
The Lies I Told
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars | 8,377 ratings
Price: 25
Last update: 01-30-2025
About this item
For a woman obsessed and a killer in her shadow, remembering the past becomes a mind game in a novel of psychological suspense by New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton.
Twin sisters Marisa and Clare Stockton were sixteen when Clare’s body was found in Virginia’s James River. No arrests were made. Fourteen years later, Marisa’s friends and dedicated career as a photographer help her to cope with the open wound of the past. But Marisa still feels the hurt—and the unsolved murder isn’t the only thing haunting her.
A recent car crash has erased ten days of Marisa’s memories—a black hole leading up to the accident that’s left her disoriented. Every text and phone call from that crucial missing time has vanished, along with her phone. A photograph she took of the river has disappeared. A new neighbor Marisa believes she knows introduces himself as if he were a stranger. And there’s the growing fear that her near-fatal accident was no accident at all. As dreams of Clare and nightmares of the crash begin to converge, so do two disturbing puzzles fourteen years apart.
Putting the pieces together could be fatal. As she struggles to remember everything, Marisa closes in on a killer—without realizing that he’s already closed in on her.
Top reviews from the United States

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific novel

4.0 out of 5 stars THE LIES I TOLD: A Novel of Suspense by Mary Burton
As for the story itself it did seem to start out a little slow but kept getting better as it went along. It was more character driven than I expected and there honestly wasn't a whole lot of action or thrills and chills. There were lots of flashbacks to a teenage Marisa and Clare though which I liked. I'm a fan of cold cases however and I didn't find those scenes confusing or hard to follow.
I also liked most of the characters in this story. Yes, they were all flawed but I found them more relatable because of it. Nothing was ever too obvious either but I also can't say anything was ever truly shocking. Still, the story was well paced and was able to hold my interest from beginning to end. Unfortunately I was left with a few questions and think MB should have given more closure.
That being said I really enjoyed the story which was very compelling. It was definitely difficult at times since it deals with the death of a teenage girl which as a mom and aunt is never easy for me to read about. Overall I have to admit it was a unique as well as different kind of story than I've come to expect of Burton though and one I would read again as well as recommend... =)

5.0 out of 5 stars very twisty

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read

4.0 out of 5 stars A great suspense read
Thirteen years ago, Marisa Stockton's twin sister Clare was found murdered on the shores of the James River. Marisa has never gotten over the fact Clare's killer was never found and she throws herself into her work as a photographer to cope with the loss. After a car accident that has erased ten days of Marisa's memories, Marisa begins to believe the crash was no accident. As she digs into Clare's death, she struggles to piece together those missing days, feeling like she's lost a vital clue. But as Marisa closes in on a killer, she doesn't realize they've been watching her every move.
The plot in The Lies I Told pulled me in right away and I found myself caught up in Marisa's search for answers, both about her sister's death and the car crash that nearly killed her. Marisa remembers next to nothing about the days leading up to the crash but what she does remember is feeling afraid. She turns to the detective that investigated her sister's death to get information about the case as well as to get the report on her accident. I liked that Marisa had no formal training as an investigator and that she was just someone searching for the truth. A lot of her investigation is going over old ground in the hopes someone will change their story and I enjoyed this aspect as it filled us in on what happened when Clare died. Marisa's investigation went in several directions I wasn't expecting and I thought the ending was very well done with just the right amount of suspense to keep you guessing on how everything would turn out.
Marisa was an interesting character to follow and I found myself really enjoying her perspective. Marisa is a recovering addict and alcoholic, having been sober for one year. Her struggles with wanting to drink were hard to read about and it's clear she hasn't had an easy life. Her need to find Clare's killer was understandable and I actually found it to be a bit strange that she was seemingly the only one who cared about finding the killer. There is a romance subplot in the book between Marisa and her neighbor but it's incredibly minor and not at all the focus of the book. In addition to following Marisa's character, we get chapters from the points of view of several other characters including the killer. The killer's chapters were disturbing as it's clear the person has an unhealthy obsession with Marisa/Clare.
Overall The Lies I Told was a great read and I would highly recommend it if you're looking for an intriguing mystery to read.

3.0 out of 5 stars Finding Truth

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn,t put it down
