Once again Catherine McKenzie has written another fantastic psychological thriller that will keep readers engrossed from the very first page until the end. I liked the way it was told in the point of view of the three main characters, Cecily, Kate, and Franny. I found them to be complex but so real and very unpredictable. I could not figure out how their stories would end with all of the twists and turns in the story. The Good Liar is so well done and is a book that should not be missed. It packs quite a punch with an ending that will knock you out!! So very good.

Norma and I were lost in the tangled weeds of deceit and lies in the lush coulee reading The Good Lair with our Traveling Sisters.

The Good Liar is a cleverly written, entertaining and engaging story with twists and lies that had our heads spinning as we tried to untangle ourselves from the weedy web of all the complicated secrets and lies.

Catherine McKenzie does a fantastic job creating some well-developed and compelling liars here with our three main characters who are linked together by a tragedy. We became so tangled up with these unpredictable characters and keeping their lies together and it became a bit confusing at times. As our distrust of these characters builds we questioned who was really the “Good Liar” in this story. Catherine McKenzie does a good job creating connections to the characters and their lies and we really enjoyed our discussion as we tried to pull together those connections.

I loved that one of the settings to this story was in Westmount, Quebec. Catherine McKenzie does a great job creating the atmosphere here for Kate’s place of escape. It really added to the story for me as I was familiar with places that Kate visited in the story, especially The Westmount Park where the library is.

We loved that surprise ending that we didn’t see coming. We spent some time lost in the coulee discussing this one and we highly recommend for group reads.

Publishing Date: April 3, 2018

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Catherine McKenzie for a copy to read and review.

Review is written and posted on our themed book blog Two Sisters Lost In A Coulee Reading.
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com
Coulee: a term applied rather loosely to different landforms, all of which refer to a kind of valley.

Favorite Quotes:

I avoid eye contact. Teo’s far too handsome for my current level of self-esteem.

I learned a while ago that when you woke up in the morning, there was no accounting for how long the day would take, because not all days are created equal. The day I got Tom’s texts, that day started out normally but then slowed down until it took up the space of a week.

My heart cracks. She’s never called me “Mother” before. I feel an urgent need to call my own mother and apologize for every time I did that as a teenager.

Disappointing? That’s all you’ve got to say? I find out my life is actually some Lifetime movie plot and that’s ‘disappointing’?

I don’t like it, but it’s going to be effective, I think, kill another two birds, or three in this case. It’s just sad that there are so many birds that need killing in the first place.

I don’t know the future. I only curate the past.

My Review:

The Good Liar was one of those slowly evolving, sneaky, and cleverly plotted books that I didn’t fully appreciate the ingeniousness of until I reached the conclusion. The premise was unique and engaging and while the characters were not likable, they intrigued me and held my interest. The writing was easy to follow yet multi-leveled and complex; this cunning author kept me guessing as she was busy hiding lots of undercurrents in the subtext. This was my first experience reading Ms. McKenzie and I found her to be an insightful and thoughtfully observant writer as her book was well-crafted, maddeningly paced, well-textured, and had an ingeniously twisted ending that I never saw coming. I love when that happens.

Catherine McKenzie leaves you with a big fat question at the end of this book: who is the "good" liar?

Is it Cecily, who was supposed to meet her husband in a Chicago building at the time it exploded, killing him and 500 other people? She's certainly concealing some important information that could affect people viewing her as the "poster child" of survivors.

Is it Kate, who ran away to Canada and struggles with a sort of amalgamation of survivors' guilt and relief? Her life is a lie, but does that mean she's not a reliable narrator of her story?

And then there is Franny, whom you immediately distrust, with her claims of being the biological daughter of a woman who perished in the explosion. Franny's desperation to find a connection feels unstable at best. But does that make her a liar?

Catherine McKenzie builds this story to some plot twists, at least one of which you will suspect before she reveals it. Others, though, unsettle you. They make you look at the three women a bit more critically, a bit more suspiciously. Are they telling the truth?

Throughout the book, McKenzie examines the different types of lies we tell. There are lies of omission, intended to protect ourselves or others from the pains those lies would cause. There are lies of convenience, things you say in the moment because they serve your immediate purpose. There are the lies of purpose, those you tell because you intend them.

And then there are the lies of necessity, the obfuscations you say because you feel you have no other choice. If you don't tell that lie, you risk everything.

The ending of this book bears discussion, making this a perfect book for book clubs. I fired off a message to Catherine McKenzie, begging for answers. I'm desperate to talk about this book, so please read it. Then come back and hit up the comments to let me know your thoughts.

Five shining stars!!
Now that’s what I call a thriller! This one had me hooked from the first page, and it took every bit of willpower not to devour it in one sitting. After all, this was a traveling sister read...but I had a hard time waiting for my sisters to catch up to me!

October 10th. The day everything drastically changed for 3 women in Chicago, all tied to one horrid event. One thrust into the limelight, one forcing herself into the limelight and the third crouching into the shadows.

