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State of Lies by Siri Mitchell Review

Happy Thursday Everyone!

I hope your week is going well, and I want to thank you all for joining me for another book review here on The Preppy Book Princess.

Do any of you guys have any special vacation plans this summer? My hubby and I do not, as work's usually really crazy this time of year, and as such, we usually end up taking vacations in the fall or winter rather than spring or summer.

So since work's been crazy, and there's no vacation on the horizon for us, I've been spending a lot of my free time diving into really amazing books.

I don't think I'd shared my happy news with my blog readers yet, but I recently received auto approval from Thomas Nelson on NetGalley, and let me tell you I have been taking full advantage of this amazing opportunity, and have been happily gobbling up many of their amazing reads.

One such read is the one I'm here to review with you all today. :)

State of Lies by Siri Mitchell:




Source: Publisher (Thomas Nelson) via NetGalley

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Publication Date: Aug 13th, 2019

Genre: Suspense/Christian Fiction


Synopsis:


One woman is forced to question everything she knows in this domestic suspense novel from award-winning author Siri Mitchell.

Georgie Brennan may be a world-class quantum physicist, but she grapples with life as a single mother after her husband is killed. When she receives a message from beyond the grave, it leads her to question the details of her husband’s death.

As she follows the clues he left behind, her discoveries increasingly implicate those closest to her. When her father is nominated as the new United States Secretary of Defense, she must uncover the truth before his confirmation hearing—even as the same people who killed her husband are now after her. Nothing is at is seems. Lies are truth; enemies are friends. Even her child is at risk. As every possibility but one disappears, Georgie may find herself to be the antithesis of everything she’s thought herself to be.


(synopsis from goodreads)


My Review:

Christian suspense novels are a favorite of mine, and I breezed through this one fairly quick. I'd never personally read anything by this author before, but I'd heard great things, and I was really looking forward to diving into it. I tend to love thrillers that focus around information and secrets and conspiracies, so I had a feeling I was going to really enjoy this one, and I was definitely not disappointed.

Main character Georgia Ann has grown up in a high society type of family. Her father is in an advanced position in politics thanks largely in fact to his military background, and her mother has become the perfect political wife. Georgia grew up knowing how to properly entertain, the importance of charitable luncheons, and how image matters no matter what. So it's not surprising that her family doesn't understand her career choice as a physicist, or the fact that her and her husband Sean have settled for a simpler lifestyle with their son Sam. Georgia's perfectly content with the life she's built for herself, but everything changes the day her husband goes out to get a piece to fix their tap, and never comes home. She later finds out that he was killed in a car accident, and she's left to pick up the pieces of everything herself.

However, Sean's death not only turns Georgia's life upside down with grief, but it also opens the door to a lifestyle of secrets that she was never privy too. Sean had been working on a top secret project for the Department of Defense, and suddenly Georgia's learning secrets and truths she may have been better off never knowing. Betrayals and reveals are hiding around every corner, and you never know who you can truly trust, or if you're ever truly safe. Georgia's may not have been prepared for all she's about to uncover, but she's also not going to go down without a fight. She'll stop at nothing to get her and her son Sam's safety back, no matter what the cost.

From start to finish, Sate of Lies, had me on the edge of my seat, and even though I had pieced together some pieces of the plot, I was honestly still blown away with all the final reveals. This is not the type of suspense story that slowly builds and then has one big revelation. Rather, the plot twists, turns, and changes right from the start, and the reader is treated to one shocking revelation after another. 

Georgia's character was one I really enjoyed, as I loved how patriotism and standing up for what's truly right no matter what the circumstances are of such high importance to her. She also refuses to ever take the easy way out, and instead is determined to do whatever it takes to stand on her own two feet, and to give her son the stability and security he deserves.

Even though I really loved this story overall, that's not to say it wasn't without its faults. When I pick up a book published by a Christian publisher, I expect the faith content to play at least a partial role in the plot, and I'm always disappointed when that isn't the case. With everything going on in Georgia's world, I would have loved to have seen her turn to God, and prayer and faith, rather than insisting on doing everything her own way. I'm sure for some this wouldn't have been a deal breaker, but I would have liked more mention of the faith element than in the prayer's her young son says before he goes to bed. 

Secondly, considering this is marketed as a Christian fiction title, I was a little surprised with some of the racier scenes that are included between Georgia and her husband before his death. I appreciated that this is only ever between a married couple, but I still don't think it was necessary to the plot, and I could see it being bothersome to some Christian readers.

Overall, State of Lies is a fantastic story that will keep readers engaged right throughout, and I highly recommend it to anyone who's a fan of suspense mysteries or political thrillers. While this was my first experience with a Siri Mitchell novel, I definitely wouldn't hesitate to pick up a book from her in the future!

Final Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the opportunity to advance read this!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher (Thomas Nelson) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not required to give a positive review. 

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