Review: The Weight of Lies by Emily Carpenter (audio)

Title:The Weight of Lies

Author:Emily Carpenter

Narrator:Kate Orsini

Published:June 2017, Brilliance Audio

Length:11 hours 58 minutes

Source:Publisher

In this gripping,
atmospheric family drama, a young woman investigates the
forty­-year­-old murder that inspired her mother’s bestselling novel,
and uncovers devastating truths—and dangerous lies.

Reformed
party girl Meg Ashley leads a life of privilege, thanks to a bestselling
horror novel her mother wrote decades ago. But Meg knows that the glow
of their very public life hides a darker reality of lies, manipulation,
and the heartbreak of her own solitary childhood. Desperate to break
free of her mother, Meg accepts a proposal to write a scandalous,
tell-all memoir.

Digging into the past—and her mother’s cult
classic—draws Meg to Bonny Island, Georgia, and an unusual woman said to
be the inspiration for the book. At first island life seems idyllic,
but as Meg starts to ask tough questions, disturbing revelations come to
light…including some about her mother.

Soon Meg’s search leads
her to question the facts of a decades-old murder. She’s warned to leave
it alone, but as the lies pile up, Meg knows she’s getting close to
finding a murderer. When her own life is threatened, Meg realizes the
darkness found in her mother’s book is nothing compared to the chilling
truth that lurks off the page.

My thoughts:I first became a fan of Emily Carpenter after listening to her debut novel, Burying the Honeysuckle Girls. She really knows how to create a gripping Southern Gothic mystery that captivates you from the start and this latest book is no exception!

I think my favorite part of this book is the whole book-within-a-book concept! I loved that!!! It adds an extra dimension to an already layered book, it gives another layer of tension to an already tense situation, it builds more suspense as the book reaches a gripping finale. The whole cult following phenomenon of Kitten just drew me in even more and the little snippets made me desperate to know the whole story!

I loved the characters in this book – they were all so vividly drawn. As we got to know more and more of them, it was hard to know who was being truthful and who wasn’t. And as Meg digs deeper and deeper into her mother’s past, it becomes harder and harder to determine who is to be trusted and who isn’t. There are quite a few twists and turns, and this one kept me guessing til the very end.

This multi-layered, psychological mystery definitely has hints of a classic horror book running threw it and while that’s not my typical type of read, I loved the way it’s woven in so that it doesn’t take over. The Southern Gothic vibes really do shine through and I know that Emily Carpenter is now going on my must-read list. I cannot wait to see what she writes next!!!

Audio thoughts:I love Kate Orsini and thought she did such a fantastic job with this audio production. She was able to give each character their own unique voice and her tone and pacing were spot on. I loved the snarkiness that she would use for Meg’s character – it just felt so real and came out in just the right places. Well done, Kate, well done!!!