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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
„The Perfect Lie“ is a compelling, surprising and pacy page turner, which will leave you guessing until the bitter end. It’s a mix between a domestic thriller and a courtroom drama, therefore you‘ll stay glued to the pages and want to read it in one nerve stretching sitting. The writing was superb, I loved the plot and the characters. This was my first book by Jo Spain and it will definitely not be my last.
Thank you NetGalley / Quercus Books for providing me with this riveting arc in exchange of an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley / Quercus Books for providing me with this riveting arc in exchange of an honest review.
Really into it in the beginning, but then the middle dragged out and probably could’ve been cut out. Ending started to pick up but I had lost interest by that point.
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This is the first book that I have read by Jo Spain and I have enjoyed it so much that it will not be the last. Jo Spain is one of the prolific successful Irish writers that there seems to be so many of.
Set in Newport, Long Island Erin Kennedy left Ireland after a family tragedy, arrived in New York, married Danny, her policeman husband and is now living a happy and settled life.
At the start of a ordinary day, there is a knock at the door, Ben, a police friend of Danny stands there with a couple of other policemen, and Danny walks to the window and throws himself out committing suicide without any explanation. Eighteen months later Erin is in court charged with murder.
There are three timelines, the immediate aftermath of Danny’s death, the trial of Erin and an assault on a young girl studying at Harvard. Although it is obvious that there must be some connection between the Harvard setting and the other parts of the plot it is not immediately apparent. The characters involved in the assault and its effects are not present in the other timelines. However, the author does bring all the timelines together in a plausible and satisfactory manner.
As Erin tries to find answers she comes to realise that her husband had many secrets and he was not the person she thought he was. She doesn’t even have the support from the police that she believed would be the case as police are family aren’t they?
This book is well written, the settings are well described, the characters are well drawn and the plot moves at pace despite the three timelines. The Harvard part of the story is the only part that is rather slow moving but it all becomes relevant at the end of the book.
An enjoyable thriller by an author that I shall make the effort to read more of her work. Recommended.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicide
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
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:
Yes
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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:
Complicated
3.5
It’s hard to comment on this without giving too much away. It was a very slow start but picked up in the last 100 pages or so. I had predicted some of the surprises early on but there was enough to keep me guessing.
I really liked the character of Karla but didn’t find any of the others flushed out enough to make an impact on me. Erin as a MC fell a bit flat. The interchangeability of UK/Irish terms and North American terms was jarring and distracting when incorrect.
Cover Note: I was saving this book to read in the heatwave because the cover made me think it would be beachy or summery but it’s really not.
It’s hard to comment on this without giving too much away. It was a very slow start but picked up in the last 100 pages or so. I had predicted some of the surprises early on but there was enough to keep me guessing.
I really liked the character of Karla but didn’t find any of the others flushed out enough to make an impact on me. Erin as a MC fell a bit flat. The interchangeability of UK/Irish terms and North American terms was jarring and distracting when incorrect.
Cover Note: I was saving this book to read in the heatwave because the cover made me think it would be beachy or summery but it’s really not.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes