You think you know, but you have no idea. This just might be McKenzie’s best book yet. I flew through reading it because I needed to know all the truths. But here’s the thing. You think you will know where the book is going. You may not even be surprised by a couple of moments, but then- she hits you with something else that you never saw coming. Yes, that’s exactly it! Catherine McKenzie’s The Good Liar is a one-two punch of a book. You might see a couple of those left jabs coming, but the right hooks will knock you on your ass. And you’ll love every word of it.

I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are mine.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing (my spirit animal!) & the author for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. Lake Union rarely lets me down, and I already adore Catherine McKenzie. So...this had a few points going for it before I started. That said, I was drawn in from the first page. How 3 families, involved in a large scale tragedy, handle the aftermath, and how are they intertwined. This is done through the eyes of a documentary a year afterward. There are multiple twists and turns. I think I saw the end coming, but literally JUST before I turned those pages. The characters were well done and for the most part realistic. One character bugged the heck out of me, but I feel that was necessary for her character...so job well done. I highly recommend this book and know you would love it. It's also a great option for book clubs, with lots to discuss.

A gas explosion happens in a building in Chicago and over 500 people are killed.
The lives of 3 women are intertwined by this tragedy and the lies in their lives are exposed.
On the one year anniversary of the explosion, memories come alive as press coverage heats up again. Can they keep living with their lies or will they be exposed by the person doing a documentary about this tragic event?

4 1/2 stars

Fantastic storytelling!

<i>*Some plot scenarios really stretched the imagination, so be prepared to suspend your beliefs-it's so worth it!!</i>*

On October 10th at 10:00, a bomb goes off in the heart of downtown Chicago, killing over 500 people in the building. From this devastation we get to meet 3 women. One who becomes the 'face' of the Triple 10 tragedy, one who leaves everything behind in hopes of a new life, and one who seeks to get the life she was denied at birth.

Told from multiple POV's, the author slowly lets the reader get to know these woman and their backstories, all leading up to that tragic day.

This story is well written with memorable characters (some that I liked, and others not so much) and a few great twists that I didn't see coming. I did take a half point off for some of the extreme plot lines like <spoiler> Kaitlyn showing up at Cecily's doorstep, executes a plan and then vanishes again with not one person ever saying a word about it to anyone? Ever? </spoiler> and there were a few others that I forgave the author for, as they just made the whole story so much better with them in.

Highly entertaining read in my opinion, and I look forward to my next adventure with Ms. McKenzie!!

ARC provided by NetGalley

While this book took me a few chapters to get into, I wasn't able to put it down. By chapter five I was anxiously flipping (swiping) to the next page to continue the story. This is told in first person and in third person, and also in the form of an interview, so you're introduced and involved with three different characters, all of whom are hiding something from the reader.

Later on, you find how they all may be intertwined in each other's lies, and that makes the book so hard to put down. I think the story moves at a good pace. While I was able to put two and two together fairly early, I think the author gives enough information for that to happen, and I don't think it's a bad thing at all. It did not take away from the story.

I received and Advanced Review Copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Thanks Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this for an honest review. Very easy and entertaining read.

3.5 Stars* (rounded up)

All eyes are on Cecily. They have been ever since October 10th at 10 a.m. (known as the Triple Ten) when tragedy struck and the Chicago high rise she was supposed to be in exploded with her husband and over hundreds of others inside of it. Cecily is the face of the tragedy you see. For her there is no hiding. Kate now lives in Canada, thousands of miles away, living a different life. Hiding has become her speciality. Franny may or may not be who she seems. She has been searching for something her entire life and after the tragedy of October 10th, she finally finds it.

These three women are bound together, whether they like it or not. All of them have secrets and have told lies to protect themselves, some worse than others. As we all know, secrets can’t stay hidden forever and when they come out, well, that’s when it gets good.

