This book follows three very different women with one thing in common. All of them experienced or were affected by the explosion in Chicago on October 10th. Each women describes the tragedy from her own perspective. It’s the first anniversary of the explosion and Cecily is a grieving widow, Kate is working as a nanny in Canada and Fanny is trying to bond with the family of her birth mother who was a victim. Every character i. This book is also hiding a secret. An interesting read with a different premise from other psychological thrillers, but it just didn’t keep me fully absorbed.

As much as I wanted to love this book, sadly, I just didn't. And I think a lot of it has to do with the approach the author took for writing this story.

Let me tell you some of the things I liked about this story first:

I really like that the story featured 3 very different female characters. Usually, I find that most authors create very similar main characters, but with this book, Cecily, Kate, and Franny all had their own distinct voice and mannerisms. I also liked that the story was told from their perspectives: Cecily and Kate had their own chapters, whereas Franny's POV was presented in an interview format; I really liked the inclusion of this latter style because it created a nice break from the conventional writing format and kept me interested.

But now, it's time to talk about why this novel ultimately didn't work for me ...

Initially, this book was presented as a thriller. Now, I love thrillers, and read a TON of them (as you can probably tell from my reviews)! But with this novel, there was a huge element of the story that focused on the emotional side of things, and there was a big focus on depression. I like that the author attempted to highlight the emotional toll that losing a partner can take, and how guilt carries on and prevents people from moving on. But for some reason, it just didn't work for me. Even though there was all of this emotional character development, I still felt very detached from the characters; it almost felt like I was being told what the character was feeling and why they were feeling rather than shown, and I would have preferred the latter because it would have allowed me to empathize and connect better with them.

I also don't think this story really should be classified as a thriller because it just wasn't that thrilling. The twists weren't that big and the whole emotional aspect of the story detracted from any feelings of ... well ... suspense. Whenever there was a potentially thrilling occurrence, it was either dropped too quickly or not followed up on and I found that quite disappointing. The few twists and turns that were there also just made me frustrated because they weren't really shocking reveals as much as just going back and forth about the same thing. My train of thought the entire time was just "Ok, here's something suspicious that someone said, but oh nope turns out it's wrong, and then wait nope we are back to that again and apparently we were right the first time" and that gets old reeeeaaaal quick. To me, that isn't a thriller, it's just a heap of confusion masquerading as a thriller and it makes me really frustrated. 
I know it seems like I really hated this book. While there were things that were wrong with it, I still ended up finishing it and wanting to know how the story ended - so that must mean there was some level of success in the author's ability to pique my interest. Either way, this wasn't the best thriller I have ever read ... but I've read a lot worse. I think that the premise was interesting and the writing style was good, but if this novel had been branded differently and not as a thriller, I would have had different expectations from it and probably enjoyed it more. For those reasons, I'm giving this a 2/5 stars.

I really enjoyed this book. The author did a good job of weaving the 3 main characters stories together. Kept me hooked!

This is a book you will not want to put down. Catherine keeps you guessing all the way to the end. Three women with three very different stories - and she did this with ease. She sets the standard when it comes to writing thrillers.

An awful tragedy, three women, Cecily, Kate, and Franny and a whole host of secrets and lies.
An absolutely brilliantly clever psychological thriller that will have you hooked.

This book was amazing. It kept me guessing right until the end. This was a unique story which I enjoyed very much. Would highly recommend.

Three women’s lives were all impacted at the time of an explosion in a Chicago building. The book goes back and forth from the explosion day and the current day. Cecily’s husband and best friend were killed. Franny’s birth mother is killed. And Kate is on the run. All three of the women have secrets that are not being told. Who is lying? This book will have you guessing and will keep you on your toes! I would highly recommend this book to those that like a good thriller!

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I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I felt that the characters were very relatable and real. I think some of the struggles the characters experienced will resonate with the reader. There were some really great twists in this book and by the end, I thought what in the world just happened.

This is a good read.

Make sure that you block off your weekend so you can finish this book! Once you begin, you won't want to stop. This was a gripping book that I didn't want to put down. The alternating viewpoints added to the story and made the story intriguing. A book of twists for your next read by the fireplace!

Excellent book, a definite can't put it down. I will be reading this again. (Again my review disappeared!)

