"My husband did not meant to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved, it", begins Liz Nugent's Lying in Wait and while that level of white heat cannot be maintained all the way through, there is little slackening in the suspense as one nail-biter follows another, with the narrative voice switching at crucial moments.

Some of the situations are particularly implausible, but given the thrust of the book, different rules apply in this world.

The description of an expected proposal of marriage and the living circumstances of the non-intended's family is particularly vivid, and cringe-inducing, in a knowing way.


At times, a "standard" novel is trying to break through, in the descriptions of pubs and streets and the poorly paid, reminiscent briefly of Dermot Bolger's The Bend for Home or Philip Casey's The Fabulists.

I began reading it on a train journey and I don't think there was ever such a short gap between stations.

Cleverly written, with the plot dripping from the past and the present to meet in the addled mind of a mad, old woman.

I thought that the end was coming from quite a short way in, but the journey was good!

I really enjoyed this book! It starts with the murder of a young woman by an older couple. It's clear from the start that the wife, Lydia, is odd, as she calmly sorts out how they are going to dispose of the body. The story is told from the points of view of Lydia herself, her teenage son, Laurence, and the dead girl's sister, Karen. I thought the characters were very well written, and the plot was never slow. I would certainly read more by this author. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.

Not my usual read but I really enjoyed this book and will keep a watch for this author in future.

Not sure what I was expecting but I found this a bit rambly and I did not fully engage with the characters.
Lydia is a vile character and I could not empathise with her at all!
I was disappointed.

Great opening! I could not put the book down, however, the pace shlowed down after the half way mark and I am not sure about the turn it took. I had to suspend belief at times as there were certain coincidences too good to be true. Very sad, sad conclusion!

I had another book ready to read on my kindle and accidently started this one! I was completely drawn in from the first chapter so carried on reading. A great read with some very flawed characters. A very imaginative plot and a heart stopping end. Well worth reading.

Absolutely amazing book. Many twists and turns. Def a 5 star read. Buy it now

Great book, great characters, great pace!
Less great ending. Unfortunately I was disappointed with the last few chapters.

I love me a good thriller, especially if it is all wrapped up in dysfunctional family relationships. Thrillers can, unfortunately, be very repetitive, especially with how many thrillers are saturating the market at the moment. Sometimes stories stand out, however, with how different or interesting they are. I've been blessed enough to read, and see, some brilliant thrillers in the last few months and I'm definitely adding Liz Nugent's Lying in Wait to that list. Thanks to Penguin Books and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

One of the best things about Lying in Wait is that it grips you right from the beginning with a brilliant opening line:
'My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it.'
Not only does it put you right into the mess of the situation, it also immediately gives you a good idea of the characters you will be dealing with. Nugent has split up her novel into separate chapters with separate narrators: Lydia, Laurence and Karen. Having different narrators can both work for and against a novel. On the one hand it will give you a number of different perspectives upon the same event, priceless in thrillers, but on the other hand it can also distract from the story the novel is trying to tell. I'm sure we've all read novels with multiple narrators where we ended up hating, at least, one of the narrator's chapters passionately. Thankfully no such thing happens in Lying in Wait. Rather, Nugent masterfully crafts her narrative through her characters, never forgetting she is the one who is telling the story in the end. What one character reveals the other shows us unknowingly, what one feels the other senses, while what one does the other completely misinterprets. Being stuck inside three different heads makes for a surprisingly claustrophobic read.

Nugent deals with a lot of different themes within this novel. Of course there is the main story (the whodunnit of sorts), but around that swirl story lines about gender and class. Set in the Ireland of the last century, the women in Lying in Wait find themselves dealing with the expectations of others regarding their behaviour, looks and future. Whether it's sex, pregnancy, marriage, divorce, or simply having a job, Nugent addresses these issues in the stories of Lydia, Annie, Karen and Helen. What makes their portrayal different from other novels depicting women's issues, however, is that Nugent doesn't avoid to discuss class as well. Whereas Lydia is upper class and expects to be treated as such, Annie, Karen and Helen are working class. This divide expresses itself in much more than just the gross outlines of their characters, it colours their journeys throughout the book and shapes their actions and psyches. Although it used to be easy to forget about class as a major Issue, what between feminism and racism being major conversation topics, but with recent events such as Brexit and Trump, it has come right back to the forefront of our social consciousness and it is rewarding to see authors having already brought it back in their works as well.

