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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to the author, publishers Harvill Secker and NetGalley UK for access to this as an advance reader’s ebook. This is an honest and voluntary review.
Blood spatter expert Claudia is grieving the death of her husband and ready to blow up her professional life in order to reveal the truth about a case she was involved in.
A relatively short novel, but the pacing made it feel much longer. Too long.
The story switches back and forth in time periods. The switches themselves are relatively easy to follow, but the timing and pacing of these switches often left me feeling disconnected from the story. Which at the end of the day left me ambivalent about the plot, and the characters, most of whom were too self-absorbed for me to feel invested in what happened to them. Overall, I’m left disappointed.
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
We have to trust that the judicial system is based on truth. They want us to believe that it’s never about wealth, power and prestige. It makes us wonder how many people are wrongfully convicted of murders and sent to prison for years. I suspect it may be a shocking number.
Professor Claudia O’Sheil was about to present her findings of a highly publicized murder case based on forensic analysis to an audience of influential scientists and leaders in London. However, before this happened, readers were given the back story that led up to this point.
The author described the characters and scenes as if you were watching it on a screen. Claudia had a complex life with financial issues. Her husband recently died from a car accident working on legal case and he left her with bills and grief. It affected her two boys and sister as well.
I read this on the edge of my seat with a trail of deep deception from the high courts. It’s graphic with the description of dead bodies and realistic with a dialogue that includes strong emotions.
I always wonder how much truth there is in a story about a criminal case. It certainly seemed believable. Did the title give the plot away? You’ll see. I really didn’t want the book to end.
My thanks to Mulholland Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of July 29, 2025.
Professor Claudia O’Sheil was about to present her findings of a highly publicized murder case based on forensic analysis to an audience of influential scientists and leaders in London. However, before this happened, readers were given the back story that led up to this point.
The author described the characters and scenes as if you were watching it on a screen. Claudia had a complex life with financial issues. Her husband recently died from a car accident working on legal case and he left her with bills and grief. It affected her two boys and sister as well.
I read this on the edge of my seat with a trail of deep deception from the high courts. It’s graphic with the description of dead bodies and realistic with a dialogue that includes strong emotions.
I always wonder how much truth there is in a story about a criminal case. It certainly seemed believable. Did the title give the plot away? You’ll see. I really didn’t want the book to end.
My thanks to Mulholland Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book with an expected release date of July 29, 2025.
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
A twisty, turny thriller - a forensic scientist finds herself widowed with two sons. A series of events leads her to re-exam her husband's death and much of her own work. It is a complicated plot - at one point I wondered if I needed to draw a chart of the characters and how they related to each other. With all of the national scandals and cover ups going on it is a believable, enjoyable read.
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
‘The Good Liar’ by Denise Mina focuses on forensic expert Doctor Claudia O’Sheil as she prepares to make a speech that’s sure to turn her life upside down, with copious flashbacks to the events of the past year which led irrevocably to her precarious situation. I was drawn in immediately by the premise since her area of concentration - blood splatter analysis - has been mentioned (and derided) in a number of crime books I’ve loved, and her patented probabilistic method was intriguing.
However, the novel felt very slow-moving to me, and spent much longer lodged in the past, with no room to explore the fallout of Claudia’s choice. While it perhaps added to the sharp social commentary about class and prestige, the fact that most characters were entirely unlikable meant I didn’t care enough to get fully immersed in the book.
Ultimately, I didn’t feel like the execution lived up to the exciting concept, making this a three star read for me. I’ve enjoyed other books by Denise Mina, so I look forward to picking up whatever she releases next!
I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Random House UK via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
However, the novel felt very slow-moving to me, and spent much longer lodged in the past, with no room to explore the fallout of Claudia’s choice. While it perhaps added to the sharp social commentary about class and prestige, the fact that most characters were entirely unlikable meant I didn’t care enough to get fully immersed in the book.
Ultimately, I didn’t feel like the execution lived up to the exciting concept, making this a three star read for me. I’ve enjoyed other books by Denise Mina, so I look forward to picking up whatever she releases next!
I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Random House UK via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
dark
mysterious
tense
Very fond of the main character, but the story lost me from the gallery art show .
mysterious
medium-paced