A documentary crew wants to research the events of that fateful day. As they dig deeper, secrets and lies bubble to the surface. So whose lies are for protecting their own interests? And whose are to protect the ones they love?

Sometimes you read a book and it immediately clicks. As is the case with most avid readers, I was on edge that the ending would be a letdown. I can happily report it remained as good as the rest of the book! Highly recommend to all thriller fans!
This one is going straight onto my favorite’s shelf!

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Katherine McKenzie

The Good Liar by Catherine McKenzie

Novel provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

In the aftermath of a disastrous explosion, this novel examines the lives of three survivors, and how their lives intersect either directly or in degrees of separation.

Don’t be put off by the inciting incident in this story as it doesn’t define the story. Three women living ordinary lives are suddenly thrown into freefall and forced to evaluate their lives, which are not what they seem, and change for the better or worse.

This fast-paced story has plenty of mystery, along with twists you don’t see coming.

The writer pulled her punches only only once, with a minor character. All in all, a very compelling and satisfying read I highly recommend.

WOW! WOW! WOW! This book was so good! This is a psychological thriller all it's own!! A roller coast. Up, down, then up again... and there is an interesting twist at the end that I did not see coming!!! Thank you for this complimentary copy of this book from Lake Union Publishing through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is the first book by Catherine McKenzie that I’ve read and I was immediately drawn into this story, wondering who I could believe. The narration alternates between the three woman, Cecily, Kate and Franny as their stories are gradually revealed. Franny’s story is told through the transcripts of her interviews with Teo, who is making a documentary about the tragedy and its impact on the families concerned both at the time of the explosion and also a year later.

Cecily, immediately comes across as trustworthy – and yet there is something she is obviously concealing. It’s obvious right from the start that Kate has a secret and Franny appears to be the most fragile and desperate to find out more about her biological mother. With a title like the ‘good liar‘ I was suspicious about all three women; which one is lying, can you believe any if them, and if so who? Catherine McKenzie built up the suspense, providing back stories for each woman, revealing reasons to distrust their stories and the way they present themselves.

I enjoyed the suspense, and trying to work out who was lying. It kept my interest to the end, even though I thought some of the ‘secrets’ were easy to detect. It builds up to a satisfying conclusion with a twist right at the end – a book of lies and deceit from start to finish.

My thanks to Lake Union Publishing for a review copy via NetGalley.

Great book! Life, love and loss, mixed in with many different lies. A wife finds out her husband is cheating, what happens after that blew me away, especially mixed in with the fact that her best friend is presumed dead. A documentary being made about the events that happened. This book kept me guessing about what would happen next.

This psychological thriller opens on a tragic day in Chicago that forces the hand of fate and a tangled web of lies tightens even further on three women at the periphery of the event. We are moved along through the story as a documentary interview is conducted around the survivors... but we quickly discover there is so much more under the surface. Catherine McKenzie has delivered a true psychological page turner with twists and turns that kept me wondering to the end. I would highly recommend this book! I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A gas explosion destroys a building in Chicago and many lives were lost. This story is told in the perspective of 3 individuals whose lives were irrevocably changed as a result of that explosion.
This was an awesome novel. I knew all 3 characters must have something in common besides the explosion, but I had no idea what. The twists and turns that the novel takes to get you there make this a book you do not want to put down. If you enjoy thrillers, then this is the book to read.

Thanks so much to Net Galley, Lake Union Publishing and Catherine McKenzie for the opportunity to read and review her latest books. Like her other books, this one is a winner that I just couldn't put down!

The story revolves around a tragedy - a building blows up in Chicago killing hundreds. The focus of this book is on 3 women impacted by that tragedy. Cecily becomes the face of the tragedy - she was late for a meeting with her husband in the building and was caught on camera witnessing the explosion. Kate ran away from the disaster and her life, settling in a new country. Franny is a young woman searching for her birth mother who she believed was working in the building.

One year after the tragedy, we see all 3 women moving on with their lives. A documentary is being made about the tragedy, focusing on Cecily and the other she has done for the other families impacted. But all 3 women are lying.

I raced through this book to find out what was going to happen. Not all of these characters are extremely likable but the writing is great and kept me glued to the pages.

Wow! What a fabulous read. It was exactly the kind of book I love to read. Gripping, thrilling, mysterious and one I don’t want to stop reading for anything.

The three women and their stories were intriguing. I loved Cecily, she was who I identified with most I think and I came to care for her and what she was going through so much.

The plot was original and the storytelling was sublime. I was surprised at the twists and I love when a book can keep me guessing and then fool me! Brilliant!

I highly recommend this book to lovers of family drama and suspense, and to those who love to be surprised by fabulous twists. This is a favorite for me!

After a building explodes, the lives of three women (Cecily, Kate, and Franny) are forever changed. A year later, a memorial is held to honor the victims. Have the three women been able to move on with their lives? Or, will the memorial cause old feelings, secrets and lies to rise to the surface in an emotional explosion?

