Review: WHAT LIES BELOW by Barbara Taylor Sissel

WHAT LIES BELOW by Barbara Taylor Sissel
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
Published by Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: May 15, 2018
ISBN-10: 1503950115
ISBN-13: 978-1503950115
Pages: 334
Review Copy From: Author
Edition: eARC
My Rating: 5

Synopsis (via GR)

Everyone has nightmares. One woman is living hers…

Gilly O’Connell’s nightmares aren’t just bad dreams; they’re glimpses of terrifying realities to come. Gilly has spent her entire life trying to suppress the foreboding visions. So when a dismissed premonition leads to her husband’s murder, she buries the guilt and pain of the unsolved crime in the only way she knows how—she runs from it.

Three years later, after overcoming a battle with addiction and starting over in a small Texas town, Gilly dares to believe the worst is over. That is, until another crime rips her heart open: the abduction of a three-year-old girl. Gilly knows more about it than anyone…

She’s dreaming again.

Gilly is convinced that if she tells the police she dreamed of the kidnapping before it happened, there’s no way they’ll believe her. But when she finally gets the courage to come forward with what she saw, people don’t see her as crazy—they see her as a suspect.

Now, in order to help a desperate single father save his child, Gilly must first clear her own name. But as the nightmares of the past catch up to her, Gilly’s only chance for salvation might be the dreams she’s spent so long trying to ignore.

 

My Thoughts

The majority of us have reading lists such as TBRs, Wishlists and Authors To Read list. Plus I have a list for Authors that are imperative that I read, or in other words, drop everything that I am doing and read. Barbara Taylor Sissel is on this list.

Gilly O’Connell has moved to Wyatt, TX hoping to restart her life after the trauma of losing her husband to murder, a daughter and a downward spiral of self medicating with drugs and alcohol. What makes it worse is that she had one of her “dreams” the night before of the murder but tried suppressing it. She has been living with the guilt of not acting on that “dream”. And now, a child she has gotten to know and care about, Zoe, has been abducted. And the “dreams” are starting again. This time does she act on them or are people going to look at her as a suspect?

Barbara Taylor Sissel, from the first page, draws the reader in and doesn’t let go until the final word. She has an extraordinary writing style that pulls the reader into the story, and settings, where one feels like they are a bystander. An excellent example of being transported whereas this reader was so engrossed in the story that I was not cognitive of my surroundings. When I started reading WHAT LIES BELOW, I planned on reading a couple of chapters and then realized I had been reading for 5 hours and was halfway done with the book.

An exciting read! The suspense and action continuous! Riveting!

And then BANG! Picking my jaw off the ground because I didn’t see what came next. Shocking! And only as Ms. Sissel does, throws in another explosion! A dynamic powerhouse of a read!!

After reading most of her books, see below for my previous reviews, I keep thinking that I will figure it out. Not even close!!! I was blindsided by the ending!

I highly encourage you to preorder this book. And in the meantime, pick up some of her previous novels. I guarantee you will be putting her on your “drop everything and read” list!

My thoughts on her earlier novels: THE NINTH STEP, THE VOLUNTEER, EVIDENCE OF LIFE, SAFE KEEPING, CROOKED LITTLE LIES, FAULTLINES, THE LAST INNOCENT HOUR, and THE TRUTH WE BURY.

 

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

 

REVIEW DISCLAIMER

This blog was founded on the premise to write honest reviews, to the best of my ability, no matter who from, where from and/or how the book was obtained, and will continue to do so, even if it is through PICT or PBP.
DISCLAIMER

I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive are ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.
ADDENDUM

I do not have any affiliation with Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble. I am providing link(s) solely for visitors that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.

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