Member Reviews
This is a great mystery/thriller, set around a massive disaster and following three women a year later. The way McKenzie pieces these three storylines together throughout was masterful and even thinking I knew everything, I was shocked by the ending!
There are three characters, each telling their story. There is Cecily, Kate, and Franny. The big question is out of three, which one is the good liar. There are lots of secrets in this story. All of these woman are guarding important secrets. Just how far will they go to keep them. There is an awful tragedy. An explosion rips apart a Chicago building and the lives of these three woman are forever altered and each character tells their story of the tragedy. The memories of that terrifying morning become dangerous triggers.
This is a great psychological thriller. This one kept me guessing till the very end. The beginning had so much going on and I was so intrigued. I had so many questions. I was hooked and kept turning the pages looking for the answers to my questions. This was a Traveling Sister's read and we all were intrigued. It was a great discussion and I had fun reading each others thoughts. It was a very fun read. This book was a fast paced read but at the same time, I found myself lost and confused and had to go back and reread it. Some of the twists happen fast and that's why I would have to reread it. I had to slow
down to get all the pieces of the three characters stories. I couldn't read it with a lot of distractions. I mainly read this at night when my husband was asleep.
I didn't know who I could trust in this story. Some of the twists were shocking. This one was like a jigsaw puzzle. All the clues are there, but you have to sort them out and find where the pieces of this story belong. I did find one part of the story unrealistic but that was fine for me because I loved everything else about this story. This is a character driven novel. I really got to know each character very well.
I did find some parts of the story predictable, but I loved the ending, and it ended just the way I wanted it too, which doesn't happen. I found this book to be very addicting and loved the jaw dropping moments.
I recommend this book to those that love a psychological thriller.
I want to thank Netgalley, the Lake Union Publishing and the author Catherine McKenzie for the copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
This author never disappoints, and this book is no exception! I was hooked from the start, and read it in one sitting! Loved the characters and storyline. What a great, suspenseful read!! This is a must read if you like suspense!
This book was kind of slow starting and goes back and forth between timelines that could be confusing at times. It definitely packed a bunch though. I felt it was really unique having a female character who chooses to disappear and leave her children behind. As a mother who has suffered with postpartum and depression, it was nice to read that although it isn't normal to think your kids would be better off without you, it is more common than you think. There were several twists throughout the book that left me with my jaw on the floor. Very rarely anymore can I find mystery/suspense book that do that for me because I have read so many. Huge props to Catherine McKenzie for being able to keep readers on the edge of their seat during a domestic suspense like this.
I read and reviewed The Good Liar when it first came out. Reviewed on Amazon and Goodteads .No review here for some reason. This is the first book I read by Catherine McKenzie. It is as familiar today as it was when it was new. It takes place from 9-11 through the next few days.. I was holding my breath many times while reading. When you read Catherine's books, you know you will be shocked when the plot is revealed at the end. OR IS IT?
Catherine McKenzie never disappoints. She always weaves such a tangled web. I just realized that I have never recommended any of her books for my book club. I may have to buy one of each and have an author month just to expose her to the group!
A riveting page-turner. Catherine McKenzie is a master at creating suspense, and crafting story lines that grip readers from the first page.
Thank you to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Wow, did I get caught up in this book and just didn't want to put it down. I thought this was good mystery that was full of suspense and the pace of the story kept me turning the pages. I enjoyed the fact that there were lots of twists and turns and I didn't figure out any of the twists. A must read for fans of Catherine McKenzie!
Catherine Mckenize is amazing! I have read all of her books and she is one to keep you on the edge of your seat til the end of the last page! She brings to life suspense like no other! This book has three women marked by one tragedy and guarding secrets. How it ends will shock you as it did me.
The Good Liar by Catherine McKenzie
Brief Summary: A explosion destroys a Chicago building impacting the lives of three characters: Cecily lost her husband and best friends, Kate fled the city trying to leave her past behind, and Franny lost the birth mother she never got to meet. As the anniversary approaches, all three women have secrets to hide. This is my second book by Catherine McKenzie.
The beginning of the book was slow and reads more like women’s fiction than a thriller. There are many different characters and different story timelines that are hard to follow and connect. I enjoyed Franny’s storyline about finding and meeting her biological mother the most. There are some interesting and unexpected twists.
Explanation of Rating: 3/5 Unfortunately, I had a hard time getting into this one and wasn’t impressed.
Thank you to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review
McKenzie's finest work to date. A story of family after a life-altering disaster, the complexities of broken friendships and buried secrets, You will love this book and characters.
Catherine McKenzie has a way with story telling. The beginning of the book was a bit hard to get into, different timelines could be confusing, plus the different characters. But once it ramped up, I was hooked and had to know how it ended. Great thriller!
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This Author is really great. I really loved this book. This tale was highly engrossing and highly recommendable!!
WOW! This one left me reeling right up to the very last page! The epilogue gave me actual goosebumps! I have ready every book by Catherine McKenzie so far but this one may well be my favourite to date- which is saying a lot!
Franny, Cecily, and Kaitlyn were all impacted by the tragic explosion that happened in Chicago on October 10, but in different ways.
