A Book A Week

After reading two dark horror novels in a row, I was longing for something lighter to read. Don't get me wrong, I love diving into books that challenge and shock me, but there are times when I just want to read for the pure escapism of it all. Enter Meg Mitchell Moore's latest novel Two Truths and a Lie. I was pleasantly surprised to see this one arrive on my doorstep. It was included with a few others sent to me from the publisher in exchange for a review. From the cover, I wouldn't have picked this one as something I'd normally read. Still, comparisons to Big Little Lies and books by Elin Hilderbrand were more than enough to pique my interest.

The small seaside town of Newburyport, Massachusetts is the perfect place for starting over. Newcomer Sherri Griffin is hoping to do just that. She's recently divorced her husband, gained sole custody of their teenage daughter Katie and is ready to move on with her life. Sherri soon comes into contact with the Mom Squad, a group of local women who have their finger in every aspect of the Town, professionally and socially. To the shock of the other moms, the squad's former head Rebecca welcomes Sherri into their ranks. The pair bond over a common sense of misfortune. You see, Rebecca was widowed not too long ago, so she knows a thing or two about starting over.

Beyond learning about the mothers, Moore equally devotes pages to the story of their daughters. Rebecca's daughter Alexa is the pinnacle of popularity at the local high school. She has combined her gorgeous looks and natural knack at deciphering financial information into a successful YouTube channel. At the urging of her mother, Alexa agrees to babysit Sherri's eleven-year-old Katie. With Katie fast asleep, Alexa turns to snooping around the Griffin's home. She stumbles upon a composition notebook filled with Katie's writing. There's the usual stuff, of course, but Alexa is shocked when she finds information about Katie's past. The past has a funny way of catching up with the present. Armed with the dark knowledge of the Griffin's past, Alexa struggles to keep these secrets to herself. Worse, that dark past is threatening to invade the present, endangering everyone who stands in its way.

Going into Two Truths and a Lie I was really in the mood for juicy drama mixed with light thrills, and that's exactly what Meg Mitchell Moore delivered. This is the kind of breezy summer read that provides just enough depth to sink your teeth into without becoming overwhelming. Comparisons to Elin Hilderbrand's summer novels are the most appropriate, though I don't think I enjoyed Moore's characters in the same way. Their past hardships were enough to motivate their actions, but not enough to excuse some of the cattier confrontations. The mystery element serves more to keep the plot moving than to shock or thill in the traditional sense. Instead, Two Truths and a Lie spends most of its time fleshing out the characters. While I had a few qualms about the way some of these women acted, I did find the mother-daughter relationships to be the most believable part of the book. Either way, Two Truths and a Lie never tries to be anything more than a diversional summer read. It is the kind of escapist story that more than satisfied my need for something different and something that I could read on a summer afternoon. If you are looking to lose yourself in a story while soaking up the summer sun, Two Truths and a Lie by Meg Mitchell Moore should more than suffice.

For more information visit the author's website, Amazon, and Goodreads.
(2020, 31)