Member Reviews
Thanks a million Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this book. Absolutely fantastic. Endless twists and turns that I didn't see coming! Kept on the edge of my seat right to the last page. Delivery recommend.
DC Charlie and her team are hunting a serial killer who is brutally mutilating and killing police officers and leaving a red rose on their bodies.The killer is getting bolder and the bodies keep lining up leaving Charlie and her team stupefied while dealing with an internal investigation.
This is the third book in DC Charlie’s series and is a solid police procedural thriller.The plot is good , a little slow paced but with some twists and turns to make it a satisfying 3 ½ stars read
I would like to thank Aria & NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.
This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
This psychological thriller is superbly written and really puts the reader at the heart of the investigation. I felt as if I was part of the team!
Charlie Stafford, detective constable, works as part of a close knit murder investigation team. DI Hunter ‘the guv’nor’ is held in high esteem by his squad and then a new member is foisted upon them and upsets the status quo. As if that wasn’t bad enough it happens at the start of a killing spree – murders happening so quickly one after the other that the team are struggling to keep up, never mind get on top of things. Added to the stress of a new member who is most definitely NOT a team player there is the matter of an IPCC investigation relating to their last case which seems to be dragging on, all adding to the mounting stress for Hunter.
This is a gripping read, with excitement mounting throughout the book. I found myself reading well into the night, desperate to know who the perpetrator of such heinous crimes was – and let me tell you, it wasn’t who I thought! Excellently executed story, well planned and keeping the reader on their toes – this is one police procedural I cannot recommend highly enough. What a terrific novel!
My thanks to Melanie Price of Aria – and my apologies for missing the blog tour due to illness. I received an arc via NetGalley. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.
Starting with a brief throwback chapter Liar, Liar promptly then throws the reader into the present day action with the bodies of three police officers found in quick succession. The plot is gripping and well paced as the author pulls the reader through the chapters, despite reading it into the late evening I frequently found myself thinking just one more chapter I need to know what happens… and I must admit I was kept guessing through most of the book.
Liar, Liar is not for the faint hearted, the killings are brutal and Sarah Flint doesn’t shy away from creating some vivid imagery. However for me that just added the the realism of the story, I felt the fact Sarah was a police officer herself really shone through, with characters working through rest days and doing overtime, certain forensic tests taking time to produce results unlike the immediate results TV shows like CSI have lead us to think happens.
I also really connected with the characters, with DC Charlotte Stafford in particular. Charlie came across as a dedicated conscientious police officer, and there’s enough of her history contained within this story for the reader to understand why she does the job she does.
However throughout the book there are references to a previous case that went wrong and I think I would have benefitted from reading the previous two books in the series first – at points I struggled to understand Hunter’s issues, and although it was explained by the end of the book I think if I’d read the previous book/s I would have understood where is actions were coming from. There is also clearly a back story with Charlie and the character Ben that I didn’t have and I think knowing it would have given me a better perspective on their relationship.
Would I Recommend?
Yes! I really enjoyed this one, I think I would recommend reading the two previous books in the series to get the most out of it, but it was a gripping read for me even without having the additional background information on the characters
Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really wished I had read the previous 2 books and the score would have been higher.
This is the first book I've read in this detective series. I really enjoyed it and I'll be looking for the others in the series. I like Charlie as a character. This is about a serial killer who is going after police officers. It's really well written and once I'd started it I couldn't put it down. It's now 12.43am and I've finished! Full of twists and I didn't guess the outcome! Would highly recommend to anyone especially those who love a good detective series!
Liar Liar is the third book in it he DC Charlotte Stafford Series.I am ashamed to say that it is also the first book that I have read by Sarah Flint and it certainly won't be my last. After reading this I really want to go and read the first two books purely because I enjoyed it so much. I am happy to say that this can be read has a standalone the author gives us plenty of background information so we really get a feel for the characters.
I loved Charlotte she hasn't had an easy life with her past and the author has done a brilliant job of making her so real to life and easy to relate to. She has a good team of people around her and in this gripping story we follow the hunt for a twisted killer when a dog is found wounded beside the mutilated body of its owner. And woman is discovered bound and gagged, dead in her own bed. Both are police officers. This is one brutal killer but can Charlotte and her team find the killer before another body is found?!
With a rather tense opening I was gripped and couldn't turn the pages fast enough I actually devoured this in one afternoon. Liar Liar will certainly have you on the edge of your sit. I actually found myself holding my breath with some of the descriptions in this story, they are rather gruesome so this isn't for the fainthearted. But those of you that follow my reviews will know that's right up my street. I love anything that will make me squirm. And this story did just that!
