Loved this book! It consistently keeps your interest throughout. It does flip from present to past, which I am not always a fan of. But this author does a great job of it. She gives you just enough of the past to make you wanting more. Great read! Thanks Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley!

3.5 stars. While I really enjoyed parts of this, it does drag at times. There are some good characterizations, but I did feel that the killer was a bit predictable. Ms. Howard does a really nice job with the timelines and bringing you into the story. My rating did drop from 4 stars though, because I was disappointed with the killer. He/She?? just didn't really fit and flow with the story, as well as some of the other characters/events.

**Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley in exchange of an honest review.**

Five murders on the campus of Irelands St. John’s College ten years ago drove Alison Smith to a new life in the Netherlands. Her boyfriend, nineteen year old Will Hurley was attractive, charming, and also the man accused and convicted of the murders.

Now a decade later two Garda detectives have found Alison and want her assistance with a new killing that mimics the five previous killings. Currently confined to the Central Psychiatric Hospital in Ireland Will insists he has information concerning the new killing but will speak to no one but Alison.

A reluctant Alison returns to her roots to confront Will and her own memories and in the process allows the reader to examine the relationship they shared with each other those around them.

As the talented Catherine Ryan Howard moves the current investigation forward she keeps you guessing until the final disturbing page of this atmospheric thriller.

3.5 stars

This was an intriguing and entertaining psychological thriller with a suspenseful storyline and interesting characters. I enjoyed the layout of the novel which was told in Past and Present timelines. The pacing of the story was on the slow side and some parts started to drag, but overall, it kept me intrigued all the way through.

A big thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing and Catherine Ryan Howard for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wow! I finished this book in two days. What a great story! The ending was definitely not what I expected. Great story. I love how the author went back and forth between the past and the present. The characters were believable and real. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a good mystery.

I liked this book but I didn’t love it. I found the beginning to be slightly confusing and had to reread a bunch of it to keep the storyline straight.
In the end though I was happy I stuck with it. There’s a little bit of everything in this book and the basis of the story was fun,
Thank you for my ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book… exists. And that is fucking it.

Okay. Here’s the blurb of this book:
When a young woman's body is found in the Grand Canal, Garda detectives visit convicted serial killer Will Hurley to see if he can assist them in solving what looks like a copycat killing. Instead, Will tells them he has something new to confess-but there's only one person he's prepared to confess it to. Reluctantly, ex-girlfriend Alison returns to the city she hasn't set foot in for more than a decade to face the man who murdered the woman she was supposed to become.

Sounds psychological, right? Sounds vaguely like Silence of the Lambs, hm? Sounds like an interesting character exploration… right? Well… no. This is completely plot driven with barely any character interest. And unfortunately, the plot is just not twisty enough to hold up lacking character developments.

I really… wow, that, sums up half my thoughts on this mediocre ass book. Okay.

Our lead protagonist is by no means a bad character. I think in a book with some fucking awesome twists, I would’ve considered her a fairly solid narrator - she’s realistically traumatized but not overusing alcohol constantly in that tropey unreliable-narrator way.

I also think that the handling of our lead’s trauma, especially surrounding romance, is pretty half-assed. There’s a very thrown-in romance. A half-assed mention of the lead protagonist’s parent trouble is quickly forgotten and ignored so the lead can forgive her mom in the last chapter.

Okay, listen, here’s the big problem: this book has zero twists. There is technically a red herring. I guess. And technically one of those last-chapter fakeout twists we all know is coming, although this one isn’t… at all impactful to the actual story? But even when we discover who the real killer is, the character is so far removed from the narrative – not even being a side character in the book – that the main reveal just doesn’t feel shocking.

The only thing I actually enjoyed about this whole book was one singular scene towards the end that I found incredibly thrilling. It lasts three pages. Aside from that, I found this book bland and disappointing after such a great concept.

It's been ten years since Allison left Dublin forever. She's worked hard to leave behind all the dark memories of that place, where her boyfriend confessed to the murder of five college classmates, including her best friend Liz. Will was the love of her life. She'd trusted him completely. How could she not have known what kind of monster was sharing her bed?

Then the murders begin again. Police pay a visit to Will with the hope that he can shed some light on this copycat murderer. But Will has new information for them. And he'll only share it with one person: Allison.
Reluctantly, Allison agrees to talk with Will, motivated by the idea that if she can help catch the killer, she could save the lives of his potential victims. But when she meets with Will, he drops a bombshell on her: He is not, in fact, the Canal Killer.

