I really enjoyed reading The Liars Girl. It kept me interested, and was a fast read. Was it basic, and some parts easy to guess?... yes, but it was still a fun thriller to escape in.

*I received this book from NetGally in exchange for an honest review.

This book is why I rarely give out 5 star ratings! This may just be the best book I have ever read! Howard writes an amazingly terrifying story of how one small lie can change the course of your entire life, and those around you. I simply cannot say enough good things about this book, it left me utterly speechless! The characters are all very real with each having an emotional struggle tied to the past and the present. Howard weaves in family dynamics, first love struggles, guilt, shame, righteous determination, and a twist that will blow you away to create a story that will keep you hooked long after the book is finished!

Will Hurley is in a Dublin prison for 5 murders he committed 10 years ago that earned him the moniker "Canal Killer" as that is where the bodies were dumped. When a woman's body is found in the canal in the present day, the Garda ask Will for help in finding this copycat, but all Will wants is to talk to his girlfriend from back then, Allison. But why would Allison ever want anything to do with Will, especially when one of his victims was her best friend. Told in 2 timelines, this was a slow building story with an interesting conclusion. Thanks to NetGalley and Corvus for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. (less)

Alison Smith had hidden herself away in the Netherlands, away from Dublin and Ireland where 10 years ago she was the girlfriend of a serial killer Will Hurley who was killing young, female college students at St James College. After 10 years the Gardaí (police) come calling for her as the murders have started again and Will has said he would talk ... but only to her. A truly enjoyable read which keeps you guessing as to what is going on. Catherine Ryan Howard has written a wonderful book which I had trouble putting down. Definitely Recommended.

Wow ...wow ...wow! Incredible story! There are so many twist and turns throughout the whole story. I never, ever would have figured out who "dun" it! The ending blew me out of the water! The story starts off slow, but man o" man, does it build up speed for the grand finale! I would definitely look for any other books from this author!

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for receiving a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The publisher provided me with the opportunity to read this in exchange for providing feedback. (via NetGalley)

I enjoyed this.It moved at a good pace and it was hard to put down at times. A lot of twists, some I predicted as they unfolded but enjoyable nonetheless.

10 years ago Alison was living a great life at university and experienced her first love. Then things go terribly wrong when women from her dorms start to disappear only to turn up murdered in Dublin Canal. As we move forward it comes to light that her amazing boyfriend Will, is charged with the murders and is sent to a psychiatric hospital for 10 years. Unable to cope and feeling as though Alison contributed to Will's incarceration, Ali flees to the Netherlands and starts a new life there. Not returning to her Irish home in all that time. Until, the murders begin again. Reluctantly, Ali heads home because there is new information and the only person Will wants to speak with is Alison.

It's a long read, the only real terror arising in the moments you realize the stalker/ killer is actually under a woman's bed listening or when he has placed an intended victim's magnets on someone else's fridge and she notices them.

Otherwise, it's just long.

Excellent book. I adored the storyline and the characters. A real page turner. I would this recommend this book.

3.5 stars

This book was a solid four-star read for me up until the halfway point. I loved the writing style, enjoyed the shifting POVs, and really liked how the flashback scenes were well balanced with the pacing of the present-day scenes. Ali's character was likable and I found myself rooting for her throughout the story, even though she was a bit of a doormat as a teen. But when Ali began morphing into a super sleuth halfway through the book and the idea was suggested by Will that his confinement was based on miscommunication and some powerful coaxing of a confession by the police, my enjoyment of this book diminished a bit more.

The ending felt a bit anticlimactic for me.

▣ Overall, I liked this story and look forward to reading more of this author's work.

One of the best books of the year! It kept me glued to my screen. I even put down the other book I was reading so I could read this one instead. And I may have read this when I should have been doing my homework. I don't want to give anything away, but the nuances between relationships was amazingly well written. I hope there is a sequel with Malone in it.

The fear brought about by the "Canal Killer" will infect readers of this psychological thriller. It will have you constantly looking over your shoulder when walking alone at night.

Despite the fact that it has been ten years since Will was arrested and convicted of the four murders, Sally-Anne wants to know why. Why kill anyone, and especially why would her boyfriend kill her best friend? It is with those questions in mind that she agrees to talk to Will and find out what he has to say to the police about the latest murder.

From that point until the very last page, readers will find themselves engrossed in this fast-paced, mind boggling mystery/thriller.

I thought I had the book all figured out early in the story, but I was wrong. This tale has so many twists and turns that readers will never be bored and will be unable to put this book down.

The author has a knack for character building and for making those characters come to life. It is inevitable that readers become invested in Sally-Anne's life.

Secrets, murder, friendship, romance, terror, security, love, hate, jealousy, happiness, chills and thrills all abound in this psychological thriller that I rate as 4.5 out of 5 Stars.🌟🌟🌟🌟 I am very much looking forward to reading more books by author Catherine Ryan Howard.

**A special Thank You to Netgalley for providing me with a free ARC (Advance Review Copy) of this book.**

I devoured this book in one sitting as it drew me in from the first chapter. I really loved the way that I kept switching my opinion as to who was the 'baddy'. The characters were very well drawn and I particularly enjoyed the different time lines. A well plotted, extremely well written book

I had no idea where this book was going through most of it - always a good sign. It kept me interested.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

What's a girl to do when her college boyfriend is arrested and pleads guilty to being a serial killer and his last victim was your best friend. Why Alison Smith runs away from school and her family in Ireland to hide out in the Netherlands.

Now its 10 years later and the killings have started again. Will Hurley has been locked up in a Psychiatric Hospital for those 10 years when he hears about the latest victim. He sees this as his chance to prove his innocence but will only talk to Alison.

