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A review by thestucumminsreads
The Perfect Lie by Jo Spain
5.0
Next level domestic noir with a killer twist!
Jo Spain returns with another mind blowing thriller that demonstrates just why she is part of the thriller writer elite. This novel perfectly blends the domestic suspense noir trope with a disturbingly dark secret at the heart of image narrative. It’s addictive reading: opening with one of the most astonishing hooks I’ve ever read, layering mystery and suspense effortlessly, blurring the lines between romance and heartache and spinning intricate webs of lies and misdirection. I was genuinely on the edge of my seat whilst reading this. I really thought that I had figured out where this story was going, but NO! Spain literary kicked the legs out from under my chair and the twist in this tale FLOORED me (like actual gasp out loud shock!).
I can’t stress enough just how clever this novel is. The plot is a multi-layered, thematic feast that keeps you guessing, only revealing its secrets exactly when Spain wants them to come to light. As well as all of the exhilaration of a perfectly paced, original and wholly gripping plot, The Perfect Lie is a mesmerising social critique. The devastating innards of the plot hint at the darkness buried under the glossy surface of wealth, privilege and entitlement. There’s some difficult themes at the crux of this novel, but Spain handles them with sensitivity and they add a depth and authenticity to the narrative. The emotional journey Erin takes in this novel is at the core of these themes. She progresses from being emotionally scarred from her past and then broken through grief after Danny’s death, to finding an inner strength and a pathway back to her family in Ireland (arguably Danny’s final gift to her).
I really enjoyed the format of this novel too, which is set in three distinct parts and meanders through past and present timeline. This is partly a courtroom drama - the present day trial scenes interspersed through the events of the past - and I really found this made the whole novel extremely gripping. The present hints to the past and the past hints at the present, so readers constantly find themselves ending a chapter in one timeline on an electrifying cliffhanger, returning to the other timeline in the next chapter and being equally tense! It’s a hard thing to pull off, but Spain does it exceptionally well.
It’s no surprise that she writes for the screen too, as this is such a visual novel and I could completely picture it in screen - here’s hoping we’ll be watching it soon. In the meantime, don’t miss this incredible thriller.
Jo Spain returns with another mind blowing thriller that demonstrates just why she is part of the thriller writer elite. This novel perfectly blends the domestic suspense noir trope with a disturbingly dark secret at the heart of image narrative. It’s addictive reading: opening with one of the most astonishing hooks I’ve ever read, layering mystery and suspense effortlessly, blurring the lines between romance and heartache and spinning intricate webs of lies and misdirection. I was genuinely on the edge of my seat whilst reading this. I really thought that I had figured out where this story was going, but NO! Spain literary kicked the legs out from under my chair and the twist in this tale FLOORED me (like actual gasp out loud shock!).
I can’t stress enough just how clever this novel is. The plot is a multi-layered, thematic feast that keeps you guessing, only revealing its secrets exactly when Spain wants them to come to light. As well as all of the exhilaration of a perfectly paced, original and wholly gripping plot, The Perfect Lie is a mesmerising social critique. The devastating innards of the plot hint at the darkness buried under the glossy surface of wealth, privilege and entitlement. There’s some difficult themes at the crux of this novel, but Spain handles them with sensitivity and they add a depth and authenticity to the narrative. The emotional journey Erin takes in this novel is at the core of these themes. She progresses from being emotionally scarred from her past and then broken through grief after Danny’s death, to finding an inner strength and a pathway back to her family in Ireland (arguably Danny’s final gift to her).
I really enjoyed the format of this novel too, which is set in three distinct parts and meanders through past and present timeline. This is partly a courtroom drama - the present day trial scenes interspersed through the events of the past - and I really found this made the whole novel extremely gripping. The present hints to the past and the past hints at the present, so readers constantly find themselves ending a chapter in one timeline on an electrifying cliffhanger, returning to the other timeline in the next chapter and being equally tense! It’s a hard thing to pull off, but Spain does it exceptionally well.
It’s no surprise that she writes for the screen too, as this is such a visual novel and I could completely picture it in screen - here’s hoping we’ll be watching it soon. In the meantime, don’t miss this incredible thriller.