A nice mystery. 3.5 stars (I really wish this site and Goodreads would let you do half stars!). This one kept me guessing for a while. Although Will's motives become clear pretty early in the book, at the beginning they seem pretty mysterious. Nice twist at the end, and I was guessing who the bad guy was for a fair bit of he book.

4 stars - Publishes 2/27/18 - Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC in return for a truthful review.

Pretty girl, Allison - handsome man, Will.

The setting is a college campus in Ireland. One day everything is bright and shiny for the young couple, the next tragedy strikes. Allison is beside herself and not inclined to believe it when Will is identified as the Canal Killer - a spree of several killings - including her childhood best friend.

After Will's conviction, Allison moves away. Then ten long years later the call comes. Allison is being called back to Ireland to talk to the imprisoned Will about a possible copy cat killer. Will insists that he will only talk to Allison. Detective Malone enters the picture. He elicits Allison's help in trying to solve this case. He has doubts that Will was the guilty party ten years ago.

This story was written from varying personal perspectives. We see the young college couple and campus and also see them in present day - 10 years later. There are a number of twists and turns in this novel that keeps you guessing. The characters are well formed and believable. If anything is a bit off kilter it would be the latitude that Malone grants to Allison in solving these crimes. However, by that time, you are hooked and what to read to the conclusion.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

This book is about Alison's past that has resurfaced. He college boyfriend confessed to murder but the same murders are coming back up. She goes back to her hometown to help the police try to find the new attacker and find out if its a copy cat or if had an accomplice. It goes back and forth into time (10 years ago).

To me this was not a thriller at all. There was nothing exciting and it was slow. I had a hard time pushing thru but i felt owe NetGalley an honest review.

I really had to think about what to rate this. The first chapter was great, it was strong, it pulled me in. I loved the setting. I really enjoyed the chapters about Ali's past, about the excitement about going to college with her best friend and how everything is so new to them. The characters were three-dimensional. But I felt like in the present chapters there was just a whole lot of the same thing going on which also made it feel as though a whole lot of nothing happened. Ali was brought back to Ireland to solve a case - really? The detectives are trained to do this sort of thing, that's their job and they had to bring in someone else to do it for them? It just didn't sit well with me.

See goodreads link

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Catherine Ryan Howard, and Blackstone Publishing for allowing me to review an ARC of The Liar's Girl.

I read most of this book in one sitting because I was enthralled with the plot and wanted to know how it all ended. I was a bit disappointed with the conclusion of the book (the identity of the current-day killer. I feel like there could have been a few more hints throughout the novel), but the ending... so satisfying ;)

I did feel as though certain areas of the novel dragged, and I thought that the detective was unprofessional, but that didn't hurt the plot at all.

In all, I give this book a 4/5, and I would recommend it to friends.

Let's talk about The Liar's Girl....

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy, here is my honest review in exchange....

Rating this story wasn't the easiest. I went back fourth between 3 stars and 4 stars (Sidenote: Have you ever heard of half a star, Goodreads?). In my opinion, the story had a strong start, but the end was shockingly sub par, which created quite the rating dilemma.

Let me start from the beginning, this story had me captivated. I found the premise unique and alluring. The girl who fell for a serial killer. Some might find it creepy and weird, I find it entertaining and compelling (the weirder the better in my opinion). So I had to get to the bottom of this thriller. This story mainly follows around Alison from two points of view: Young Alison, Current Alison. This time gap really built up the story especially the younger portion. We got to meet Liz and learn about her and Alison's complicated relationship. We get to watch college unfold for both the girls. And we get to watch the growth and change that happens once you start college and meet new people. Then we have current Alison. Which was the much weaker point of view, but I won't provide much detail, no one wants spoilers. You'll have to check it out yourself!

As I mentioned the beginning had me hooked. In particular, the encounters between Alison and Will (current). Those were extremely interesting given what we didn't know about Will and how we knew Alison felt about his conviction. Those had to have been some of the best scenes in the book for me. Especially when Alison admits her "part" in his arrest. I found this scene particularly tense and enjoyable. But I would also consider that the turning point of where the story started veering off into the 3 zone for me.

