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Maggie Barbieri

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Lies That Bind: A Thriller (Maeve Conlon Novels Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Maggie Barbieri (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.3 38 ratings

Book 2 of 3: Maeve Conlon Novels

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In the acclaimed Once Upon a Lie, Maggie Barbieri introduced Maeve Conlon, a single mother and bakery owner hiding dark secrets behind her cookie-cutter suburban life.

Now, Maeve's moving on with everyday life when the unthinkable happens: her father dies of a massive heart attack. Maeve's mother died when Maeve was very young, and growing up, it was always just her and her father. But on the day of his funeral, Maeve learns a shocking secret. She might have a sister she's never met. Maeve knows her father would never have kept something like that from her…Unless he thought he had to.

Meantime, someone keeps sneaking around Maeve's bakery. At first the signs are subtle, but then it becomes vandalism, and then it grows even more frightening. Could it be related to Maeve's search for her missing sister? Maeve soon decides it's time to take matters into her own capable hands. But administering her personal brand of justice is a dangerous undertaking, and between the ever-watchful eyes of her family and the lingering attention she's attracted from local police, Maeve will be forced to decide just how much she's willing to risk in the name of justice.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Riveting…All the characters are sharply drawn, particularly Maeve, whose dark humor and stoic attitude mask an unshakable moral core…Barbieri skillfully avoids tipping her hand until the last possible moment, leaving readers both breathless and unnerved by the novel's conclusion.” ―Publisher's Weekly (starred) on Once Upon a Lie

“Grace and humor mark this tale of a woman trying to protect her family without losing herself.” ―Kirkus (starred) on Once Upon a Lie

“[Barbieri] takes readers on a dark ride…The story hooks readers until the shocking end. This reviewer is looking forward to more from this talented author.” ―RT Book Reviews (4½ stars, Top Pick) on Once Upon a Lie

“An excellent, edgy thriller. Maggie Barbieri breaks new ground with this provocative new novel showcasing one burnt out mother's desperate determination to protect her family's future by facing down her past. Secrets, betrayals, stunning revelations. This book has it all.” ―Lisa Gardner on Once Upon a Lie

“Once Upon a Lie is a clever, spicy, humorous and insightful story of what can happen when long-suppressed memories and dark secrets are kept buried too long. Maggie Barbieri digs deep beneath the serene surface of suburbia where forbidden things happen and delivers a surprising, suspenseful and satisfying story.” ―Mary Jane Clark on Once Upon a Lie

“Once Upon a Lie's Maeve Conlon is a terrific heroine--funny, smart, brave and, above all, real.” ―Alison Gaylin on Once Upon a Lie

“Wow. What begins as a wry and witty suburban mystery soon becomes a darkly powerful tale of family secrets, loss, and revenge. Surprising, sinister, and quietly disturbing.” ―Hank Phillippi Ryan on Once Upon a Lie

About the Author

MAGGIE BARBIERI is a freelance editor as well as a mystery novelist. Her father was a member of the NYPD, and his stories provide much of the background for her novels.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00M65AWLO
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Minotaur Books; First edition (February 17, 2015)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 17, 2015
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1414 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 334 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #630,780 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #3,108 in Vigilante Justice Thrillers
- #4,549 in Ghost Mysteries
- #6,126 in Serial Killer Thrillers

Customer Reviews:
4.3 38 ratings

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Maggie Barbieri

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Maggie Barbieri is a freelance writer and textbook editor who lives in the Hudson Valley. She is also the author of the Murder 101 series, the fourth installment of which--Final Exam--will be published in December 2009.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5

38 global ratings

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DickersonPondit

The Comfort Zone -- Anything But

Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2015

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Another great book by Maggie Barbieri. Maeve Conlon is a complex woman who makes you wonder if you ever really know the people you see day in and day out. A single woman raising two teenage daughters running a business that keeps her above water, but without financial security or a sound future is her day-to-day reality. Throw in a loving ex-cop father with advancing dementia and a weird relationship with her ex-husband and you can start to sense that there is more to Maeve Conlon than cookies and cupcakes. Oh, I also forgot she murdered her cousin in a previous novel!

As you read this captivating novel, keep yourself guessing at what comes next and who has done what. Finding out what in the story is true or false takes a scorecard. If you are fortunate enough to be familiar to the lower Hudson Valley in New York, the references to towns and areas in the book will jog your memory.

No more about this novel. You need to read it yourself. There will be a sense of satisfaction if you can fathom where the author is taking you as you read chapter after chapter.

As a complete aside, I was personally touch by a pleasant reference to hydroponics in the novel.

