One Perfect Lie

One Perfect Lie by Lisa Scottoline
Published by St. Martin's Press on April 11th 2017
Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Action Thriller
Pages: 384
Format: eBook
Source: NetGalley & St. Martin's Press

On paper, Chris Brennan looks perfect. He's applying for a job as a high school government teacher, he's ready to step in as an assistant baseball coach, and his references are impeccable.
But everything about Chris Brennan is a lie.
Susan Sematov is proud of her son Raz, a high school pitcher so athletically talented that he's being recruited for a full-ride scholarship to a Division I college, with a future in major-league baseball. But Raz’s father died only a few months ago, leaving her son in a vulnerable place where any new father figure might influence him for good, or evil.
Heather Larkin is a struggling single mother who lives for her son Justin's baseball games. But Justin is shy, and Heather fears he is being lured down a dark path by one of his teammates, a young man from an affluent family whose fun-loving manner might possibly conceal his violent plans.
Mindy Kostis succumbs to the pressure of being a surgeon's wife by filling her days with social events and too many gin and tonics. But she doesn’t know that her husband and her son, Evan, are keeping secrets from her – secrets that might destroy all of them.
At the center of all of them is Chris Brennan. Why is he there? What does he want? And what is he willing to do to get it?
Enthralling and suspenseful, One Perfect Lie is an emotional thriller and a suburban crime story that will have readers riveted up to the shocking end, with killer twists and characters you won’t soon forget.

**Special thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for supplying my copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**

When he shows up in town with his perfect lie, no one doubts him. In her new mystery and thriller novel, One Perfect Lie, Lisa Scottoline takes us on an action packed journey. The book is a mystery and thriller with a women’s fiction flavor.

Chris applies as the new High School teacher. He is also offering to be the assistant coach for the high school baseball team. Everyone is fascinated by Chris. His colleagues, the headmistress, the students and even the parents. To them, he is a very friendly energetic young man with a lot of dedication and care to offer to everyone. However, in a very gripping book opening, Chris is nothing of that. Lisa Scottoline starts the book admitting that everything about Chris is a lie. One perfect lie.

In a town where the social status matters a lot, the mothers of the teenage students are struggling to give their kids the perfect life. Each one is fighting her own battle while thinking that the others are enjoying their worry free lives. But, who can lead a carefree life? Each one is having her own big problems to solve.

The boys are fascinated with Chris. He finds his way to their minds and knows perfectly how to infiltrate them and get the information he needs. He is the sweet ever helpful guy who is always there for them. He can be the fatherly figure some of them are missing.

However, this calm and peaceful town is on the verge of danger. When this taken for granted life is about to be threatened with something very sinister, no one can see that coming. People sleep in their peaceful homes unaware that they might lose everything. Can Chris be the mastermind of this evil? We know the answer through this thriller that comes loaded with twists and turns.

I love Lisa Scottoline books. She is one of my favorite authors. She’s an adorable author and you can sense her spirit behind the lines. Also the women’s fiction flavor she gives to her books is great.

She’s also a good researcher who researches her topics well. However, pouring this research into the pages doesn’t sit well with me. Sometimes it sounds out of place, like a highlight saying “This has been researched!” too bad!

In addition, I had some issues with the credibility of the twists and turns. These were harsh edged twists that came inconsistent though they were supposed to be breathtaking. Well actually, mysteries and thrillers are a very tricky matter. Once the author loses her grip on the reader and he starts questioning the credibility of the twists, everything starts spiraling down. This is what happened to me in this book. The major twist, which was the corner stone of the book, wasn’t convincing for me. I started questioning everything. The characters behavior also was not consistent from my point of view.  This questioning became at some point distracting because I couldn’t feel engaged once I start questioning.

I am a fan of Lisa Scottoline. I enjoy her books. And though this is not one of her best books, yet it’s a fine read.