Every Last Lie Book Review

Every Last Lie: Book Review by Dinh.

2.5 stars

Synopsis:

Clara Solberg’s world shatters when her husband and their four-year-old daughter are in a car crash, killing Nick while Maisie is remarkably unharmed. The crash is ruled an accident…until the coming days, when Maisie starts having night terrors that make Clara question what really happened on that fateful afternoon.

Tormented by grief and her obsession that Nick’s death was far more than just an accident, Clara is plunged into a desperate hunt for the truth. Who would have wanted Nick dead? And, more important, why? Clara will stop at nothing to find out—and the truth is only the beginning of this twisted tale of secrets and deceit.

Told in the alternating perspectives of Clara’s investigation and Nick’s last months leading up to the crash, master of suspense Mary Kubica weaves her most chilling thriller to date—one that explores the dark recesses of a mind plagued by grief and shows that some secrets might be better left buried.

Synopsis from hardcover book, 331 pages, copyright 2017 and published by Park Row Books.

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Every Last Lie by Mary Kubica
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Review:

I was so looking forward to read Every Last Lie by Mary Kubica because I loved her first book The Good Girl, which was very good! (Pun intended).  Don’t You Cry, her third book was also enjoyable, though not as excellent as the first. Kubica’s second book, Pretty Baby, is on my to read list.

So going in I had high expectations.

With Every Last Lie I was expecting and looking forward to a great twisty plot and a great ending.

What did I get? A big fat disappointment. Her latest book could not be anymore disappointing.

Here’s why!

Plot

I liked the plot. It’s a straight forward premise with the question of who killed Nick? 

Nick gets killed in a car accident and it’s ruled as an accident from driving too fast. His wife Clara doesn’t think it’s an accident and puts all her effort into finding out the truth about his death.

Mary Kubica Every Last Lie

Author’s Style

Kubica has good writing style so no complaints there.

The grief comes at me in many ways.

I spend my mornings with sadness, my evenings in melancholy. In private, I cry. I can’t bring myself to confess to Maisie why Nick is not here, and so I’ve taken to lying, to telling the girl who stands before me with pining eyes that her father has run out, that he’s on an errand, that he’s at work.”

There’s good flow and suspense in most of her work and Every Little Lie has it too.

What worked in this psychological thriller is that it’s told with alternating viewpoints: Nick Before and Clara.This works really well as we get parts of the story a bit at a time.

There’s a build up of suspense as the new info gives the reader more to chew on. There are people that you introduced to: the neighbor, Nick’s friend and colleague Connor, Izzy the healthcare worker who could be possible suspects.

The buildup in suspense is well paced and good, with the mystery is not explained until at the end.

Characters

  • Nick Solberg

I liked Nick’s character. Nick’s perspective adds an interesting viewpoint.

Nick is a good guy but circumstances changes and his luck begins to down the drain. From making one error (not telling his wife Clara about it), his situation is compounded by further events. He gets himself into more trouble and before you know it there’s not a solution at hand.

I did sympathize with Nick. He was doing his best to support his wife and kids.

It was his hopefulness that things will get better that got him into trouble.

  • Clara Solberg

Well, Clara definitely gets the medal for the worse mother of the year! The things she does in the book to her children…

You do have to give her some slack because she has after-all lost her husband right when she just had a new baby. She’s grieving and not in the right state of mind.

I couldn’t get a good grasp on Clara’s personality as in most of the book she is paranoid. She is grieving and isn’t sleeping or eating so there’s an edge to her. Her state of mind determines what she is perceiving and most of the time it’s she’s suspicious of everyone.

Whilst I enjoyed the main characters, I felt that more was needed in developing supporting characters such as Clara’s mother and father, Connor and Izzy.

Every Last Lie Book Review

Ending

The ending was a big let down. The build up to the end was great but it was just not what I was expecting. I did not feel satisfied at the end and was annoyed with it.

I was waiting for the punchline that never came. I waited all the way to the epilogue… where’s my twist?!

In the end, it was an ending that surprised me, in a bad way!

The only positive thing at the end was how Clara finally tells the poor child where her daddy is.

My Final Thoughts

Kubica told a good story, one with the possibility of a murder. I felt that I had invested all that time into the book but only to be disappointed. How maddening is that? I gave the book a low rating because I felt I wasted my time reading the book and then not being satisfied at the end. I didn’t like the bitter taste it left!

If you are a fan of Mary Kubica, I would say to check it out, but otherwise if you’re new to her just read The Good Girl, it’s her best book!

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Check out our Book Club Discussion Questions for Every Last Lie.

18 thoughts on “Every Last Lie Book Review

  1. This review is spot on. I’d also like to add that I thought it very strange that Clara’s father was portrayed as so elderly and forgetful. She worries about his ability to manage his bank account? He can’t keep up with the yard work “at his age”? The book states that he is 55!! This bizarre characterization bothered me the entire book.

    1. Hi Abby!
      I’m happy you agree with my review. This book was poorly done. I no longer read her books and have moved on.

      Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. What are you currently reading and would you recommend it?

      Happy reading!

  2. Such is life, Dinh.
    The disappointments are what bring us moments of pleasure and fulfillment.
    Thanks for the review and the heads-up.
    I will look at “The Good Girl”.
    Paul

  3. I am so sorry that this one became a disappointment for you. I haven’t heard of it other than this review but it is always such a disappointment when you’re really enjoying a book and then you get to where all the suspense should come to point but it turns out to be a massive let down! 🙁

    1. Hi Olivia.
      I guess I should read some reviews about the book before hand to know what to expect. LOL.
      Her other works are good so I was expecting the same caliber. Definitely her first book was the best. I hope the next by Kubica is better. 🙂

  4. Enjoyed this review. You never know if the book you are reading will have a satisfying ending. Maybe this author stepped out of her genre (The Good Girl) and just went in a different direction. I guess that’s why we keep reading!

    Linda B

    1. Hello Linda!
      It’s true you don’t know if you will be satisfied at the end of the book. It was a shame because it could have been great.
      When there’s a build up, I tend to like a big bang at the end.

      Thanks for stopping by! 🙂

    1. I’m only 23% into the book but decided not to finish reading this one. Glad I read the reviews before I invested more time. On the other hand, I loved Local Woman Missing.

      1. Hi Katie!
        Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I don’t like to DNF (did not finish) but I have been do so more often because I don’t want to waste my time. There are so many good books out there and so little time…
        I did take a long break and didn’t read any of Kubica’s book after this let-down but I came back around – this year after reading all the rave reviews I gave Local Woman Missing a go. What a nice surprise, I loved it too! That had everything I liked- great story line, awesome characters and lots of suspense and twists!!

  5. I can sense your frustration in this review. I’m surprise that Clara seems to be such an awful mom. One would think that with her lose, she would find hope in the child. Maybe there is some. I will heed your warning and read The Good Girl should I ever try this author. Thanks, Dinh!

    1. I really don’t like bad endings. You invested so much time in reading and then it just disappoints you. Oh well, next time I hope it’ll be better.

      Thanks for stopping by Cameron!

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