Deep Blue Lies

Set on a beautiful fictional island in Greece, this is a story about one woman's quest to find the truth. This book had all the fixin's for a good read (and has received many four-and five-star reviews), but it wasn't the tense thriller I expected and left me wanting a bit more.

The story is more about a young woman finding out where she comes from and unraveling the lies she's been told than an intense thriller. Ava has just been kicked out of med school and her demanding mother is not impressed. Ava takes off to the remote (and fictional) Greek island where she was born only to learn that the story her mother told her may have been a lie.

Through the lost (now found) old diary of her mom and talking to the locals, Ava tries to piece together the truth of her birth. This story had a good premise and pretty remote Greek island setting whose small population provides options for Ava's past, but the story gets a bit lost in the extraneous tidbits of info and I never felt like I got behind Ava who came off as extremely naive. And despite the author's attempt at eerie encounters and the derelict former resort, this wasn't the chilling suspense read I had anticipated.

This was a good 'hidden secrets' kind of read with short chapters and some twists, but I wish I had felt more invested in Ava's story and been kept on the edge of my seat in this story that is set in a gorgeous Greek backdrop.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Storm Publishing for the complimentary advanced digital copy of this book that was given in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 3 stars

Author: Gregg Dunnett

Genre: Suspense

Type and Source: ebook from publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Storm Publishing

First Published: September 26, 2025

Read: Aug 30-Sept 5, 2025

Book Description from GoodReads: Crystal-clear waters. Cold-blooded murder. Deep blue lies.

When Ava Whitaker is kicked out of medical school – and dumped by her boyfriend – her life falls apart. But the real problem isn't her future. It's in her past. She was born on the Greek island of Alythos, where her mother once mixed cocktails at the luxurious Aegean Dream Resort. Yet her mother has never spoken about that time, never explained why she left so suddenly, and never answered the one question that's haunted Ava her entire life: Who was her father?

Desperate for answers, Ava travels to Alythos to discover the truth. But what begins as a search for her identity quickly turns into something far more sinister. The island's aquamarine waters hide tragic secrets. The locals' smiles don't reach their eyes. And the abandoned resort, with its cracked pool and vine-strangled terraces, feels like a tomb.

Because something happened here twenty years ago. Something the locals have spent decades trying to forget. And something somebody will do anything to keep buried...

A darkly addictive, sun-soaked thriller from the number one bestselling author. Perfect for fans of Freida McFadden and Shari Lapena.