Catherine McKenzie's acknowledgments say this book wasn't an easy one to write, but it definitely didn't show! Engaging characters, an intriguing premise, and a whole host of unexpected plot turns made this a highly enjoyable read, from start to finish. I was fortunate to receive an advance copy, and am so glad I did. Her best work to date, and one for every suspense lover's shelf.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during this 2nd attempt, I have only managed to make it halfway through so I'd rather stop here and state that this book just wasn't for me.
I wish the author, publisher, and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

3.5 Stars. Three women's lives are altered by a national tragedy. They all have parts of their lives that they're trying to keep hidden, but it's difficult to conceal anything when the whole world is watching. Tread carefully when reading about this one because there are many twists and turns. I've tried not to be too specific beyond each character's first two chapters, but sometimes it's easy to read between the lines!

On October 10th at exactly 10:00 AM, a blast ripped a Chicago building apart, killing 513 people and injuring thousands.
• Cecily Grayson was on the way to her husband's office building when it exploded before her eyes. Her husband was killed and in an instant she became a widow and a single mom. If she'd been on time, she would've been one of the victims too. A photograph of her shocked reaction to the explosion went viral, turning her into the reluctant poster child of the tragedy. Maintaining the public face of a brave, grieving widow while hiding the truth about why she was there that day makes her feel like a fraud.
• Kate Lynch left behind everything to begin a new life and forget all she lost that day, but the wall-to-wall news coverage of the tragedy's first anniversary makes it impossible to hide from her past.
• Franny Maycomb had just found her biological mother only to lose her in the explosion before their relationship could develop. Now she's the co-chair of the victim compensation program, charged with making sure funds are distributed to legitimate victims.

One year later, the community is still dealing with the aftermath of the Triple Ten tragedy. Cecily and Franny agreed to participate in a documentary about the incident, but the filmmaker (Teo) senses that they're both holding something back. Is Teo "a storyteller or a man looking for a story?" The increased scrutiny threatens to reveal everyone’s lies. Will these women's secrets be exposed before they're able to deal with them on their own terms?

When I was in high school, I picked up The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve off the top of my mom's library stack. It was my first adult novel and I was completely enthralled by the story of a marriage that wasn't as it appeared. The details have faded from my memory, but the experience of reading it has always stayed with me. I'm always looking to recapture that feeling! The Good Liar was similarly addictive.I had to repeatedly remind myself to slow down because I kept trying to absorb the pages just by glancing at them! I had a good idea of how most of the story would unravel, but I was anxious to see the steps that would lead us to the end and how the characters would react to revelations. The end brought a couple of surprises, but it's also the reason that this story hasn't stuck with me over time. One component stretched credulity, but the other one made me want a hundred more pages! There was also a police brutality scene that felt out of place and disrupted the flow. It wasn't so much about the character it was happening to as it was a transparent way to humanize a flawed character.

From the beginning, the author set up specific questions that I needed answers for: What does Cecily feel so guilty about? What is Kate hiding from? What's Franny's deal? Cecily was the most relatable and I could see myself having similar reactions. She's attempting to make sense of her life before and after the tragedy. The events of the past year have destroyed her sense of control and certainty and it's uncertain if she'll ever get that feeling of stability back. While Cecily is struggling to deal with her problems, Kate runs away from hers. Kate doesn't see herself as others see her. She went through the motions of what she was supposed to do in life, but maybe that wasn't the best path for her. Franny is the biggest enigma since we only get insight into her mindset through the filmmaker's interviews. The way she wholeheartedly inserted herself into the tragedy is distasteful to many and she lashes out at anyone who questions her sincerity. Is the desire for love and acceptance the only motive behind her neediness and attention-seeking behavior? The characters didn't always act in a "storybook" way. Their emotions were messy. They hold on to anger and sometimes choose to stay in denial. Sometimes they harshly punish themselves for decisions that would be understandable to most. Some of their actions defy logic, but I came to understand the thought processes and desperation that led to their predicaments. 

