The Marriage Lie by Kimberly Belle– 352 pages
ARC from Mira
Book Blurb:
Iris and Will’s marriage is as close to perfect as it can be: a large house in a nice Atlanta neighborhood, rewarding careers and the excitement of trying for their first baby. But on the morning Will leaves for a business trip to Orlando, Iris’s happy world comes to an abrupt halt. Another plane headed for Seattle has crashed into a field, killing everyone on board, and according to the airline, Will was one of the passengers on this plane. Grief-stricken and confused, Iris is convinced it all must be a huge misunderstanding. But as time passes and there is still no sign of Will, she reluctantly accepts that he is gone. Still, Iris needs answers. Why did Will lie about where he was going? What is in Seattle? And what else has he lied about? As Iris sets off on a desperate quest to find out what her husband was keeping from her, the answers she receives will shock her to her very core.
My Review: 4 stars
The Marriage Lie is my perfect type of mystery, an exciting page-turner that reads quickly. It’s a winner to bring on vacation as you’ll be engrossed from the start.
When the main protagonist, Iris, finds out her husband from their perfect marriage is not what or who he says he is, her life unfolds before her. Although I hate to read about plane crashes, this worked well in this storyline, as it was an excellent vehicle to create the plot.
Iris is a well-developed character in her conviction and belief system. Her relationship with her twin was palpable and I believe many readers would wish for a brother like that. The dialogue both internally and externally seemed natural and believable. I did feel a gap in the story that there were no interactions with her girlfriends. The author mentioned them, but I just couldn’t imagine Iris not having them over, cooking meals with her mom and being a part of this story. They were missed.
The men she trusts, Corban, Evan Sheffield and even Will, kept the reader guessing as to their true intent. Every few pages I was in and out of the dark as to who was good or bad, truthful or not. There were many twists that kept this book exciting with a knock out ending to boot. This is my first book by Belle, but certainly won’t be last!
Quotes I liked:
What’s in Seattle? Besides rain and Starbucks and too much plaid, I mean.”