“The Good Liar” by Catherine McKenzie is an enjoyable character driven suspense novel. For me, this book was about the characters - all of whom were extremely well written. There were a few twists and turns that were unexpected, though I also found a few things to be a little unbelievable as well. All in all, it was a clever, fast paced, easy read that I would recommend as it kept me entertained.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Catherine McKenzie for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 2.11.18.

*Will be published on Amazon on 4.3.18.

A really good book with twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end.

I wish I could give this one 2.5 stars, but I’ll round up. The plot was faced paced and I liked the main character. However the ending was so soap opera-melodramtic and over the top. There was too much that was unbelievable. The first 2/3 was good though!

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a gripping story! I seriously could not stop reading it. I found myself flipping pages long after midnight - I just had to find out who was lying. Of course they all were, but why, and who was "the good liar"?

This is the story of Cecily, Kate, and Franny - three women whose lives were forever changed following an explosion that destroyed a Chicago building one year ago. Cecily lost her husband and best friend; Kate fled from Chicago that very day; and Franny lost her birth mother, a woman she had been searching for. Now Cecily and Franny are being filmed for a documentary about the aftermath of the explosion - their lies and secrets being teased out slowly by the filmmaker, Teo. Kate is a nanny in Canada, hiding from her past and her self. All three women's lives are about to intersect in ways they would never have imagined. Told from alternating points of view, we get to know each woman and learn about their lives, relationships, and truths surrounding the explosion. Their stories will shock and awe. And that is all I will say about the story - its just so good and I don't want to give away any details. Definitely check it out!

See link to goodreads review

This story pulls you in and holds you to the end, and even then, you need the epilogue to complete, and all the while you are thinking of 9 11 instead of 10 10, a real page turner.
No one is who they appear, and when the bomb shells drop you are left flabbergasted and they just kept coming. The author has created characters that you will care for and feel like you are walking in their shoes, but would you do what these women did? A story that will make you think, and can we find out what is important to these people, for some it is family, but for others?
This is one you don’t want to miss, and it will keep you thinking about it long after the last page is turned, and the last twist is dropped!

I received this book through Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing, and was not required to give a positive review.

I just finished reading The Good Liar by Catherine McKenzie and I am still wanting more! This is a fabulous read that starts a little confusing. I couldn't figure out how everyone was connected but once you figure out the connections, that is when the fun really starts! This book is definitely a page turner and keeps you guessing until the end. You will sympathize with Cecily and her life without Tom. I knew Kate was up to something, I just had to figure out what she was up to. And from the beginning, you knew Franny was no good! This book was my first Catherine McKenzie book and I will be looking for more of her work. Excellent read! Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my review. #NetGalley

A gas line explosion takes down an entire office building in Chicago, killing over 500 people. One year later, the families of the victims are still trying to pick up the pieces of their lives. There’s Cecily, who was supposed to be there that day to meet her husband who worked there, but was running late and missed the explosion. She became the poster-child of the tragedy, thanks to a photographer, Teo, who happened to be there. While Cecily is the picture perfect grieving widow, her marriage was actually on the rocks and she feels like a fraud. Then there is Kate, who is connected to the disaster somehow, but living a new life in Montreal and trying (unsuccessfully) to forget her past. And then there’s Franny, a young woman who showed up at the funeral of one of the victims and declared herself the daughter that was given up for adoption, which no one knew about. She’s now moved into that woman’s house and is helping to take care of her two young girls, and her husband. Franny is a little “off,” but then, so are the rest of the characters in this book, with secrets galore and suspect motivations. What those are and how these women are all connected will keep you guessing until the very end, and even when you think you’ve figured everyone out there will be one last surprise for you. My favorite part were the interview transcripts between Franny and Teo, who is shooting a documentary about the tragedy. You can just see Franny squirming and working through her lies on the page. An excellent read!

Wow! This is a full five stars! It has everything that's needed for a perfect book: good plot, characterization, writing style and an amazin ending!