Allison doesn't know what to believe. Why confess to murders he didn't commit? But something about his pleading gets under her skin. And the young detective on the case is open to exploring the possibility that Will is innocent. Together they piece together this puzzle, re-examining old evidence, reconsidering new evidence.

As Allison's view of what happened all those years ago shifts and morphs, dredging back feelings of guilt, fear, and jealousy, time is running out for the killer's next target. And for Will who is due to be moved to a max security prison in days. Can she and Detective Malone find the real killer before he strikes again? Or is this just another of Will's lies? What isn't he telling her this time?



Told from Allison's point of view, with snippets from the killer, and flashbacks to that semester in college, the reader gets a front row seat to the range of emotions that roll over her. With a visceral honesty, through dimensional characters, Howard examines the complexities of female friendships under the strain of the first year at college, the struggle to remain loyal in a relationship when doubting everything, and asks: what kind of betrayal is worse than killing four innocent strangers? While it isn't so much a pulse-pounding, twisty-turny thrill-ride, the suspense is thick and building, the emotions raw and relatable, as the reader turns the pages more quickly with each new development toward a conclusion that will stick with you.

4/5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and author Catherine Ryan Howard for the ARC of this novel.

To read a more in depth discussion of this novel, please visit my blog GreyKat Reviews.

Alison Smith has fled Dublin to hide out in the Netherlands. She has been there for ten years with little contact with her former life. Will, her former boyfriend, prompted her disappearance. While on campus as students, a serial murderer was at large. It was Will who confessed to these murders.

Ten years later, the Irish Garda comes to her door. The murders have started up again, but Will has been in a psych hospital for the past ten years. It seems Will has additional information to impart, but he will only tell what he knows to Alison. She decides to return to Dublin to confront Will, the notoriety that attached to her and learn what really happened. How could she not know that he was the killer? And what if he wasn’t? Why did he confess? Propelled by a desire to answer these questions, Alison reluctantly returns.

This is a psychological thriller that switches back and forth from Alison’s past life at St. John’s University to her current situation in Dublin. The “set-up” of the book begins slowly but picks up speed after the first few chapters. At that point the reader will become hooked to learn the answers to Alison’s questions. Recommended.

A slow building mystery that had me questioning a thing or two until literally the last 2 pages. Loved the alternating time periods that kept the story fresh. A smooth read. If you enjoy books where there are multiple red herrings that throw you off course, then you will likely really enjoy this one. The author did a great job of telling her back story in a way that wasn't confusing and making each of her lead characters three dimensional and interesting. There were times when I was reading this that I felt myself literally holding my breath waiting to see what would happen next.

The Liar's Girl is a book I started reading with much anticipation. I was a bit disappointed in the beginning of the book. I found myself having to reread passages several times and also looking back to make sure I had the correct character in mind. The author switched from past to present and at times from the perspective of the unknown killer to the accused killer, then Ali, her friend, etc. It was all a bit complicated. About a third of the way in, it became easier to follow and the plot began to pick up. Ali, Liz, and Will are all going to the same college and Ali and Will start dating. In the meantime, a killer is on the loose, knocking girls in the head and putting their bodies into a nearby canal. After being accused of the murders, Will confesses and is incarcerated. Ten years later the killings have started again, even though Will is locked away. He requests to speak to Ali and she agrees. He tells her he is innocent and needs her help to prove it. She is driven to help him, by her feelings of guilt in the role she may have played in his being caught.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for sending me a copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

Book Description

Freshman Alison Smith moved to the Big Smoke to enroll in St. John’s and soon fell hard for Will Hurley. Her world bloomed … and then imploded when Liz, her best friend, became the latest victim of the Canal Killer—and the Canal Killer turned out to be the boy who’d been sleeping in her bed. Alison fled to the Netherlands, and, in ten years, has never once looked back.

