Lies to Forever (by Marlene M. Bell)
One of the great pleasures of running a book blog is receiving submissions from authors and diving into their stories. Most often these arrive as digital ARCs, but every once in a while I’m fortunate enough to receive a physical copy. In this case, author Marlene M. Bell kindly sent me a signed paperback of her latest release, Lies to Forever, complete with a personalized note and a charming bookmark.
This is Marlene’s first foray into suspense thrillers. It follows April Manning, a generous but trusting interior designer whose life is upended when a close friend swindles her out of her savings, leaving her facing eviction. Desperate to regain her footing, April reluctantly returns to her old architectural firm—despite the painful memories it holds. Her homecoming quickly takes a dark turn when murder strikes close to home, pulling her into a web of suspicion, betrayal, and danger. Set against the wintry backdrop of Tennessee, the novel explores themes of trust, hidden agendas, and resilience as April fights to clear her name and rebuild her future.
The story kept me turning pages and held my attention throughout. I especially enjoyed April and the secondary character Hunter; both are warm, likable protagonists who are easy to root for. I felt genuine empathy for April as one misfortune after another piled on top of her. While the sheer volume of challenges she faces sometimes felt overwhelming, it effectively ramped up the suspense and tension.
That said, a few elements held the book back from its full potential. The dialogue occasionally became confusing, requiring me to reread passages to track who was speaking. As someone who reads a lot of thrillers and watches true-crime documentaries, I also noticed some procedural inaccuracies around police interrogations that pulled me out of the story. These moments felt like missed opportunities—realistic legal boundaries could have still allowed the necessary information to surface while keeping the narrative grounded.
Overall, Lies to Forever is an engaging read with a sympathetic heroine and a snowy Tennessee atmosphere that adds to the moody feel. While it didn’t quite reach the level of some of my favorite thrillers, it offers a solid mix of emotional stakes and suspense.
I’m truly grateful to Marlene and her marketing team for reaching out and for the lovely signed copy and bookmark. I received the book in exchange for an honest review.
This is my second book by Marlene M. Bell. You can find my thoughts on her previous title linked below.
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