Lisa Scottoline is one of my favorite authors and I love reading her domestic thrillers that are released every spring. Her latest, One Perfect Lie, is a solid thriller. However, I didn’t find it nearly as compelling or satisfying as her previous work.
What I love about Lisa’s domestic thrillers is they are usually built on some interesting piece of information. For example, Most Wanted was about the lack of regulation around sperm banks and how you could potentially wind up pregnant with a serial killer’s baby. It can be explained in one sentence. After reading this book, I can’t explain the plot in one sentence. It would probably require a paragraph or more, and I’d have to spoil the first twist in the book, which, for me, lessened the suspense of the narrative.
Don’t get me wrong, this is still an entertaining read. Lisa’s great characterization is on full display and you’ll find yourself wondering how the story will wind up in the end. However, you probably won’t be blown away by this book’s concept or its execution. It’s solid, not stellar. I recommend reading One Perfect Lie, just don’t expect too much from it.
Official Synopsis
A handsome stranger moves to the small Pennsylvania town of Central Valley, and his name is Chris Brennan. He’s applying for a job as a teacher and varsity baseball coach at the local high school, and he looks perfect, on paper. But his name is an alias, his resume is false, and everything about him is a lie. And he has a secret plan – for which he needs a pawn on the baseball team.
Susan Sematov loves her younger son Raz, the quirky and free-spirited pitcher of the team. But Raz’s adored father died only a few months ago, and the family is grief-stricken. Secretly, Raz is looking to fill the Daddy-shaped hole in his heart.
Heather Larkin is a struggling single mother who’s dedicated to her only son Jordan, the quiet rookie on the team. But Jordan’s shy and reserved nature renders him vulnerable to attention, including that of a new father-figure.
Mindy Kostis is the wife of a busy surgeon and the queen bee of the baseball boosters, where her super-popular son Evan is the star catcher. But she doesn’t realize that Evan’s sense of entitlement is becoming a full-blown case of affluenza, and after he gets his new BMW, it’s impossible to know where he’s going – or whom he’s spending time with.
The lives of these families revolve around the baseball team – and Chris Brennan. What does he really want? How far will he go to get it? Who among them will survive the lethal jeopardy threatening them, from the shadows?
Enthralling and suspenseful, One Perfect Lie is an emotional thriller and a suburban crime story that will keep readers riveted to the shocking end, with killer twists and characters you won’t soon forget.
Thank you, I thought it was me. The book is hard to read and skips around too much. I didn’t think it was a winner when I started. I met you at the “damaged” book show in philly, always a pleasure.