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Beautiful Lies

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Beautiful Lies

By: Lisa Unger
Narrated by: Elizabeth Kaye
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About this listen

Sexy and fast-paced, Beautiful Lies is a true literary thriller featuring one of the freshest new voices in years. Lisa Unger takes us on a breathtaking ride in which every choice Ridley makes creates a whirlwind of consequences that are impossible to imagine...

What if your family was a lie?

What if your name was a lie?

What if your whole life was just a pack of Beautiful Lies?

If Ridley Jones had slept 10 minutes later or had taken the subway instead of waiting for a cab, she would still be living the lie she used to call her perfect life. Instead, she's in the wrong place at the right time to unleash a chain of events that begins with a mysterious package on her doorstep. A package that informs her that her entire world is just an illusion. Forced to question everything she knows about herself, Ridley wanders into dark territory, where everyone is hiding something.

©2008 Lisa Unger (P)2008 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd
Detective Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Mystery Psychological Suspense Thriller & Suspense Women Sleuths Women's Fiction

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Critic reviews

"Unger takes readers on a pulse-pounding ride through the Big Apple in this outstanding debut that will please both pace-obsessed thriller fans and those who want to savour the more subtle aspects of character development." ( Booklist)
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Well the best that I can say is that I did actually see this through to the end. I found the writing odd in the extreme - one phrase was along the lines of: 'I wanted to climb inside him so that I could connect on a cellular level' I haven't yet work out what that means!! I really became irritated by this sort of rubbishy nonsense, the story was OKish - but I feel that it was 13 1/2 hours of my life that I will never get back.
The narrative was done on a 'confidential between you and me' 1st person basis which was awful. No more Lisa Unger for me I am afraid!!

Oh dear!

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An interesting tale of family intrigues which makes you wonder just how well does one really know your family!

Or hidden truths?

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What did you like most about Beautiful Lies?

Beautiful Lies is a very well written and engaging thriller with multiple strands running through it. It is primarily the story of Ridley, who because of a series of random events, becomes a media sensation for a few days. As a result she receives information which leads her to question, who she is and how she came to be the person she has always unquestioningly believed herself to be.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Ridley is an engaging and likeable heroine. She feels real, a good person leading a normal life, she is kind, reliable and hardworking. Ridley is also a loving daughter but the events at the beginning of the novel cause her to question everything about her life and who she believes she is.

What about Elizabeth Kaye’s performance did you like?

This book was very well performed indeed. Elizabeth Kaye became Ridley Jones. She read with tremendous feel for the character and the events. One of the best read audiobooks I have listened to.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It had me guessing, trying to work out what was happening before it was revealed. I liked the story of Ridley and Jake, I don't want to give anything away so I will just say that this part of the story was powerfully written.

Any additional comments?

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, the first I have read/listened to by Lisa Unger. I was pleased to see that audible have several of her novels so look forward to hearing some more.Highly recommended.

Gripping Thriller

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For the most part I enjoyed this book. The premise was interesting and how it unfolded was mostly believable. The main character, Ridley, a freelance journalist, didn't seem as inquisitive as I think journalists would have to be. She just accepted some shaky explanations at face value.
The narrator is good, I would definitley listen to her again.
The 'creepy/ atmospheric' music between chapters annoyed me throughout the book, and at 20+ chapters, that's fairly annoying.

Good Story

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What made the experience of listening to Beautiful Lies the most enjoyable?

I quite liked the reader's performance. I also liked the twist, though I did see it happening. Less dwelling on the 'Will he?' 'Won't he?' 'Is he?' would have cut a lot of the book and for me, made it more enjoyable.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I guessed most of the ending from very early on, so it didn't have a big impact.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

the initial scene of the expected accident was the most compelling.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No, I wonder why you would ask this question of the book. i became more involved in the story at the end of the book.

Any additional comments?

Was Jake for real? Was Max? Was the solicitor? It all felt a little too big.

Were They Beautiful?

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