Thanks to NetGalley for the ecopy for my Kindle.
A twisting psychological suspense with a few turns that weren't expected!
Three women with secrets, lies, and problems are twisted together in a story that had more than one surprise at end!
Sometimes the story was a little slow, but in all, it's a good one!

4.5 Stars! Another great book from Catherine McKenzie! I enjoyed the suspense in this story as I worked to unravel exactly what happened before and after the explosion in Chicago. The three narrators in the story are all well done and short enough chapters that kept me reading "just one more." Cecily is my favorite character and I enjoyed reading about her life as a mom and friend. The stories are all intertwined and the character are relatable but flawed. The title was always on my mind while reading and my theory changed more than once on the significance of the " The Good Liar" thoughout. Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this great book.

Well written (and titled) psychological thriller that focuses more on character than anything else. Cecily, Kate, and Franny all experienced incredible life change as a result of tragedy. All of them also have secrets, some more serious and some more devious than others. There's plenty of twists here, making this a page turner and it's hard to review well because of spoilers. Suffice it to say, however, that it kept me guessing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I received an advanced copy of The Good Liar by Catherine McKenzie through Netgalley and this is my review.
The Good Liar grabbed my attention initially because of the cover. Brilliant. Then, I heard many people talking about the book. I had to read it. I’m so glad I did. I finished it in a couple of days because once you start this book you will not be able to put down. I definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys realistic fiction, a little bit of drama, some twists and turns. If you enjoy reading about relationships in turmoil , husbands and wives, their children and their girlfriends, you will enjoy this novel.

You gotta read this book! The three stories clearly are meant to remind us of the people who were personally affected by 9/11. As time passes we do forget that this event was a personal as well as a national tragedy. Bravo to a writer who brought it all back with such force. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers who provided the ARC.

3.5 stars

When an explosion rips apart a Chicago building, the lives of Cecily, Kate and Franny are forever altered. Fast forward one year to find Cecily still in mourning, Kate hoping that her past won’t catch up with her, and Franny searching for her birth mother.

The opening lines of this book grabbed me and I was hooked immediately. However, the power of those opening lines didn’t hold for the entirety of the story. I could feel this build up, this growing throughout the book like there was going to be something big. However, I don’t think it flourished and blossomed completely.

The characters are well written and developed nicely. Each of their lives has this underlying feeling of secrecy that you are eager to see come out. McKenzie really captures the mystery/suspense element. BUT! While the ending satisfied all points of the story, it did open another bucket of worms I wanted explored, but there was no more.

In the end, I’m glad I read this book and I would probably read it again. There was just something missing that I can’t quite put my finger on.

Throughout The Good Liar, Catherine McKenzie expertly creates tension and mystery as she carefully and elegantly doles out the characters' secrets and exposes their lies. With multiple perspectives and interview transcripts, it's not easy to tell who "The Good Liar" might really be. This isn't so much a thriller, moreso suspense, but it is definitely a book that got and kept my attention as I wanted to figure out the pieces and connections in the story and find out the truth, after capturing my interest right from the beginning. While the story is forefront of this book, McKenzie didn't skimp on character development, in particular with Cecily and Kate, who are two complicated and interesting women. As I think this author flies a little under the radar at times (unfortunately, as I've found the books I've read so far to be excellent), this will be a great recommendation for those looking to find mysteries or suspense without a huge wait list (probably a good recommendation for domestic suspense style readers, as well).

When an explosion rips apart a Chicago building, the lives of three women are forever altered.
A year later, Cecily is in mourning. She was supposed to be in the building that day. Instead, she stood on the street and witnessed it going down, with her husband and best friend inside. Kate, now living thousands of miles away, fled the disaster and is hoping that her past won’t catch up with her. And Franny, a young woman in search of her birth mother, watched the horror unfold on the morning news, knowing that the woman she was so desperate to reconnect with was in the building.

Now, despite the marks left by the tragedy, they all seem safe. But as its anniversary dominates the media, the memories of that terrifying morning become dangerous triggers. All these women are guarding important secrets. Just how far will they go to keep them?

My Thoughts: A story told by multiple narrators, and with occasional flashbacks, The Good Liar gripped me and held on tight. Intensity grew even as more tidbits about the secrets in the lives of the women kept building.

