters. The story does get rather convoluted, which serves to keep the reader guessing, but it's not a technique I'm fond of. Nevertheless, this tale of teenage angst, small town gossip, and murder is an interesting way to while away a day or so, and I'll admit it - I didn't see the answer to the whodunit until pretty late in the game, but I did guess a few others along the twisted path to the big reveal. The book is well-written, fast-paced, and all in all, an intriguing read.

This is How I Lied by Heather Gudenkauf Smash bang killed her in the first chapter BUT who killed her? Then, 25 years later her BFF is called in and told that new evidence has popped up after a boot, boot of the deceased cold case, has popped up. So, Maggie, laden and ready, nearly, to pop out her first born takes on the cold case of, “Who killed Eve?” At this point I have to admit I promised to do a Book Review and Blog Post so…am taking a break from the riveting reading to post the review (not finished) and tell you why you should read this book. What I like (so far): * Maggie, she seems to be on the job, in the marriage, willing to do what it takes to solve the mystery of who killed Eve 25 years before * Shaun: I think…haven’t seen enough of him yet BUT as a farmer and someone that Maggie is with…he probably is a good guy * The writing – well done and can’t get back to the story * That this is a cold case that might be solved with the use of DNA trace evidence on items saved from a previous crime scene * Plenty of red herrings * Wanting to get back to the story even though I should probably go to bed What I did not like * That Eve had to die to make this book happen, and that she suffered so much * That the bad guy got away with the murder for almost three decades * That I have not finished the book yet so have to return so I can find out what happened. Did/Do I enjoy this book? Yes Would I read more by this author? Yes Will I finish the book? Yes…at least I hope to! Thank you to NetGalley and HQN-Park Row Books for the ARC – This is my honest review. 4 Stars

About the author

Heather Gudenkauf is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Weight of Silence and Not a Sound. Heather lives in Iowa with her family.