The story itself was rather enjoyable, the ending was less than thrilling. And I mean that literally, heart monitor stayed steady. I was greatly underwhelmed by the climax involving Alison and . It came on rather quick and then was over even quicker. It was like the disappointing first time, if you get me. Maybe others will find it more exciting, but I was shocked by celerity of the biggest moment (between Alison and killer). However, Howard did partly redeem herself in the last, last chapter with Will. It was an interesting little twist. For me, Howard was strongest when it came to Will and Alison's interaction and their little story in general.

My greatest reason for the three star rating was the killer's point of view through out the story. The biggest mystery and the whole plot point was essentially reveled to us immediately upon reading that view which was fairly early. I understand that the author needed to intertwine our killer in some manner, but it was a major let down in the grand scheme of things.

Overall, I found the book to be enticing enough to keep me reading and interested. I never once felt bored with the story only let down. The first half of the story was rather strong. But the end wasn't what I had hoped for. I would say a 3.5 overall

What if you thought your ex-boyfriend was a murderer, and then it turns out maybe it wasn't true? That's the premise of The Liar's Girl, a well-written crime thriller that kept me up reading most of the night. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading, but then I was hooked and couldn't stop until the end. There are plenty of twists and turns, and the ending was a total surprise.

Alison Smith is a freshman at St. John's college in Dublin. She meets Will, and is instantly smitten. They become inseparable all term until after Christmas, when the body of a fellow student is found in the canal near the school. Then another, and another, and finally the body of one of Alison's friends, Liz, is discovered. Will is arrested and put into a secure psychiatric facility. Alison moves to The Netherlands and doesn't come home to Dublin again. Ten years later, another girl is found in the canal and Will tells his doctor he's innocent and will only to talk to Alison. The police get involved, Alison meets Will and she thinks she believes him. But is it true? Did the police get it wrong ten years ago? Alison isn't sure, and whatever the answer is, it's going to rock the foundations of her life.

The book is written in flashbacks from the past when all the characters were in school to the present during the police investigation. It's a great read and I was sorry when the book ended. I highly recommend this book.

I was given an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my candid review.

I found this book to be very readable and compelling. I liked the characters, including Will, and wanted to find out the anwers to the mystery.

The book takes place 10 years after a serial killer who killed 4 young students is captured. The main character is the former girlfriend of the young man who confessed to the murders. He has been locked up in a mental facility for the past 10 years, but is scheduled to be transferred to a prison.

The catalyst to this story is that someone has started to murder students again at St. John's University . Will (the convicted serial murder) says that he has some information on the killings....but he will only talk to his former girlfriend Alison who has tried to forget about Will and the killings for 10 years.

Allison gets dragged into the new set of murders and the story flashes between the past and the current days.

I thought that this was a great start for a new author, however, I found the budding romance between the Garda officer and Allison to be unsettling and confusing. I guess it was in there to lead the reader away from wanting Will and Allison to get back together. The surprise ending was good, though. First the author convinces us of Will's innocence, but then takes us to another place.

I thought that the book was well written and compelling and I wanted to finish it quickly to find out the answers. It was a good read.

Liar's Girl is a very atmospheric, creepy mystery. i read the author's previous book and though it was quite clever and I'm happy this one lived up to expectations!

Howard keeps you guessing throughout this tale of a killer who might be a copycat or might be the real deal. As you weave your way through Ali's story of love lost when her boyfriend, Will, is arrested and put away for murdering girls in their college town, you just know the latest murders mean he was innocent. Except the evidence continues to make you consider that Will is somehow involved in the murders past and present. The author finds a way to keep you walking the tightrope between Will's guilt and innocence until the last pages of this engaging novel.

So Will has been in prison for 10 years for being a serial killer. Now, women have started to turn up dead in the same manner. A copycat, an accomplice? Will says he has information to give but he will only give it to Alison, his girlfriend 10 years ago. Alison. after the necessary I-dont-want-to-go speech goes to see him. So now Alison gets involved in the investigation and obviously (being smarter than the police) solves the murders.

I didn't like anything about these characters. The story is divided between "Alison Then" and "Alison Now". I didn't care at all for past Alison and how the last thing she told her friend Liz was "fuck off" and next thing you know Liz got killed by the serial killer who might or might not be Will (Alison's boyfriend at the time).

***SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOERS ***
And what was that important information Will had to share and would only tell Alison? "I'm innocent. Help me prove it." Ohhh it took you 10 years man! After that Will is out of the story.

