Deadly Ties by Maggie Thom

Deadly Ties Reviews

• 
  Emily

  Kyara returns to her mothers home wanting to make sure she is not alone only to find she had been attacked. With her mom in the hospital Kyara has to wonder if it is tied to the recent release of her Grandmother from jail. However the more she delves into her past the more she finds that there has been a lot of secrets hidden from her. Will her Grandmother be the killer she believes she is or is there a different explanation?
  
  The Grandmother reminded me of a character from Wentworth, she is a fascinating woman. I thought this was really good, at times I thought there were so many characters it boggled a bit trying to figure out who was who. Otherwise intriguing story that was highly entertaining.
• 
  Dianne

  She grew up believing her grandmother was a murderer, that she killed her grandfather. An adult now, Kyara comes home, to a changed world, a place filled with lies, secrets and death. Her mother had been attacked, her grandmother has been released from prison and has disappeared, but deep down, Kyara wants to blame her grandmother for her mother’s pain. What Kyara discovers is that the woman who took her fishing, loved her and swore like a sailor is on a mission to right the evils of the past and expose the lies that have taken so many lives in the name of the almighty dollar and the power it brings.
  
  PCBs have poisoned the water, the ground and the air and for decades, the dirty truth has been covered up, literally, as the ground was filled in to build a golf course to cover the sins of industry. The secrets lie scattered everywhere and as Kyara begins to piece this horror together, she finds herself caught in the crosshairs of death.
  
  Who can she trust? What secrets are being kept from her? Kyara has found an ally in the handsome manager of the course, they go way back, but is he only pretending to be on her side? The lies, the deaths, the murders, a woman’s life caged behind prison bars, accused of a murder she did not commit, yet she got away with the one she did. When the final truths are revealed, who will survive to hear them? Who will kill to keep them buried?
  
  Deadly Ties is the latest mystery thriller from award winning author, Maggie Thom and once again, she proves her strength as a master of words, plots and finely chiseled characters. Ms. Thom has addressed a brutal truth of the past, when carcinogenic chemicals were knowingly used and disposed of improperly, in the cheapest way possible, while being buried under bribery and threats, outside of the scrutiny of the government that was supposed to protect its citizens. This tale is a slice of that reality in a fictionalized version that will keep you riveted to every word, every page as Maggie Thom weaves a brilliant cloth of the many colors of deceit.
  
  I received an ARC edition from Maggie Thom in exchange for my honest review.
  
  Publisher: Quadessence Solutions (May 17, 2016)
  Publication Date: May 17, 2016
  Genre: Thriller | Mystery | Suspense
  Print Length: 313 pages
  Available from:
  Amazon | 
  Barnes & Noble
  For Reviews & More:
  http://tometender.blogspot.com
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  Stephanie Jane

  Deadly Ties has a tangled plot of family loyalties, power and weath, backstabbing and scheming, and underpinning it all is a three-decades-old scandal of buried industrial waste that poisoned a whole town. A large cast of names each have their own secrets to add to the mix so working out exactly who is telling the truth is quite a feat indeed! Unfortunately the book is let down by convoluted prose and unfocused paragraphs which often made it difficult for me to understand who I was reading about. Poor grammar and punctuation also distort the meanings of sentences which is a shame. Thom has obviously put a lot of effort into creating the overall scenario, however this book needs a strong edit and proofreading to allow the narrative to shine through.
  
  See more of my book reviews on my blog,
  Literary Flits
• 
  Aleen

  Originally posted on
  lampshadereader.com
  
  
  
  Read an excerpt from the story and follow the blog tour
  here.
  
  
  The opening of the story grabbed my attention right away.
  
  I mean with a line like this:

  “It hadn’t really concerned her that she’d gone to prison because she had in fact killed a man just not the one they sentenced her for.”

  I couldn’t help but want to find out the reason why she did that.
  
  Even though Elizabeth or Getty as she’s called in the book, was not the main character in the story, she played a pivotal role in how the story plays out. I have to say that she was my favorite. A badass Grandmother, ready to kick anyone’s ass, especially if they come after her family. It certainly was interesting when her POVs came up. I was looking forward to those.
  
  Kyara might lack the passion, but her more down to earth persona makes her vulnerable to attacks and threats. Her curious nature tended to get her in trouble and the majority of the story is following her in quest to unravel secrets about her family and a certain golf course where underhanded dealings where secrets are kept. She does have some guilt as well. Her feeling of not being the perfect daughter, makes her come to terms with how she interprets her own past.
  
