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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Lie Beside Me is a compelling popcorn thriller/police procedural novel. It is actually the third in a series but can stand alone (I haven't read the previous books). Louisa wakes up after a night of drinking to find a man in her bed. A dead man. A man who is not her husband. With no recollection of who he is or how he got there, suspicions quickly fall on her as she and the police try to piece together what happened...
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I read this as part of a readalong with Tandem Collective. Thank you to Michael J Books for my gifted copy.
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This was a great read. I was sucked into the mystery from the start - I mean, what an opening! I did find the initial investigation scenes a bit difficult due to all the characters I had to get to grips with, although this could be because it is the third book and so readers of the previous two may be more familiar with the law enforcement cast... Anyway, I picked things up soon enough.
.
The structure of this one was really effective. Louise's chapters, directly addressing the reader as her husband, provide insight into her mental state and into their dysfunctional relationship. Meanwhile, the police procedural elements allow the reader to immerse themselves in the investigation and play detective! This was one of my favourite parts of the reading experience and I'd highly recommend buddy reading this one. It was a lot of fun to think up theories and share them with the group, and Gytha Lodge certainly gives you enough clues, twists, and red herrings to play around with!
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As for the conclusion itself...I'm still trying to decide how I feel! I personally can't see how anyone would be able to guess the killer, which is both a positive and a negative for me. 🤣 I did manage to get one aspect right, though, and the final chapters certainly made for addictive reading.
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Overall, this was a brilliant read for fans of crime novels. It was a big hit in the discussion group and I'd be interested in going back and reading Lodge's other books.
.
I read this as part of a readalong with Tandem Collective. Thank you to Michael J Books for my gifted copy.
.
This was a great read. I was sucked into the mystery from the start - I mean, what an opening! I did find the initial investigation scenes a bit difficult due to all the characters I had to get to grips with, although this could be because it is the third book and so readers of the previous two may be more familiar with the law enforcement cast... Anyway, I picked things up soon enough.
.
The structure of this one was really effective. Louise's chapters, directly addressing the reader as her husband, provide insight into her mental state and into their dysfunctional relationship. Meanwhile, the police procedural elements allow the reader to immerse themselves in the investigation and play detective! This was one of my favourite parts of the reading experience and I'd highly recommend buddy reading this one. It was a lot of fun to think up theories and share them with the group, and Gytha Lodge certainly gives you enough clues, twists, and red herrings to play around with!
.
As for the conclusion itself...I'm still trying to decide how I feel! I personally can't see how anyone would be able to guess the killer, which is both a positive and a negative for me. 🤣 I did manage to get one aspect right, though, and the final chapters certainly made for addictive reading.
.
Overall, this was a brilliant read for fans of crime novels. It was a big hit in the discussion group and I'd be interested in going back and reading Lodge's other books.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Stalking, Murder
Moderate: Domestic abuse
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I recieved a digital arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed within this review are my own and given freely.
So this book had so many twists... I got the villain wrong, but I knew it wasn't Alex although I wasn't quite sure how he ended up where he did. I did know it want Louise...
TLDR - I enjoyed this book, not as much as I'd hoped but it was good, lots of twists and guessing and the rush at the end, I would probably recommend it to people. I didn't like the transitions, or lack thereof between the present events and Louise's letter to Niall, it was easily confusing however I believe (read hope) that will be altered in the final edition of the book. There were some good characters in the book and it seems to be very character driven becuase you get povs from Louise as the Main Suspect and tbe police investigating.
I was so very annoyed by Louise throughout the entire story, mostly at her 'letter' to Niall... It wrong false and pathetic and I really hated the way she described herself when she was drunk... Yes a lot of us act differently when drunk it's a loss of inhibition, bur her geting blackout drunk and saying everything that happened is 'drunk Louises fault' (yes i know that kind of thing is a running joke) it's pathetic and trting to avoid the consequences of her own actions... I have to add I have been drunk enough to black out and I was insanely lucky to get home safely and I have never done it since, that total lack of control and lack of memory won't allow me too, and somehow that makes me feel like Louose is simply covering for herself being an alcoholic unwilling to admit it to herself so she finds metaphors for herself.
She is completely hypocritical wotj Niall, i don't disagree he shouldn't have lied about his debt but isn't she keeping a huge secret too since she admits she's never been around him sober and he doesn't know it, and she shouldn't be keeoing it a secret either.
I did wonder howuch April was a part of the drug running as soon as Noall blabbed because Louise had already said about how mysterious she was about her job and how she got paid and thay she never really worked. I did also think she had something to do with Charlie. It seemed very premeditated that she dispappeared at all these key moments in the story that it seemed to fit.
I did also doubt Issa, when he turned up with the box of hair, it seemed like he was the attacker blaming Alex since he was dead... Which seemed very calculating in an effort to be sympathetic to Louise.
I am a little frudtrated at the lack of closure over Louise's drivers licence... What happened to it... Dod someone steal it.... Did she drop it... Also no closure on Jonah's bomb thay got dropped at the end and i also find it annoying that there is no closure about Hanson/Damien.
