Dangerous Lies
by Becca Fitzpatrick
Interest age: 16+
Reading age: 14+
Published by Simon & Schuster, 2016
About this book
She is not an orphan, she is not from Tennessee and her name is not Stella - but in Thunder Basin, Nebraska that has to be her story if she is going to stay alive.
Separated from her luxurious lifestyle, drug-addicted mother and handsome boyfriend, 'Stella' is shipped off into witness protection by the state in exchange for her testimony against the cartel boss she saw kill her mother's drug dealer. Life in Thunder Basin is slow and simple, but Stella's frustration soon fades away as she is won over by the sleepy village's charms - especially those of her attractive neighbour Chet. But just as she starts to relax, Stella's old life comes back to haunt her…
Fitzpatrick has created a feisty, angry protagonist in Stella, one whose guilt makes her lash out at everyone around her. The slow breakdown of her barriers is a great juxtaposition to the danger building in the background as this romantic thriller twists and turns right up until the last page.
Each character, from the pregnant teenage waitress, to the cruel, handsome star baseball player, is well developed and adds an additional layer to the story. An exciting read.
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