Deadly Little Lies (A Touch Novel) [Paperback]

Deadly Little Lies, the sequel to the first book in the series, Deadly Little Secret, definitely lives up to its promise of more suspense, romance and plot twists. Laurie Faria Stolarz really knows how to construct an elaborate plot to flow with such ease, and continuously keep you on the edge of your seat with the mystery and romance of the narrative. Starting a few months after Ben leaves Camelia's life, the story immediately takes off with a burst of heart pounding action that just keeps on rolling the entire novel. Right from page one, Camelia is immediately caught up in a new dangerous situation and that initial spooky basement experience really left me biting my nails and wondering- what just happened? This time around though, Camelia is without the most crucial person to help her stay safe, and that of course, is Ben. What will she do now that she doesn't have Ben to support her and sense when she's in danger?

The romantic tension between Camelia and Ben, two people so obviously still in love with one another was agonizing. I kept flipping the pages, anxiously hoping they would resolve their issues. Their scenes together were a roller coaster of emotions, further compounded by Camelia's budding relationship with Adam, the new guy at Knead. Speaking of Adam, you never quite trust Camelia's attraction him. He appears out of the blue, saying and doing all the right things. Yet isn't that just so convenient?! Other times, I'd switch my line of thinking and want her to give him a chance. By the end, I was so turned around I didn't quite know what to think of anyone, including Ben and even Camelia's best friends Wes and Kimmy! No one was free from suspicion or ever completely trustworthy. And of course, there's always that underlying worry that Matt was back in town too.

In regards to the harassing calls and messages that begin resurfacing around Camelia, at times I felt incredibly agitated with her for not going to her parents, and wanted to yell at her for not being more aggressive about her safety. Haven't we been through this before Camelia? But, with that being said, I do want to point out that Stolarz does a great job in painting a believable picture as to why Camelia wouldn't immediately run to her parents for help. Because of the careful plot building and narrative, it made me able to accept Camelia's actions even though I didn't necessarily agree with them as an outsider looking in.

Time and time again, I'd try and fall asleep while reading this novel, but found myself getting up to check the door locks and make sure I had the house alarm on. Just like when I read Deadly Little Secret, I was almost dizzy from wondering and worrying who could be trusted in Camelia's world. And that is the best thing about Laurie Faria Stolarz's writing. She knows how to captivate the reader- inserting a bit of romance here, some eerie voices there, secrets untold, threatening antics and creepy diary entries. All of these devices are perfectly blended to create an intense air of mystery and keep your pulse pounding. I kept trying to go to sleep after reading this book but couldn't stop thinking about Camelia. Who was stalking her again? What about the new guy Adam? But most importantly, what was going on with those creepy, whispered voices? I have to say that it was the voices which spooked me the most and left me unable to fall asleep, listening to the house creak and settle into the very late hours of the night....

Wait - did you hear that?! What was that?

This was a great second installment in the series. Deadly Little Lies finds Camelia awaiting the expected return of Ben after he had been gone for 4 months. His abrupt departure left Camelia brokenhearted and she found herself studying everything she can about his special gift of psychometry. As she looks further into psychometery she starts experiencing her own incidents of premonition and wonders if Ben's gift has rubbed off on her. Once Ben returns he seems to not want anything to do with Camelia, that is until she starts seeing the new guy in town, Adam. As Camelia is getting wrapped up in her own love triangle she starts receiving threatening messages again. Could someone she cares about be behind them?
I really liked this book it grabbed my attention and kept me in a bit of suspense. There was a bit of predictability to the book but it was fun and exciting and kept you rooting for Camelia and Ben. I think it was a great second installment to a promising series.

This book definitely had me spooked, especially since I would read it at night alone in my apartment. Once again, Camelia is being stalked. There are eerie messages and phone calls to leave the reader guessing as to the culprit's identity. And there are some really good twists--such as the journal entries we get. I have to say that the journal entries were one of the most intriguing parts of the story. They really added to the overall mystery of the book and gets you excited for the next one. So, while I thought it was a good read with great writing to keep the reader in suspense, I have my complaints.

As the story continues, I increasingly get frustrated with the characters, especially how unopen Ben and Camilla are. Ben still feels like a mystery, even after two books. I really hope the next book we learn more about him. And you would think Camilla would have matured and learned from the previous book, such as that she shouldn't keep important things from her parents, like people stalking you. The ending was frustrating, for me, too--Camilla makes a mistake of not trusting Ben and she doesn't even apologize for it. There is no hashing out of their emotions except for them just saying they have to talk, but the book ends before we actually see them solve anything, like their lack of trust in one another. However, none of these complaints completely detract from my eagerness to read the third book, DEADLY LITTLE GAMES. I just now have higher expectations for the next book to solve these issues.

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