Review: State of Lies by Siri Mitchell

ABL Review At-A-Glance

• Title:  State of Lies
• My Rating: 4.5
• Genre:  Suspense, Mystery
• Author:  Siri Mitchell
• Format:  Paperback ARC*
• Publication Date: August 13, 2019

Synopsis

One woman is forced to question everything she knows in this domestic suspense novel from award-winning author Siri Mitchell.

Georgie Brennan may be a world-class quantum physicist, but she grapples with life as a single mother after her husband is killed. When she receives a message from beyond the grave, it leads her to question the details of her husband’s death.

As she follows the clues he left behind, her discoveries increasingly implicate those closest to her. When her father is nominated as the new United States Secretary of Defense, she must uncover the truth before his confirmation hearing—even as the same people who killed her husband are now after her. Nothing is at is seems. Lies are truth; enemies are friends. Even her child is at risk. As every possibility but one disappears, Georgie may find herself to be the antithesis of everything she’s thought herself to be.

My Thoughts…

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I’ a big fan of mysteries.  One of the things I love most about mysteries is the guessing game I get to play with myself.  When I’m not reading the book, I am thinking about it in a way I can’t with other genres.  I look back at the clues, try to decipher underlying intent, question the motives of every person, just to try to predict an outcome.  If I had more patience, I could let the book progress on its own and be told the ending as the author intended, but where’s the fun in that???

State of Lies is unique for many reasons, but the first that comes to mind is it unpredictability.  As the story builds, and clues are uncovered, it’s not shocking the reader for shocks sake. Instead, the revelations feel plausible and inevitable, but not foreseen, meaning Siri Mitchell did a wonderful job constructing the plot.

Also, the pace was fantastic.  I didn’t once feel like the action stalled or that I could skim a section.  Conversely, the characters didn’t suffer for the relentless storytelling.  The characters had great depth and interesting quirks even though so much of the tale revolves around the suspenseful plot.  Sometimes, books can be about one or the other, but it’s refreshing to read a suspense writer who gets people too.

I’m usually not a huge fan of political thrillers, but I loved the conspiracy theory angle brought to this story.  While the novel wasn’t consumed by it, the deep state vibe gave the whole plot a more sinister feel.  Any person who is a fan of mysteries or suspense books will love this addition to the genre.  State of Lies would be the perfect book to read with a blanket and a cup of cider on a rainy autumn afternoon.  Trust me, you won’t be able to get off the couch before you finish.

*Special thanks to Siri Mitchell, Thomas Nelson, and TLC Book Tours for a copy of State of Lies in exchange for an honest review.