I have to say that I was very impressed with the police procedure in this story and the authors 35 years experience in the Metropolitan Police really shines though.
This is one gripping story with a brilliant plot that I highly recommend giving it 4 stars I am looking forward to reading more by Sarah Flint.
Thanks to Netgalley for my copy. 4.5 stars.
This is the third in this series but the first one I have read. This didn't spoil my enjoyment even though there were referrals to previous events from the first two books. I will go back and read them though because I am intrigued by the relationship between Charlie and Ben.
A police officer is found brutally murdered and his dog is seriously injured alongside him. DI Hunter and his crack team including DC Charlie Stafford are investigating this murder when another police officer is found slain in an equally gruesome and shocking way. A single red rose without thorns lies by each victim. What is the possible link and who is the cruel and merciless perpetrator?
This is an extremely well written police thriller, it is obvious from the meticulous detail that the author has a varied and long career in the police. I have read books by so called authors in their field of expertise and it does not make them good writers but Sarah Flint is definitely a very good writer. Her characters are well developed and her storylines flow. Even the unlikeable characters were thrilling.
This is another great thriller!
I haven’t read any of the previous books in the series, but I still enjoyed the story. There were some references to things that had happened before, and some relationships weren’t detailed, like Charlie and Ben, but other than that, it was great.
Each of the murders were so creepy. I couldn’t figure out who did it. There were a few suspects but I couldn’t piece together who did it, which made the book all the more fun.
I really liked how the chapters were from different points of view. Some focused on the murderer and others were about the detectives. Even the beginning was clever, because the first few chapters showed a different assault happening, which hooked me right away.
I really enjoyed this thriller and I will look for more from Sarah Flint in the future!
The third installment of the DC Charlie Stafford series is a dark, disturbing and compulsively readable thriller from the new queen of serial killer chillers: Sarah Flint!
When police offers are found murdered in the most brutal and horrifying way, it is up to DC Charlie Stafford and her boss, DI Hunter, to get to the bottom of this case and uncover the cruel perpetrator who is committing these vicious and heinous acts. But what could link the two murders that have taken place? Whilst one victim was butchered, the other was a woman who was found bound and gagged and murdered in her very own bed. There is only one thing that links them and that is a single red rose that was found next to their bodies; the threat of further bodies waiting to be discovered ever present.
The detectives have plenty of questions, but very few answers. Why were the victims targeted? Who is behind these murders and what is their reason for committing such an inhumane act? Should they lend any credence to the plethora of lies, rumours and vicious accusations that are flying about? Caught in a race against time to find the criminal before another murder occurs, will Charlie, Hunter and the entire team get to the bottom of this shocking mystery? Or is this a puzzle that simply cannot be solved?
Sarah Flint is on top form as always with Liar Liar! A writer who stands shoulder to shoulder with some of the genre’s greats such as Angela Marsons, Val McDermid and Jeffrey Deaver, Sarah Flint’s books are not for the faint-hearted, but once you pick up one of her gripping crime novels, putting them down is certainly not an option.
Liar Liar is a stunning crime thriller that should be read with the lights on as it will scare you senseless! A heart-pounding chiller packed with jaw-dropping twists and turns, nail-biting suspense and spine-tingling action, Liar Liar is another triumph for the fantastic Sarah Flint!
4☆ Gripping Police Thriller, Race to solve the case!
Liar Liar is the third book in the series, however the first book for me.
I feel this can be read as a standalone and I didn't have problems getting to grips with the characters or storyline.
However there are some underlying storylines I would of liked to of known more about. For example, Charlie's friend Ben and his ptsd.
The Prologue to this book chilled me to the bone as we uncover a scene of domestic abuse.
The next scene we are treated too is a break in, at precisely 03.33
A mysterious intruder is sent in to kill a lady in bed!
He cuffs her then kills her!
Who is she?
Why do they want her killed?
Then we have another 2 brutal murders both police officers.
One that shocked me and nearly made me quit the book was when the killer stabbed the dog to get the officers attention....
ok the Dog survived..... Thank God!
Or it would of been game over!
However the police officer had acid thrown in his face and he had his wrists hacked off with a single red rose placed between him.
Making him untraceable!
It gave me the chills!
Who is this person brutally murdering officers?
Why a rose?
