Book Recommendation – The Lies We Believe by Lisa Harris

Book Description:

What if my mind can’t decipher what are truths and what are lies?
And what if the truth is even more dangerous than the lies my mind believes?

Riley Bishop is a single mother, working at home as a graphic designer to provide for her two children, Sadie and Oliver. But something is very wrong. Riley starts forgetting things—like appointments, where she put her keys, and where she parked her car. And then she thinks she sees her deceased ex-husband while out shopping. But as Riley begins to question her own sanity, her twelve-year-old Sadie goes missing. Soon Riley finds it harder and harder to know what is truth and what are lies as she is forced to question her own reality while she searches for her daughter.

Apprehending fugitives as a part of a special US Marshal task force gives Tucker Shaw the purpose and drive he needs to fight the demons from his past. When he’s called out on a mission to track down a group of endangered young girls, he has no idea how drastically his life is about to change. It’s a frantic hunt as the situation quickly spirals out of control with a final twist that has Tucker questioning everything he knows to be true.

Narelle’s Thoughts:

I enjoyed reading The Lies We Believe, a psychological thriller set in Austin, Texas. Riley is a single parent and widow after her husband was killed in a car explosion. Her relationship with her late husband was complicated and she discovered he’d embezzled money from clients to finance his lavish lifestyle. Riley’s almost thirteen year old daughter, Sadie, and six year old son, Oliver, are struggling to deal with the loss of their dad. When her daughter goes missing, Riley’s life spirals put of control as she works with law enforcement to find Sadie. 

Tucker is a deputy US Marshall who’s working on a task force to shut down a child trafficking ring. He’s involved in Sadie’s missing person case because there are similarities with his task force work that can’t be ignored. 

Riley feels like she’s losing her mind. Things are happening that she can’t explain and she fears she’s developing the mental illness that ruined her mother’s life. Tucker wants to believe Riley is telling the truth and he’s prepared to explore every option to discover what’s really going on. 

A wild ride ensues as they work against the clock and face dangerous situations in their quest to find Sadie. I loved seeing how Riley and Tucker started to connect on a more personal level during the story and unpack their emotional baggage from their own traumatic childhood experiences. 

Their search for Sadie generates more questions that set the stage for an intriguing overarching series mystery.  I recommend The Lies We Believe to readers who like compelling psychological thrillers with a relevant faith element in the story.