Liz Nugent is brilliant at slowly but surely developing her characters over hundreds of pages. None of her main characters are the same towards the end of the novel. As I said above, part of this novel is about dysfunctional family relationships, at the heart of which lies love. Whether it is mother-son, husband-wife, sister-sister, once it comes to loving and living together, every reader knows relationships can become difficult. A good author doesn't just know this, but knows how to use it for their novel. Nugent does the latter, the family relationships becoming central to how characters act. The murder, which happens even before the start of the novel, is like the match that sets of the fuse in all the characters' relationships. Nugent's novel covers a range of years, yet never does her story loose its immediacy. Her writing is gripping, not letting the reader go until the last year and then just dropping them into nothing. Lying in Wait is a roller coaster of a read that never really lets you go.

Lying in Wait genuinely had me by the throat for a few days. Even when I put it down and walked away it was right in the back of my mind. Nugent has definitely won a fan in me with her thrilling writing and great character development. I'd recommend this to fans of psychological thrillers!

A tad disappointing if I'm honest. I was expecting a thriller, but it certainly didn't read like that. Nor, to be honest, would I say it twisted and turned as billed. What was good about this book was the ending - not in a sarcastic way, more 'well that slightly redeemed the book'. The problem is I was disappointing with the way the book has been marketed; the pace is plodding, there are no cliffhangers and the characters are all odd, unpleasant or downright wierd. It starts with a murder, but we know 'whodunnit' and there is no mystery about anything that happens, so no second guessing and no nail biting suspense. I couldn't gel with the characters, they were all so fllawed and often made odd decisions that made me question the realism of the story. It's not a terrible book, it's just not for me.

3.5 stars

The book opens with the murder of a girl by a wealthy judge. "My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it." Thus begins the intrigue. Will there be remorse? What will happen to Annie Doyle's family? Will they get peace by finding out what happened?
The story is told from the perspective of three main characters, Lydia, Lawrence and Karen. Lydia, the murderers wife, is ruthless and chilling in her quest to protect her family and get what she wants; Lawrence, her son caught in his mothers web and Karen, sister of Annie Doyle. The novel cleverly interweaves their stories and takes the reader on a twisted journey, invoking mainly disgust but also compassion. Annie Doyle is also a key player in the book, always present.

If you like a dark psychological thriller with very unpleasant characters then this fits the bill. I did, however, find that the story dragged in places and I read quite quickly through the last part to see what twist was coming. Added an extra star for that twist and the way it was done (and for the fact I hadn't worked it out)!

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a review copy.

"Anyway, that’s what I was doing on Friday the 14th of November 1980, the night my father murdered Annie Doyle."

We all know that I love crime fiction and I'm pleased to report that this book was definitely no exception to this rule of thumb. It gripped me in all the right ways, left me feeling and frustrated and guessing all the way to the end. The novel starts as it means to go on: with the incredibly intense statement "My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it." At this point, there is no doubt in our mind over who killed the victim of this psychological tale. The husband in question is a lawyer- and a respected judge at that- in Dublin. Not an ideal situation to get himself into, all things considered.

I really found myself intrigued by the characters and was glad for the switching in perspectives throughout the book- each character had their own contribution and story to tell which added to the intrigue. I loved Lawrence in particular; his parents believe him naive but he befriends the dead girls' family- it is completely unbeknownst to them, of course, that she is indeed dead and not just missing. Even worse, it is his father who committed the crime. We know who and we know when- this one focuses itself entirely on the why. From the word go we find ourselves completely in the dark about why the family have sought out this girl and what they are paying her to do.

Lydia is clearly incredibly manipulative. She uses her son's insecurity- his weight- to her advantage, feeding him drugs that spoil his appetite and then over feeding him again when she feels she has lost control of things. Her vindictive and controlling character makes for a very monstrous antagonist, one I actually found myself liking. Everything she does is done for her own personal advantage- she is most definitely cruel and has the traits of a fully-fledged psychopath within her. Eventually, all is revealed and we find out that Annie is being paid to carry a child for Lydia- she is no longer able to conceive. At this point, I found myself feeling sorry for Lydia, which I didn't really expect considering everything I knew about the character to this point.

