The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge

Awesome…surprisingly creepy…historical…strong female lead character…mystery…still creepy…and Awesome!

The Lie Tree was one of my favorite books that I have read in a long time. I enjoy series of books because I enjoy sticking with Characters for a long amount of time and investing in their story but I felt that this stand alone novel made me invest in these characters from the moment I started reading.  There were twists in the story that were surprising and a creepy factor that I was not expecting. Readers who enjoy horror, mystery, historical fiction, or fantasy will find something to love in this book! Publishers blurb is included below.

Faith Sunderly leads a double life. To most people, she is reliable, dull, trustworthy—a proper young lady who knows her place as inferior to men. But inside, Faith is full of questions and curiosity, and she cannot resist mysteries: an unattended envelope, an unlocked door. She knows secrets no one suspects her of knowing. She knows that her family moved to the close-knit island of Vane because her famous scientist father was fleeing a reputation-destroying scandal. And she knows, when her father is discovered dead shortly thereafter, that he was murdered.

In pursuit of justice and revenge, Faith hunts through her father’s possessions and discovers a strange tree. The tree bears fruit only when she whispers a lie to it. The fruit of the tree, when eaten, delivers a hidden truth. The tree might hold the key to her father’s murder—or it may lure the murderer directly to Faith herself.