| Title | : | Captured Lies (Caspian Wine, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | - |
| Publication | : | First published October 15, 2012 |
| Awards | : | Kindle Book Award Mystery/Thriller (Semi-Finalist) (2013) |
Her life was a lie!
Bailey knew her upbringing wasn’t normal but she’s worked hard to stabilize her life. At 29, she finally has a good business, a stable home; her life is miles from that of her childhood. Then suddenly her mother dies, leaving a gaping hole and a discovery that they may not even be related. If Guy, the private investigator is to be believed, her life is a lie. Using the skills she learned on the streets, Bailey travels back through a sketchy and dangerous past, to find answers. Dodging bullets, staying ahead of those who want her dead and convincing Guy she can do it alone, are making it difficult to discover not only the secrets of her mother’s past but that of a family claiming she is theirs.
Everyone seems to have a story... but who’s telling the truth? And who wants her dead? Is Guy part of the solution? Or part of the problem? To discover the facts, she’ll have to untangle a web of deceit, lies, and secrets, dating back over thirty years.
Captured Lies (Caspian Wine, #1) Reviews
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CAPTURED LIES by author Maggie Thom is the first book in the Caspian Wine Suspense/Thriller/Mystery Series. I wish to thank the author for a free ebook download.
Bailey Saunders (aka Cassidy) was about to find out that her life was a lie!
Bailey at 29 has had a hard life, and upbringing. Now she has a good business, and a peaceful home and stability in her life. But when her mother dies…her life suddenly falls apart! And she discovers they might not even be related! Bailey must investigate and unravel the truth.
Guy Turner is a private investigator, and former detective hired by his step-grandmother, Dorothea Lindell, to locate Cassidy.
“Using the skills she learned on the streets, Bailey travels back through a sketchy and dangerous past, to find answers. Dodging bullets, staying ahead of those who want her dead and convincing Guy she can do it alone, are making it difficult to discover not only the secrets of her mother’s past but that of a family claiming she is theirs.“
But who is telling the truth? Who can she trust? And who wants her dead? And where does Guy fit in? To discover the facts, she’ll have to untangle a web of deceit, lies, and secrets, dating back over thirty years.
Captured Lies is a story full of surprises and intriguing characters. Oh, what a tangled web we weave!
I highly recommend this exciting and well plotted mystery. -
I re-read this one and enjoyed the read even more the second time around! It's more than suspense. There is romance too. And not cheesy romance. The character of Bailey is well-defined and she's like an onion that the reader slowly peels back.. Author Maggie Thom takes the story down paths I didn't see coming and that's great for the reader. I'll be reading book 2 soon!
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Maggie Thom has a hidden gem with Captured Lies! Bailey’s upbringing wasn’t normal, she never had the joy of a best friend, pajama parties, or even living in the same place for any length of time. Sometimes even food was a luxury, but she did learn to be street smart and not to trust in anyone but herself. When a handsome PI approaches her with a story too bizarre to be believed, Bailey learns the only life she had ever known could be a lie and she may not live long enough to find out who she truly is. Could Bailey really have a family out there, desperate to know her and take her into their hearts? In a race to live, Bailey and Guy must face down hired guns, unravel an arrogant attorney’s machinations, and survive the hatred of a twisted member of the family tree.
Like an onion, each layer of this action-packed tale becomes more involved, more wickedly deceitful and more dangerous. Maggie Thom has done a remarkable job bringing the characters to life, and creating scenes that will have your heart racing while you are glued to each and every page! Mixed with a little humor, a little romance and the steel will of a wealthy family matriarch, Captured Lies is a MUST read from a gifted author!
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Bailey returns home to bury her mother. She and her mom have not been communicating much in the last few years and she regrets that she will never be able to tell her that she is sorry again. Bailey finds that her mom has left two envelopes for her which have drawings on the back. Throughout her life, she and her mom never stayed in one place long enough for her to make friends. Life was tough and her mom taught her how to make codes. So what do these pictures mean? Bailey doesn't have time to find out because she discovers one man watching her at her mom's funeral and another has broken into her mom's house. With no clues to what is happening or what lies before her, she begins an amazing journey.
