Feathered Quill Book Reviews

 #Bookreview of Between the Lies

By: Shana Frost

Publisher: Loch Fuar Publications

Publication Date: March 28, 2025

ISBN: 978-1-7384994-4-1

Reviewed by: Trix Lee-Rainwater

Review Date: June 2, 2025

What drives someone to sacrifice everything they know for the truth? This question lies at the heart of Shana Frost's Between the Lies.

Nina Banerjee is an investigative journalist who has spent years building her career after leaving her family behind in Mumbai. When her investigation into sham marriages leads her to an abandoned building one night, she wakes up hours later next to her dead colleague Jonas with no memory of what happened. She flees the scene but becomes the prime suspect in both Jonas's murder and the murder of Anne Muller, PC Robert Muller's wife. Robert is convinced Nina killed his wife and is determined to bring her to justice. His grief over Anne's death has consumed him, straining his relationships with his closest friends and colleagues. However, when Robert and Nina finally meet, an undeniable attraction develops between them despite his suspicions. Despite his initial hostility, Robert finds himself drawn to the enigmatic journalist, even as mounting evidence points to her guilt.

When circumstances force them to work together, they uncover a vast conspiracy involving corrupt police officers, international human trafficking, and DCI Dickheadson, Robert's superior officer who seems unusually invested in pinning both murders on Nina. As they dig deeper, with help from an unlikely alliance of a tech expert, a pub owner Billy, and also a former sex worker Daisy, they discover that Anne's death might not be what it seems. Each revelation comes at a cost, putting both Nina and Robert in increasing danger. With corrupt police officers hunting them, professional killers on their trail, and their hearts becoming increasingly entangled, can Nina and Robert uncover the truth before it's too late?

Between the Lies is a romantic 18+ thriller novella from the same author of Strangers in Crime. At its core, this is a story about trust, how it's earned, broken, and sometimes miraculously rebuilt from the ashes of betrayal. Through Nina and Robert's evolving relationship, Frost showed how love can flourish even in the darkest circumstances while never diminishing the serious nature of the crimes they're investigating. The author tackled weighty subjects like human trafficking and the exploitation of vulnerable immigrants with appropriate gravity while still maintaining the emotional engagement of a romance.

Through Nina's perspective as an immigrant herself, Frost offered insight into the complex challenges faced by those who leave everything behind to build a new life. The story’s examination of truth, justice, and redemption added layers of meaning to what could have been a straightforward romantic thriller. While some coincidences stretch credibility and certain plot points rely heavily on convenient timing, the author's handling of both the romance and thriller elements helps smooth over these minor issues.

Between the Lies proves that sometimes the greatest truths about ourselves are discovered when everything we believe is called into question.

Quill says: Between the Lies is a thrilling sensual novella that will satisfy fans of both romance and crime fiction while offering thoughtful commentary on contemporary social issues.

For more information on Between the Lies, please visit the author's website at: shop.shanafrost.com/