The Girl Who Lied: An utterly gripping thriller with twists and turns to die for

Shannon Hollinger

Apr 2025 · Bookouture

About this ebook

When Chief Maggie Riley finds a body one stormy night, she’s convinced a terrified teenage girl she glimpses at the scene must know something… but can the girl be trusted?

 

Maggie, once a big-city detective, lost everything when her little brother went missing. Heartbroken, she’s never stopped searching for him, even if that's left her with no option other than to become the underpaid police chief of Coyote Cove, a tiny, run-down logging town in a remote corner of the Maine woods.

 

But when Maggie discovers a murdered man discarded on the side of the road one dark, wild night, she is plunged back into the investigative world she’d left behind. And when Heather—a recent high-school dropout—emerges shivering from the dense forest nearby, Maggie is certain the girl is hiding something. But why won’t Heather talk?

 

With everyone, even her own deputy, working against her, it seems no one’s willing to tell Maggie the truth. Then a terrifying kidnapping turns everything Maggie thought she knew about the case on its head. Desperate to atone for the past, Maggie would do everything to save another innocent life. But will it be enough? Or will the most twisted killer she’s ever encountered remain one step ahead of her, for good…?

 

A totally addictive crime thriller packed with suspense. If you love Lisa Regan, Louise Penny and Melinda Leigh, you’ll love The Girl Who Lied.

This is the first book in a new series featuring Chief Maggie Riley, followed by Their Angel’s Cry and The Shadow Girl.

What readers are saying about The Girl Who Lied:

 

“Hollinger had me from page one in this book! I looooved this book! I was cheering Maggie on. It is filled with suspense from start to finish! I am hooked!!!  I was so happy to see that this book said "Book 1" I will definitely be reading more of Maggie Riley!” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

“I am now HOOKED! This book was filled with so many twists and turns, and when you think everything is wrapped up, it keeps going! This is a fast read and was so good!!! I absolutely loved the characters!... You won't be able to put down…!” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

“Small Town Crime & a Chief of Police with a devastating past, yes please!… OMG what an absolute wild ride this was, I read it in a few short hours and I really couldn’t believe the HUGE TWIST at the end.” Yorkshire Carly, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

“What an amazing series this is! I am completely enthralled… Loved this book and did not want it to finish even as I frantically turned the pages, gripped by the incredibly addictive and transporting tale. This author is sheer genius.’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

“Another perfect dark thriller suspense… hooks you at the first chapter and keeps you on your toes until the end… I was engrossed… Another 5-star read… Highly Recommend!” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

“Stunning. An absolutely addictive page turner. Do not give this one a miss - it is a real treat. Loved, loved, loved.” NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

“This was one hell of a start to a series with just the right amount of twists, turns and revelations to keep you constantly second guessing and playing amateur Detective. It had me sucked in from the very beginning and didn’t let up until the very end. Fantastic…!” @bookreviewercakemaker, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

“I was so invested in this … a fantastic start to a new series. I love all the twists.” Littlemissbooklover87, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

“This is a fantastic fast paced crime thriller. It’s dark, creepy and full of secrets… had me guessing all the way through. Grab a chair and a spare few hours and you’ll read it in one sitting.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

“I loved this book… I love this new series and can’t wait to read more from it. This is a definite five-star crime mystery.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

“I was completely invested… I could not put it down. This book was twisty, thrilling and darkly dangerous… Every time I would think I had it figured out, another shocking twist would appear. Kudos to the writer.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ratings and reviews

Title: The Girl Who Lied Author: Shannon Hollinger Date of Publication: April 23, 2023 Publisher: Bookoutre There’s no escaping reality, it will find you wherever you try to hide. The story begins with Maggie’s perspective. There was a body found, Maggie thinks that it is just one of the drunkards or a poacher until she stares at the body closer and found out that this time the body is different. Maggie observes closely the body, particularly: the color of the skin, the half-open eyes, the slightly parted lips, the protruding tongue, the glistening patches of drying blood on his dark flannel shirt. Suddenly there is electricity lancing throughout her body, her heart skipping a beat as her eyes land on the teenage girl standing behind the SUV, her clothes disheveled and torn. Then the sky opens up and the flood begins. What I like about this novel is that the author narrated carefully the life of each character. Here are some of the characters mentioned: Maggie- In the eyes of others, Maggie is a woman and should not have been appointed as chief of police even after four years of being in the said position. She then sees Heather wandering in the middle of nowhere. Her clothes are torn and something bad just happened. Maggie despite of her achievement is jealous of Heather’s blue eyes that reminds her of the aqua waters of the Caribbean. When she went home, she recalled what happened. “It seems that Heather is hiding something from me”. -Maggie “How can I convince myself that a teenage girl is not a murder suspect?”-Maggie Heather- a very observant character. She sees a woman staring at her then the next thing happens, her wrist is in her hand. Clouding up her mind. “I can’t let her touch me, I have to get out of here.” She runs and sees men who could have possibly know her. When Maggie asks what happened, she says that it is nothing. Steve- the lover of Maggie who sells annuities over the phone. He moved to Coyote Cove the year after Maggie did. Murphy- Has a huge crush on Maggie, labeling her as a “model” and is looking for a clue from the death of a different body. Point of improvement: I really got excited to read the story because of the teenager that Heather saw. The story could have turned to that direction and added more depth about the girl, giving the readers an immediate hold of the “girl who never lied” but instead it took to a different approach making me, the reader confused and disappointed that the girl became a shadow, a part of Heather’s past. The teen age girl could have been the main character instead of Maggie which would definitely hold the reader as each page is turned.

possibly some spoilers* Great storyline, wonderfully made characters, enough tension and push and pull. I would have loved a more detailed ending on the reunion of the family, what happened to Isobel, Luke, and the whole family. Would have loved to have Cathy at the end having her daughter back. felt like the end was too fast and abrupt after all the trnsion build up. Otherwise, a great read that included a lot of wide-eyed, arm slapping, breath paausing moments! will read more from Carla!

Great book, I'd 100% recommend this book, it's a real page turner and leaves the reader guessing until the end. It'd be 5 stars for me if there was more to the ending re Heather's character being turned in. Other than that I can't fault it. I really enjoyed this book.