Blog Tour: The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager (Review & Giveaway!)

The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager

Publisher: Dutton Press

Release Date: July 3, 2018

Genre: Adult, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Source: ARC provided by publisher via First to Read in exchange for an honest review
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Two Truths and a Lie. The girls played it all the time in their tiny cabin at Camp Nightingale. Vivian, Natalie, Allison, and first-time camper Emma Davis, the youngest of the group. The games ended when Emma sleepily watched the others sneak out of the cabin in the dead of night. The last she--or anyone--saw of them was Vivian closing the cabin door behind her, hushing Emma with a finger pressed to her lips.

Now a rising star in the New York art scene, Emma turns her past into paintings--massive canvases filled with dark leaves and gnarled branches that cover ghostly shapes in white dresses. The paintings catch the attention of Francesca Harris-White, the socialite and wealthy owner of Camp Nightingale. When Francesca implores her to return to the newly reopened camp as a painting instructor, Emma sees an opportunity to try to find out what really happened to her friends.

Yet it's immediately clear that all is not right at Camp Nightingale. Already haunted by memories from fifteen years ago, Emma discovers a security camera pointed directly at her cabin, mounting mistrust from Francesca and, most disturbing of all, cryptic clues Vivian left behind about the camp's twisted origins. As she digs deeper, Emma finds herself sorting through lies from the past while facing threats from both man and nature in the present. And the closer she gets to the truth about Camp Nightingale, the more she realizes it may come at a deadly price.

Review: 

I've been hearing nonstop good things about Riley Sager ever since the release of Final Girls, and even though I love a good thriller/mystery, I was hesitant to try it. Would it live up to the hype? Would I like it as much as everyone else? Those were the questions on my mind.

Now that I've read The Last Time I Lied, Riley's second book, I'm mad at myself for being so stubborn and reluctant, because this book is EXCELLENT! After finishing it my thoughts were something like this: "Wow....Wow....WOW..."

The best word to describe The Last Time I Lied? Intoxicating! When I sat down with it, I only planned to read a chapter; however, as per usual, that ended up being a straight-up lie, as I ended up reading the ENTIRE book in one sitting. It's just that good.

The Last Time I Lied alternates between current times and 15 years ago. Riley did a fantastic job of weaving the two timelines together, and I loved how both included mystery as well as suspense. I also liked how the timelines played off each other, as it really brought the book together.

Emma is an interesting main character. From the first chapter, it's easy to see that Emma's been carrying that night with her for years. She's still so incredibly torn up about it and even a tad obsessed - all of her paintings involve that night. She also feels incredible guilt - guilt for her role that night, guilt for putting the blame on someone out of anger rather than true reasons, guilt for living while three other girls died. I felt for Emma. I couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be to live like that, especially when there was no real closure. Over the course of the book, Emma starts to heal from that night, reestablishing friendships along the way. I enjoyed seeing Emma come out of this cloud, and I also liked seeing her bond with the three young girls she was in charge of at the camp. It brought out a new side to her - a big sister side. I also liked the addition of the secondary characters. They all had their own secrets to hide. Some had better intentions than others. However, they all had a role to play.

The plot here is well constructed. Riley did a fantastic job of building up what happened that night as well as the mystery that still remained. There were several times in which I thought I had everything figured out only to be proven wrong. The setting also brought a lot to the book. It was eerie and creepy, and what made it even better was how fleshed out Riley made it. I had no problem picturing the camp.

In all, The Last Time I Lied is perfect for fans of thrillers, especially those who love a campy feel; however, be prepared to be shocked throughout. The curveball at the end? Deliciously evil! My jaw dropped.

5 stars!!

About the Author: 

Riley Sager is the pseudonym of a former journalist, editor and graphic designer who previously published mysteries under his real name.  

Now a full-time author, Riley's first thriller, FINAL GIRLS, became a national and international bestseller and was called "the first great thriller of 2017" by Stephen King. Translation rights have been sold in more than two dozen countries and a film version is being developed by Universal Pictures.  

Riley's next book, THE LAST TIME I LIED, will be published in July. It was inspired by the classic novel and film "Picnic at Hanging Rock" and one horrible week Riley spent at summer camp when he was ten. 

A native of Pennsylvania, Riley now lives in Princeton, New Jersey. When he's not working on his next novel, he enjoys reading, cooking and going to the movies as much as possible. His favorite film is "Rear Window." Or maybe "Jaws." But probably, if he's being honest, "Mary Poppins."

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Giveaway: 

Each blog is giving away a copy of THE LAST TIME I LIED by Riley Sager
That's 20 books you have the chance of winning!!!
Stop by each blog on their tour date to enter
US/Canada Only
You may only win 1 book during the entire tour-- if you are chosen as a winner more than once, we ask that you decline the 2nd offer as to let someone else win.
You will be disqualified completely if your name is on the winner's list more than once.

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