So Will goes to jail for confessing to a crime he didn't commit. He was not the serial killer but said he was because 1) the prosecutor adviced him to plea guilty, 2) he thought nobody was going to believe him (because all the evidence pointed to him, and 3) his parents just wanted to get it over with. Ouch! Yes, let me say I did it so life can go on.

As always the police are idiots and Alison figured out who the real (slim shady lol) killer was.

This was a very good psychological thriller. It focused on freshman year college students in Dublin ten years in the past, a serial killer, and the end of innocence. The story went back and forth between past and present and was easy to follow, eventually filling in all the years. It kept me turning pages until the satisfying ending. I would love to read more from this author.

The Liar's Girl is a breakout, heart stopping thriller that you won't be able to put down. This thriller takes you back to Alison's college days - when her boyfriend was accused, confessed and committed to a mental hospital for being a serial killer. He's still in custody - but someone has started again. Did they get the right person? Did he have an accomplice? And how does Alison fit in?

With more twists and turns than a maze, you'll find yourself up all night with this amazing read!

3.5 Stars

First let me send out a ‘Thank-You’ to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for giving me an ARC of “The Liar’s Girl” to read and review.

Catherine Ryan Howard’s latest book is a psychological thriller that keeps the pages turning with a fast moving storyline that doesn’t ask the reader to suspend belief in the plausibility of the plot. I really liked this book, despite keeping me up late on more than one night reading just ‘one more chapter’.

Alison Smith is called back to Ireland 10 years after she fled to the Netherlands after her boyfriend, Will Hurley confessed to be the serial killer dubbed the ‘Canal Killer’. Because of the recent discovery of two new female bodies in Dublin’s Great Canal, doubts have arisen as to whether the right man was incarcerated for the murders 10 years ago. Will says that he has information to share with the police, but he will only talk to Ali about it. Hence the police department’s request that she come back to Ireland to meet with Will. They want her to find out if Will has any new information to shed on the killings from either 10 years ago, or recent deaths.

What follows is an interesting unfolding via alternate chapters set in the present day, and the months leading up to the discovery of the final victim of the Canal Killer; Ali’s best friend, Liz ten years ago. I was always a bit uneasy about who (if anyone) was an unreliable narrator in this story. It was one of the things that kept me turning the pages. But who could be resuming the killing, and why? Is Will still somehow involved? Can he persuade Alison to continue to stay engaged enough with him to help him by being his eyes and ears on the outside? Is it possible that trying to pursue the truth will put her in grave danger now? It’s a thriller, so of course it will. But how she copes with the hurdles thrown at her are part of the fun of this page-turning ride.

I recommend this for readers who are fond of psychological thrillers, especially when they are glad to still be able to be surprised by unexpected plot twists.

received a free electronic copy of The Liar's Girl by Catherine Ryan Howard from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An amazing story about one very small lie and how it changed her life and affected the people in her life. Great characters with tons of emotion and lots of twists. This story hooked me in and kept me in it's grasp till the very end. A thrilling ride!

The best part of the book is the scenery of Ireland. The horror of the murders, the horror of realizing who the killer is and the manipulation make this book a little difficult. The writing is good, and it makes me wonder who can imagine a story like this.

It is frightening to consider how much someone can hide of themselves, and manipulate people they supposedly love.

*netgalley copy*
Enjoyable read, good mystery and pacing with just the right amount of past events sprinkled throughout to add to the story without being distracting.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this truly great, suspenseful book. It was hard for me to put down and quite honestly, kept me guessing to the end. And what a twist the end was! I like how you really told two whole stories in one. How young friendships change and can sometimes turn on a dime to become unhealthy. And guilt is a terrible burden to bear and can make you do the wacky! Great book. Highly recommend reading all the way to the end. Really nice style of tying it all up...

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this novel! While in college, Ali's was convicted as a local serial killer and is serving time in prison. Now, ten years later, another girl has gone missing and Alison is looking for answers. Was Alison's charming ex really a serial killer or was he wrongly convicted as the real murderer lurks among them? The plot is mainly told from Ali's perspective -rotating between past and present. I enjoyed this style as it kept the suspense growing while details of the past are revealed and present day information evolved. I flew through the second half of this book and couldn't wait to see how it ended. Although there were no major twists, I did enjoy this novel and would recommend it to suspense fans!