Search This Blog
June Reviews Link-Up
July Reviews Link-Up
August Reviews Link-Up
September Reviews Link-Up
October Reviews Link-Up
November Reviews Link-Up
December Reviews Link-Up
2024 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama (1)
- Alaska
- Arizona (1)
- Arkansas
- California (3)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois (1)
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky (1)
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland
- Massachusetts (2)
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (2)
- North Carolina (2)
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma (1)
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (2)
- Utah
- Vermont (2)
- Virginia (1)
- Washington (2)
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*
International:
- Australia (1)
- Canada (1)
- England (7)
- France (1)
- Indonesia (1)
- Ireland (2)
- Italy (1)
- Scotland (2)
- The Netherlands (1)
2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge
Monday, December 31, 2018
Twisty Psychological Thriller Is Thoroughly Engaging
3:30 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
One year ago, a 15-story office building in downtown Chicago exploded killing 513 people and injuring more than 2000. Among all of the lives changed that day are those of three very different women:
- A newspaper photo of Cecily Grayson, whose husband died in the explosion, became almost instantly the iconic image marking the day's horror. The subsequent scrutiny changed her life, thrusting every detail about her and her family into a spotlight she doesn't want. What if Teo Jackson, a filmographer who's making a documentary about the event, uncovers the guilty secrets Cecily keeps about that day?
- Kate Lynch used the explosion to escape her restrictive life as a wife and mother. Now a nanny in Montreal, she lives in fear of being recognized. What if someone discovers her true identity? Kate can't go back, but neither is she really moving forward ...
- 24-year-old Franny Maycombe was adopted as a baby and is obsessed with finding her birth mother. As she watched news coverage of the explosion she knew that her last chance to know her bio mom was going down in flames. Now she's an activist who's passionate about making sure the victims get their due compensation, but does she really have a right to the position?
As the one-year anniversary events commence in Chicago, the three women guard their individual secrets closely. But, as Teo interviews Cecily and Franny for his film and as the trio's lives become more intertwined, new revelations will come forth. Who is "the good liar"? And what will happen when their secrets are finally out in the open?
The Good Liar, the newest psychological thriller by Canadian author Catherine McKenzie, is a taut, twisty novel that's as engrossing as it is thought-provoking. Not all of its story people are likable, but they're all complex and interesting. Although I saw a lot of the novel's plot "surprises" coming, I still flew through its pages anxious to see what would happen next. While I didn't end up loving this addictive page turner, it still kept me thoroughly engaged. The Good Liar is the first book I've read by Catherine McKenzie, but I'll definitely be reading more in future.
(Readalikes: Hm, nothing is coming to mind. You?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for strong language, violence, disturbing subject matter, and references to underage drinking and illegal drug use
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
2 comments:
Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.
P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)
Reading
Listening
Followin' with Bloglovin'
-
-
Time Travel Thursday1 hour ago
-
-
Loyally Luke Review + giveaway5 hours ago
-
#ThrowbackThursday. Stephen Fry in America7 hours ago
-
-
-
The Wild Lavender Bookshop by Jodi Thomas11 hours ago
-
Daily Prompt 15 May Wednesday14 hours ago
-
-
World of Books ~ Review22 hours ago
-
-
-
Spoon To Be Dead By Dana Mentink1 day ago
-
Very Bad Company by Emma Rosenblum1 day ago
-
Displaced Persons - Joan Leegant1 day ago
-
Reading Recap April 20241 day ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Bridge to Bat City3 days ago
-
-
Blood Rubies by Mailan Doquang6 days ago
-
-
-
-
47. The One and Only Family1 week ago
-
A bit of catching up1 week ago
-
-
May TBR2 weeks ago
-
-
-
-
March Monthly Wrap-up1 month ago
-
-
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?7 months ago
-
6/25/23 Extra Ezra10 months ago
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?1 year ago
-
-
-
-
-
Grab my Button!
Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
-
▼
2018
(223)
-
▼
December
(48)
-
▼
Dec 31
(12)
- Sweet, Heartfelt YA Novel a Happy Way to End 2018
- Despite Excited Buzz, The Library Book Is A Little...
- Loosey-Goosey Structure Makes New Thriller Not So ...
- Appalachian Midwife Novel Interesting, But Sluggish
- Second Installment As Enjoyable As First in Divert...
- Twisty Psychological Thriller Is Thoroughly Engaging
- Sweet, Wholesome Heart Land An Enjoyable Read
- Moriarty's Newest Another Disappointing Non-Charmer
- Despite Predictability, Small-Town Murder Mystery ...
- Handwriting Analysis Mystery a Meh Kind of Read
- Taut, Tense Game Warden Mystery Launches Intriguin...
- Intriguing Dark Park Mystery a Thrilling Page Turner
-
▼
Dec 31
(12)
-
▼
December
(48)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)
Why do so many twisty thrillers have such unlikeable characters? What's up with that?
ReplyDeleteI'm usually not big on psychological thrillers, but I bookmarked this so I can read it at some point. One of the most famous postcards sent in to PostSecret contained the line, ‘Everyone who knew me before 9/11 believes I’m dead’, and I'm wondering if that's what jump-started the author's imagination; that particular postcard and the idea of disappearing after something so huge has always intrigued me. Great review!
ReplyDelete