Cecily seemed the one most “normal,” and then a photographer catches the look on her face right after the explosion and it soon circles the globe and makes her secrets even more hard to contain. The photographer, Teo Jackson, begins a documentary with Cecily as the “Poster Child,” and as he interviews her and others, what she is holding back niggles and turns her world more precarious. How can she continue while her own losses could be questioned? Why was she headed to that building on the fatal morning, and how did her lateness protect her?

A memorial a year later features those who died as well as those left behind. A compensation fund for the losses helps some, but also brings one woman out of hiding. What is the significance of the date of the event, soon labeled Triple Ten? Its occurrence on 10/10 at 10:00 a.m. has a secret meaning, but we won’t find out its significance until the end.

What is Kaitlyn hiding that kept her thousands of miles away…until she saw via the news what was happening with her family? What is going on with Franny that leads to Kaitlyn’s secret return, hoping to send Franny out of their orbit? What will she do to change everything?

I couldn’t stop turning the pages, twisting in the winds that symbolize Chicago…and breathless as more and more pieces were revealed. A stunning 5 star read for me.

***My eARC came from the publisher via NetGalley.

Wow! This book had so many fun twists and turns, I can honestly say I didn’t see the end coming. Who is the “Good Liar?” Connected by tragedy, all three of the main characters have something to hide, but what? Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, a twist came, and I was stunned.
McKenzie creates three strong and complex characters whose lives are forever changed after the tragedy and the path each life takes with every decision made weave a compelling story.
This was my first story by Catherine McKenzie, and that is a situation I will have to change, as soon as possible.
The Good Liar is a story that has more twists, turns, and loops than a roller coaster, I recommend you buckle in and take this ride.
#NetGalley #TheGoodLiar

Catherine McKenzie brings the suspense again in her latest novel The Good Liar. She has an uncanny way of making the reader think you have reached the last twist in the book and then adds another for extra measure.

This is definitely not my first Catherine McKenzie thriller and will certainly not be my last. If you like a great story that has more twist & turns than a mountain road, you definitely will love all of McKenzie's books, so why not begin with The Good Liar! You will definitely not be disappointed!

I know this is the kind of book that will be heartily enjoyed at my library--it should appeal to readers who enjoy Heather Graham and Iris Johansen, both of whom are very popular at my library. I liked the concept and I was not expecting the twists at the end. The characters definitely felt distinct, and I thought the varying methods of storytelling (e.g., inserting the interview transcripts) were effective. However, I found some parts of the book were confusing--almost like there were sentences missing. Transitions felt awkward.

This is my first time reading this author and I must say, I really enjoyed this book.

The book follows the lives of the 3 women a year after a horrible tragedy took place. The characters were really well written (I could have smacked them a couple of times though). Each having to deal with their own guilt and lies since that day.

The book was well written and hard to put down. I would recommend this to all of my book friends!

I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.

Packed with some surprising twists and turns, The Good Liar an aptly tilted psychological thriller about three women tied together by an awful tragedy.

On a fateful morning in Chicago, a gas leak causes a building to explode, killing over 500 people. Left behind are Cecily, whose loses both her husband and best friend, mysterious Kate, a woman who lives in Montreal who has a deep connection to the explosion, and Franny, who was recently reunited with her birth mother only to lose her once again. All three women are hiding deep secrets and appear to be existing in a fragile reality built by their web of lies.

Told through the POV’s of the three women, secrets are revealed, lies are exposed, and friendships are destroyed.

One of the issues I had with this book is the way Franny’s POV is shared. Where the reader is privy to what’s going on in Cecily’s and Kate’s minds, Franny’s voice is only shared through transcripts of her interviews with the documentary filmmaker. I would have loved to see what was going on inside her twisted mind!

The Good Liar starts off slow, and I had a hard time connecting with the characters in the beginning because there’s a cold distance surrounding them. However the more bits and pieces of their stories are shared, the more I was able to connect. The twists don’t stop until the very end, and while I have read a lot of books lately with too many twists, I enjoyed them in this case because they served a purpose. I would recommend to my fellow thriller lovers!

Much thanks to Cam from Lake Union Fiction for sending me an ARC of this book!

Wow, this kept me on the edge of my seat, wanting more! I really enjoyed how it was told in the voices of three different woman and how a major tragedy affected their lives. I had a hard time putting this book down and found myself dreaming of the characters and wondering how it would all turn out. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in an excellent story.
Congratulations to Catherine McKenzie on this book that definitely deserves 5 stars!