When a gas leak caused a building to explode in downtown Chicago, 513 were killed and more than 2,000 were injured. In order to provide funds to the families of the "Triple Ten" victims, a Compensation Initiative was started. The story is told alternately by three women:

(1) Cecily, whose husband, Tom, was killed in the explosion. She has a 15 year old daughter, Cassie, and a 13 yo son, Henry. She was also the reluctant "poster child" of the Triple Ten tragedy and Co-chair of the Compensation Committee for the Victim's Fund.

(2) Franny, a young woman who lost her birth mother in the explosion. She is the second Co-chair of the Compensation Committee.

(3) Kate, who lives in Montreal, Canada and is a nanny to Andrea and Rick's 3 year old twins, Willie and Steven.

As the story progresses, many secrets and lies are revealed, but who is the biggest liar of them all? If you love fast-paced stories with unreliable narrators, then don't miss this one. In my opinion, Catherine McKenzie's books keep getting better and better!

Thank you to the author and the publisher for a free advance copy of this book! All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me a copy of this book.
I never thought about how people could take advantage of a disaster and use it to escape. THE GOOD LIAR follows the lives of three women following a building fire that kills over five-hundred people.

The book is told from three different POV and each woman has a take on the fire, their life before it, and what happens afterward. Suspense is cleverly woven throughout each woman's story as the reader wonders how they are all connected...and who is lying. A great set of characters that I could vividly imagine in this story that tests marriage, friendship, and trust. Very clever storyline!

A Chicago building explodes. Why? How? The answers will surprise you. It forever changes the scope of three women’s lives.

This book started with bang and was unstoppable. Cecily watches as her husband’s building explodes. She is not as sad as she should be. She and her husband were getting divorced. Kate, Cecily’s best friend, was supposedly killed in the blast. Then, there is Franny. She is supposedly Kate’s daughter which Kate gave up for adoption years ago. With these three story lines intersecting and crossing, you never know what to believe. This story is twisty. You think you know what’s going on and it changes again.

Well! Catherine McKenzie has done it again. Years ago, I won a copy of her first novel, Spin. I have been a fan ever since. Her writing changes with every book. I love how she never writes the same book twice. Plus her characters are people you know. She creates the best characters with true flaws.

This is a twisty story and it keeps you guessing all the way till the end!

I received this novel from the author for a honest review.

The Good Liar is an edgy and smart character-driven psychological thriller. The story is told through three characters, each who have a personal connection to a gas-leak explosion that killed over 500 people in a Chicago office building. And each has a secret to hide. This is a delicious, sink-down-into-it book, that will have you flipping pages trying to untangle the web that binds these characters together. Thank you Netgalley and publishers for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. This one is highly recommended!

This book centres around an explosion in a building which kills hundreds of people. The story is told by three different women who were affected by this, ten years later.

As you can tell by the title of the book, all is not what it seems and the more the story develops, the more twists and turns there are as it gets harder to tell who is telling the truth (if anyone). The characters are brilliantly written and well developed, with some being a lot more likeable than others.

A brilliant read which will keep you guessing.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

Lies upon lies upon more lies...

I enjoyed this book - a lot - especially the last half. It is like a huge jigsaw puzzle. You know the kind - 1,500 pieces all of a blue sky. And then you've almost completed the puzzle and you realize a few pieces are missing.

Well, this book was twisting and turning and the final pieces of the puzzle don't show up until the very end pages of the book.

On October 10 at 10:00am (making it known as the Triple Ten tragedy) a large office building in downtown Chicago blows up from a broken gas main. 513 people are killed and 2,000+ are injured.

This story tells about the intertwined stories of three women, each of whom have their own voice in the story, that have ties to that building.

This is definitely a plot-based book so if you're looking for a character driven novel, I would say this is not it. Superficially you find out about the three women and there's only one whose character I liked but even so I enjoyed this story. Suspenseful, full of surprises and an original storyline - what's not to like?

I received this book from Lake Union Publishing through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

4 Stars!

I had never read anything by Catherine McKenzie but I'm glad I did! You all know that I'm a suspense/thriller junkie so this was right up my alley!

The story follows three girls: Kate, Cecily and Franny. There was a terrible tragedy that happened in Chicago (shoutout to my hometown!) and these three women's lives are forever intertwined because of it. I don't want to say *too* much because I don't want to give anything but I will mention some topics that this book covers. It touches on marriage, extramarital affairs, fraud and certain types of family dynamics.

The written form of this book is so interesting! It's told by all three points of view but one of them in a documentary transcript and the rest are like a regular novel. I feel like the transcript aspect gives this a bit of a more dramatic feel which I enjoy in mystery/suspense novels.

Although I had a guessed a few of the reveals, I still had a few "WHAT?" moments in this book and that's something I really enjoy. If a book can make me have to reread a paragraph to make sure I got it right and make me want to continue on chapter after chapter then its something I can get on board with!

I will definitely read more of Catherine McKenzie novels in the future. I overall really enjoyed it and would recommend it! You can pick it up on it's publishing day: April 3rd, 2018!

Thank you to Amazon Publishing and Lake Union Publishing for my ARC of this book