Part of the emotional resonance of this novel were the echoes of events we've witnessed in real-time. It triggered memories of 9/11 and all of the iconic images that have circulated after real-life tragedies. When Teo photographed Cecily's shock, he captured a moment in time that resonated with many. What's it like to be thrust in the spotlight during the worst moments of your life and to feel pressured to play a role when the public takes ownership of your story? In The Good Liar, there are characters that are skilled liars and characters who lie with good intentions—sometimes they're a combination of both. Does lying automatically make someone a bad person or are lies sometimes necessary or forgivable? Can a person be two contradictory things at once? These women feel/felt pressure to present a specific image or to obtain a specific ideal. Just like Teo seems to have cast them in specific roles for his documentary, these women are also performing roles in their own lives. They're all are juggling multiple selves, some wishing to shed the old parts and others desperately wishing they could get those old parts back. The disconnect between these women's public faces and the many facets of their inner lives is disorienting for both the reader and them! All the lying and compartmentalization has unintended, sometimes disastrous, consequences. 

The Good Liar is a well-paced story that really gets you inside the characters' heads. I wouldn't describe it as a thriller, although a sense of danger does develop by the end. I was most captivated by the insight into the behavior and emotional states of the characters. I felt a big reading rush after I finished it, but its impact has faded with time. Sometimes a great read is a book that simply consumes me in the moment and magically turns the hours into minutes. I'm rounding my rating up for that reason and because it made me want to read all of Catherine McKenzie's books! Looking back over some recent reads, The Good Liar reminded me most of Little Broken Things by Nicole Baart, In This Moment by Karma Brown, Almost Missed You by Jessica Strawser, and Cruel Beautiful World by Caroline Leavitt. These are all domestic dramas where I felt like I really got to know and understand the women whose ordinary lives took an unexpectedly eventful turn.

The Good Liar was a very good read. I have heard so many great things about the book and Catherine McKenzie did not disappoint. The story that Kate, Cecily and Franny tell is full of twists and turns. I thought I was piecing some of it together and just when I thought I had it all figured out, I was missing something. I would definitely recommend this book!

This book is very good! It is about three women who lived changed during an explosion in a building in Chicago. Kate, is now living far away from Chicago and hopes everyday that her past doesn't catch up with her. Cecily, was suppose to be inside the building instead she was outside while her husband and best friend died in it. Then there is Franny, a young woman who was suppose to reconnect with her birth mother who was inside the building also. Read as each woman goes through their own private emotions, and the anniversary of the terrible day approaches, each woman has her own secret she must keep hidden. But will it stay that way?

Very good book. Grabbed my attention from the very first day. Very well written. Intriguing.
Lots of twists and turns, vivid details

I'm a fan of any book that includes a lot of twists - and this book was chockfull of them! It's difficult to explain the story without giving anything away. I actually think it was perfect that I didn't know anything about the plot before diving in. What I can say is that a building explosion causes the deaths of over 500 people, and much of the plot revolves around how three women's stories become connected in the aftermath. I devoured this book because I was enthralled with the characters and loved the storytelling of how people react differently to traumatic events. Although I guessed some of the twists, there was enough suspense to keep me turning the pages quickly. I haven't read anything by McKenzie before, but I'll definitely be checking out future titles from her - and recommending this one to everyone!

Good Liar is narrated by three women; Cecily, Kate, and Franny starting on the Triple Ten one year anniversary. Cecily Grayson, who was late to a meeting and watched the building collapse with her husband inside. Her story follows her grief of losing her husband, her anxiety stemming from the fact that she was late and should have been in the building and has become the face of Triple Ten when a photographer, Teo, captured her paralyzed watching the building fall and now is making her the hero of the documentary. Kate Lynch has distanced her self from the tragedy going another country away to remove herself from the incessant news coverage that was ongoing. Franny Maycombe had her birth mother was inside the building that collapsed on Triple Ten and works along side Cecily as a co-chair at the Compensation Initiative. Three different lives all affected by the Triple Ten and all have their own ways to cope, avoid and try to move on and all the while keeping their secrets from getting out. The suspense is slow going, but the reader is kept on their toes waiting to find out what each of the women are hiding and why. I recommend this book for suspense fans who are willing to read a book with a slower plot and enjoy more of the character driven stories. I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

An intriguing story and so many deceptions by all the characters in the story. Come on this book was written by Catherine McKenzie that in itself is enough to get you to buy it! I loved this book and read it in one night. I was a zombie the next day but that is my fault I knew better than to start one of my favorite authors at bedtime

THE GOOD LIAR was an enjoyable and entertaining psychological thriller.
This novel follows three women affected by the devastating tragedy of a building explosion in downtown Chicago that kills over 500 people and injures many others. These women move forward with their lives, trying to pick up the pieces after their traumatic personal losses. There are many secrets, lies and hidden agenda’s within this twisted tale