From the first sentence, you are led on a tense ride. This is a fast read, because you won’t be able to put it down. It follows a search for a missing child from a small town. All are suspects, even Gilly, who unwittingly shows her ‘gift’ early. I loved the characters; the good, the bad, the ugly. The are flawed, but own it. Thoroughly enjoy this author’s writing style. I enjoyed the ending, I liked how after you thought it was done, it continued.

I received an ARC, all opinions are my own. ( )

Gilly O'Connell is trying to forget her past and find a new life after the unthinkable happens which shatters the life she had. Little does she know that her past will come back to haunt her and force her to face not only the day her life changed forever but also the current crisis of a little girl who desperately needs her help.
Three years after her husband was murdered and the culprit managed to get away, Gilly is trying to rebuild her life working as a waitress in a small Texas town hoping that the murderer will never find her since she was the only witness to the crime. The thing about Gilly is that she sometimes has premonitions or dreams that occasionally come true as with the murder of her husband. A little girl who comes often to the restaurant where Gilly now works is abducted and her father is desperate to find her at any cost. It just so happens that Gilly had a vision of this happening but also cannot account for time lost while having the vision. She becomes a suspect and is desperate not only to clear her name but also find the little girl she has become so fond of.
I enjoyed this book for so many reasons. I felt a connection with the characters of Gilly, and especially the father because of the way Barbara Taylor Sissel developed them. They had such a complex and developed past and it was easy to see why the characters acted and thought as they did. I found the book very hard to put down and stayed up late to finish it.
I received a copy of What Lies Below from Lake Union Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. ( )

Nightmares that foretell events? Nightmares that could solve crimes? Nightmares that Gilly is afraid to think about or let anyone know about.

Gilly seems to be clairvoyant but is afraid to tell the police for fear of their suspecting her of the kidnapping of a friend's daughter. Gilly saw Zoe being kidnapped in her dream, and the next day it happened.

We join in the search for Zoe along with the entire town. The small town of Wyatt loved Zoe and her father, Jake, and they all had their own theories about what happened and who took Zoe.

This tense, well-written thriller was difficult to put down and had marvelous, mysterious characters that all seemed to have some secret.

Ms. Sissel’s writing style is pull-you-in and descriptive. The title also had me intrigued with my thinking it referred to what really was below the surface of what the characters were showing on the outside.

If you like books that dig into a character's background and a story line that will keep you guessing, WHAT LIES BELOW will be a good read for you.

I really enjoyed WHAT LIES BELOW - this was my first book by Ms. Sissel. 5/5

This book was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. ( )

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book in exchange for my review.

When a little girl gets kidnapped from a small Texas town, the residents gather to find her. Among the residents is a recovering addict who has prophetic dreams. While slowly revealing the elements of her past, the search for the child rages on. Fast-paced, well-written, and intriguing - I didn’t see the end coming. Great read! ( )

A fast-paced, well-written mystery that won’t disappoint!

Gilly has dreams that have a tendency to come true. She dreamt that her husband was murdered and it happened causing her to lose control. Now that she’s sober, Gilly has moved to a small town to start over again as a waitress. Everything is going fine until she dreams of little Zoe’s kidnapping the night before it happens. Gilly eventually tells the police of her dreams and instead of thinking she’s crazy, the police now view her as a possible suspect. Now to clear her name and to help find the little girl, Gilly must try to dream again even though all her life she’s been taught to ignore them.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. ( )