Ten years ago police officer Shaw was relentless in his pursuit to prove Will guilty. Now that two more college girls have been killed his partner Michael Malone has convinced him maybe Will didn't do it and when they get the request from him that he will only talk to Alison they make the trip to the Netherlands to ask her to visit him.

We get Will's POV at the beginning and end but Alison is the main voice throughout the book – both in the present and the past when she first started college and met Will. We also get the voice of the killer who is pretty disjointed in his thinking. Even though the story is mainly told from Alison's view we still get plenty of information on the investigation – both the past and the present. Alison, who once she puts her shame aside and realizes Will may be innocent, even contributes to finding the real killer working alongside Malone.

The premise of the story was good and moved and a good pace. I had a few issues with some things but overall it was an enjoyable read.

The Liar's Girl by Catherine Ryan Howard is an engrossing psychological thriller that has a dash of mystery thrown in.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

I was so pleased to be given the opportunity to read this advanced arc by Catherine Ryan Howard! I heard raving reviews about Catherine's debut novel... so I was excited to be able to experience this author.

The Liar's girl is a slow building psychological thriller that grabs you by your feet and keeps you running ;). The premise of this novel is what any mystery/suspense fan LIVES for. Allison is a freshman at Dublin University where she meets her handsome and charming boyfriend Will Hurley. Will confesses to killing 5 women and is known as the "Canal Killer". One of the 5 women that is killed is Allison and Will's friend Liz . How could Allison's charming and sweet lover kill her best friend?! Allison's world is turned literally upside down.... she escapes her past as her boyfriend Will is imprisoned for life in the city's Central Psychiatric Hospital.

Of course... our past always comes back to haunt us. 10 years later... a woman's body is found in the Canal River.... but Will is in a psychiatric hospital. The Garda ask for Will's help but Will has a secret to confess.......
Will is longing to only see Allison and will only tell his secret to her. Will Allison be willing to come face to face with her awful past again and dig up those awful memories? Maybe there truly IS a darker secret of what happened to Liz and Will all those years ago?......

Overall, I would give this a 3 star. This was a little slow for my taste for a psychological thriller. I loved how Catherine had such a unique and different storyline then we are used to seeing in typical psychological thrillers. I loved the multiple perspective approach in this novel from Allison's past to present.

The only issues I have with this novel are that it just didn't have the twists/turns that I long for as a reader. I was a little bummed out when the premise of the secret/killer was revealed. I was a little confused as to how it actually fit into the storyline? I was expecting everything to come connecting together and to me it just didn't fit like a puzzle. Also, the ending I felt just came to an abrupt stop? Yes, there was some tiny twists towards the end but not enough for me to be extremely impressed.

With that being said, I definitely will be checking out more from Catherine Howard. Thank you to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for giving me the opportunity to explore this wonderful author and advanced arc.

What happens when the past you've worked so hard to move on from sudddenly shows up at your door? Alison left Ireland 10 years ago when a serial killer destroyed her life. Now someone she once loved is asking for her help. But, that means returning to Ireland and facing the past.

I devourered this book in one sitting. The characters were very well fleshed out. The past and the present was interwoven perfectly to move the story along. I had no luck in guessing the killer. And the ending caught me by surprise!

I highly recommend this book.

This book was really good! Totally engrossing and kept me turning pages as the story progressed, I could not put it down. The story is original about two college students in Ireland who fall in love and then a serial killer is all the sudden on the loose on their campus. I love how the story is in Ireland because I really know nothing about it, all the language quirks and places in Ireland definitely added to the story. Alison and Will are such a cute couple, but then as the murders increase in number, everyone on campus is on high alert. When Ali's best friend is found dead, the police start looking at and questioning the students including Ali and Will. Through a series of circumstances, Will becomes a suspect and is coerced into confessing and goes to prison which obviously shocks devastates Ali a long with the death of her best friend. She leaves the country for 10 years but then is asked to come back when new killings start occurring and after the police question Will in his psych hospital and he requests Ali's presence. The rest of the story is really interesting, many twists and kept me interested until the very last page. Definitely worth reading! Great psychological thriller! Will definitely read more from this author. Thanks NetGalley!

Ten years ago Alison was starting a new life in Dublin as a college freshman. She was making new friends but also had her best friend from Cork by her side. She had met an amazing man, Will. But girls started getting murdered along the Dublin Canals. Will is arrested and, under duress, he pleads guilty to the charges that he is the Canal Killer. With this confession and the judicial system as it is, a guilty plea leaves Will imprison at The Central Psychiatric Hospital.
It is 10 years later, Alison lives in the Netherlands and Will is in jail for murder. She does not like to think or talk about what happened all those years ago. In fact, her current best friend, Sal, does not know about what happened in Dublin. However, she is now being forced to not only recall those days. but also visit Will in prison. The killings have started and Will indicates he knows information that will help the police, but he will only speak to Alison. When Alison speaks to Will be tells her he is not guilty. Not only does Will claim his innocence, Garda Detective Michael Malone, also feels Will might have been wrongly imprisoned.
Alison and Malone are searching for the current killer and also trying to determine if this current killer is a copycat or if Will actually is innocent of being the Canal Killer. This search is putting Alison in danger of becoming the next victim.
This book was very enjoyable and fast paced. It is told in two timelines, Alison, then and Alison, now. Both are written in the first person. We also get a look inside the mind of the killer which is told in the third person. There is more than the murders which Alison wishes to not remember about her live 10 years ago. This adds to the intrigue of the Alison, then chapters. I do not get scared when reading books, I am able to read with minimal lighting, and alone, but I will be honest, there was one part in which I actually got chills. This book, especially that part will stay with me a long time. Solid 4 star review.