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A review by thestucumminsreads
Lie Beside Me by Gytha Lodge
5.0
Gytha Lodge has done it again! “Lie Beside Me” is another fantastically twisty, shocking and perplexing crime thriller. Complete with great character development and a strong ability to make police procedures tense and exciting, this is not to be missed.
When Louise awakes to find a dead man lying next to her in her bed, it’s the beginning of a horrendous nightmare. With no memory of the night before and not knowing who the man is (only that he’s not her husband), Louise starts to question exactly what happened last night. DCI Jonah Sheens and his team are called in to investigate. Is Louise telling the truth about her memory loss? Or is there something altogether more sinister behind this crime?
Gyhtha Lodge’s novels keep going from strength to strength and “Lie Beside Me” is, quite simply, fantastic. Lodge manages to weave an intricate and complicated mystery together in an effortless way, layering the narrative with a thickly tense atmosphere and genuinely surprising twists. The narrative seemed to be unfolding in a particular way and just as readers think this case is coming to its conclusion, Lodge successfully pulls the carpet out from under us and hurtles the reader to an altogether more thrilling and suspenseful revelation that cracks the case. The novel is exceptionally well paced and the police investigation progresses in an engaging way, whilst also retaining an element of plausibility as the team find dead ends and struggle to reach the truth. What I found most remarkable about “Lie Beside Me” though, is Lodge’s ability to combine an excellent crime thriller with an affecting exploration of addiction. This is as much a stark and harrowing reminder of the vulnerability and danger of alcoholism, as it is a police procedural. Louise’s dependence on alcohol and her “Drunk Louise” persona for confidence, is both tragic and painfully real. Her dependency has infiltrated every aspect of her life and thrust her into a living nightmare, but her experiences are also cathartic in a sense. Through this journey, Louise finds her strength and confidence away from the bottom of the bottle and this aspect of the narrative is striking. Addiction is also explored in a wider sense and I found that Lodge’s observations on capitalist obsessions with luxury, status and living beyond our means to be similarly damaging and life-destroying. It is clear that the characters at the heart of this crime are victims of greed, excess and poor decisions, which Lodge uses to great effect whilst taking readers on a peregrination to the truth. There are definitely moments of breathtaking suspense, but also many heartfelt and tender aspects to the narrative, particularly in relation to the murder victim and his background. This makes “Lie Beside Me” so much more than a standard police procedural, but then, I wouldn’t expect anything less from Lodge who continues to be a standout voice in the genre.
The other aspect of “Lie Beside Me” that I found really enjoyable is the continuing character development of DCI Jonah Sheens and his team. Each member is interesting in a unique way, which is no mean feat. Sheens himself continues to develop as a strong and empathetic leader, who maintains a level head and steers his team into solid investigation. His relationship with girlfriend JoJo is explored a little and it helps to cement his persona as a decent bloke, but one who takes pride in his job and goes above and beyond to solve a crime. Hanson is a great character - complex and interesting. She is empathetic too, intelligent and likeable. She is equal parts vulnerability (the underlying anxiety she feels over he left ex-boyfriend Damian’s actions) and strength (her decisions to no longer accept Damian’s terrorisation). In some ways, Hanson’s journey mirrors Louise’s, as she too takes on a new confidence and approach to a negative aspect of her life. Lightfoot is the other member of the team who I really enjoyed as a character. His quiet, methodical and dependable nature lends a sense of stability to the team and in particular to the situation that Hanson faces outside of the station. He is a bit of a dark horse and I hope that his and Hanson’s relationship is explored in future novels. The dynamics between the team are really well written and add a realistic aspect to the narrative. As a reader I very much felt part of their team during the investigation and what is the true strength of a writer if it’s not to pull you headfirst into the world of their characters? Lodge does this with a powerful intensity and I genuinely didn’t want this novel to end. I can’t wait to read the team’s next case!
This is a novel that ally crime thriller fans should have on their TBR pile - I highly recommend it. You won’t be disappointed!
When Louise awakes to find a dead man lying next to her in her bed, it’s the beginning of a horrendous nightmare. With no memory of the night before and not knowing who the man is (only that he’s not her husband), Louise starts to question exactly what happened last night. DCI Jonah Sheens and his team are called in to investigate. Is Louise telling the truth about her memory loss? Or is there something altogether more sinister behind this crime?
Gyhtha Lodge’s novels keep going from strength to strength and “Lie Beside Me” is, quite simply, fantastic. Lodge manages to weave an intricate and complicated mystery together in an effortless way, layering the narrative with a thickly tense atmosphere and genuinely surprising twists. The narrative seemed to be unfolding in a particular way and just as readers think this case is coming to its conclusion, Lodge successfully pulls the carpet out from under us and hurtles the reader to an altogether more thrilling and suspenseful revelation that cracks the case. The novel is exceptionally well paced and the police investigation progresses in an engaging way, whilst also retaining an element of plausibility as the team find dead ends and struggle to reach the truth. What I found most remarkable about “Lie Beside Me” though, is Lodge’s ability to combine an excellent crime thriller with an affecting exploration of addiction. This is as much a stark and harrowing reminder of the vulnerability and danger of alcoholism, as it is a police procedural. Louise’s dependence on alcohol and her “Drunk Louise” persona for confidence, is both tragic and painfully real. Her dependency has infiltrated every aspect of her life and thrust her into a living nightmare, but her experiences are also cathartic in a sense. Through this journey, Louise finds her strength and confidence away from the bottom of the bottle and this aspect of the narrative is striking. Addiction is also explored in a wider sense and I found that Lodge’s observations on capitalist obsessions with luxury, status and living beyond our means to be similarly damaging and life-destroying. It is clear that the characters at the heart of this crime are victims of greed, excess and poor decisions, which Lodge uses to great effect whilst taking readers on a peregrination to the truth. There are definitely moments of breathtaking suspense, but also many heartfelt and tender aspects to the narrative, particularly in relation to the murder victim and his background. This makes “Lie Beside Me” so much more than a standard police procedural, but then, I wouldn’t expect anything less from Lodge who continues to be a standout voice in the genre.
The other aspect of “Lie Beside Me” that I found really enjoyable is the continuing character development of DCI Jonah Sheens and his team. Each member is interesting in a unique way, which is no mean feat. Sheens himself continues to develop as a strong and empathetic leader, who maintains a level head and steers his team into solid investigation. His relationship with girlfriend JoJo is explored a little and it helps to cement his persona as a decent bloke, but one who takes pride in his job and goes above and beyond to solve a crime. Hanson is a great character - complex and interesting. She is empathetic too, intelligent and likeable. She is equal parts vulnerability (the underlying anxiety she feels over he left ex-boyfriend Damian’s actions) and strength (her decisions to no longer accept Damian’s terrorisation). In some ways, Hanson’s journey mirrors Louise’s, as she too takes on a new confidence and approach to a negative aspect of her life. Lightfoot is the other member of the team who I really enjoyed as a character. His quiet, methodical and dependable nature lends a sense of stability to the team and in particular to the situation that Hanson faces outside of the station. He is a bit of a dark horse and I hope that his and Hanson’s relationship is explored in future novels. The dynamics between the team are really well written and add a realistic aspect to the narrative. As a reader I very much felt part of their team during the investigation and what is the true strength of a writer if it’s not to pull you headfirst into the world of their characters? Lodge does this with a powerful intensity and I genuinely didn’t want this novel to end. I can’t wait to read the team’s next case!
This is a novel that ally crime thriller fans should have on their TBR pile - I highly recommend it. You won’t be disappointed!