John Grisham’s first novel, A Time to Kill, didn’t become a bestseller until its release as a trade paperback. A practicing lawyer in Mississippi, Grisham spent four years writing the book based on a case he observed. He went through a lot of rejections before being picked up for a limited run by a publisher. That doesn’t mean the book didn’t deserve to be a bestseller from the start. It just means the big publishing houses wouldn’t take a chance on him.

In 1991 when the paperback was released, I had started my second job out of college. Still living at home, I spent a lot of time in my room, and I usually spent it reading. (I know…you’re shocked.) I also spent a lot of time in bookstores and most of my disposable income on books. (Again…I know…you’re shocked. 🤣)

E-readers didn’t exist. Amazon wasn’t a thing. So without the benefit of online reviews and without a specific recommendation from someone, you were pretty much at the mercy of the book jacket to determine whether you thought a book would be good. Since I was the most voracious reader I knew besides my mom, and our tastes differed drastically, I relied on my own methods to find the good books.

In a previous post (It’s the “Blank” for Me), I talked about how I do judge a book by its cover, unless I already know the author. So I’m sure that I discovered John Grisham in a bookstore somewhere because the cover was appealing and the title was provocative. And oh what an amazing and provocative novel it was too. So much so that it’s one of the few times I thought the story held up enough to make an amazing and provocative movie several years later.

The John Grishams of the world are rare though (in my opinion). The most prolific writers (again, in my opinion) improve over time. Once they make a name for themselves, authors draw the attention of bigger publishing houses, more talented editors, and better publicity. And if you ever read author acknowledgments, most of them thank the editors who, they say, made their books better.

And I truly believe that new authors of thrillers have it harder than, say, women’s fiction or contemporary fiction where authors can tug at the heartstrings. Thrillers need to be suspenseful, keeping enough information back to draw the reader in and keep them turning pages. They need to give enough clues that the reader wants to figure everything out but not so much that you figure it out halfway through. And they have to make sense.

When I’m reviewing, I start at 5 stars, but then I’m comparing what I’m reading to other books I’ve loved. So unfortunately for authors of legal thrillers, I can’t help but compare them to John Grisham. That might seem unfair, but even new John Grisham is up against old John Grisham.

Like I said…forever spoiled by A Time to Kill.

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Book Review

⭐⭐⭐½
3.5 Stars for Even When You Lie by Michelle Cruz

336 pages
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: March 21, 2023
I received an advance copy of this title from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher’s Description

Reagan Reyes hunts other people’s secrets. A former intelligence officer, she’s currently the in-house investigator for pricey criminal defense attorney, Cade McCarrick…and she’s his lover, despite the law firm’s rules forbidding romantic relationships between partners and staff. But their love—including their agreement never to lie to each other—is the only authenticity they have in a world of subterfuge and betrayal.

That agreement is pushed to its limits when a mysterious woman leaves an envelope for Cade and is soon discovered dead. While the envelope’s contents aren’t related to any of Cade’s current cases, Reagan uncovers a connection to a recent murder outside a Deep Ellum nightclub—and an even more ominous link to the dead woman.

The police don’t seem to care about either death, but they hit too close to home for Reagan to ignore. As she digs deeper into Dallas’s sordid underbelly, she’s completely on her own except for Cade—and there’s a killer bent on eliminating them both at any cost.

This pulse-pounding romantic thriller offers a fresh new take on big-city crime, from a dazzling and exciting new voice in the genre.

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Main Characters:

• Reagan Reyes – 29, former Air Force intelligence officer, also worked for a Congressman, currently the in-house investigator for Cade McCarrick, lives with Cade despite the policy against office romance
• Cade McCarrick – 34, defense attorney, a “fixer,” junior partner for Holcombe & Donaldson, estranged from his family who expected him to work the North Carolina family farm
• Evangeline – Cade’s paralegal
• Armando – Holcombe & Donaldson’s leading attorney on immigration and family law
• Bridger Holcombe – managing partner of Holcombe & Donaldson, was Kirby Donaldson’s college and law school roommate, one of Cade’s law school professors
• Kirby Donaldson – managing partner of Holcombe & Donaldson
• Rafi – homeless Army vet, dishonorably discharged, Reagan often sees him on the trail where she runs

Michelle Cruz’s debut novel shows promise. Not a resounding endorsement, I know. Even When You Lie is described as romantic suspense. Reagan and Cade started their relationship just a few months before the book starts. Reagan had been working for a Congressman and was tasked with finding Cade’s personal cell phone number. Her success led to him hiring her as his investigator, which led to what was supposed to be a one-night stand.

This particular story revolves around a mystery woman who drops off an envelope addressed to Cade containing a birth certificate and a photo. Cade isn’t there, but Reagan follows the woman out of the building and watches her collapse and die on a crowded sidewalk. Reagan is driven to investigate even though Cade tells her not to…until he needs her to because someone is after them.

Cade and Reagan are good together. I like their dynamic, and they complement one another. Her background in intelligence obviously helps him in his work, but she questions the wealthy defendants who can afford a fixer. She and Cade both come from humbler beginnings, which I would have liked to learn more about. They have agreed never to lie to one another, but they keep a ton of secrets…a lot of lies of omission.

I enjoyed the story line. It felt a little slow in the beginning, but it picked up. There was enough diversion to keep the reader guessing until the end. About halfway through, I thought Reagan had nearly solved the mystery a little too fast, but there were a couple of curveballs that threw things off enough to keep the story moving.

I won’t give anything away. You should be able to discover the ending just like I did. To be honest, I think I would have rated the book higher with less romance. Reagan wasn’t afraid to keep investigating, despite the threats to her and Cade’s safety. I would expect that from someone with a military background. She’s tough, but when it comes to Cade, she’s wishy washy. She questions their relationship. She thinks about how much she’s putting Cade’s career at risk, but she does nothing to protect it.

The romance doesn’t ruin the book. There are plenty of suspense novels that have a romantic element. But Reagan says at one point that love was not supposed to be a part of their story. Yet the number of “I love you’s” in the book went over the top. If the romance is going to be so central to the story, I would like to see more about how their relationship developed, especially what brought them to the decision to ignore company policy.

They both come from humble beginnings, but Cade’s don’t seem relevant. And since Reagan narrates the entire story, we only know what she knows about Cade’s past. We have no idea why Cade feels he can protect her if they get discovered.

The “secret” relationship also factors into the overall rating. Reagan keeps telling us that she doesn’t want to risk Cade’s shot at becoming a named partner if someone finds out. But they don’t try at all to keep their relationship a secret. They live together in a building with a doorman. We never see Reagan go back to the apartment she keeps as a cover. They go out together to bars in town with Evangeline and Armando. The only precaution they seem to take is not arriving and leaving the office and office events at the same time. Other than that, they’re literally not careful at all.

And then there’s Rafi, a homeless Army veteran who helps Reagan when she’s jumped from behind during a run. He goes from being homeless to Reagan helping him file papers to get his dishonorable discharge fixed to playing watchdog and bodyguard. There was not nearly enough back story to warrant Cade trusting Rafi enough to stay in the apartment to keep an eye on Reagan, no indication that he’s being paid for his time. So are we to believe that he’s still just this homeless guy who cleaned himself up and starts working for free?

I struggled a little over this rating. The book is better than “just ok” but not quite a 4-star read, so I had to settle on 3.5. This is a solid debut, and I have high hopes for this author. And maybe we’ll see Reagan and Cade again because I really do like them together…just a little less sappy.

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