2 people found this helpful

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bookworm

I Hope There Will Be More of Maeve

Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2015

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I loved this book. I think Maeve is right up there with Grafton's Kinsey Milhoun, albeit a very different style of woman. Barbieri can really write and every character in the book rings true, something I consider quite unusual for this genre.

The author did a great job of mixing suspense with emotionally compelling characters and plot, again a characteristic I don't consider typical of mysteries, unless you are reading one of the masters like Grafton, or the Lisas Gardner, and Jackson. Barbieri has a a more light-hearted series of mysteries featuring a female protagonist, so I am hoping that Maeve becomes a regular member of her repertoire. Maeve is a lot darker than the hero of the other series, and that's a big part of what I like about her, that and her kind of macho posturing despite her diminutive size. I like when the menacing men she deals with get a little anxious after they notice the crazy look in her eyes, the one she keeps hidden most of the time, when she is baking and mothering.

4 people found this helpful

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Judith D. Collins

Maeve is a fearless, witty, edgy, and rebellious character, hiding behind her suburban lifestyle - Love this series!

Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2015

A special thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Witty and talented Maggie Barbieri returns, with her second installment of suspenseful and humorous (Maeve Conlon series), with LIES THAT BIND, where Maeve discovers some dark family secrets.

In Once Upon a Lie (Maeve Conlon #1) , we met Maggie, a single divorced bakery owner with two teenage daughters, and a former husband now married to a younger woman with a baby, and her retired cop father, Jack with Alzheimer’s, and a childhood of abuse from a cousin, now dead.

The drama has not slowed down, as Maeve still harbors dark hidden secrets within the walls of her suburban life and bakery, The Comfort Zone. Her dad, Jack dies of a heart attack and she is sorting out his affairs, when she discovers a shocking secret, she has a sister? Why would her father keep something like this from her? She has to find information from his friend. Someone has to know the whereabouts of her sister.

Of course, she is not thrilled with the Haggerty sisters, (some bad blood, and ill will since childhood) who happens to be hiding this information and she hates they know something she does not. She begins to search for her sister, and not stopping with blackmailing a cop to help with the search (Jo’s new husband has a wandering eye and she is pregnant).

There is always drama at The Comfort Zone, the bakery, when she learns her landlord is growing pot, raising the rent; she hates her daughter’s boyfriend and dislikes her secretive attitude, someone broke into the bakery and leaves a severed finger in the freezer, and her three thousand dollars has been stolen. (her insurance settlement).

She begins working with Cal, her ex-husband in trying to solve their daughter’s issues while continuing her search for her sister. She learns her sister, Aibhlinn was disabled and was placed in Mansfield, a mental hospital in the 60s, and was closed years ago, due to abuse and poor conditions. While she continues her search, she joins a support group, and of course, more drama and suspense. To make things more interesting the cop investigating her breakin, has a fondness for more than Maeve's muffins.

Maeve is a fearless, witty, edgy, and rebellious character, hiding behind her suburban lifestyle (she colors outside the line, which I love) with sarcasm and dark humor, making for an engaging read.

This was my first series by the author, and enjoy her style for an entertaining, mystery suspense series which will keep you laughing for hours. I will say, I missed Jack (as loved his character); however, it was fun catching up with his past and his friends.

A good exploration of life in the 60s with families of disabilities with limited choices and an emotional story of strong family bonds. Looking forward to reading more by this author, who seems to have real life experience with her own cop father!

5 people found this helpful

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Dru Love

Terrific Follow-up and Great read

Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2015

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This fast-paced drama that took a stronghold on my reading time was filled with angst and an emotional journey that captured the heart and soul of our heroine who through the telling of this treatise became a bad-ass kicking mama who knows what she has to do when it comes to seeking out and protecting her own. The author did a brilliant job in keeping the pace suspenseful and yet trickled with humor. The closer I got to the end of this story, the faster my heart pumped because I knew a climax was coming but had to wait to see how it would be played out and bravo to the author for pulling this all together in this gripping tale that left me wanting more. A superb cast of characters that included Maeve, Jo who supplied the humor, Cal the ex-husband, Heather and Rebecca, her children, and Chris who I hope we get to see more of in the next book in this fantastic series.

4 people found this helpful

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Johnny G

No Helpless Damsel Here

Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2016

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Author shows an uncanny understanding of what abuse can do to individuals as well as entire families. Main character is a strong person driven by a secret past. All this while contending with the day to day life of a divorced mother of two teenaged daughters. She is also a struggling small business owner and all that entails.
Her ex-husband is a classic character who is a weak person who seems to have cut and run at the first chance only to wind up jumping from the pan into the fire. He seems to believe he is special but he is in fact a clueless "modern man." Everyone, their conversations and personal characteristics ring true. Barbieri is a storytellers storyteller. No punches pulled here.

3 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Oh wow

Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2021

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Book in good condition.

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