Author: Annie Ward
Publisher: Park Row
Released: March 22, 2022
Received: NetGalley
Warnings: Drug abuse, sexual trauma, child trauma

Every now and then, I’ll come across a cover that just screams ‘read me!’ This time around, it was The Lying Club by Annie Ward. Though I’ll confess the pitch (being perfect for fans of Little Fires Everywhere) was enough to get me really excited for this read.

You know that say, nothing is ever what it seems? One lovely tiny town home to an elite private school is about to learn that lesson the hard way. On the surface, everything about this school looks perfect, especially to Natalie, an office assistant within the school. She wishes she could be like the mothers she sees day in and day out.

Up until two bodies are found on the school grounds, that changes those daydreams pretty quickly, as Natalie and the rest of the school are thrown into a net of suspicion and worse.

“Here’s to getting away with it.”

The Lying Club is certainly a twisting and turning thriller if ever I’ve seen one! The title is likewise entirely accurate – though I was expecting that much (obviously). I did love the whole core concept: soccer moms who are far different from the image they present to the world.

At first, it seems like all of the conflicts in this book will be catty: lying, cheating, bad friends, etc. But once the story gets going, it quickly becomes apparent that there’s a hidden depth (and darkness) to the story. Again, I quite liked that twist.

Unfortunately, I do think this book lacked a certain amount of pull. I think it might have been the characters – Annie Ward did too good of a job with them, making them impossible to like. Therefore, it was pretty difficult to read from their perspectives without wanting to scream.

Overall, I’d say that The Lying Club was an interesting read. Not my favorite thriller out there, but certainly not one I regretted reading.

Thanks to Park Row and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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