As the book began, I found it difficult to follow who the characters were and how they related to one another. DON'T put that book down if you find yourself a little confused. Things will soon get straightened around and you will be "Captured" in a thrilling page turner. Well worth reading, I am glad that Maggie "quit her day job" so she could write these stories for us! -
On the day after her mother’s funeral everything changes for Bailey, she finds out life as she knows it is riddled with lies and someone is trying to kill her. Bailey is on a cat and mouse hunt trying to find out the truth about her life while trying to lose the men that are following her. Guy, a private investigator, knows who Bailey really is but every attempt to convince her ends up with them being chased or her trying to figure it out on her own. Can he convince Bailey that her life is surrounded in betrayal or will she figure it out on her own?
Captivating story, it was intricate and every time you had it figured out a shift would happen adding another layer to the puzzling story. Bailey was intriguing, she is torn between what Guy is telling her and putting her trust in the woman she knows as her mother. I had a hard time putting this one down, I wanted to know what really was the story about Bailey, excellent read. -
Absolutely loved it!
The entire concept of this story is superb in MHO.
Its kept me reading on and off all day today until I finished it.
With her Mum unexpectedly dying she is left with a lot of unsaid words.
The thing is, she's left with an awful lot more than that! As its clear from almost the start that her Mother was not her biological Mother.
I'm not going to say much more as the book needs reading. You will be enthralled by it.
One annoying thing for me was, she was aged 29/30 in the book? Well, when she spoke at times and the way she acted it was felt to be like a youth. I expected more maturity I guess.
This didn't distract me, just annoyed me and reminded me if some of the YA books I've read. This is far more sophisticated a read I thought.
I really can't wait for book 2.
I have Maggie Thom's Tainted Waters to read. I really think I've stumbled across a great up and coming author.
I am so happy I got involved with this promotion. -
This book kept me guessing from the beginning to the end! It has been a while since I had read a suspense book and this one reminded me of why I love them.
This story moved a long at a good pace. There were enough characters to keep you interested but not so many that you got them confused. The family ties between the characters got a little blurry at times but other than that it was easy to follow along.
There was enough romance to keep it interesting but the story didn't revolve around it. It is a well written and held my attention to the very end. -
This was a roller coaster of a story that had me guessing and raising my eyebrows throughout. I was pleasantly surprised to find romance in the story along with healthy portions of mystery, intrigue, and action. Ms. Thom doesn't rely solely on action and suspense to shape the story; she spends some time and energy "digging into" the emotional turmoil chaotic upbringings and stressful situations foster, allowing the reader to relate more to the plight of the main characters, Guy and Bailey. A great start to what looks to be a fascinating series!
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Maggie Thom writes a fast paced thriller laced with romance that keeps the reader interested and on edge!
Full review in
March 2013 issue of InD'tale Magazine. -
Reviewed on:
http://readyourwrites.blogspot.com
For Read Your Writes Book Reviews
What would you do if you found out your life was a total lie? Bailey Saunders is about to find out.
Captured Lies had my attention from the very beginning, with a newspaper article dated February 14, 1983. With that said, I had high expectations for this book. The first chapter was amazing. I have to admit I'm a little torn as to my feelings for this book. At times, I think there was information put in that wasn't needed. At the same time, the book left me wanting more.
Bailey Saunders, aka Cassidy Lefevre, was kidnapped from Gracefield Hospital when she was only two days old. While reading this book, I became more and more impressed with Bailey as the story went on. Bailey/Cassidy is a survivor in EVERY sense of the word. Due to people in her life that she don't even know, she shouldn't have even been born. As an infant, she even escaped death. Born into a life of privilege, she grew up with barely enough to survive. At a young age, she became streetsmart, a skill she will need to survive now and find out why people want her dead.
