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justinkhchen's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 stars
Intricate and grounded, The Lying Room is a solid domestic thriller through and through; it's nice to read from a protagonist who behaves like a normal human being, without the tired 'unreliable narrator' trope often plagues this genre (an alcoholic, an addict, or has convenient lapse in memory). Instead the novel puts in a lot of foundational work in constructing the world of an emotionally exhausted housewife, and how a fleeting decision for infidelity leads to an expanding web of lies and threats.
The Lying Room is classic Hitchhockian in the way it puts everyday people in extraordinary circumstances, and it is exhilarating seeing Neve tries to navigate her way out of situations that simply keeps working against her. There's definitely a hint of black comedy permeating throughout The Lying Room; I couldn't help but chuckle when for days she couldn't get guests out of her house (maintaining her domestic image when everything is actually falling apart).
This book is long, and feels even more so with its long chapters (400+ pages in only 11 chapters), so for readers who's used to chapters with single digit pages count, the storytelling may not be as tightly woven as preferred by today's taste. And for me, the final reveal leans a little bit into the 'cheat' category — where the culprit has been a tertiary character, who is never built up as a suspect simply because this person is rarely on page.
Aside from the slower pace and weak final act, The Lying Room is still expertly put together. Definitely will seek out another Nicci French in the future.
Intricate and grounded, The Lying Room is a solid domestic thriller through and through; it's nice to read from a protagonist who behaves like a normal human being, without the tired 'unreliable narrator' trope often plagues this genre (an alcoholic, an addict, or has convenient lapse in memory). Instead the novel puts in a lot of foundational work in constructing the world of an emotionally exhausted housewife, and how a fleeting decision for infidelity leads to an expanding web of lies and threats.
The Lying Room is classic Hitchhockian in the way it puts everyday people in extraordinary circumstances, and it is exhilarating seeing Neve tries to navigate her way out of situations that simply keeps working against her. There's definitely a hint of black comedy permeating throughout The Lying Room; I couldn't help but chuckle when for days she couldn't get guests out of her house (maintaining her domestic image when everything is actually falling apart).
This book is long, and feels even more so with its long chapters (400+ pages in only 11 chapters), so for readers who's used to chapters with single digit pages count, the storytelling may not be as tightly woven as preferred by today's taste. And for me, the final reveal leans a little bit into the 'cheat' category — where the culprit has been a tertiary character, who is never built up as a suspect simply because this person is rarely on page.
Aside from the slower pace and weak final act, The Lying Room is still expertly put together. Definitely will seek out another Nicci French in the future.
georginaschirru's review against another edition
5.0
I was expecting this to be more chick lit than crime heavy. Boy was I wrong! What a fantastic read! It was gripping and dark and complicated. Highly suggest for any one that’s lived a life with dysfunctional family...
ingo_lembcke's review
4.0
3.5 rounded up to 4 for good MC. Not enough suspense for full 4 or even 5 stars and some scenes where just too long. And I would have put the daughter (Mable) out far earlier, she should have tried living on her own.
Good twists, I could not even guess the killer. Not entirely my stile, did not really like the books from the Frida Klein series I tried (one I will still read, to conclude one of the cases).
Still recommended.
Good twists, I could not even guess the killer. Not entirely my stile, did not really like the books from the Frida Klein series I tried (one I will still read, to conclude one of the cases).
Still recommended.
walker08's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
brandia's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
jmusbach's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
0.5
bettiray's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A solid story, well written and hard to guess who had done it but it wasn’t overly exciting and I hate plots where the main character does something that could have easily been avoided.
lanijade's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25