Genre Fiction
![Anna Bailey - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_anna_bailey.jpg)
Where the Truth Lies: A Novel
A teenaged girl's disappearance brings her community's most devastating secrets to light in this "compelling and nuanced psychological thriller suffused with small town prejudice and dark family secrets" (Paula Hawkins, New York Times bestselling author) that is perfect for fans of Megan Miranda and Celeste Ng.
The town of Whistling Ridge guards its secrets.
When seventeen-year-old Abigail Blake disappears after a party, her best friend Emma is left with questions no one else can answer. The police initially believe Abi ran away, but Emma doesn't believe that her friend would leave without her, and when disturbing evidence is discovered nearby, the festering secrets and longstanding resentment of both Abigail's family and the people of Whistling Ridge begin to surface with devastating consequences.
Among those secrets: Abi's older brother's passionate, dangerous love for a handsome Romanian immigrant who has recently made his home in the town's trailer park; her younger brother's feeling that he knows information he should tell the police, if only he could put it into words; her father's mercurial rages and her mother's silence. Then there is the rest of Whistling Ridge, where a charismatic preacher advocates for God with language that mirrors violence, all under the sway of the powerful businessman who rules the town.
But Abi has secrets of her own, and the closer Emma grows to unraveling them, the further she feels from her friend. And in a tinderbox of small-town rage, all it will take is just one spark-the truth of what really happened that night-to change their community forever in this "intricate and compelling thriller, beautifully nuanced and wonderfully claustrophobic" (S.J. Watson, New York Times bestselling author).
The town of Whistling Ridge guards its secrets.
When seventeen-year-old Abigail Blake disappears after a party, her best friend Emma is left with questions no one else can answer. The police initially believe Abi ran away, but Emma doesn't believe that her friend would leave without her, and when disturbing evidence is discovered nearby, the festering secrets and longstanding resentment of both Abigail's family and the people of Whistling Ridge begin to surface with devastating consequences.
Among those secrets: Abi's older brother's passionate, dangerous love for a handsome Romanian immigrant who has recently made his home in the town's trailer park; her younger brother's feeling that he knows information he should tell the police, if only he could put it into words; her father's mercurial rages and her mother's silence. Then there is the rest of Whistling Ridge, where a charismatic preacher advocates for God with language that mirrors violence, all under the sway of the powerful businessman who rules the town.
But Abi has secrets of her own, and the closer Emma grows to unraveling them, the further she feels from her friend. And in a tinderbox of small-town rage, all it will take is just one spark-the truth of what really happened that night-to change their community forever in this "intricate and compelling thriller, beautifully nuanced and wonderfully claustrophobic" (S.J. Watson, New York Times bestselling author).
Editorial Reviews
"claustrophobic....vividly realized." -Val McDermid, The Express
Readers Top Reviews
savingsinseconds
I really liked the book summary for Where The Truth Lies and was instantly impressed by Anna Bailey's polished writing style. The mystery surrounds a girl's disappearance in a small town filled with people who really don't wish her well. When you get down to it, NO ONE in Whistling Ridge wishes anyone well. In fact, I cannot think of one single happy moment in the entire book. Even the love connections are shaded with guilt, shame, and insults. I finished the book with a sinking heart. While I really enjoyed Anna Bailey's writing, I did not enjoy the characters or the overall story. Sensitive readers beware -- every trigger I could think of seemed to worm its way into this plot. These sad pages contain child abuse, domestic abuse, sexual abuse, underage drinking and drug use, murder, graphic war scenes, and more. In addition to the dark scenes in this book, it broke my heart to see the church used as evil fueling hate. I felt so sorry for Noah, and wanted to tell him that he would be welcome at the church where I attend! Normally I pass my books along to friends and family, but no one in my circle of friends would welcome the strong anti-Christian message of this story. Thank you to Atria Books for providing me with a copy of this book. Opinions shared are mine.
marwLinda S Moore
Where the Truth Lies by Anna Bailey Seventeen year old Abi goes missing from the small town of Whistling Ridge after she convinces her best friend Emma to leave her at a party in the woods. Emma is now racked with guilt for leaving Abi and she is determined to find out what happened to her. The deeper Emma digs, the dirtier things get. The story is told with frequent, short, NOW and THEN segments, seen from the POV of numerous characters. The changes from one time and person to another can be jarring and I would have like to have stayed with each viewpoint and time for a longer period of time. Also, the THEN segments can be anywhere from days ago to almost 2 decades ago, which can add to an already confusing story. At first I was enjoying the story, despite the sudden changes. But we soon learn that this is a cesspool of a town, everyone has secrets and the town is floating in it's own filth of prejudices, hatred, lies, cruelty, and debauchery. Each of these people and their faults could be real but when so many flawed and broken people end up in one small town, the story becomes overwhelmed with corruption without anything to add an iota of balance to the people. I trudged through the middle of the story, learning more and more about these disgusting people and not understanding why more kids and adults don't run away from this place as fast as they can. The last part of the story seems to pull itself together. It's as if what resolution that we get seems to pour down a cleansing rain on the people and place, giving just about everyone, who isn't crushed by their misdeeds, some hope of a brighter days in the future. This would have been more believable if we hadn't seen so much vileness throughout the main part of the story. Thank you Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC.
