• The Weight of Lies

  • A Novel
  • By: Emily Carpenter
  • Narrated by: Kate Orsini
  • Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (2,322 ratings)

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The Weight of Lies  By  cover art

The Weight of Lies

By: Emily Carpenter
Narrated by: Kate Orsini
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Editorial reviews

Editors Select, June 2017

The Weight of Lies is a compulsively listenable whodunit you'll want to be sure to queue up for your next road trip. You know when you want to listen to something clever and entertaining, but not too taxing or highbrow? That's how I felt this month, and The Weight of Lies fit the bill perfectly. Right from the beginning I loved our lead character's slightly snarky voice and quick-witted manner (narrator Emily Carpenter sure can capture privileged rich girl with an underlying southern twang). Add in a contemptuous and complicated mother/daughter dynamic, a "book in a book" plot twist, and a remote barrier island setting, and this psychological thriller became all the more satisfying as my first guilty pleasure of the summer of 2017. —Tricia, Audible Editor

Publisher's summary

In this gripping, atmospheric family drama, a young woman investigates the forty-year-old murder that inspired her mother's bestselling novel, and uncovers devastating truths - and dangerous lies.

Reformed party girl Meg Ashley leads a life of privilege, thanks to a bestselling horror novel her mother wrote decades ago. But Meg knows that the glow of their very public life hides a darker reality of lies, manipulation, and the heartbreak of her own solitary childhood. Desperate to break free of her mother, Meg accepts a proposal to write a scandalous, tell-all memoir.

Digging into the past - and her mother's cult classic - draws Meg to Bonny Island, Georgia, and an unusual woman said to be the inspiration for the book. At first island life seems idyllic, but as Meg starts to ask tough questions, disturbing revelations come to light...including some about her mother.

Soon Meg's search leads her to question the facts of a decades-old murder. She's warned to leave it alone, but as the lies pile up, Meg knows she's getting close to finding a murderer. When her own life is threatened, Meg realizes the darkness found in her mother's book is nothing compared to the chilling truth that lurks off the page.

©2017 EDC Books, LLC. (P)2017 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

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What listeners say about The Weight of Lies

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Wow. That was pretty bad.

Where to begin... This story is incredibly weak and contrived. When you start with a lame story and then add lame, unlikeable, and stupid characters who are constatly doing stupid things it's hard to enjoy the book. It's supposed to be a mystery, but I felt like I was repeatedly being clubbed over the head with ridiculous "hints" that a 3 year old could have picked up on. I suppose some readers might enjoy this book. If you just want to be mindlessly entertained, you might be ok with this story. I just need more in my books. If I want mindless entertainment I will watch TV. Proceed with caution.

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205 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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Just terrible

First of all, I didn't finish. The premise sounded good and I love a scary mystery. Sadly, almost from the start I could not stand the character or the snarky narrator. Angry, petulant, selfish, bitter, and vengeful are not attributes that form a bond with me, the reader, to a lead character. Add stupid and I'm gone. So glad I wasted as little time and money as I did.

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147 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Interesting plot. Poorly written. Annoying performance.

The mystery does draw the listener in but as it ended, I felt the plot wasn’t sufficient compensation for the banal prose, repetitive phrases, and merciless annoyance of the lead character. I suppose the point is to show that she truly is her mother’s daughter but her constant, melodramatic whining and the voice used to portray it were maddening. Honestly, could none of the editors consider finding another phrase than ‘her breath caught’ to describe the moment? I offer that one example of the limits of this author’s tool bag. The idea for this story deserved better execution.

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62 people found this helpful

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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Predictable story

I am going to use the word, "snarky" to describe the tone of the narrators voice. Snarky. The book is written in first person so the narrator is voicing the main character. The story is an old story line. And a story I've read several times in various stages. Sometimes a bit of a punch is added and it can enhance the story. Not in this case.

I couldn't wait for the book to be done. There was not one character that pulled me into the story which is unusual for me. And why I love reading and listening to books. I can put myself into the story in some way or the other. Not with this one.

I don't believe I'll listen to this narrator again.

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46 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

boring , didn't finish it.

I really wanted to finish it.
but the combination of the narrator and the story was to much for me.

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23 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Kept me guessing

This was a nice long book and the narrator did A FABULOUS job with all different accents of the many characters. But not so many characters that I couldn't keep track of them. The possible endings kept changing and kept me guessing how it would end. This was well written and excellently read!

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21 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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gripping twisting excellent couldn't stop listenin

gripping twisting excellent. couldn't stop listening. I drive for a living so great loved it

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18 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Unexpected ending!!

I have been reading and re-reading Steven King for the past few months because I couldn't find anything I could get interested in. I bought this book on audible and figured I'd give it a try on a recent trip. OMG!! I was looking for places to go so I could continue to follow Meg's story. The narrator was perfect, giving life to each and every character. I'm going to look for more books by this author!

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Overlong and wordy

Would you try another book from Emily Carpenter and/or Kate Orsini?

No

Would you be willing to try another one of Kate Orsini’s performances?

No

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Weight of Lies?

Every conversation which basically went in circles of nonsense

Any additional comments?

This book started out promising but quickly went downhill. The heroine has many conversations that go nowhere and it was hard to care about her. It was like a horror movie when you tell the babysitter " don't open the door!!!" Too many things didn't make sense...would say this book was just ok.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Editing could have made this a great book

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

This book might appeal to someone who needs a story to be very over-written, leaving nothing to the reader's imagination. Carpenter never met an adjective she didn't like, and she repeated descriptions over and over (how many times did Meg have to say Koa smelled like jasmine?).

What was most disappointing about Emily Carpenter’s story?

I actually liked the story-within-a-story technique. What disappointed me was that there was too much extraneous information and description. The mare and foal as symbols of Meg's relationship with her mother was just too trite.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Kate Orsini?

Kate Orsini was very good in some parts. But she often lost the characters' voices, so if she was "acting" as Koa for the better part of a speech, all of a sudden she sounded like Meg again, even though Koa was still speaking. So I'm not sure if the fault is hers, or if it was bad producing and editing.

What character would you cut from The Weight of Lies?

Benoit was pointless.

Any additional comments?

This book got me through 2 long days of driving, but fast-forward came in handy in several sections.

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8 people found this helpful