#BookReview – “Twisted Lies” by C.B. Clark

Blurb

Athena Cooper’s tragic past drives her to seek solace in a bottle. The addiction threatens her legal career, and she risks spiraling out of control. When her dog engineers a meeting with an all-too-handsome hunk, it’s lust at first sight…until she discovers his identity.

Businessman Russell Crawford is desperate to find the woman who cheated him out of his inheritance. His shock when she turns out to be the gorgeous red head he had a brief encounter with is only surpassed when she claims his father was a murderer.

Athena and Russ declare a truce and join forces to investigate the mystery of her parents’ disappearance from an isolated island off the rugged Northwest Coast of British Columbia. Russ promises to be her safe harbor as they uncover long-buried secrets that rock her very foundation. Can she overcome a lifelong distrust and open her heart to love? 

Review

Athena is struggling to get her life together. She’s been in hiding since she was a child and turned to alcohol to deaden her pain. She’s now twenty-one days sober, but an unexpected letter knocks her off the wagon.

Russell Crawford wants to find the woman who he believes stole his inheritance. His departed father has left his fortune to Athena, and Russ is determined to get it back.

I really enjoyed this story. Athena is a real, hurting, flawed, strong woman who’s suffered a great deal. I felt her pain and sympathized with her. Russ has had a difficult life, too, but the story mostly focuses on Athena’s pain and the mystery of parents’ highly publicized disappearance.

Otis, Athena’s dog, is by far the best character in the book. He has such a personality! OMG. I adore him!

There were a couple twists, a few of which I guessed early on, but others surprised me. One of the twists completely threw me (sorry—no spoilers here!), but man, it packs a hard punch. Athena has dealt with so much sorrow and lies throughout her life that it’s no wonder she turned to alcohol.

The pacing was fast and kept my attention. There’s a lot of description, so I could easily visualize the scenes, but I was a little confused during the “big reveal.” (I had to put the book down for a few minutes to sort through all the lies and half-truths to figure out what really happened to Athena’s parents. Believe me, the truth is a doozy.)

I’ve always enjoyed Ms. Clark’s writing, and this one was no different. For lovers of romantic suspense or romance mysteries, give this book a try.

5 Stars