Fiction Review: Living Lies by Natalie Walters

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
What's the Skinny: The book is advertised as Christian Romance and Mystery, but there is a realness to how this book approaches God, crime, and love. It is also clean.
What's the deets: This is the first of three installments from Natalie Walters that takes place in Walton ,Georgia. The book follows the characters Lane Kent and newly hired Deputy Charlie Lynch, who unearth a dead body in the middle of the woods in an unfortunate circumstance. The book swirls with Lane and Charlie's lives entwining together as Charlie and Walton's PD work to discover the killer before they strike again or get away with it entirely and destroy the reputation of a safe and quiet town.

So, I should note that I finished this book back at the end of May. So why did it take me a whole month to sit down and write a review when I knew the book was a five star the minute I turned the last page? I felt that this book deserved more than a simple "It was amazing, real, and raw. You should buy it"type review. I wasn't sure where we should start first, with the fact that the author not only deals with depression, but acknowledges a system that is broken in helping people heal, or the fact that this quote was dropped in and made my heart stop: "For God does not call us to merely survive this life we've given but to thrive in it".

The author deserves to be applauded for her approach in tackling depression in her debut novel, a serious and weighty disease that is treated lightly in society and in the Christian community. Not only does the main character, Lane Kent suffer from depression, but we as readers see all forms: PTSD from combat, Vietnam veterans, and new mothers (because ya'll motherhood is HARD). And we need to applaud our leading man Charlie Lynch for being understanding, compassionate, and gentle (redefining the Marine sterotype) as he searches for purpose in his retirement. As I was reading this book, my husband was doing his Psych rotation in medical school, and I felt I was being hit at all sides emotionally watching the author pour out broken characters in a broken world and my husband watching these people be broken as they experience healing. You see, mental health may be a trendy word to you in this day and age, but I have seen far too much brushed under the rug by doctors in training who don't want to talk to people about how they "feel", from the people who suffer anxiety and aren't sure how to tackle it, and from Christians who just don't understand and therefore tell people to "just have the joy of the Lord!"

Secondly, let's briefly discuss the quote above and why it took such a serious toll on me. Growing up in conservative Christian world, women had one of two purposes: to either work with children (teacher, nanny, daycare worker, etc.) or to bear children. Now don't get me wrong, I love motherhood, but my skills with other peoples children do not lie in caring for them and giving them their daily sustenance. Nope. I have the wherewithal to do that with one child alone and that is my son. But often times because of how I was raised, I struggle with purpose. Don't we all? These characters definitely do, and we can see that especially manifested in Charlie. We as readers see Charlie as a retired Marine struggling with letting go the disappointments and infractions that life has dealt to him while trying to move forward. This line often reminds me of the Switchfoot lyrics: "No, I'm not alright I know that I'm not right Feel like I travel but I never arrive I wanna thrive not just survive". 

Ultimately, I truly believe we all want that. We want to thrive and not just survive and this book can be a balm for the soul, while enjoying the mystery and romance of fiction. So, yes reader, you do need to purchase this book here.