Guy Turner is a private investigator/former cop hired by his step-grandmother, Dorothea Lindell, to locate Cassidy. Guy, who has a dark past of his own, isn't truly Dorothea's grandchild, but was taken in by her because she knew his mother and grandmother. Dorothea is the true grandmother of Cassidy/Bailey. In the twenty-nine years since Cassidy's disappearance, Dorothea has never stopped looking for her only grandchild. Unfortunately, Dorothea's desire to find Cassidy and Guy's asking of questions, endangers Bailey/Cassidy's life. It appears some secrets are better left unknown and several people want Bailey dead before those secrets are brought to light.
The list of suspects is a little long. The tangled web that surrounds this story is unbelievable. Ms. Thom did a great job in that respect. I literally had to write information down on a piece of paper to keep up with everything. Looking back, it might have been possible to figure out who was behind Cassidy's initial kidnapping, but the question of why wasn't answered until almost the end.
Captured Lies is a story full of surprises. You get introduced to some pretty bad characters. I mean people that nightmares are made of. The story has violent moments with physical abuse and hints of sexual abuse. There is a mini romance, but there isn't a lot of detail; it's pretty much left to your imagination. I loved that Maggie included a little humorous dialog between Bailey and Guy as a way to break up all of the tension going on in the book.
What I didn't like about the book was that I felt it was missing closure. I don't know if this is part of a series. Part of me hopes it isn't because I feel Bailey/Cassidy has already endured WAY too much.
Would I read Maggie Thom? The answer to that question is a definite yes.
Source: Author -
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The first scene in Captured Lies is attention grabbing. It is obvious later on in the book that the main character was involved in the first scene. Although we're not sure why or what happened to lead to that scene so there's still plenty of mystery left. Then there was also the fact that a lot of people seemed to be after Bailey and discovering their motives becomes the main motive of the reader(or at least it was mine).
Much of Captured Lies had a lot of attention to detail. The author was through and made sure that the reader could easily picture everyone and everything. It wasn't hard to see the book as a movie going through my head. I enjoyed the descriptions and the ease that the author had when describing things.
It was clear that everyone was connected somehow and sometimes we'd be given little glimpses of the connections but it took a while to put together how people were connected, especially to Bailey and why they all wanted to find her and/or hurt her. It was interesting to see all of these connections come to light. I enjoyed it and the difficultly of trying to figure out who was connected with whom and why.
Then there were the characters. Bailey was an interesting character. She had absolutely no idea who she really was and when it came to light she didn't go looking for a payout or anything. She just wanted to get to know the family she never had. It was refreshing in a book full of characters that were greedy. And Guy. Guy was great! He was amusing, refreshing, and appreciated everything he was given. I have to admit that he was my favorite character in Captured Lies.
Captured Lies is a good read for people who enjoy suspense and mysteries. It was an interesting book, with lots of connections to figure out.
Find this review and many others on
Reading Shy With Aly -
First, I want to say that I received this book as a gift from the author. I moderate a book of the month club that features independent authors and this was one among my reading list for that book club. I got this book during a rather rough time a few weeks ago and Maggie has been a doll about how long it's taken me to read her book. I just want to say I am grateful for indie authors like Maggie who have been the epitome of good-people to me.
4.5 stars
Captured Lies is a classic suspense with a great story that will keep you on your toes until the revelations at the end. I almost hate to use this word, but the mystery and suspense of the story was certainly convoluted enough to keep me guessing about the antagonists. I can honestly say that I have less experience with suspense than I have with most other genres, but I was thoroughly captivated by her writing style and story line.
Bailey is a bad-ass chic trying for a normal life amid her mother's insistent rules that she garner zero attention in her life. When her mother dies, Bailey begins to unravel the truth behind a lifetime of living hand-to-mouth, moving unexpectedly, and rules that have never made sense to her. With the unwanted help of Guy, a private detective who finds himself on a more dangerous gig than he expected, Bailey works through the emotional and mental trauma of losing her mother, discovering the lies surrounding her life, and working out how to live on the other side of the mess her mother left her.
