Beautiful Lies: Summary and book reviews of Beautiful Lies by Lisa Unger, plus links to an excerpt from Beautiful Lies and a biography of Lisa Unger.

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 . . . .

BookBrowse

  (Reviewed by BookBrowse Review Team).

Full Review (452 words).

Media Reviews

Kirkus Reviews Cleverly handled suspense for chick-lit readers.   Booklist - Jenny Mclarin Starred Review. Unger takes readers on a pulse-pounding ride through the Big Apple in this outstanding debut that will please both pace-obsessed thriller fans and those who want to savor the more subtle aspects of character development.   Publishers Weekly Starred Review. The premise is deep as well as clever, and Unger plays it out thrillingly. Lee Child, author of One Shot Suspenseful, sensitive, sexy, subtle . . . The best nail-biter I have read for ages. Highly recommended. John Connolly, author of The Black Angel A tense exploration of what lies beneath the white picket fence of ordinary life. Harlan Coben has a new rival for his thriller crown. Lisa Gardner, author of Alone 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.

Recent Reader Reviews

Rated of 5 by Gini
You've got to be kidding...
I still am reeling from this book a year later! How this author is still pounding them out is absolutely incredible to me! After the fiasco of this horribly written book why is she still selling! The writing is juvenile at best as she goes on ,...   Read More

Rated of 5 by Melissa Hunt
Beautiful Truths
I always enjoy a good thriller and while this kept my attention with suspense, little romance thrown in, etc; it was the poignant remarks Unger made throughout this novel and the sequel, Sliver of Truth, which really kept me reading. I first love...   Read More

Rated of 5 by Ronni
Beautiful Lies a great book
Was kind of sad to read review on Lisa Unger's second novel because Beautiful Lies is absolutely excellent. It had everything a book should have and was a real page turner. Will still read sequel but know it must be hard to follow up such a great...   Read More

Rated of 5 by jan
Beware, the sequel!
Nowhere in the blurb, etc, of Lisa Unger's next book, Sliver of Truth, does it mention it is a sequel to Beautiful Lies. This is unfortunate. The narrator of S of T never stops alluding to the plot and characters in her first book, taking for...   Read More

Readalikes

If you liked Beautiful Lies, try these:

---

---

This is one of 3 readalike suggestions for Beautiful Lies. Members have full access to all readalikes. If you are a member, please login. To find out more about membership, click here.

Books with similar themes

• Thrillers
  
• USA 
  
• Mid-Atlantic 
  
• NY State 
  
• Contemporary 
  
• 1st Books/1st Novels 
  
• Strong Female Leads