Here’s what people are saying about A Good Lie:
You want to look away, take a break from the emotions, but you can’t help yourself … you keep coming back for one more chapter. This psychological thriller draws you in from page one. The book is brave enough to tackle multiple societal issues – depression, cults, bullying. It’s a book that showcases vulnerability. Grab yourself a half-gallon of cherry vanilla ice cream like Louie would do and dig into A Good Lie’s delicious story. Readers will find empathy for each character’s viewpoint. Temes excels at slipping in a wham of a revelation now and then that has the reader sit up and say, “Oh, my!” You may find yourself wondering how all these loose ends can get tied up as the number of unread pages shrinks, but Temes manages to complete the thriller in tidy fashion, with a satisfying epilogue as the cherry on top.
Donna Parrey
Dark secrets threaten to upend a family in this novel. Temes’ tale explores one family’s limitations and capacity for love.
The story opens with the voice of Suzanne Franno, a woman who resides in a psychiatric ward after giving birth to a baby girl. Her husband, Louie, annuls their marriage and disappears with their infant daughter.
Each chapter of the novel is told in the first-person voice of one of the various characters so that readers have the opportunity to be in the heads of the major players, including Suzanne, Louie, and their daughter, Laurie.
Readers are introduced to Laurie, a talented teenage artist but a melancholy girl who has no friends or support system other than her single father. “I’m a freak,” she says resignedly, “always lonely.”
Abruptly, she meets a young couple who encourage her to study with Master Shekett. When Laurie meets him, she instinctively thinks, “I do not belong here, not at all,” yet she stays, becoming totally beholden to Shekett’s cult.
Temes maintains a brisk pace throughout the absorbing tale by deftly switching between various characters’ voices and viewpoints. The different narrative perspectives generate a lot of drama as characters’ lives intersect and interweave in unexpected ways. An engaging tale about learning to love others and ourselves.
Kirkus Review
A Good Lie follows an estranged middle-class American family from the early 60s to the 80s as unforeseen circumstances alter their lives in ways they could never fathom. Suzanne wakes up in a mental institution in Iowa, searching for her husband, Louie, and their newborn daughter, Laurie. Eighteen years later in New Jersey, Louie finds himself overwhelmed raising a teenager all by himself.
Author Roberta Temes delivers an absorbing and intricate tale, deftly showcasing how choices and circumstances shape the trajectory of people’s lives. Each character feels layered and nuanced, making them thoroughly compelling to read. You find yourself rooting for Laurie, Louie, Suzie, and Dot all the way through.
Pikasho Deka
A Good Lie by Roberta Temes is a gripping work of women’s fiction with a compelling plot and unforgettable characters. It’s about secrets, lies, and revelations. This plot launches with a medical decision that could have lasting consequences. The medical drama revolves around a couple named Louie and Suzanne Franno, who have a baby named Laurie, who grows up to be a teenager in New Jersey. Laurie yearns to belong, but crosses paths with a cult leader named Master instead.
Temes takes psychological drama to a fresh new level. The story is immediately engrossing, pulling you in like a magnet and holding you through each scene.
It’s about relationships, family, truth, and healing from harm. These characters have strength and wisdom, and the edginess is well-placed. Is there ever a good lie? You’ll find family drama, social issues, and takeaways that will live with you for a long time to come.
As a former social worker, I’d like to say that there is an authenticity and insider feel to this story that you don’t find in other psychological novels, thanks to the experience and knowledge of the author. For a well-crafted novel of family dynamics, psychology, and secrets, A Good Lie by Roberta Temes is a must-read.
Tammy Ruggles
A Good Lie by Roberta Temes follows Laurie’s journey. Laurie’s parents hid a secret that could upend her entire existence, but there were forces for and against the truth. With Joan and Dot pulling on either side of Louie, will Laurie ever find out this secret? Will Suzanne reveal her true identity?
A Good Lie by Roberta Temes is a riveting psychological novel that held me spellbound until the end. I loved the brilliant plot, realistic and unique storyline, and the writing style, which aided my comprehension. The dialogue had depth and was engaging, while character development was excellent. I enjoyed reading this book so much.
Write more, Roberta.
Jennifer Ibiam
A Good Lie is Roberta Temes’ first novel, a psychologically complex tale of family ties and relationships. Laurie is 18, a lonely teen living in New Jersey, desperate to feel she belongs. Her father, Louie, took her when her mother Suzanne was admitted to a psychiatric ward and Laurie hasn’t seen her since. Or has she?
Laurie falls in with a cult leader, secrets once deeply hidden begin to emerge and lies begin to unravel in this shocking story of love, family ties, and relationships. Will Laurie ever learn the truth? Should the truth be told? Not all lies are bad and some are designed to protect others.
A Good Lie by Roberta Temes is a thought-provoking psychological drama that begins with a medical decision that has long-reaching effects on the lives of all the people involved. It’s a steady story about learning to love, with plenty of drama along the way, and an intricate, gripping plot. The characters are real people, each with their own flaws and quirks and you will like them all – you can’t help it and you’ll be rooting for the main characters all the way through, sometimes for different reasons. This is a story that will make you think, maybe even evaluate your own family ties and relationships. Unique, unputdownable, a real page-turner.
Anne-Marie Reynolds