I think that, if possible, Catherine McKenzie is growing better with every new book! Anyway that's my favourite until now.

There are three women, three story linked together by a big disaster where hundreds of people died. One of them is lying.. or maybe all of them are? It took a while to become really involved at the start but this is when Catherine's amazing writing help me to enjoy the first chapters all the same. Then the story picks up and become more and more interesting, thrilling, and I could't put down the book any more. I read the last few pages while cooking a sunday dinner but I really COULD NOT STOP!! There is a serie of twists but the last one was really unexpected! I can't say more because you really don't want me to risk spoiling that. Simply be prepared to remain speachless!

If, by the way, you are feeling dubtful about the plot (I was a little), keep in mind that while the tragedy is a big part of the plot, the book itself is not too centered on the victim's grieving. The three women we follow are grieving, yes, but they have so much more to think about. I won't say it's a light read but not too dark or disturbing either. And it's completely worth the read.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5! THE GOOD LIAR was an enjoyable and entertaining psychological thriller that was such an exciting and thrilling book to read. It's gripping, fascinating, intense, and filled with so many unexpected twists and turns that will keep you guessing right until that cleverly written surprise ending! I absolutely loved this book and it was extremely hard for me to put down. Would recommend!
 
Thank you so much to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Catherine McKenzie for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the book in exchange for a review!

I’m fan of Catherine McKenzie books. I’ve read them all and have been looking forward to reading The Good Liar. I was very pleased to have the opportunity through NetGalley to read the ARC, to provide my review in return and was excited to get started. That’s where I became disappointed. All the other books I read quickly. They were reads I couldn’t put down! This one wasn’t. It didn’t pull me in like the others but I kept reading wondering if I might find that “grab me” moment.
The story about 3 women and one tragedy was told in alternating narratives: first person, third person and interview. This made it easy to keep track of which character was being focused on.
I did struggle at first to keep track of who was who when all the characters were being introduced throughout the first half of the book. A few times I had to read back to clarify and figure things out.
I found some parts of the story hard to grasp as believable, possible or true. I won’t get into details so as to not give any spoilers but I think more research or explanation would have changed that.
As I mentioned, I found the first half of the book slow. The second half picked up some what as the plot twists were being revealed. I was disappointed to discovered that I had guessed a couple of them prior to the reveals. The ending seemed to come suddenly and then felt like there was something missing. I’m sorry to say that I was looking for more.

I’ve been struggling with how many stars to give. If I had never read this author before it would likely be 3 stars but because I love every other book this author has written, I’ve decided to give 4. And I’ll still be looking forward to reading everything else Catherine writes in the future.

I usually love books that "everyone loves." Well, this one is an exception for me. Great reviews on goodreads. I never connected to this - even at 80% I'm thinking is this going to get good? It was predictable (except for the very end - which I was very happy to say I did not predict!!) It was by no means dull, but I didn't care what happened. I didn't care about ANY character- although I admit I did *like* them all enough. I never felt that click, or that intrigue. I was quite disappointed, I think because my expectations on this one were high. On goodreads I was very torn between 3 and 4 star rating - I don't have any big complaints here, and I think the author came up with some GREAT concepts / storyline. Well-written, good characters, good end... If it grabbed me it would have been an easy 4.

Catherine McKenzie has a way of telling a story that you can identify with one, or more of the characters and The Good Liar is no exception. A compelling story of everyday life, the secrets , the struggles and poof! it changes in an instant. People you thought you knew and trusted weren't as they seem. After reading this book, I questioned my friendships and wondered if I could really trust them. The people we think we know, we really don't have a clue what is going on in their minds. And the ones we know very little of are the ones that are the strength to carry us through . A must read!

Loved this psychological thriller ! The lives, secrets and lies of three women entangle after a building explosion. As the stories unfold we find out what secret\lie each is hiding. The biggest lie is revealed at the ending. Another great read by Catherine McKenzie.