It's a busy day at the bakery Maeve Conlon owns when she receives a phone call from the high school saying Maeve's employee's daughter, Taylor Dvorak, is ill. Taylor's mom is out on a delivery and Taylor has her own car, so harried Maeve gives the school nurse permission to send Taylor home on her own. But Taylor never makes it: Somewhere between the school and her house, she just vanishes.
Not only does Maeve feel responsible, but she can't shake the feeling that there's more to Taylor's disappearance than meets the eye. So Maeve decides to take matters into her own capable hands. She finds that Farringville has a lot more to hide than most small towns, from the secretive high school girls' soccer coach to Taylor's estranged father and her troubled mother, and she gets to work shining a light on all these mysteries.
Balancing this dark undertaking and her relationship with a local policeman, Maeve will have to walk the fine line between justice and revenge carefully if she hopes to prevail in the next suspenseful novel from Maggie Barbieri.
**
Review
βRivetingβ¦All the characters are sharply drawn, particularly Maeve, whose dark humor and stoic attitude mask an unshakable moral coreβ¦Barbieri skillfully avoids tipping her hand until the last possible moment, leaving readers both breathless and unnerved by the novel's conclusion.β β Publisher's Weekly (starred) on Once Upon a Lie
βGrace and humor mark this tale of a woman trying to protect her family without losing herself.β β Kirkus (starred) on Once Upon a Lie
β[Barbieri] takes readers on a dark rideβ¦The story hooks readers until the shocking end. This reviewer is looking forward to more from this talented author.β β RT Book Reviews (4Β½ stars, Top Pick) on Once Upon a Lie
βAn 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.β β Lisa Gardner on Once Upon a Lie
β 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.β β Mary Jane Clark on Once Upon a Lie
β Once Upon a Lie 's Maeve Conlon is a terrific heroine--funny, smart, brave and, above all, real.β β Alison Gaylin on Once Upon a Lie
βWow. 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.β β 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.