The Lies We Tell, Theresa Schwegel
The Lies We Tell, Theresa Schwegel
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The Lies We Tell

Author: Theresa Schwegel

Narrator: Hillary Huber

Unabridged: 11 hr 39 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/17/2017


Synopsis

"Narrator Hillary Huber portrays Chicago cop Gina Simonetti in this work and home drama with a somber attitude that echoes her intense personality...This heartbreaking story involves vulnerable people who are being abused by their caregivers. Huber's delivery matches those high stakes and faithfully portrays the tragic conclusions." — AudioFile Magazine

The Lies We Tell by Theresa Schwegel is a touching audiobook about a resourceful cop who perseveres against all odds to catch criminals and be the mother she wants to be.

Chicago police detective Gina Simonetti is keeping a secret from the department: she has multiple sclerosis. Raising her young niece on her own, Gina hides her disease; she can’t afford to lose her job. Anyway, she is healthier than most of the cops she knows, and greatly appreciates the responsibility of caring for a child.

But Gina's secret is threatened when a colleague calls her in to help trace a suspect: Johnny Marble has added to his rap sheet with an assault charge—this time against his mother. When Gina pays a visit to the mom in the hospital and winds up running into—and after—Marble, she finds herself in a physical confrontation she can’t possibly win. He gets away, and Gina is faced with an impossible situation. She has to find him, but knows doing so means turning in the one person who knows the true story of what happened. After all, now that he's seen her fight, Johnny Marble can reveal her deepest secret to the police department.

Though alone in her struggle, Gina isn’t alone in her search: in addition to a loyal partner, there is a curious detective and an entire force of coworkers on the hunt. And she’s sympathetic to Marble’s mother, a woman who is losing her mind to Alzheimer’s. Still, Gina fears the fallout: she has no idea how will she keep her own world intact once Marble is found and the truth is out.

Once again, Theresa Schwegel brings her remarkable talent to bear in this compelling crime audiobook about imperfect people struggling against all odds—and this time, against the very people who are supposed to help.

About Theresa Schwegel

Theresa Schwegel is a Loyola University graduate and the recipient of an MFA in screenwriting at Chapman University. Her debut novel, Officer Down, won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel and was short-listed for the Anthony Award. In 2008, she received the 21st Century Award from the Chicago Public Library Foundation. She lives in Chicago.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Chelsea

When I received this one in the mail from Minotaur last month I was mildly intrigued; Schwegel was a new to me author but the blurb on the back caught my attention featuring a main character with MS. I'm always looking for diversity in my books and, up until this book, had yet to read one highlighti......more

Goodreads review by Dan

I really like that Schwegel brings some social awareness into her latest thriller. Gina Simonetti , a Chicago cop, fears losing her job if her MS is discovered. While investigating an abuse incident, she is hospitalized due to a scuffle with the accused. If she has to testify against the abuser, her......more

Goodreads review by Matthew

I wasn't at all sold on the first half of this – the lead character drove me nuts and there were a lot of racial things happening that seemed well-intentioned but clunky. (Also the not-quite-two year old had way too much cutesy speaking time.) Are there any good essays about police procedurals in th......more

I wanted to give this book two stars but finally bumped it up a star because once the story hit its stride, it kept me reading late into the night. This is essentially a novel about a female Chicago cop who struggles with a MS diagnosis that she is trying to hide and raising her brother's two year o......more


Quotes

"[Theresa] Schwegel is a master at creating characters with engaging backstories and life-altering problems. This heartbreaking story involves vulnerable people who are being abused by their caregivers. [Hillary] Huber's delivery matches those high stakes and faithfully portrays the tragic conclusions." -AudioFile