Gledé Browne Kabongo is on the blog today to tell more about OUR WICKED LIES, her new psychological thriller.
How would you describe the plot of the book?
Our Wicked Lies is “House of Cards-type” psychological thriller about a wealthy suburban couple whose seemingly perfect marriage begins to unravel under the strain of dark secrets, shocking betrayals and a tragic, sinister death.
Writers usually hate writing book summaries. Will you share with us your real book blurb or one you wish you could have used?
I love writing book blurbs so I suppose I’m an outlier. Below is the real summary for Our Wicked Lies. NetGalley reviewers voted the blurb as the number one reason they requested the book, 45% of almost 600 votes.
Her marriage is to die for…
Alicia Gray knows she’s a lucky woman. With a gorgeous, successful husband who whisks her away on romantic trips, a beautiful home in one of the country’s richest zip codes, and two wonderful daughters, life couldn’t be better. However, she’ll soon discover that an enviable marriage comes at a deadly cost.
Who is Faith, and why are dozens of emails between her and Alicia’s husband hidden in his draft folder? Why were the messages never sent? As Alicia embarks on a desperate quest to uncover Faith’s identity, a shocking death hits close to home and sends her reeling. Was it a tragic accident or cold-blooded murder?
In this beautiful town of wealth and privilege, nothing is as it seems, and everyone has something to hide. While Alicia struggles under the weight of dark secrets from her own past, someone knows more than they’re saying—someone who knows the truth will come at a devastating price.
Emotionally gripping and expertly plotted, this heart-pounding, compulsive read is the perfect domestic thriller for fans of The Wife Between Us, The Husband’s Secret and The Couple Next Door.
What excited you most about writing this story?
The complex range of emotions that the characters experienced as the story unfolded; the fear and uncertainty as their respective web of deceit closed in around them. And of course, the fallout. I also enjoyed writing the final chapter, the big twist at the end.
Is there a setting in your book that you would like to visit?
I would absolutely love to visit The Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris. It’s Paris for one thing, and that place looks like heaven on earth. At least the photographs do.
What was the most interesting thing you learned writing the book?
There is a quote at the beginning of the book, a scripture, Jeremiah 17:9. It goes, The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? For me, that perfectly sums up the novel. Although we know human beings are capable of indescribable deceit and treachery, the characters in Our Wicked Lies took it to new heights in their own way.
Gledé Browne Kabongo writes gripping, unputdownable psychological thrillers—unflinching tales of deception, secrecy, danger and family. She is the award-winning author of the Fearless Series, Our Wicked Lies, Swan Deception, and Conspiracy of Silence. She holds a master’s degree in Communications, and leads workshops on writing and publishing.