This is the first book in the Caspian Wine series and as soon as I get my reading list down, I will be getting the next. Maggie Thom is an indie author that will draw you into her story and keep you until you finish--no bookmarks required. -
At the start it can be confusing trying to keep up with who is connected to who but this does become clearer the further into the story.
Bailey is a fantastic character, after living her life for so long and then to have one man come into her life and tell her that it has all been a lie. That she was kidnapped as a baby. Only to then find out that not only was she kidnapped once but then a second time too. She has to deal with finding this out whilst having people chasing her trying to stop her from uncovering the truth and jeopardizing everything that they have built over the last 29 years thinking that Bailey was dead.
Captured Lies is well written, the characters have depth, personality and history. Not all of the characters are good people, there are some bad characters the sort that nightmares are made of. The book contains some violent scenes which I thought were handled really tactfully. There is a well written tangled web of lies, deceit, suspense, intrigue, kidnapping and a hint of humour too; just to break up the tension.
The book left me wanting more but at the same time I felt sometimes that there was some information that just wasn't necessary. I also feel like the book lacked closure, I'm not sure if that's because it will be part of a series though.
I have enjoyed reading this book and will be keeping an eye out for other books written by Maggie Thom in the future. -
Exciting from the first page to the last
This was a fast-paced, edge of your seat kind of crime/mystery. The action and suspense just kept coming! Every time I sat down to read, it was for longer than I intended. Bailey and Guy, the main characters, are likeable and have real flaws, not stereotypical as you find in many stories. I could not predict how they would handle situations which made them believable. The author took her time to build credible relationships and unfold the plot. There were plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing.
Guy, a private detective, is hired by an adoptive relative to find her long, lost granddaughter Cassidy, who was kidnapped at birth. Bailey finds out from Guy, after the woman she thought was her mother dies, that she has been living a lie. Not even her name is real. No one is as they seem and she is not sure who she can trust. Instead of living the luxurious life of the wealthy young heiress she should have been entitled, her childhood was poverty and moving from town to town, scrounging the streets with the woman she called “mother” to survive. Her reappearance spells disastrous consequences for two very powerful and dangerous men who will stop at nothing to make her disappear.
This is Book 1 in the Caspian Wine Series. I fully intend to read the next book! I highly recommend this exciting and well plotted mystery. -
This was an enjoyable read with a lot of suspense and tension. I really liked the overall idea of the story and thought it was well-planned and believable. I also LOVED Guy. I had trouble warming up to Bailey. For a woman pushing 30 she often acted much younger. Some of it I could readily chalk up to her exceptionally difficult childhood, but still she grated on my last nerve. With Bailey, progress seemed to consistently be one step forward, two giant steps back. When cornered or assaulted Bailey became the type of character I love – boy, was she ever kick-ass tough when it counted! Those were the times when her street smarts and tenacity caused me to cheer. Those pivotal moments showed a self-assured, strong-willed person ferociously fighting those determined to silence her forever; to uncover the elusive answers and discover her true self. There is a sequel and I am sure Bailey will face new challenges and continue to grow into a better person. I hope that Guy will be there for her as her personal transformation evolves.
This book was given to me in exchange for my honest review.
Reviewed by Laurie-J -
Wow! This story has more twists and turns than a West Virginia mountain road. Bailey’s mother died and when she goes to clean out her house, strange people start showing up – and they’re all trying to kill her! And the real irony is that she has no idea why. She reluctantly teams up with Guy, but can’t quite bring herself to totally trust him, and subsequently continues to put herself in the crosshairs of all the whackos who are trying to silence her.
A real page-turner which initially confuses the reader with the introduction of several characters who are not identified, but this actually lends to the mystery. All eventually becomes clear, and then it turns into a race against time to save Bailey.
Ms. Thom is a great storyteller with a real talent for weaving an intricate plot. My only complaint is there are a few editing issues – extra commas, a few typos, a couple grammatical mistakes, but not enough to take away from the tale. A blockbuster for sure! -
This is a fast-paced suspense that surrounds Bailey trying to figure out what is going on and not only who she truly is, but why everyone is suddenly wanting her dead.
I enjoyed this book, although there were a couple of points that it wasn't really clear to me how all the parties ended up at the same place at the same time. But, that did not effect the overall enjoyment of the book.
I liked the character of Bailey and understood her need to always be on guard--the lessons her mother instilled in her over her childhood were deep-rooted. And, I LOVED the character of Guy-- he was torn between his duty to his step-grandmother and his desire to protect Bailey.
The secondary characters were interesting and I would like to have known some of them better--perhaps if this is part of a series, I can get to know them better over time. There is still a lot of room for Guy and Bailey to grow both together and separately, and I would like to learn more about Graham. -
'Captured Lies' delightfully captured me from the very first page. The story of Bailey Saunders' birth, upbringing, and eventual realization of the truth is gripping. The reader is taken on an action-packed, express journey through some dangerous situations as Bailey slowly comes to term with her life of lies, and discovers her true heritage.
I loved reading this book which held my interest right to the end. There was just one part where I became confused and had to speed read from the beginning again. Once I'd done that, it was perfectly clear I'd been reading whilst a little tired and had not taken it all in. You have to be alert for this one as the clues are all there but easily missed.
Maggie Thom liberally enriches her writing with supremely descriptive, inventive phrases. She is an expert wordsmith who has produced a great suspenseful thriller. I will certainly read her next book in this series, and would have no trouble recommending it to others. Well done! -
Captured Lies is a wonderful read! From the very beginning Maggie Thom’s book took me on an awesome roller coaster ride. Bailey is a woman who has been forced to live without forming a relationship with anyone. When Bailey finds herself faced with burying her mother and meeting Guy who may help her find the truth, her action packed journey begins. Thom fills the story with such an array of characters that the plot can’t help but thicken and the web of deceit seems to encompass everybody.
I really enjoyed how Bailey had to decipher clues, hidden messages and being kidnapped in order to finally learn the truth. She’s a heroine everyone will cheer for with a story that sucks you in.
Maggie Thom's debut novel is suspense at its best keeping you on the edge of your seat and your fingers glued to the pages until the very end. -
CAPTURED LIES by Maggie Throm is an exciting Romantic Suspense/Thriller. A captivating tale of lies,secrets,deceit,a kidnapping at birth, suspense and intrigue.Join Bailey and Guy in a chase to find the truth,stay alive and find love. Well written with engaging and captivating characters. The plot is intriguing and will hold your interest from beginning to end. A must read! You will laugh and cry while the truth finally is revealed. A thrill ride of emotions and suspense! A definite winner. I see a sequel in our future. You will not be disappointed in reading "Captured Lies",especially if you enjoy suspense,mystery, thrillers, and a story that could have been ripped straight from the headlines. Powerful and captivating. Well done! Received for an honest review from the author.
RATING: 4.5
HEAT RATING: MILD
REVIEWED BY: AprilR, Review courtesy of My Book Addiction and More -
What would you do if you learned that your whole life had been a lie? Who do you trust? Is the story your being told even true? These are the questions that Bailey must face as she enters a journey to discover who she really is. Captured Lies is a very edge of your seat sort of book. It takes you through the loss of who Bailey believed was her mother to discovering that there are a ton of secrets surrounding her very existence. This is a action packed thriller that leaves you wanting to find the answers just as badly as Bailey (the main character of the book). I was totally enthralled with this book and read it as if it were my life that needed to be discovered. Maggie Thom writing style had me setting up and taking notice. I believe I will be reading more of her books. Captured Lies was most definitely my cup of tea and I hope it will be yours as well!