My Thoughts
This is one of those books where I don't want to share any details that aren't already available in the publisher's descriptions. A good psychological thriller depends on engaging characters, a fast-paced plot, lots of twists and turns, and to me at least, no spoilers since I like to puzzle out the clues provided and make my own guesses along the way.
There were many reasons that I liked this book. As the story unfolds we go between events in the past and those in the present and different characters narrate the tale. Allison is pulled back into Will's world when the police want to speak to him about a potential copycat killer and he states he will only talk to Allison. As the last pages drew near, I thought I had read all the clues correctly and knew how the story would end, but the author proved me wrong with one last twist.
The story started off slowly, but after 60 pages or so, I was totally invested and since I particularly enjoyed the character of Allison, I was crossing my fingers and toes hoping there would be a happy ending for her. It would have taken a lot to pull me back to a time and place that had been so tragic, but the author did a great job making me understand how Allison was then and how she managed during the next ten years, so I hoped she would get the answers she needed and ultimately closure.
The Liar's Girl will be released in February and if you enjoy a story with interesting characters and a good plot, I would recommend this one. This was my first novel by Catherine Ryan Howard but it won't be my last.
Thank you to the author, Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the digital ARC to read and review. I gave up some sleep to finish this one and it was well worth it.

I was not expecting that!!! That's all I'm saying. No spoiler alerts here!
The Author did an incredible job of putting the story together. Keeps you spellbound to the very end.
The characters are real. The storyline is believable. There is not enough positive feedback that I can give this novel.
Highly, highly recommended.
5 Stars

This book starts out with a mystery and the tension keeps growing as you get farther into it. I wasn't sure who to trust, what to believe or whether some of the characters were even who they said they were until well into the novel--I love it when that happens.

If you enjoy books where there are multiple red herrings that throw you off course, then you will likely really enjoy this one. The author did a great job of telling her back story in a way that wasn't confusing and making each of her lead characters three dimensional and interesting. There were times when I was reading this that I felt myself literally holding my breath waiting to see what would happen next.

There is a bit of romance in this book, but it isn't over done. I liked the way the author made me question everything that was happening and I felt a great sense of curiosity building before I reached the end and things were resolved. This was a great way to spend an afternoon and I recommend this book to others who like suspenseful mystery.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I give this book 4 out of 5 Thrilling Stars! I really liked this book and thought it had major potential to be a 5 star in my opinion. The issue I had with this book it felt like it was really slow in the beginning and felt like it took forever to get to the thrilling stuff and meat of the story. Once we get through atleast the first 60 pages or so it was quite suspenseful and thrilling. The plot was great and the characterisation was good as well. I also liked how unique the twists and turns of this story was. There was a lot of page turning moments and know that this story will capture a large amount of readers’ attention! Man did some of it make me cringe!
I just think with the beginning it set me off a tad but definitely a book that I would recommend to people who love thrillers because it ended up being really good and surprising. Overall, I liked this story and am glad I read it because it had me keeping the lights on and had me cringing at some points with the intensity!

I just couldn't get into this novel. I requested it because I thought it was a psychological thriller, but it just moved too slow for me.

If you enjoyed Catherine Ryan Howard's Distress Signals, pick up her latest, The Liar's Girl! Imagine your first serious boyfriend gets accused of killing your childhood best friend and several other girls you went to college with? After realizing he wasn't the person she thought he was, he goes to jail and she moves far, far away, leaving the entire life she knew behind. Now, ten years later, he's still in prison, but new bodies of college girls are being found in the same way they were back in the day. The police track down her down and it becomes her mission to determine, once and for all, if her boyfriend really murdered all those girls years ago. Full of twists and emotion, you won't be able to put it down!

Will Hurley was a handsome and likeable student at Dublin's St. John's College, and fellow student Alison Smith fell hard. They were inseparable until Alison's best friend was murdered--another victim of a serial killer, dubbed the Canal Killer.

When Alison learns that the person she loves and trusts most in the world is also the prime suspect in the serial killer investigation, her world crumbles. She flees to the Netherlands and starts a new life, but her old one won't leaver her alone: Another body has been found and the method is the same as the Canal Killer, and the police are trying to interview Will in prison. The trouble is, he will only speak to Alison.

Fast paced thriller with lots of twists and unexpected turns. Loved it!
Thank you publisher and netgalley for this ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I enjoyed The Liar’s Girl very much. The storyline was enjoyable. My measure for this is whether or not I’m anxious to get back to reading after I’ve put the book away when life calls. I always was.

The characters were believable – some likable, some not – but always believable. There was excellent use of the twists and turns with no eye rolling by me. Many times I thought I knew what was going to happen and even sort of braced myself – well, not literally – because of the suspense of it, only to have the story take a right turn and go somewhere else.

Everything fit together – no loose ends – for a great ending. I’m not so sure I liked the way it ended, since there were many ways this could have gone, but it was well done nonetheless. Nice job, Ms.Howard.

A sincere thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.