It's fair to say that this book is an incredibly dark one. The thought of the couple nonchalantly digging a grave in their garden, seemingly without a care in the world, gives me shivers even now. The whole novel is centred around Avalon, Lydia's childhood home and the creepy castle in a gothic fairytale. The story explores themes that surprised me and it was definitely not what I was expecting at all- it was so much more.

I would definitely recommend this book to fellow lovers of psychological thrillers- it's dark and intriguing, creepy yet an incredibly satisfying read. Its VERY Gone Girl-esque, so if you're a fan of that then I have no doubts that you'll love this one too.

4.5/5.

I was concerned about how this story would go from very early on. It seemed clear that, whatever happened, Laurence would not come out of it well but like Pandora's box I always have some hope left.

Is it fair to mark down a book because you don't like the ending? Possibly not but no matter how well crafted and ingeniously worked out (and it is) I hated it. In my head I had built up my own preferred outcome.

Poor Laurence. It was never going to finish well for him.

I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it . It was a very good debut novel set in a small town in Australia with some narrow minded characters and everyone knowing each other's business.

My thanks to Penguin UK and Netgalley for a review copy of this AWESOME book!

Set in Ireland, the reader is confronted with control and manipulation; secrets; betrayal; family/relationships; isolation; the past and guilt. Can we be so blind to what is right in front of us….

This was one of the most compelling, dramatic and thrilling reads I have come across in awhile. With a #KillerHook at the start, I was immediately intrigued to find out where the story would go. This was such a clever storyline, I could not believe how much was happening – but it was not confusing or convoluted – it bloody rocked! The story was told from different POV’s which added to the intricate web of deceit and manipulation in my opinion!

This story did not need a lot of characters, and the author delivered a mind blowing read through the extraordinary characterisation used in this book. Andrew and Lydia- talk about “the odd couple” – Although Lydia comes across as weak and vulnerable, it is actually Andrew who owns those characteristics. I almost felt sorry for him. Lawrence was also quite strange, but deep down had a moral conscience and eventually got a backbone – unfortunately it probably was a few years too late! Annie, as noted in the synopsis, is the victim of the Fitzsimons’ and we learn pieces of her life through her sister, Karen who I adored. She was in fact, my favourite character because she was passionate, determined and never gave up hope on finding her sister’s killer.

The descriptive text and narrative was alluring but it was the twists that really blew my mind! OMFG! My jaw was on the floor! So if you want #Suspense that will leave you reeling, and #Booms that knock you to the floor, I HIGHLY recommend you head to amazon and grab yourself a copy of the bad boy! A #TopRead2017 for me!

Das Buch beginnt im Jahr 1980 mit dem Mord an der 22 Jahre alten Annie Doyle. Man ist direkt mitten in der Handlung drin und fragt sich, was wohl die Vorgeschichte sein mag.
Das Ehepaar Fitzsimons nimmt zunächst die Leiche in Kofferraum mit und plant dann wie sie diese unauffällig und ohne den Verdacht auf sich zu lenken verschwinden lassen können. Das wird aus Lydia Fitzsimons Perspektive erzählt. Wir erfahren, wie sie ihren Ehemann Andrew kennengelernt hat und wie sie dann zügig heirateten und in ihr elterliches Haus einzogen. Andrew machte Karriere und wurde Richter. Alles lief prima bis sich vor einem Jahr sein Freund mit ihrem ganzen Geld davon machte.
Sie vergraben die Leiche in eigenen Garten und beseitigen die Spuren, ohne dass ihr siebzehnjähriger Sohn Laurence etwas bemerkt.

Dann wechselt die Erzählperspektive zu Karen, Annies Schwester. Sie berichtet von der gemeinsamen Jugend, der Beziehung zu den Eltern und Annies Problemen und der ungewollten frühen Schwangerschaft und ihrem späteren plötzlichen Verschwinden. Nachdem Annie eine Woche nicht gesehen wurde, meldet ihre Familie sie als vermisst.