So this book had so many twists... I got the villain wrong, but I knew it wasn't Alex although I wasn't quite sure how he ended up where he did. I did know it want Louise...
TLDR - I enjoyed this book, not as much as I'd hoped but it was good, lots of twists and guessing and the rush at the end, I would probably recommend it to people. I didn't like the transitions, or lack thereof between the present events and Louise's letter to Niall, it was easily confusing however I believe (read hope) that will be altered in the final edition of the book. There were some good characters in the book and it seems to be very character driven becuase you get povs from Louise as the Main Suspect and tbe police investigating.
I was so very annoyed by Louise throughout the entire story, mostly at her 'letter' to Niall... It wrong false and pathetic and I really hated the way she described herself when she was drunk... Yes a lot of us act differently when drunk it's a loss of inhibition, bur her geting blackout drunk and saying everything that happened is 'drunk Louises fault' (yes i know that kind of thing is a running joke) it's pathetic and trting to avoid the consequences of her own actions... I have to add I have been drunk enough to black out and I was insanely lucky to get home safely and I have never done it since, that total lack of control and lack of memory won't allow me too, and somehow that makes me feel like Louose is simply covering for herself being an alcoholic unwilling to admit it to herself so she finds metaphors for herself.
She is completely hypocritical wotj Niall, i don't disagree he shouldn't have lied about his debt but isn't she keeping a huge secret too since she admits she's never been around him sober and he doesn't know it, and she shouldn't be keeoing it a secret either.
I did wonder howuch April was a part of the drug running as soon as Noall blabbed because Louise had already said about how mysterious she was about her job and how she got paid and thay she never really worked. I did also think she had something to do with Charlie. It seemed very premeditated that she dispappeared at all these key moments in the story that it seemed to fit.
I did also doubt Issa, when he turned up with the box of hair, it seemed like he was the attacker blaming Alex since he was dead... Which seemed very calculating in an effort to be sympathetic to Louise.
I am a little frudtrated at the lack of closure over Louise's drivers licence... What happened to it... Dod someone steal it.... Did she drop it... Also no closure on Jonah's bomb thay got dropped at the end and i also find it annoying that there is no closure about Hanson/Damien.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.75*
A new author to me.
#3 in the Jonah Sheens series.
The story is split between a first person narration by Louise to her husband Niall and also from the police perspective.
It’s a pet hate of mine when people refer to themselves in the third person, which happens a lot as Louise describes her drunk self as a separate entity. She is very insecure, needy and jealous. I find her character very irritating.
For the first 20% it felt intricate and disjointed. There are a lot of characters involved.
A large portion of the book concentrates on the police procedure of investigating the murder. I found this section a little slower, at times my interest waned during some of the follow ups of the investigation. The end of the book was medium paced with a lot of intricate threads explained.
There was character development of the detectives, and there was a massive change in Louise’s character. I like it when I can totally engage in a character/s, but that didn’t happen for me in this book.
I’m not sure how I feel about the ending. 🤔
A new author to me.
#3 in the Jonah Sheens series.
The story is split between a first person narration by Louise to her husband Niall and also from the police perspective.
It’s a pet hate of mine when people refer to themselves in the third person, which happens a lot as Louise describes her drunk self as a separate entity. She is very insecure, needy and jealous. I find her character very irritating.
For the first 20% it felt intricate and disjointed. There are a lot of characters involved.
A large portion of the book concentrates on the police procedure of investigating the murder. I found this section a little slower, at times my interest waned during some of the follow ups of the investigation. The end of the book was medium paced with a lot of intricate threads explained.
There was character development of the detectives, and there was a massive change in Louise’s character. I like it when I can totally engage in a character/s, but that didn’t happen for me in this book.
I’m not sure how I feel about the ending. 🤔
A woman awakes with a hangover. She can't remember much about the previous night, but she knows her husband, lying still in bed beside her, will be angry. And then she realises that, rather than her husband, it's a dead body lying next to her.
This police procedural was satisfyingly twisty and well plotted. Although the third in the series, I felt it worked well as a standalone and I quickly caught up with the interpersonal relationships of those on the investigating team. The final reveal is extremely satisfying: as a reader who often guesses way ahead of time where a thriller plot is going, it was great to feel constantly surprised by this book while also never feeling like it was going beyond the bounds of realism. Recommended for any fans of Cara Hunter, Caz Frears or Angela Marson: I'll be immediately seeking out the previous two in the series.
This police procedural was satisfyingly twisty and well plotted. Although the third in the series, I felt it worked well as a standalone and I quickly caught up with the interpersonal relationships of those on the investigating team. The final reveal is extremely satisfying: as a reader who often guesses way ahead of time where a thriller plot is going, it was great to feel constantly surprised by this book while also never feeling like it was going beyond the bounds of realism. Recommended for any fans of Cara Hunter, Caz Frears or Angela Marson: I'll be immediately seeking out the previous two in the series.