Review

Julie Clark is an automatic To Be Read author for me after reading The Last Flight and The Lies I Tell.

In this story, Clark crafts a thrilling story featuring con artist Meg Williams who is now pretending to be a real estate agent, and Kat Roberts, the journalist trying to expose her.

The plot in this book is filled with action from the first chapter when Kat realizes that Meg is back in town. Kat has underlying reasons to want to bring Meg down and expose her web of lies. Ten years ago, Meg did something that not only ruined Kat's rising career as a promising journalist but also marked her personal life forever. Since then, Kat has kept tabs on Meg waiting for the moment she would be back in town. Now that the time has come, Kat has come up with a plan to get close to Meg to make her pay for that event that ruined her life. Kat develops a relationship with Meg by pretending to be on the lookout for a new house, and when Meg offers her a job as an assistant, she realizes she can dig deeper into Meg's life. But Kat doesn't count on Meg's exceptional abilities as a con artist, and as she delves into Meg's life, she starts questioning everything she thought she knew.

Julie Clark is a master in crafting engrossing thrillers with strong and confident female characters, and this story was everything I was expecting and more. This book is a roller coaster of emotions, and I'd say that the characters are the main reason for it. Both Meg and Kat are assertive characters with a purpose, and while they are very different people, they both display similar qualities. They both are on a mission to uncover the truth and expose people, and they both are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. Meg and Kat are multidimensional characters who portray good and bad personality traits. They are both likable and relatable, and while their personalities and professions are opposite from each other, they also share similar values and points of view. I was truly in awe of how well developed both characters were, and I was rooting for both of them as they deal with their own circumstances. The secondary characters provide the perfect opportunity for interactions with Meg and Kat that help to develop their characters and move the plot along. I liked how Kat interacted with her fiance while coming to terms with the reality of their life together. I also enjoyed Meg's wit and great personality when she interacted with her clients and other secondary characters.

The plot and the pace of the story flowed together beautifully. This was an action pack thriller filled with intriguing storylines, and the many twists along the main plot keep it engaging from the first chapter. The book was easy to read while staying compelling, which I find is not easy to do with thrillers. There is not one chapter I didn't enjoy, and I found myself fully engaged in Kat and Meg's life stories. I couldn't put the book down because every time I finished a chapter something else was revealed.

Once again, I will say that Julie Clark has proven to be a master of thrilling stories. Can't wait for her next work!