  There are a lot of feelings and emotions wrought in this story and the family drama becomes more deadly as it unfolds. I loved the suspense and the action. The only thing I found fault with was the lack of romance. It was a little unbelievable that Kyara and Ryan suddenly had attraction for each other towards the end. It didn’t seem like there was anything like that when they first met. It just seemed rushed to me. But other than that, it was an enjoyable story with interesting characters and drama.
  
  *I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.*
  
• 
  VernonandMissy Tanner

  Deadly Ties by Maggie Thom
  
  Deadly Ties is a book about a twisted town, how two families are intertwined. From murders and corruption to a mystery, Deadly Ties is a story brings a man and a woman together. This romantic suspenseful story will have you rereading it so that you are sure to catch every detail.
  
  Kyara left town as soon as she could after graduating. She put herself through college and had been living a pretty good life as a business owner. She stayed in contact with her shut-in mother, however, it was something that she did out of loyalty. Her mother was a good person, but suffered from extreme depression.
  
  Elizabeth, Kyara’s grandmother was released from jail after serving twenty years for a murder she didn’t commit. That’s not to say that she didn’t really kill anyone, she was serving for the wrong murder. Kyara, after twenty years, still carried a grudge because her grandmother abandoned her and left her alone with her mother. Elizabeth was the person in Kyara’s life who loved her, showed her things, taught her lessons in her life. At least that is what she remembered.
  
  When checking on her mother one day, Kyara discovered that her mother’s house was trashed, dirty and broken into. Her mother lay on the floor, unconscious. Knowing that it was more than a random break in, Kyara begin looking into all the suspicious activity that she began to notice while she is in the hospital recuperating.
  
  Ryan comes back to town to run a golf course owned by his friend, Jasper’s family. Jasper was hoping that Ryan managing the golf course, he would earn brownie points with his family for making a successful business out of the failing course.
  
  As the story progresses, Ryan and Kyara get thrown together trying to solve the mystery of Kyara’s mother’s assault, the disappearances, and all the suspicious goings on around town. Oh, and how Jasper’s family and Kyara’s grandmother are all intertwined in this story of suspicion, murder, illegal activity and love found.
  
  This is the first book that I have read by Maggie Thom and honestly, I didn’t get hooked right away. But, soon, I was so hooked I couldn’t put the book down. I loved this story and wish for more from Maggie Thom.
• 
  Kim Reads (Read Your Writes Book Reviews)

  Reviewed by Gemini
  
  Deadly Ties was a mystery/suspense for the ages, literally. It involves three generations of women in one family and how they have been affected by secrets and lies that all come to a head after the eldest woman gets out of prison. Those secrets involve murder, rape, and a golf course that’s at the center of it all. At first, none of it makes a lot of sense because it’s impossible to figure out where the story is going but that’s the point. Misdirection is the key to a good mystery. The fact that there is a large cast of characters makes it even more of a challenge to keep up with everything. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy it, I just had no clue who did what until it was all spelled out.
  
  Maggie Thom does an excellent job of creating some truly shady characters. The Jesperson family that runs this small town of Camden is despicable. They are driven by greed and power. They don’t hesitate to kill and do it without remorse to hold onto to their status. Once someone threatens to reveal their most guarded secret, all hell breaks loose. The worse thing is that they are under siege by a grandmother of all people. The thought of an elderly woman seeking revenge is laughable until you actually watch it all play out. How could you not root for Grandma? There are so many details that I would love to share but it would ruin the mystery. Just sit back and enjoy the ride.
  
  **Received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.**
• 
  Liz Gavin

  5**** Edge-of-the-seat kind of thriller
  
  ***I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review***
  
  Deadly Ties is not the first book I read by Maggie Thom so I knew she’s an award winner for good reasons and she does not disappoint with this one.
  Although I can’t say much about the story to avoid spoiling it, I can safely say that you’re in for a great ride. Deadly Ties has all the best elements of a thriller: suspicion, betrayal, false accusations, vengeance, secrets, and murder. Not to mention shady characters to spare. You will never know who might surprise you next. It is that good.
  One more positive, in my opinion, is the puzzle-like quality of the plot. Maggie builds up the story through the interactions of its many characters. At the same time, the author doesn’t make it as if the characters are lecturing to the reader but rather like the reader is eavesdropping on their conversations. All the information you need is provided; only the writer scatters if throughout the book and concentrates the resolutions towards the end, as a good mystery requires.
  Also, the use of third person POV is crucial to the way this story is written; however, there’s no head-hopping as we get to know a little bit more of each character’s psyche when we get inside their heads. Good job, Maggie!!
  I highly recommend this book but start reading it when you have some time to spare because it’ll be impossible to put it down.
  
