Beautiful Lies

A Novel

By: Lisa Unger

Narrated by: Ann Marie Lee

If Ridley Jones had slept ten 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

“A stunning, powerful novel! Lisa Unger’s taut prose grabs the reader from word one and never lets go. In this tantalizing tale of family suspense, beware of who you trust and be forewarned about what might happen next.” —Lisa Gardner, author of Alone

“A tense exploration of what lies beneath the white picket fence of ordinary life. Harlan Coben has a new rival for his thriller crown.” —John Connolly, author of The Black Angel

“Beautiful Lies is a heartfelt thriller full of twists, turns, and truths. . . . Lisa Unger writes with precision and insight—she’s a welcome new voice in suspense fiction.” —Jeff Abbott, author of Panic

“At last, a riveting suspense novel filled with psychological insight and amazing wisdom. Lisa Unger is a literate, savvy writer, and Beautiful Lies is a find! Read it now!” —Margaret coel, author of Eye of the Wolf

“Suspenseful, sensitive, sexy, subtle . . . The best nail-biter I have read for ages. Highly recommended.” —Lee Child, author of One Shot

Give it a chance

I put off buying this book on several occasions because of the readers reviews and finally relented after reading the writer recommendation for the third time. I will admit that if you are an action film type and prefer everyone to state their intention in less than 5 words using no more than two syllables per word, then you will hate this book. If however you actually like reading books, then you will appreciate the authors efforts to paint the scene and express her thoughts and feelings. Although I feel 5 stars is too generous, I wanted to express how strongly I disagree with the other reviews. I am an avid book reader (both normal and audio) and thoroughly enjoyed the book. I strongly recommend it and upon completion immediately bought the follow up book Sliver of Truth.

loved it

I loved this book and did not want it to end. I can't wait for her next one

Surprised and Impressed

I really liked this book. I kept checking the plot summary at the beginning to see if I was listening to the right book. It takes a lot of interesting twists and turns, once in awhile I had to back track 30 sec or a minute just to make sure I was following. I'm glad all the pieces fell into place seamlessly for me as the reader because I ended up really liking the book. Great plot.

Full of Cliches

The plot was okay, but it was written poorly. The author doesnt have much experience of the real world outside New York City...

The narrator was very good.

I enjoyed the characters but the plot line was drawn out unnecessarily. I wasn’t a fan of the main character speaking to the reader at unusual intervals during the story.