DC Charlie Stafford and Hunter (her boss) and the investigating team are trying very hard to uncover the pieces and find out who is targeting the Police Force and why!
I really liked Charlie she is fiesty and not affraid of a challange.
Liar Liar is a well written Police Procedural that has a well thought out storyline and has clearly been researched very well.
Which makes it all the more enjoyable and real as you can tell Sarah Flint really knows her police work! As you delve deeper into the case!
It has suspense, gruesome murders that luckily is not so graphic too make you cover your eyes, a fantastic police team that gel together to help catch the cop killer, it's a book that keeps you on edge as you try to work out who the serial killer is and why they are doing it. it's a race against time to stop the killer before the next police member is killed!
A great Police Thriller, that had me thinking till the end.
It's not as fast paced as I usually read, but it definitely packed a punch!
I would recommend this book to those readers looking for a Police Thriller that has suspense as well as content!
I often enjoy a criminal fiction novel that is written by an author with a background in the field, and Sarah Flint was no exception. She has a career spanning over 35 years serving with the Metropolitan Police in London.
She starts off with the suspense at the very first few pages, and does not let you go until the very end. This is definitely a gripping crime novel that will keep you guessing, and we all know that is what makes these novels so intriguing. It felt as though this story was very personal for Sarah Flint. Maybe it was because the story involved police officers being murdered. I am not quite sure; but, it definitely had a realness to it.
This being the 3rd in the DC Charlotte "Charlie" Stafford Series does not make it any less understandable, so it can definitely stand alone. However, it does make me want to add the other two to my To-Read shelf; which I have done.
I really enjoyed her characters DC Charlie and DI Hunter, which made it all the more exciting. I am hoping there is more for Charlie. We shall see...
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the plot had me completely gripped and guessing right up to the end - I particularly liked the cover of this one, very atmospheric and an excellent choice for the book. The characters were great and I loved Charlie and Hunter and the rest of the team and how they worked together - I can see this being a series I definitely want to follow!
This is the third book in the DI Charlotte Stafford series and whilst I have the other two I haven't read them as yet so I would say that this one is fine to be read as a stand alone - I didn't feel that I missed out on anything from not having read the previous books.
The writing style was excellent and you could tell the author knew her stuff writing a story such as this, the whole thing was believable, sadly I gave read a few books in this genre of late that have been a bit far fetched - I have given this book 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars for Goodreads and Amazon!
Now I have read this one I will be reading the previous two books - Mummy's Favourite (book 1) and The Trophy Taker (book 2) very soon as I enjoyed this one so much - I do love it when I find a new author to me that covers one of my favourite genres!
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the Publisher, Aria for this review copy, given in exchange for an honest review.
This is Book #3 in the Charlotte Stafford series. Whilst you can do what I did and read it as a standalone book, it does make sense to read the books in order. There are parts of the book that obviously refer to previous stories and I did feel it would have been better to have read the other ones first.
Police officers are being brutally killed and it’s down to DI Geoffrey Hunter, DC Charlotte Stafford and the rest of the team to work out what the connections are between them and who would want them dead. Whilst doing all this, Charlotte and her boss Hunter, are undergoing an Internal Investigation from a previous case and are having to defend themselves against this.
This was my first book by this author. It started off right into the action with the first policeman being brutally murdered on his way home after finishing his shift. Whilst I’ve not encountered Charlotte and her team before, I felt that I fitted right in there with them and they all seemed likeable and worked well together. Although I have to admit I did struggle to see the significance of introducing the new member of the team, Nick, and especially more so by the end. There were obviously some longstanding storylines in this book from previous ones which again, as I had not read the previous books, I did struggle with understanding what was going on.
Overall, I did enjoy the book. The story flowed well and the plot was well thought out. I liked Charlotte, although I did initially feel that she was a higher rank than what she actually was because of her taking the lead so much. I also liked her relationship with DI Hunter, and there was obviously more of these two in previous books which I will definitely need to go back and read. The majority of the story was fast paced and action packed, but there were parts where the story seemed to slow up a bit and not flow as well as the rest. The killer was kept hidden until well into the book, and to be honest there was no way of working it out until it was given to you!
An enjoyable read and I will definitely go back and the read the rest of the series as it hopefully will answer all the questions that I had!
This is the third novel in the DC Charlie Stafford series and what a rollercoaster this was. The books just seem to get better and better. Sarah Flint doesn’t give anything away until the right time and the right place and this novel is a proof of that.
