Her Dark Lies by J.T. Ellison

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J.T. Ellison’s new book, Her Dark Lies, is a thrilling novel about a beautiful Italian island and a fairy tale wedding that goes horribly wrong. I have read J.T. Ellison’s novels in the past and love her writing. She has you guessing until the very end of the story. You have to digest what you just read to fully understand the story and who is left standing. 


This amazing book is available tomorrow, 9 March and I'm honored to be part of the blog tour. A huge thank you to the publisher and author for inviting me. I'm giving you a head start into the book with my review and, my favorite part, a Q&A with J.T. Ellison herself!



Review 

The story takes place on a private island that has been in the Compton family for generations. The island is gorgeous and terrifying at the same time. The history is amazing with famous artists having lived there and some of their artwork is on display. Claire, an artist herself, is amazed by this. This island is supposed to be the setting of Claire and Jack’s wedding but things go wrong immediately. The stormy weather plays havoc with the wedding and a skeleton is found just before the couple arrives on the island. This is just the start of the body count. 

The book is told from several point of views and if you’ve read my past reviews, you know that I love stories written this way. You are brought deeper into the plot. I had a very hard putting this book down. The description of the setting is so detailed that you can see yourself on the island, in the house, or looking over the sea from the island. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that loves a good thriller and secrets reveled every chapter. 


Q&A

Where did the inspiration Her Dark Lies come from?

I was in Italy on a family trip for a big birthday. We were on Lake Como, in a beautiful room with a terrace, and a yacht pulled up to Comacina Island, across the water from where we were staying. A wedding party got out and proceeded to have a huge party. At dark, fireworks went off. I knew immediately I wanted to write it as a story – with a dark side, of course. Imagine being stuck on an island, in a storm, with a killer on the loose. Yep. Boom. Story.


Which one of Her Dark Lies characters was the hardest to write and why?

Honestly, my main character, Claire. She didn’t want to give up her secrets, and I had to force them out of her. Once she admitted her sins to me, the whole story fell into place. I understand why she didn’t tell me, and when she tells the story of her past in the book, that’s exactly when she let me know, too. Wow, she made it hard on me!


Which character in (Her Dark Lies) is dearest to you and why?

Katie, Claire’s best friend, is a total spitfire and so dedicated to Claire’s happiness and well-being. They’ve been friends since childhood and she’s seen Claire through every stage of her life. She’s a great chick and a lot of fun to write. I have been blessed with several Katie’s in my life. Everyone needs that friend who is loyal to you and loves you no matter what.


How did the book’s title come to you?

Funny you should ask that. This title was attached very early on. The original working title was THREE DARK NIGHTS, but my team felt like it needed to change, and I knew I wanted three words and dark in the title. HER DARK LIES came to me, I ran it up the flagpole, everyone loved it, and off we went. It’s not usually that simple, but this one was!


Did you have a hand in designing the book’s cover?

I did a bit, but the art team at MIRA is so astounding they need very little help from me. I gave them some photos the cliffs and fortress/villa I used as inspiration, and they created the most brilliant cover ever. When they sent it I yelled in delight. It’s so perfect for the story and exactly what I imagined the setting to look like.


How could you describe this book in five words?

What if Rebecca hadn’t died?


Did COVID-19 hinder the release of this book?

Actually, I was the hindrance on this one. I had to have two knee surgeries a few months apart and that pushed back my deadline by a few months. I did almost half the book and all of the revising during the early months of the pandemic when we were in complete lockdown, and the final revisions over the summer and fall of 2020. I got very, very lucky, I think. GOOD GIRLS LIE came out December 31, 2021 and I was just finishing up my tour when we went into lockdown. That freed me up to write like the wind. 




Author Information

Social Links:

Website: https://www.jtellison.com/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JTEllison14/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thrillerchick 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thrillerchick 

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/shop/jtellison 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jtellison 

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-t-ellison 

Mailing List: https://www.jtellison.com/subscribe

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