Beautiful Lies

A Novel

By: Lisa Unger

Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee

Length: 12 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

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 beautiful lie she used to call her life. She would still be the privileged daughter of a doting father and a loving mother. Her life would still be perfect - with only the tiny cracks of an angry junkie for a brother and a charming drunk with shady underworld connections for an uncle to mar the otherwise flawless whole.

But that's not what happened. Instead, those inconsequential decisions lead her to perform a good deed that puts her in the right place at the right time to unleash a chain of events that brings a mysterious package to her door - a package which informs her that her entire world is a lie.

Suddenly forced to question everything she knows about herself and her family, Ridley wanders into dark territory she never knew existed, where everyone in her life seems like a stranger. She has no idea who's on her side and who has something to hide - even, and maybe especially, her new lover, Jake, who appears to have secrets of his own.

Sexy and fast-paced, Beautiful Lies is a true literary thriller with one of the freshest voices and heroines to arrive 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....

©2006 Lisa Unger (P)2006 Books on Tape

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 savor the more subtle aspects of character development." (Booklist)
"With breathless speed, Unger is off on an action-packed journey of treachery and intrigue....The premise, that there is a dark side to the safe haven law, is deep as well as clever, and Unger plays it out thrillingly." (Publishers Weekly)

Started out good...

The book started out good...interesting and believable. I liked it until the last 1/3 of the book where it really dragged then the last couple chapters were preachy and unnecessary. It was as if the author just didn’t want the book to end so she went on and on and on saying the same things over and over again. Much too preachy in the end. Overall I can not recommend this book.

really great listen

loved the voice--both of the author and the narator. fully engaging.

Good premise but...

This book had a very good premise but it never really developed into a great story. At times it was too wordy with too much description and at other times, conflict was wrapped up too quickly and neatly. It seemed like all the characters were behaving because of their reaction to love but so much was left unsaid. Why did Zack become so passionately involved with such illegal activity? Why did he turn on Ridley? What was so bad in Ace's life to make him turn to addiction? Why was Ridley's father so steadfastly naive? And why did Ridley herself make such poor choices? The characters seemed to have extreme behaviors but we never really learned enough about them to understand their actions.

Great Story!

I very much enjoyed the way Ridley told her story setting the stage to tie up the details when appropriate. The humanity gone wrong or right proved extremely entertaining when telling a story that could very well be truth and not fiction.

One moment opened Pandora’s box into her past

A life changed forever by one choice. Ridley altered the course of her life by saving a child in the streets of New York. Her quiet life was disrupted by newscasters blasting her story all over televisions and newspapers. Because of that media attention her life opened up a door to danger and lies.
It started with a letter and photo and ending with Ridley unlocking something that was bigger than she imagined.

Ridley lives alone in an apartment in East Village. She’s a writer and loves the location. All day long she can smell pizza through the ventilation outside her window. Shortly after her face is plastered all over television screens she meets Jake a guy who lives one floor above in her. He’s got this dark sexy aura about him. She’s drawn to him instantly.

Lisa Unger has become one of my one-click thriller authors. I began my reading journey with Confessions on the 7:45. I’ve only started reading Lisa’s backlist since 2021. I have some catching up to do. That’s where I’m at with Beautiful Lies. Im still chasing that first book experience, but no other book has blown me away like Confessions on the 7:45. Lisa is a well written writer. I love her writing voice. Her story’s are fluid. Some I’m immersed in while others I’m only mildly entertained. I found myself not completely absorbed in Beautiful Lies. While it has a unique quality to it, yet I’m not completely engulfed by it.
The story comes alive around chapter fifteen. I guess it’s not uncommon for the pace to change at the forty percent mark. Ridley who’s a writer in by no means a private investigator, yet she meets up with Jake who knows someone who can get answers. It’s at this moment when the story sets a new pace. I’m not entirely sold on the idea of needing two books. While book one opened up a can of whoop a$s I’m not sure the second book has the resolution I’m looking for. So far the information provided seems to satisfy me enough to leave it for now.

The story begins with a prologue. I didn’t consider the importance of the information presented in that prologue until I reached a point in the story where I had to refer back to that prologue for a reread.

Narrator:
Ann Marie Lee is the solo female narrator. I listened at 2X speed using the audible app. I own both the ebook and audiobook allowing me the opportunity to follow along. For me this provides the best listening experience.
The performance by Ann Marie Lee was excellent. This was my first time listening to her voice a character in an audiobook. She enhanced my reading experience. I’ve grown spoiled by audiobooks needing both the ebook and audiobook allowing the full story to come alive with sounds and tones. It’s one step away from a movie. Thrillers are the best in providing the activity needed to bring forth the bustle of a high energy investigation.
This is an unabridged audiobook.

Great read! Loving Lisa Unger

I loved the way the author asked questions of us, the readers, when explaining certain circumstances. I tend to think that way myself and this is the first I've seen it in authors work.
Great story, never a dull moment!

great book

I loved this book and hated to see it end! Very entertaining from beginning to end. Would highly recommend this listen.

self absorbed heroine wore me out

The first half of the book was okay but once I got into the second half of the book I wanted to scream at the author and the goofy heroine for being such a self-absorbed ninny. The plot was very heavy handed and so improbable as to be laughable which wouldn't be so bad except the book took itself way too seriously. I thought the narrator was very good and appropriate for the book.

3 stars is generous... I was bored.

I'm giving this book 3 stars because the concept itself was original. But, it seemed so slow and dragged on for so long that by the time I got to "whodunit" I no longer cared. I have listened to a couple other books by this author that were very good , so I was disappointed with this one. Even the narration was too blah. I listened to the last couple of hours at a faster speed. I probably should have done that sooner.

loved it!!

Yes it was wordy,however I really enjoyed this book and was sad to see it end. I also enjoyed the reader. People seem to really like this book or hate it. I for one loved it. I found the story riveting. Can't wait for her next book to come out.