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A review by eathomas
The Good Lie by A.R. Torre
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
If you enjoy Criminal Minds and intersecting storylines, this book is right up your alley. It reads like an episode of the show but without Dr. Spencer Reid or Hotch. Instead, it features a psychiatrist specializing in clients with violent fantasies, a grieving defense attorney, and a perceptive mother of the victim. The story starts with the death of a couple and the escape of the latest victim of the Bloody Heart Killer. It unfolds through multiple viewpoints, with the psychiatrist as the main focus.
I appreciated the clear plot and how the different perspectives tied together at the end. The psychiatrist’s self-deception about her motivations added depth to her character. The book picked up significantly in the last three hours.
However, the pacing felt slow initially, with a lot of setup that could have been trimmed. Some plot twists were predictable, and the convergence of different viewpoints felt expected.
A slight spoiler: I was disappointed that the psychiatrist quickly landed on dissociative identity disorder or paranoid schizophrenia for the serial killer. This choice felt clichéd and stigmatizing, with the main character frequently second-guessing the diagnosis. It also felt like an unnecessary red herring.
I appreciated the clear plot and how the different perspectives tied together at the end. The psychiatrist’s self-deception about her motivations added depth to her character. The book picked up significantly in the last three hours.
However, the pacing felt slow initially, with a lot of setup that could have been trimmed. Some plot twists were predictable, and the convergence of different viewpoints felt expected.
A slight spoiler: I was disappointed that the psychiatrist quickly landed on dissociative identity disorder or paranoid schizophrenia for the serial killer. This choice felt clichéd and stigmatizing, with the main character frequently second-guessing the diagnosis. It also felt like an unnecessary red herring.