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Captured Lies is a book by Maggie Thom. I read it originally because a member wrote it. I have to say I LOVED it. It is a suspense, in which a baby was kidnapped and sold on the black market, but on the way to her new destination there was a plane crash and the woman that was delivering the baby was killed.
Fast Forward 29 years. The baby is all grown up and the woman that she knew as her mother is dead. All of a sudden a strange man named Guy Turner shows up and tells Bailey Saunders she is not who she thinks she is. After that all Hell breaks lose and people are trying to kill her.
Captured Lies is an outstanding book and it was a book I couldn't put down. It will definately go in my to be read again pile of books -
All the greedy things people will do for money pfft! This was a very thrilling story. I loved it from beginning to end. It has a lot of suspense and although you will get to know more things, it will not take away from the story. The only thing that bothered me was that they were not open to each other, thus creating certain situations that could’ve been avoided in my opinion. But then again, that bothers me in movies too, so I don’t think it’s necessarily something from the book. It does not take away from it.
I also liked that it wasn’t really a scenario where all was good and well when it came to be revealed. That kept it very realistic I think. I think it’s a very good read. Hope you like it too! -
This review is from: Captured Lies: Book One of The Caspian Wine Series (Kindle Edition)
When Bailey's mother dies quite unexpectedly, she very quickly learns her life was not all it seemed. As a child she had been hauled from one town to another. Her mother was always on the run; always hiding from something - but from what?
Maggie Thom does an excellent job of keeping the reader in suspense as the story slowly unfolds. With the help of a private investigator she finds that she is not who she thinks she is and there are people out there determined to stop her learning the truth.
I found I was unable to put this book down and look forward to the next one -
I thoroughly enjoyed 'Captured Lies'. It unfolds a fascinating story about a young woman who discovers her real identity after the passing of her mother. This revelation is then followed by many twists and turns as the main character, Bailey, seeks answers. I found myself wondering "what on earth next?"
The twists will keep you entertained. I liked the story, and the characters are well described. Maggie Thom does a great job keeping the action moving along at a good pace. There is a good chase, and I liked the thrill of the chase. I like a good ending, and this writer didn't disappoint. Well done Maggie Thom - thanks for a good read! -
This review is from: Captured Lies (Kindle Edition)
Capture Lies is a story full of twist and turns. Maggie Thom's characters are well fleshed out and believable. The shear will of Bailey to overcome and survive everything that is thrown at her is admirable, to say the least.
The twist and turns throughout the book keep you on your toes and turning the pages. The humor between Bailey and Guy, the PI hired to find her, is a welcome break in the sometimes violent moments of the book.
Although this is not my normal read, I thoroughly enjoyed Captured Lies and give it 5 stars. -
This is a very good for a first published book. I enjoyed the story line. A baby is kidnapped soon after she is born, and then we flash forward almost 30 years to see what has transpired in the life of this child.The story is fast paced.
I gave the book 4 stars due to the punctuation errors. There were commas where they were not needed, and missing where there should have been one. There were also a couple of misspelled words, but they seemed to be more of a typing error than the author's error.
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Maggie Thom's Captured Lies is a suspenseful, thrill of a ride, and should be on your summer read list! The mystery, action, and inevitable pairing of Bailey and Guy, makes for a fun read for any mystery buff. Thom has a descriptive style of writing, playing well into the gamut of emotions Bailey feels upon the death of her "mother". I especially like the multiple characters and plot twists Thom weaves into the story, and the ending leaves the reader satisfied on the outcomes for Bailey and Guy. I will definitely pursue more books by Maggie Thom- well done!
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This is a multi-layered, complex story that just grows deeper as you go, and it's an incredible, wonderful read! Maggie Thom has built a different world where the Caspian Winery is the centerpiece and the stories of the people who populate it bring the series to life. Don't miss this chilling yet exciting read that will keep you up far longer than it should because you just want to find out a little more before you stop for now..., just a little more (it's so intriguing!). OMG, I didn't realize it was so late!
