Author: Sarina Bowen

Genre: Mystery/Suspense

Publication Date: May 7, 2024

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 (4.5/5)

In The Five Year Lie, Arial Cafferty has been trying to move on with her life since Drew, the man she fell in love with disappeared, and then wound up dead. She hasn’t moved on with her life in any substantial way, and spends her days working at Chime Co. (the extremely successful doorbell camera company her family owns), blowing glass in a local studio, and taking care of her four-year-old son. She is shocked to receive a text out of the blue from Drew, asking her to meeting him under a tree in their favorite park.

What follows is a mystery that unravels at just the right pace, with plenty of plot twists and strong supporting characters. As Ariel tries to figure out whom she can really trust, more information is uncovered that leaves it unclear just how far outside the bounds of the law her family business has been operating, and who exactly has been letting it happen.

I lived in Portland, Maine for quite a few years, so I may be biased in saying that I enjoyed the setting of The Five Year Lie. Any time you have familiarity with the area a book is set in, it helps connect you with storyline and visualize what is happening. Regardless, I thought Bowen’s writing was descriptive and very enjoyable. Ariel is an easy character to root for, and I enjoyed her personality, strength, and poise. The suspense is real, and will leave you wondering right up until the end who is really involved in the murder and general mayhem that’s being going on around Chime Co.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.