This book was excellent. The further along I got the more the twists and turns became. The story keeps you guessing until the end. Very well written. I highly recommend this book.

This book is one that pulls you in from the first page, and holds you all the way to the end--and you need to finish the epilogue to be sure you get the whole story! The plot has more twists and turns than a roller coaster!

You will discover that all of the main characters have secrets they are hiding in regards to the tragedy that connects them and that there is more than one "good liar" among them. All of their stories are compelling and you will find yourself caring in spite of yourself.

This is a book you definitely don't want to miss out on this year. It will stick with you long after you finish reading it.

I didn’t know much about this story going into it. I had never read a book by Catherine McKenzie before, but I heard this was her best one. And I was lucky and get an ARC before the release day.

The story was enthralling due to the explosion that the plot is centered around. You follow 3 women, broken up by alternating chapters. Some points of view are in the present and some are set before the accident. With each page that passes, you learn more about these characters, the secrets they hide, and the truth of their future.

Cecily, Kate and Franny are all unique in their own way, connected to the tragedy that the world is obsessed with on the one year anniversary. I especially loved reading about Cecily and Franny. Kate wasn’t boring, per se (her character development becomes more interesting halfway through), but I was really interested with where Cecily and Franny’s progress was going.

The plot moved along nicely, throwing little bits and pieces of twists to keep you engaged. I love when an author reveals a secret early into the book. It basically opens a door to other twists that keeps you guessing and wondering until the very end, but keeping your attention by the mystery you already know about.

I’m glad it went in the direction it did, and while some of it is left up to our imaginations, I must say, I felt like it ended rather abruptly. Maybe that’s just because the uncertainty is part of the ending… but I was like “oh, it’s over… there’s nothing else.”

If previous readers loved Catherine’s work in the past, I think they’ll really enjoy this read. Though I have not read her previous work, this was a quick, easy read for me. The story was based off an original idea and I found it creative to use a tragedy like this to gain insight into the lives of families affected by such a disaster. I can see this book getting many 4-5 star reviews!

I read Fractured by Catherine McKenzie and absolutely loved it so when I saw this book on NetGalley I didn't even hesitate to request it. Sadly, I didn't really care for this one that much.

On October 10th at 10:00am there is an explosion in a down town Chicago office building that kills 513 people. Cecily lost her husband and best friend Kaitlyn.

Fast forward one year later and a documentary is being made following three families that were effected by this tragedy.

We follow three POV's through out. That of Cecily the widow, Kate who escaped the explosion, and Franny who is the long lost daughter of Cecily's best friend, Kaitlyn, who gave her up for adoption at 18.

This book for me was just long and somewhat boring. The twists were fairly predictable. The last 30% was definitely the best part of the book and I thought everything up to that point sort of dragged. Still, Catherine McKenzie is a talented writer that I will gladly read again. 2.5 stars rounded up!

Thank you to NetGalley & Lake Union Publishing for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Three women had their lives altered by an explosion that cost over 500 people their lives. It’s now the first anniversary of the event and all are looking back. Cecile is the grieving widow, Franny an adult who had just found her biological mother only to lose her and Kate, who moved to Canada to escape the aftermath. But each has a secret she’s worried will be exposed due to the media coverage associated with the anniversary.

I loved Fractured, MacKenzie’s previous novel. This one starts slower and took a while to grab me. There were lots of twists and turns. Unfortunately, not all of them held together. The women are not likeable to an equal degree. And while I couldn’t sympathize with one of them, I liked the way Mackenzie was able to detail her story.

I also loved the way that Mackenzie details the voyeurism and that sense of the crowd’s right to someone's personal life.

The title is spot on. What does it mean to be a good liar? One who does it well? Or does it for the right reasons?

So, final analysis… this is a good, not great psychological thriller.

My thanks to netgalley and Lake Union for an advance copy of this book.

This book is aptly titled because there were so many secrets you really had to be a good liar to those around you. Sure by the end of the book we found out the secrets and in my own head I crowned the best liar, but I wonder how all of these women will be in the aftermath. I feel like Cecily will thrive, she got her bad secret out and can now live and honest life. While most of Kate's secrets are out, not everyone knows them or that she is behind certain actions. Her choices at the end were both good and bad, I feel for her family, but think they might be better off with the choice she made. Franny is the one that is most at risk, the one that I sort of feel was played, yet I'm glad she was.