I really enjoyed Beautiful Bad, the first novel I read by Annie Ward. It was a little long and drawn out, but The Lying Club suffers from no such problem. This is a fun thriller, reminiscent of Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty.
The Lying Club is a March 2022 release by Park Row Books
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links, see disclosures for more detail.
About the Book:
Three women. Two bodies. One big lie…
A tangled web of lies draws together three women in this explosive thriller of revenge, murder and shocking secrets.
At an elite private school nestled in the Colorado mountains, Natalie, an office assistant, dreams of having a life like the school moms she deals with every day. Women like Brooke—a gorgeous heiress, ferociously loving mother and serial cheater—and Asha, an overprotective mom who suspects her husband of having an affair. Their fates are bound by the handsome assistant athletic director Nicholas, whom Natalie loves, Brooke wants and Asha needs.
But when two bodies are carried out of the school one morning, it seems the tension between mothers and daughters, rival lovers, and the haves and have-nots has shattered the surface of this isolated, affluent town—where people stop at nothing to get what they want.
My Thoughts:
I gave this book 4 stars
Not sure how the title actually comes into play, but overall I really enjoyed this twisty thriller.
This is the story of a private school filled with privileged wealthy students and their parents. The parents will stop at nothing to help their children succeed. It is told from three points of view:
Natalie, the office assistant who has a bit of a drug problem
Asha, realtor and mom of two, including Mia who plays soccer; married to Phil, who she thinks is cheating.
Brooke, mother of Sloane who also plays soccer, divorced and a serial cheater.
And Nick, the charming, handsome, dynamic soccer coach at the center of it all.
The book opens with Natalie waking up in her car and finding someone dead (possibly)on the gym floor. We spend the rest of the book looking backward and then forward at what led up to this event and what happens afterward.
There are serious Big Little Lies vibes here and if you loved that book you will definitely like this one. There are so many twists. So much manipulation, gaslighting, backstabbing, and entitlement. It’s like a train wreck you can’t pull your eyes away from because most of the characters are completely despicable, yet…somehow you root for their success in spite of it.
About the Author:
Annie Ward is the author of Beautiful Bad. She has a BA in English literature from UCLA and an MFA in screenwriting from the American Film Institute. Her first short screenplay, Strange Habit, starring Adam Scott, was an official selection of the Sundance Film Festival and the Grand Jury Award winner at the Aspen Film Festival. She has received a Fulbright scholarship and an Escape to Create artist residency. She lives in Kansas with her family.
Twitter: @_annie_ward
Facebook: @anniewardbooks