When a body of a police officer is found, it sends shock waves through the whole organisation. And when Charlie and her boss Hunter arrive at the scene and see the gruesome crime for themselves, it leaves them feeling angry and determined to catch whoever did this and to prevent any further officer deaths.
But with no witnesses, no DNA traces and no clear suspects, Charlie and her team hit a wall. That is until another two bodies are found. Someone has it in for the authority and they are not afraid to use some brutal force to let everyone know exactly what they think.
This one is personal and every member of the team is feeling the pressure. In this book I feel that Sarah Flint became even more of a master of investigations, there was more detail into the evidence and psychology of the killer. It was fab to read, a real page turner and I cannot wait to read the next book. The book also continues the complicated story of Charlie’s relationship with her friend Ben and I am intrigued as to where the next book takes them – I am rooting for them, but we’ll have to wait and see.
This is another excellent book for lovers of all things crime. Nothing is given away until the right time arrives and the reader is kept guessing until the last minute.
Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for access to this book in return for an honest review.
A man is found murdered, hideously disfigured, alongside his dying dog. A woman is discovered dead, tied up and gagged in her own bed. Both have a rose placed next to them but that is not the only similarity – both victims are police officers. DC Charlie Stafford and the rest of their team know that someone is out to kill more their own and they must be stopped before one of them becomes the next victim.
It is always nice to be asked to take part in a blog tour but even more so when the book is part of a series that you have grown to love. Liar Liar is the third book to feature Charlie Stafford and is part of a series that is going from strength to strength. I have mentioned in previous reviews (Mummy’s Favourite and The Trophy Taker) how much I enjoy the working relationship between the police officers in this series and this is still the same in Liar Liar. It is also pleasing to read a police procedural series where the focus is placed on the plot rather than the personal lives of the characters.
Liar Liar is very current with references to the recent terrorist attacks in London. This helped to place the story very much in the modern day and also helped to introduce how vulnerable police officers are in the world we live in. Despite them being on heightened terrorism alert, however, the team are not prepared for the heinous acts undertaken by the killer and their mentor, ‘Ice.’ It becomes apparent quite early in the book that there is some sort of leak, the perpetrator feeding information about the officers to the murderer. With several possible candidates, though, it is not made too obvious as to who this could be so it was fun trying to guess, along with trying to work out who the killer could be.
As in previous books in the series, Charlie is still trying to do the right thing by her friend, Ben, although, at the moment, she is struggling to help him cope with his issues. Ben is still a character I enjoy reading about and I am still willing him to come good! Although there are definitely hints of a romance on the cards, it is understandable why they are both wary and I’m glad that the author hasn’t rushed into this.
From the very beginning, when we are privy to a horrendous act of domestic violence, Liar Liar draws you in and takes you on a journey through the depraved mind of a killer and the lives of those tasked with bringing them to justice. This is a must-read series.
This is my kind of novel. A great plot with strong lead characters that I enjoyed from start to finish.
It was the first time I'd read a book by Sarah Flint and I wasn't familiar with the 'team' but it wasn't difficult to work out who was who and it can be read as an excellent, stand alone story. Many thanks.
Liar Liar by Sarah Flint
DC Charlotte Stafford #3
DC Charlotte “Charlie” Stafford and her team are in search of a police killing serial murderer. Each death is different and in keeping with the “crimes” the killer believes the person has committed. This story has some horrific deaths that thankfully are not explicitly narrated but are described with enough detail to allow the imagination to know what happened. Eventually the baddie is caught but only after more than one heinous murder is committed. The book is a well plotted and written police procedural that held my interest and introduced me to a new author. I would be interested in reading more about Charlie and would like to know more about her, her family, her team and her friend Ben.
Thank you to NetGalley and Aria for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4 Stars
This is the 3rd book in the Charlie Stafford series and in my opinion the best one. Charlie is tough and loyal but not without her own demons.
Police officers are being murdered.. in the most gruesome ways. Whilst trying to stop the murder she is also trying to defend herself and her boss in an internal investigation as well as defining her relationship with Ben.
Definately a page turner for me. Thanks to Netgalley and Aria for a copy of this book to read and review
This is the third book in this series. I’ve read book one but not book two. I do think these books can be read as standalones.
DC Charlie Stafford has a new case as a serial killer is killing police officers. Who’s killing them so horrifically? Can DC Charlie and the team find the serial killer before more are killed.
I though the plot was well thought out and the author certainly did her research. The suspense is very good and I liked most of the characters.
If you enjoy serial killer reads then I recommend this story.