Cecily. She has found herself the unwilling poster woman of the survivors of the tragedy. She lost her husband and her best friend in one fell swoop and has been left to cope alone. She is hiding something, however, and doesn't know when or if it will end up coming out.
Kaitlyn. mother, wife, survivor. She's running, but from what?
Franny. After finally finding her birth mother she is devastated to learn that she has lost her in the tragedy. Will she be able to move on?
The beginning of this book reads a little more like women's fiction than psychological fiction. It's clear from the beginning that all three women have some pretty big secrets to hide, but don't we all feel like we are hiding parts of ourselves from the outside world sometimes? What's really wrong with that at the end of the day? I settled in to this book quite comfortably, caught up in getting to know these three very different women and their tragic circumstances.
As bits and pieces of the secrets that these women are hiding begin to be revealed the book transitions from being women's fiction to psychological fiction. As I was drawn in to the nuances of this book I found myself even more riveted than before, hardly able to wait to find out what happened next. Just as I was convinced that the surprises were over McKenzie threw in a surprising epilogue that left me with my mouth hanging open.
I absolutely loved this book. It was the perfect mix of suspense and fiction. The writing was riveting, the plot intriguing, and the transitions seamless. The psychological fiction genre has exploded in the past year and it is easy for books to get lost among the white noise of all of the new releases. THE GOOD LIAR is one book that should make it in to your TBR pile.
Perfect for fans of both women's fiction and psychological fiction THE GOOD LIAR is a book not to be missed!
Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.
Have you ever lose someone you love? Well, i have and surely most charaters in this book has too. It started when a 15 story building blew up because of gas leak in October 10th. Soon they called this day a Triple Ten. Many died including Cecily's husband and Franny's mother. Many saved, just like Cecily and Katelyn. A year later, Cecily and Franny are asked to be part of a documentary. The documentary is about the tragedy. They somehow became the faces of Triple Ten. But are they deserve it? Are they genuinely sad about this tragedy ?
Well, if we talked about tragedy like this, we often centered on how family coped with losses and how they remembering their loved one. The truth is losses is not as simple as that. Not to mention the national tragedy. The background of these family who lose their loved ones is something we can't imagine. In this book, it is indeed unimaginable. They all have secrets. There may be some people that kind of hoped the tragedy happened. Probably, there is some people who's relieve when the tragedy happened. This is the premise of the book.
Personally, the topic about loss is what attracted me the most. The book centered on Cecily, Franny, and Kaitlyn and they all coping with loss in different way. Cecily's family reminded me of my own family so this couldn't be closer to home. The first part of book started slow, but toward the ending it went faster. The suspense itself started emerged in the second half of the book because the first half was full of lamentation and grief. I don't mind though that character building was great. Some twist made me shock, disbelief, and I though I knew these characters by heart (LOL).
This is a page turner, made me curious until the end about these three women. Some of you probably will figure the ending, but not for me.
I got it from Netgalley two years ago 💀. I'm sorry for the late late late review. Thank you instead Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for giving me this opportunity.
Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.
After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.
I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.
Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.
Told from alternating viewpoints, this novel looks at the events after a gas leak in Chicago causes a building to explode, killing 500 people. One widow becomes the face of the disaster after a photo from her goes viral. Another women loses the mother she has never met and another woman uses the disaster as a way to escape her life.
A year after the disaster, their stories surprisingly intersect.
I've read every one of Catherine McKenzie's 8 novels and I think this one is now my favorite of them all. If I could give this one more than 5 stars, I would. I really like the way Catherine told the story from 3 different women's perspectives, tying the story together a little bit at a time, to all come together at the end. I couldn't put this one down and I've actually read it twice! I honestly had no idea how this was going to play out - Catherine has a fantastic way of writing so that you're hooked until the very end of the book. There was drama, twists, turns, hidden agendas, regret and secrets. The characters were people I would be able to relate to. Part of the story takes place in Chicago and part in Montreal. I love the Montreal references, as that is where I live and where Catherine is from as well. I like it as it helps me picture the story in my mind better, since I've been to a lot of the places that are written about.
I recommend this novel to anyone looking for a good thriller full of suspense that will keep you hooked until the end. Catherine is a fantastic storyteller.
On the day of a tragic accident a building explodes and everyone’s lives are changed forever.
Cicely is running late, as always, to meet her husband and misses the building exploring by mere moments. A passerby on the street takes her picture and the famous photo later makes her the face of the tragedy. But what is this widow and mother to two hiding?
Franny has finally found her biological mother only to lose her soon after in the accident. Only nobody knows she exists. How will her moms family and friends react to franny suddenly appearing in their lives?
Kate has survived the explosion and taken a new job in a new city. But what happened to her family?
This story is told from the view of each of the three women. We slowly learn where each one came from and how the explosion changed their lives. It is suspenseful and intriguing. Not only did it keep me quickly reading, after finishing the book I am still thinking about it. The characters seem like friends and I find myself wondering about them and what would happen next. The book is just as good as I expected, coming from Catherine McKenzie.