Reviews

Lie Beside Me by Gytha Lodge

Only show reviews with written explanations

dnemec's review against another edition

4.0

It took me a bit to be fully captured, but once I was I just could NOT put this down. I have enjoyed this entire series!

smilesgiggle's review against another edition

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4.0

I did not see those twists coming!
After a night of intense drinking with her bestie April, Louise wakes up. Still wearing her dress from the previous evening. With a dead man laying next to her - a stranger, blood everywhere.
DCI Jonah Sheens and his team arrive at Louise's house to find a dead body on her front lawn. Louise seems to have her story worked out - but Sheens and his team work out the truth.
Louise lends the reader the needed background for her story - meeting her husband, her desperate need for alcohol. Her shady memories from the night before Alex's murder.
Juliette struggles with her ex, Damian, who continues to stalk and harass her. Working with Lightman, Juliette confesses he's still around. Though she struggles to tell her boyfriend, Jason - Juliette hasn't even mentioned Damian is stalking her.
I loved these characters - though I have not read the previous books, I was able to keep up with the plot and character progression.
Great writing. Real people. Realistic events.
I enjoyed it!

annebrooke's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This is yet another addictive thriller from the queen of addictive thrillers and an absolutely amazingly twisty read. I couldn't put it down. I loved the characters, especially Louise, who doesn't know what she might have done or what's really happened to her, and I also loved her best friend April who perhaps might be hiding more secrets than anyone imagines. Or might not! It's also lovely to catch up with this very endearing police team, and here the relationships between Jonah, Juliette and Ben are especially good and very well developed. If you love good gripping crime thrillers, then this is a must-read.

justacatandabook's review

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Catching up on this series is quite enjoyable. LIE BESIDE ME is a captivating mystery filled with red herrings and a cast of suspects that kept me guessing until the very end. Louise wakes up after a night of drinking with her best friend, only to find that instead of her husband, Niall, next to her in bed, it's a strange man. Even worse, that man is quite dead. Louise quickly becomes the top suspect in the murder of this man, Alex, and DCI Jonah Sheens and his team focus in on Louise's memory gaps. But the more they dig--and the more Louise remembers--the more dark secrets they all discover.

I enjoyed LIE, as it's great blend of the actual case, delving into Alex's murder, and insight into the private lives of Jonah and his investigative team. For instance, we learn more about Juliette, who is being stalked and harassed by her horribly abusive ex. Lodge explores this topic very thoughtfully and delicately. There are other little side angles and crimes, too, which add depth and dimension to the story.

LIE BESIDE ME is told from Louise's point of view, and we learn bits and pieces as she remembers more and more from the night of Alex's death. We also hear from Sheens and his team. The only part I didn't really enjoy were excerpts where Louise spoke to her husband, explaining her evolution as "Drunk Louise"--these were emotionally focused short chapters where Louise talked about her alcoholism (my word, not hers) and how alcohol affected her life and their relationship. While I appreciated the psychological deep dive, those parts were a bit much, and I much preferred the action and gaining more insight into what went down with Louise and Alex. And, truly, the constant focus on alcohol was a lot; it made me feel uncomfortable at times!

This mystery has plenty of characters--enough to keep you wondering exactly what happened and how Alex wound up dead in Louise's bed. It's twisty and filled with surprises. The plot is intricate and puzzling. I just love a good British police procedural.