• 
  Nicki Conroy

  Maggie Thom captured the environmentalist in me along with the closet romantic as she wove the story in Deadly Ties. Having grown up in New York State, ground contamination is always in my mind. PCB issues closed the State Office Building in Binghamton for years. The environment will also be a mystery but the man-made items we bring into it need to be more closely watched.
  
  Kyara has so much going on in this book. Her character is unbelievable complicated. As her mother is in a coma in the hospital, she realizes her childhood was not really what she thought it was. She has to work through this childhood thoughts as she is also busy trying to find out what really happened to her mother and if her just recently released from prison grandmother had anything to do with it.
  
  Writing this review is difficult as I want you to be sitting on your seat as I was while reading it. I don't want to accidentally give away any of the great twists and turns. I could not put the book down as I wanted to know what was coming next. I am sure you will feel the same once you pick up a copy of Deadly Ties.
  
  I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.
• 
  Shelly

  There is nothing more that I love than a good book that intrigues me, offers twists and turns and a bit of vengeful, underhanded mess to relax with - this was a nice choice to do just that for a long weekend. I love how this story takes place with three generations and that each has their own role in how everything plays out. The mystery behind all of the crimes connected to the golf course is an extremely believable story line for any small town. The families involved, the greed, deceit...it's all in our own towns if we're willing to open our eyes and ears enough. At the center of it all is the oldest of the three women - Getty. She tries to protect her daughter and relies on the aid of her granddaughter but Kyara isn't sure she can trust anyone. With a little romance sprinkled in, Maggie Thom does a wonderful job pulling everything into perspective. I couldn't stop turning pages until I learned all of the crazy secrets!
  
  I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.
• 
  Michele

  This book starts fast and gets even faster as you go along! Who attacked Kyara's Mom and put her in a coma---and why? This mystery is set up with a very important environmental question----one we should all be aware of--what happened to all those PCB's that were dumped before strict regulations were in place. PCB's do not degrade and they do cause cancer. If those PCB's leech into the water-------. What would unscrupulous companies do to hide this?
  
  Kyara enlists the help of Ryan who is also looking to figure out something for himself. Kyara is still hoping to find out who her biological father is and Kyara's grandmother, who she once loved and adored has just been released from prison-----
  
  How this all ends--well I didn't guess the ending!! So much going on--you just have to read this one.
  
  Deadly Ties
• 
  Fee (Ebook Addicts)

  “She'd gone to jail for the right reason but the wrong murder and now it was time for someone to pay.”
  
  Deadly ties is my first encounter with Maggie Thom and after reading the synopsis for this book, I knew I was going to get sucked into a good suspense thriller.
  And I wasn’t wrong.
  
  Getty has spent the last 20 years behind bars and now she is out she wants nothing more than to seek revenge, and when her granddaughter Kyara discovers her mother has been attacked in her home she can't help but wonder if Getty is somehow involved now she is out.
  
  This is a fast paced book that filled with secrets and lies spanning 30-odd years centering around a gold course, it features a multitude of characters - which sometimes made it a little confusing when chapter changes.
  
  It was a great read, and will definitely be checking out Thom’s other works.
• 
  Melissa Mitravich

  This is the first book I’ve read of Maggie Thom’s and the first mystery/thriller I’ve read in a very very long time, and I’m glad I did. It’s written in third POV and takes you on an insane spin- up down and all around. I know this may be an odd comparison, but in a way the story reminds me of a loose version of “Clue”- as in trying to guess what’s going on and who did what or how they may be involved. The only downfall for me was some confusion over a couple parts, but overall the writing flowed pretty well and the author paid attention to detail that didn’t come across as overwhelming or unnecessary. I received a copy of this book from Romance Authors that Rock, in exchange for an honest review and I can easily rate this story with 5 stars.
• 
  Julie Baswell

  Eighteen years ago, Getty left her granddaughter Kyara behind when she went to prison for murder. She did murder someone, just not the one she was accused of. Now that Getty is out, she is determined to extract justice by uncovering decade’s old secrets. Kyara is still hurt and angry at Getty, but has known all along that things didn’t add up. After her mother is attacked, she begins following different clues only to find everything leads back to Getty and the secrets she has knowledge of.
  
