The Lie in Our Marriage by Anna-Lou Weatherley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Lie in Our Marriage is book number six in the Detective Dan Riley series. But (as with previous books) Anna Lou Weatherley strikes a great balance between psych thriller and crime thriller.
You can get the gist of the story from the blurb. What I like most about the author’s way of writing is that there is a clear delineation between the psych thriller and crime procedural chapters, but they weave together for a cohesive story. The transitions between the two are seamless.
I thought this plot, in particular, was engaging. The author manages to make the characters relatable to multiple ages. Older readers will relate to Maggie and her perspectives on marriage and middle age. Younger readers will embrace the social media/influencer aspect that her daughter Remy lives for. Again – great balance here.
One of the most striking things about the plot is the choice that Maggie forces herself to make. It is every married woman’s nightmare, and what she contemplates is almost unfathomable. But in the context of the story, her choices make sense, and one can understand them.
I also thought the crime procedural parts of the story were well-done. They were not too technical, but just enough to understand what was happening. And I appreciate how each of the characters in that thread is an individual. They’re not just faceless “law enforcement.”
I did guess part of the “reveal” fairly early, but the author threw in enough red herrings that I second-guessed myself a few times. I didn’t know I had guessed correctly until the actual climax.
If one wants to deep-dive into a pleasure read, I think readers could also take a lesson in trust and reliability from Len and Maggie’s situation. That’s all I am going to say about that.
I really enjoyed The Lie in Our Marriage. Anna Lou Weatherley has definitely found a winning formula between psych thriller and crime procedural, and I’ll be looking for the next Dan Riley book.
This review was written based on a digital copy of the book from Bookouture. For more reviews, please browse this site.