Dann wechselt die Perspektive im nächste Kapitel zum Sohn der Fitzsimons, Laurence. Er bekommt mit, wie sein Vater von einem Polizisten befragt wird, da wohl das Auto im Umfeld von Annies Wohnort gesehen wurde. Richter Fitzsimons belügt den Polizisten über den fraglichen Freitagabend zwei Wochen zuvor. Selber hat er seine Eltern über diesen Abend auch angelogen, an dem er mit seiner Freundin Helen seine Jungfräulichkeit verloren hat. Wozu eine herrliche realitätsnahe Erzählung folgt.

Aus den wechselnden Perspektiven wird die in Dublin spielende Geschichte nach dem Mord dann weiter erzählt. Ohne große treibende Ermittlungsarbeit entwickelt sich der Fall trotzdem weiter, verschiedene Anstöße führen zur Enthüllung weiterer Details.

Es ist herzzerbrechend die Familie bei ihrer Suche nach Annie zu begleiten, wo man als Leser ja schon weiß dass und wie sie umgebracht wurde. Nach dem ersten Drittel erfährt man dann endlich was Annie mit dem Ehepaar Fitzsimons zu schaffen hatte. Dann bringt ein anderer Todesfall zusätzlich Entwicklung in die Geschichte man ist gespannt wie es nun weitergehen wird. Der Ablauf der Ereignisse hat auch irgendwie einen makaberen Humor. Die Entwicklung läuft auf interessante Weise spiralförmig. Immer entlang der drei Perspektiven und immer ein Schrittchen weiter.

Die Jahre vergehen und Annies Schwester Karen ist Fotomodell geworden und Laurence hat eine Arbeit bei einer Arbeitslosenagentur gefunden. Dann stellt sich heraus, dass der Sohn von Karens Agentin der damals zuständige Detective Mooney war. Dieser wurde jedoch in der Zwischenzeit Opfer eines Autounfalls und ist tot. Genauso zufällig lernt Laurence dann Annies Vater und ihre Schwester Karen kennen.

Die Geschichte nimmt dann einen unglaublichen Kurs. Makaber, grausam und auf Lügen fußend. Lydia Fitzsimons verbirgt unglaubliche Geheimnisse.

Einige Male denkt man die Geschichte ist kurz vor der Auflösung aber dann nimmt sie wieder eine unerwartete bizarre Wendung. Langsam wird es zu einem psychischen Kräftemessen zwischen Laurence und seiner Mutter. Wer kann wen besser und negativer manipulieren?

Dann kommen die drei Erzählstränge quasi zusammen, als sich die drei Personen treffen. Aber die Geschichte nimmt wieder einen neuen unglaublichen Kurs, gemein und grausam. Lydia Fitzsimons kann sich selber und damit auch Laurence immer noch wieder übertreffen. Sie ist unberechenbar und eiskalt. Verdrehte Wahrheiten führen zu einer dramatischen Zuspitzung. Das Finale ist kurz und gruselig. Alle Punkte werden aufgeklärt. Doch die Geschichte geht noch ein Stück weiter und erzählt über Karens folgende Jahre und Jahrzehnte. Später kommt es dann tatsächlich zu einem kurzen grausamen überraschenden Ende, dass man Gänsehaut davon bekommt.

Das Buch handelt davon, zu was krankhaft übertriebene Mutterliebe und eine gewisse Naivität der anderen Beteiligten führen kann.

Auch wenn ich mich für keine der beteiligten Figuren wirklich erwärmen konnte, nur Karen kann einem etwas ans Herz wachsen, bleibt man seltsam erschüttert zurück.

Das Cover und der Buchtitel passen sehr gut zum Buch.

Dieser Thriller ist ganz außergewöhnlich, sehr spannend, makaber und bizarr.

I adore the way Liz Nugent gets the character's voices pitch-perfect, while the plotting is sublime and deliciously unexpected. Like in Unravelling Oliver, she tears down the illusion of respectability to reveal that evil can breed anywhere. And boy can she write that killer first line! More please - and soon!