Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC I as given in exchange for my fair and honest review.


I feel like I should give a disclaimer before I get into my review: I'm getting really sick with the trend (if you can call it a trend since there doesn't seem to be an end in sight) that has been popular in thriller for the last few years of making the main characters as despicable as you possibly can. As I mentioned in an earlier review on this blog, I'm not one of those people who needs to like the main characters; I agree that many of the most well-written fictional characters of all time have been just awful. Having said that, there's a difference between making developed well-rounded characters that happen to have some truly gross and disturbing traits (pedophilia, abuse, etc.) and just seeing which character in your story will be more morally bankrupt. This was the main problem I had with The Perfect Liar; while I believe there are many selfish, dishonest narcissists in the world, I have a problem when everyone is the book is similarly awful to sociopathic levels because it's just not believable. It's the same as when everyone is portrayed as a saint: most people are gray.


That said, many of the themes in this book are important ones, particularly the way abuse is handled. Susannah goes from an obviously abusive husband to a more subtly abusive one, which I think is something that happens a lot; people who have been abused are so happy that there partner isn't as bad as the last one, they don't see the glaring warning signs. Max, who is extremely opportunistic, hones in on Susannah quickly and a perfect storm of toxic marriage begins. It's a sad story, but one that feels totally authentic. Truth be told, the sub plots of murder and the whole "thriller" aspect is far less interesting than this very human one: the descent that manipulation causes in their marriage is more interesting than some notes that come from an unknown source.


My last complaint is I wish we saw more of Freddy. I know that his absence is kind of the point; his isolated, sullen teen boy nature hides the complicated dynamic between he and his mother. Still, I think there should be something a reader can grasp, some signs of what's to come when a story is finished. The relationhsip between Susannah and Freddy turns out to be a pretty huge plot point and I'd loved it if that relationship was explored in more depth. It might have also humanized Susannah a bit more and let's face it: that would have been a welcome addition.

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The Perfect Liar by author Thomas Christopher Greene is a great book. Just when you think you have it figured out, you find out you don’t. At all. Twist and turns at every corner.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy of The Perfect Liar in exchange for an honest review.

Wow!! I did not see that coming!

Max and Susannah seem to be the perfect couple, but looks are deceiving.

There were some times I had to start a paragraph over because of a flashback catching me off guard.

While reading this, you know something is going to happen, so you hang on to the edge of your seat. Once things start happening and you’ve gotten the back stories behind you, hang on tighter. The road is about to get bumpier.

This is a great and quick read! It took me about 3.5 hours to read.

I really enjoyed it! Maybe you will to!

I received this book "The Perfect Liar" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. The book was somewhat interesting but nothing great in my opinion. I would have liked some breaks in the story so that you can stop at a chapter. I almost gave up reading until about a third of the way in - it got more interesting but still lacked something. Kinda wished I just didn't finish because there are so many books on my list to read and this one seemed liked a waste of my time. I didn't care about the characters and the story just seemed to drag.

Never have I been so glad to finish a book! These were truly awful characters, so evil! I almost stopped reading this a few times but I was curious to see how it would end so I stuck it out. Ugh. Wow.

You really have to suspend reality with this story. I think that had it been written before all the real crime tv shows and the computer age set in it would have been more “believable”. Now that we know about identity theft and falsifying resumes’ and the like it seems highly improbable that the identity of Max wouldn’t be discovered well before he gained any real fame, regardless of how much of a showman he was.

Susannah was horrific too. Her son, though more of a victim of circumstance, seems to be on track to end up in the same boat.

There were some good twists, unexpected. Delores, the investigator, made some highly questionable decisions even based on some facts that came to light. It would have been a more clever story had she done the opposite I think.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and St. Martin’s Press for a copy in exchange for a review.

A psychological murder mystery with complex characters.

Susannah & Max W are both hiding secrets from the world and each other. Their marriage becomes a game of cat and mouse as Susannah fears for her life when she learns about Max's previous life before she mete him. The ending was perfect in so many ways though no-one should get away with murder.

This was another hard to put down book.

The twists and turns is what kept me captivated! You think you know whats happening and then something else comes up and it changes your thoughts! Loved it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early review copy.

How well do you know your spouse? Widowed single mom Susannah has remarried the man of her dreams. He's an artist, college lecturer, and a very sought-after motivational speaker. Life is really good until one day they find a note stuck to the front door: "I know who you are". Max dismisses it in front of Susannah, but he's concerned: who knows his secret?

This book was very enjoyable and full of unexpected twists. It was wonderfully written, fast-paced, and had really good character development. When someone worried, the reader worried. When someone was angry, so were you. There are surprises around every corner, with a turn later in the story that you didn't see coming.

Enjoyed it immensely!

This book consumed me. I couldn't put it down- and not for lack of trying! It's a dramatic roller coaster of a book that hooks you from page one. I didn't see the ending coming. I didn't see what was going to happen throughout the book. And I couldn't imagine what a thrilling novel this was going to be. The format wasn't my favorite, but I think it's original.

Overall, a well rounded book!

Never heard of this author but when NetGalley gave me an ARC I had to read it. The description was great as its a story of Suzannah, who is a widow and has a young son. And many secrets. She remarries to a man - Max - who also has secrets.

They move to beautiful Vermont and there they start getting notes - I KNOW WHO YOU ARE - when people start dying, and the notes keep coming....you know the world they know is about to come crumbling down. But also they are literally getting away with murder....until the end which is not what you would expect or even think will happen.

