My rating: 4 of 5 stars 
I received an ARC of The Perfect Lie through NetGalley for an honest review. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity.
Chris Brennan has just landed a job as a AP Government teacher and assistant baseball coach at Central Valley High, in the small affluent Pennsylvania town of Central Valley. He as a false background, a well-rehearsed story, and a hidden agenda. There are specific teen boys and their families that he is watching/targeting but the intent is not known to the reader until much later. He is also very predator-like in his thoughts and his actions.
What begins as a seemingly ulterior motive turns into the unexpected. The plot has many twists and turns is a fast read with an engaging, wide range of characters. The supporting characters are teen boys and struggling mothers with a wide range of backgrounds and financial situations and it is very relatable.
Chris Brennan’s one perfect lie builds throughout the book but is blown open at the end when his true identity is revealed. I thought it was interesting that the author didn’t spend much time on his true identity Curt. Even when Curt went back to his own life, he was still being referred to as Chris. Maybe Curt felt more comfortable living as Chris, with the story that he built for himself in Central Valley.
Some parts were a bit farfetched such as Chris ability to bond with the baseball team within a matter of days of starting his new job. Teen boys opening up to an adult and confiding in them after 48 hours? It would never happen in real life.
The pace could have been better timed throughout the book. The most action seemed to be in the last third of the book when all of the pieces fell in place. But it was an enjoyable suburban thriller with an unusual plot. I recommend it.
Read This, Not That 