Promised Lies Review - Blog Tour

Rating: 3/5

Source: ARC provided as part of a blog tour

Detective Lily Blanchette has a lot on her plate. Her sister, Celine, was murdered, her parents are on the verge of divorce and after a whirlwind romance, she married a man she barely knows. 

When the bodies of two young women are found, it is clear that the killer is the same person who murdered her sister. Lily sets out to find out who that is. 

As the investigation comes to life, Lily realises that all is not as it seems in her life, who can she actually trust and who is she? 

Two dead bodies, a striking resemblance to a third murder, an online profile by the name of CtryGeek23. Promised lies had all the promise of being a great crime novel. I was also immediately taken in by the striking cover and catchy name, there's something about yellow on black that really catches my attention -but moving swiftly on. 

Lily's sister, Celine, was murdered and the family are still recovering from that. At work the bodies of two females are found discarded at the side of the road - Detective Lily Blanchette is on the case, in spite of suspecting that these new murder victims are linked to her sister's murder. If that wasn't enough, Lily's Detective father and sour faced mother are on track to a divorce, helped along by the rumours of an affair between Lily's mother and the police department psychiatrist. 

All in all, it's just not a great time for Lily. 

I've been really taken in by female detectives this year, which is unusual for me. Not because I have any prejudice against women, in fact I am one, but 85% of the time I accidentally pick up stories with male protagonists - maybe book stores put them at the front, but it was really refreshing to see about Detective Blanchette in this story. 

Lily seems like a very strong and capable character but I almost felt like she wasn't challenged enough. No one seemed to question her emotional state in relation to the case being almost certainly connected to her sisters murder. Sometimes she did annoy me and I don't understand her whirlwind, rebound of a marriage at all, but there was enough good in her to follow Lily to the end of the book. 

I would like to have seen more of Detective dad, it seemed like something that would have been explored more. They both have the same occupation but didn't have that connection I hoped they would, but it did seem to make Celine's murder even more impactful. If the the family members of those charged with protecting the public aren't safe, then who is? 

For the most part the story is gripping and there is a fair amount of tension and drama, lots of twists and turns.  I'd say over all the book isn't for me. It certainly isn't the worst crime novel I have read, but I'd be hard pressed to say that it is up there with my favourites. Though I am a fan of British Police procedural novels, so that might be a part of the reason I couldn't get into the book as much. So maybe you will have a better time with this book.

You can get a copy of the book yourself you can go to Amazon UK or Amazon.com now. 

When Marguerite Ashton was in her twenties, she took up acting but realised she preferred to work behind the camera, writing crime fiction. A few years later, she married an IT geek and settled down with her role as wife, mom and writer. Five kids later, she founded the Crime Writer's Panel and began working with former law enforcement investigators to create; Criminal Lines Blog, an online library for crime writers who need help with their book research. 

She's a workaholic who hides in her writer's attic, plotting out her next book and stalking Pinterest for the next avocado recipe. A member of Sisters in Crime, Marguerite grew up in Colorado, but is now happily living in Wisconsin and playing as much golf as possible. 

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