  This was a fun read of mystery with a little romance mixed in. I liked the way the reader is in the dark of who is doing what. You had your suspicions but couldn’t be fully sure out of the pool of suspect characters. I love books that keep me guessing, and this one did just that.
• 
  Leila

  I struggled with this book. I’m not going to lie. I found it confusing and hard to get into initially but was told to push through because it got better and well, they were right.
  
  I kept reading and I’m glad I did because this book is full of mysteries and secrets (not to mention two faced, backstabbing, conniving weasels!)
  
  If you think your own family is bad, read this book. Everyone has a secret, a past, or some other hidden something going on.
  
  It is definitely a story that once you get into it and get more ‘secrets’ you really can’t stop reading it because you want to solve the problem as much as Kyara does – and there is no shortage of mystery.
• 
  Silvie Armas

  This was the first book by author Maggie Thom that I have read, and I am so glad I did!
  This story has a great plot and the author’s way of writing keeps the suspense coming page after page. This was a book that I finished in 2 days because I simply couldn’t put it down. I don’t want to spoil the book by telling you about it, since this is a book that I totally think you should read. If you like suspense, thrillers, mysteries or just a great read then this is the book for you! Trust me when I say you won’t be disappointed!
• 
  Peggy

  **SPOILER FREE**
  
  
  Fantastic book! Not exactly what I was expecting! This book holds so much more! The plot of the story will floor you to the ground! Unbelievable! And the characters..... they are left to be talked about! This is a page turner of a read right here! This author is going to take you on a mysterious ride when reading this book! And don't think you have it all figured out... Because you won't!
  
  
  *Received for an honest review*
• 
  Jessica

  This is the first book by this author that I have read before and I am absolutely hooked. I love how the suspense flows from page to page, chapter to chapter in this book. This author did a spectacular job of creating some super shady characters in this book! Greed and power drive them, and that makes them all the better, with this plot story!
  
• 
  Doris Humber

  The Author did a fantastic job of keeping the suspense prominent throughout the whole book. As Kyara attempts to determine who was responsible for her Mom's attack....the plot, the secrets, and the characters throughout will leave much to the imagination. You'll want to keep reading. It's not a predictable thriller. The story will keep you guessing.
  Loved this book!
  
• 
  Claudia

  I got this book as a present, and obviously, they know me well because I love this book... as each one wrote by Maggie Thom, TBH.
  
  This is one of those stories in which understand the main character is part of the joy of reading. Getty is a complex character fuelled by guilt and a need for revenge. Contradictory? Maybe, but also absolutely true for this character.
  
  The story will lead you through suspense, betrayal, and family secrets, with a plot which, like a puzzle, might seem nonsensical until that moment when everything clicks right on place and you finally see the whole picture in your head.
  
  An unmissable read for lovers of suspense and/or a book superb written.
• 
  Teresa Collins

  I received a review copy from the author at my request and this is my honest opinion. This is a thoroughly enjoyable read. The characters are not overblown or unrealistic, the action is not overdone, and the suspense is just right! There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing about what is really going on, which I enjoyed. The only problem I had, and it was most likely a personal problem, was some confusion about the relationship between Rose and Jasper. By the end that confusion was cleared up and I did understand why the author handled it the way she did but it did bug me a little. I will definitely be reading more books by Ms. Thom.
• 
  Roger

  Deadly Ties, my first read from author Maggie Thom, an author I’d wanted to read for some time, in fact I have 3 of her books on my TBR list since 2017 and haven't got around to yet, that will soon change! 313 pages, but reads longer due to the detail written in. I was given the Kindle copy of this book & am voluntarily reviewing. I look forward to more from this author. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
• 
  Bev

  This is another gripping story by Maggie Thom. It is complex, but not too complex. The reader will enjoy the characters, but perhaps not at first. Some tend to grow on you. I have enjoyed a few of Maggie's books and this one is another awesome story. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
• 
  Paulette

  Received an ARC from the author for my honest review. Maggie Thom does not disappoint with Deadly Ties. Family and friends intertwined and not in a good way. This is a book that will keep you guessing.
• 
  Sandy Lipinski

  A skilled author that draws you in with the characters she creates.