Although this book will not be out until January of 2019, put it on your TBR list today!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was the first book I read by this author. I love good thrillers and was guessing a lot about the notes left on the door of the main characters. The twists of the suspenseful storyline made it very exciting to read. I highly recommend the book. And, of course, will be reading more of this author.

I received this book as a ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Every relationship has secrets and those secrets can bring you closer together or drive you apart. Susannah, a single mother, meets Max W, an aspiring artist with a dark secret, and falls in love. Their "perfect" life begins to unravel when someone starts leaving notes on their door. Both Susannah and Max are hiding something. How far will they go to protect the life they've built?

This is an short, engaging book with some unexpected twists that made it really enjoyable read.

ABSOLUTELY A MUST READ! The title of this book, THE PERFECT LIAR, is quite apropos for this captivating story with a conniving cast of characters. Who is manipulating who? As a reader who generally seeks to find likeable qualities in the protagonists, the author successfully shook up my impressions to the very core. I am afraid to explain more because I do not want to spoil it for any readers. Well done! I will definitely look forward to reading more by this author.

Absolutely incredible novel. Marvelous storytelling of a couple's relationship and past histories. Captivating thriller which keeps you wanting more.
One of the best books I have read all year. Can't wait to read more of Thomas Greene.

One Man wanting to be someone he is not, living a life that he believes he is destined to live, with the perfect wife, whom he desperately loves. What does she know about him? What does she care? They haven't known each other long, but the match is a perfect one, or is it?

To what lengths will he go to keep his secrets?
The perfect lies that have been told will shock you. A perfect example of how what you don't know can hurt you.

This was an intriguing story, but, it seemed to drag on and on as if the length of the story was so important that it just limped along until the end. Nothing fast paced about this book.

Does a person ever really know someone?? Susannah was the assistant to a very successful Art Dealer, Lydia. On one particular night, while at a showing, a very handsome and mysterious gentleman by the name of Max W. made her acquaintance. He let her know that he was crashing this party. The two left the party that night, and it was almost love at first sight. Max became a husband and stepfather overnight. The family was getting along great, and Max’s gift of speaking was really catching on. His talks regarding Art were making him famous in the Art world. Now he and the family had moved to Burlington, Vermont, where he had accepted a job as a teacher at the University. One of the perks of the job was that they were able to stay at the beautiful Victorian for the three years of his contract. Susannah loved the home and the area, and it was an area which was much better for her teenage son to grow up in. Everything seemed perfect and normal, or did it? One day while leaving the house, there was a note left taped on the door, which read, “I KNOW WHO YOU ARE.” What did it mean? In a panic, Susannah called Max and told him about the note. Max assured her, it was nothing and they would talk about it when he returned home. Was this note left for Max? Who is he really? The thought buzzed around in Susannah’s head. Max returned home and began to wonder who had written this note. Did someone know about his secret? The first person who popped into his head was a very jealous colleague, David Hammer. Max decided that he would invite David and his wife over for dinner. The dinner started out quite well, and as the wine flowed, so did the sarcastic comments flow from David. He started asking Max if he knew someone at CalArts. David said he Max should know this person, since they should have been in the same classes. Max decided then that David was the one leaving the notes. He asked David if they could both go trail running the following Saturday. The run went well and they scheduled a run for the next Saturday. However, David never made it back. Max claimed that David fell into the river gorge and that he had tried to save him, but the undertow was too strong to save David. Susannah knew in her heart that this was no accident, and that Max murdered David. The strange thing was that more notes were left after David’s death. Who could it be? David died for nothing. What other secrets did Max have that Susannah didn’t know about? Susannah’s paranoia set in and she began to fear for her life? But Susannah has secrets of her own, as well. What secrets had she been hiding from Max and her son Freddy? This book was a definite roller coaster ride and the ending was certainly not what I expected. It kept me glued to the pages for quite a few nights. The plot was well thought out. And the character development was so intense that the reader could actually feel what was going on in the mind of the character. I enjoyed the push and pull through out this book. I look forward to reading more from this author. Definitely a psychological thriller you won’t want to miss!!

Enjoyed this book. Kept me interested, involved and guessing what would happen next. Great ending and a lot of unexpected surprises.

In Thomas Christopher Greene's The Perfect Liar, Susannah and Max meet each other at a New York art event. They marry only months after meeting and with artist Max's star on the rise, they move with Susannah's son Freddy to a small college town in Vermont where Max takes a faculty position at the university. Their life seems close to perfect until someone starts putting mysterious notes on their door:

I KNOW WHO YOU ARE
DID YOU GET AWAY WITH IT?
I SAW WHAT YOU DID

Who is leaving these notes and whose secret is about to be revealed?

Overall I enjoyed this book. It had all the makings of a good psychological thriller -- suspenseful plot with slow build, flawed characters, unexpected twists and surprise ending. However, I would have preferred for it to have been structured into more chapters rather than just go on as it did, and not have so many frequent and abrupt temporal and POV shifts.

The Perfect Liar is due to be released for publication in January 2019,

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I didn’t like the way this was set up, like there were no chapters. I also didn’t like Susannah and I found her annoying. This was an ok book but I wasn’t blown away by it.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Thomas Christopher Greene for an advance copy of this novel.

Wow. This is my first Thomas Christopher Greene book, and I really enjoyed it. The story was a bit slow in the beginning, but it picked up around the middle. I really liked the ending.

An enjoyable read, and I'll definitely be picking up more of his books.