Member Reviews

The Perfect Liar was a super-fast read and one that had me thinking I knew what was going to happen, only to be thrown off-course again. Susannah is a widower with a teenage son who has met the perfect man for her. His name is Max W. and he is exactly who she needs. He helps her to keep her mind on track and he adores her son. But he has some scary secrets in his past, and he also has a tendency towards scary behavior when he feels he has been slighted. Susannah has her own issues, after coming from a relationship where her husband was also her therapist. He was controlling and cruel to her, and this affects her life every day. One day Susannah finds a note of the front door that says, " I KNOW WHO YOU ARE," and it sends her into a tailspin. Who knows what she has done? Do they know everything? At the same time, Max believes the note is for him. But how could anyone know about what happened at the secluded cabin so many years ago? This story surrounds the lives of two very messed up people who eventually begin to circle each other, not knowing what the other is capable of. Who will win? And who will die? Such a good book!

Was this review helpful?

A story about a man and his wife who are both liars...

I did not enjoy this book. I dont think i really got into it. It was slow, and boring (sorry about that). The beginning was really hard to understand and it just stayed blah from there..

Was this review helpful?

I am sorry for not reviewing fully but I don’t have the time to read this at the moment. I believe that it wouldn't benefit you as a publisher or your book if I only skimmed it and wrote a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for not fully reviewing!

Was this review helpful?

This was a good read. I'd never heard of the Authir before, so I enjoyed reading a new to me Author, and discovering a new story. I like his writing style, and depth that. He brought to his characters. They were well balanced and came across as an average Joe, and not some unbelievable, over the top character. I do want to read more of Greenes work.

Was this review helpful?

Due to my very low rating no review will be posted to goodreads, amazon, or my youtube channel.
Thank you to the publisher for an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

A quick read about a seemingly perfect couple and life, with some surprising twists and turns. I really enjoyed this book even though it seems like “liar” is the new “girl” or “woman” for book titles. Don’t let that stop you from reading this book! I instantly want to read more from this author.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Was this review helpful?

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In this book, we meet Susanna a single mom to a fifteen-year-old son who meets and marries a charming artist named Max. They soon trade in the hustle and bustle of New York City for a sleepy little town in Vermont. After a jog, Susanna comes home to find a note on her door that says “I KNOW WHO YOU ARE”. Of course, the freaking out begins and the secrets come out. We start to learn more and more about Susanna and Max (He’s an artist, but they don’t mention what type) and they shady pasts. There were points in the book that seemed to slow, but midway through it really picked up. I thought I figured out the ending but was in for a pleasant surprise.

Was this review helpful?

This thriller was so good. i couldn't stopped reading. I wanted to know the end. It is best to go blind.

I am featuring this book in the Summer Reading Guide next month.

Was this review helpful?

Thomas Christopher Greene’s The Perfect Liar was actually really hard to put down, because it is so fluidly written! But I also wanted to savor it, because its such a fantastic story and his writing drew me into the book in a way that I can’t quite think of another book in this genre does. This is truly domestic noir at its finest–filled with secrets and darkness, in a picture-perfect family with a picture-perfect life.

Oh Susannah! Oh Max! These two are living quite the life! Who would guess the darkness lurking behind closed doors?

As the book begins, we learn that beautiful single mother Susannah has married handsome, enigmatic artist Max W. (enjoy the story of why he goes by Max W.–it is a delightful part of the novel!), and they’ve relocated to a quiet, beautiful university town in Vermont where Max has a three-year appointment. Max has a great relationship with Susannah’s son, and it seems that both of them have left their struggles behind. They’ve finally made it!

So when Susannah starts to receive those notes, she doesn’t know what to do. They must be about Max, right? She remembers the odd events that she had tried to ignore… Or are they about something else entirely?

I loved learning the backstory of these characters! The way Greene wove their stories together was so compelling, that I didn’t want to put it down! Max’s backstory–oh wow! It is SO compelling. Darkness, lies, light, mystery, innovation, grit–Max is a truly outstanding character! The more I learned about him, the more I realized that he is truly a one-in-a-million character. I don’t want to spoil a single element to his backstory, so readers should experience it themselves! It starts to unfold through Part 1, and you learn a lot about what Max has been up to.

But don’t feel like you’ll run out of story when Max’s past is revealed! Susannah herself has quite a compelling story. Her first marriage, and their relationship. The father of her son. Well let’s just say, Susannah herself has quite a lot of darkness in her history! It is hard to decide at times if Susannah is fragile or strong! You’ll have to read and decide for yourself.

And the ending is absolutely perfect, in my opinion! That’s all I will say about it. A perfect ending for a perfect liar!

I can’t wait to see what Greene does next. I’ll definitely be reading it!

On Greene’s Writing

If I could try to describe Greene’s writing style, it would be fluid, seamless, or perhaps flowing. His story telling is delicate, but it is also unbreakable. When I say this book is un-put-down-able, it is not just due to the story (though the story is so compelling, that the story alone would have this effect). It’s also due to his writing. There are no natural breaks. Even when the story crosses into a memory, a different narrative, or a different point in time, it happens so smoothly that I’m in an entirely different part of the story without realizing Greene took me there.

From the very opening sentence, I found Greene’s writing to be so beautiful. In fact, the rich detail combined with the narrative rhythm makes this a book that seems to break new ground in the thriller genre. As a thriller-girl, it excites me to see something totally fresh and compelling. It doesn’t replace classics in the genre, but it does remind me that there is still so much opportunity for thrillers. Perhaps we’ve only just touched the surface of what this genre will become!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for my copy. Opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

It is the plot that drives this novel, not the characters. The Perfect Liar is well written. From the beginning Thomas Christopher Greene has created characters that are not likeable or trustworthy. That means you really cant look to the main couple for reliable clues. Even the teenage stepson gets tarred with the brush of their unreliability, so that his observations seem tainted. The narrative switches among the three members of the family. I would have liked the main characters to have been a little more engaging. They are layered and complex, but I didnt develop enough interest in them to try and uncover the layers. There are many twists and turns in the plot, and though I wasnt surprised by the ending, it was satisfactory. I would say that The Perfect Liar was a good, but not great weekend's read.
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.

Was this review helpful?

This was a very well done thriller. The notes, the notes are what ratcheted the suspense up a few notches.

The notes caused over the top reactions and most of the issues.

The notes. Where did they come from?

You have to read this because it's unlike other similar books. The twist is not what I thought it would be and it was so good.

Thank you so very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me an ARC at my request. My thoughts on this novel are my own.

Was this review helpful?

A decent psychological thriller and Suzanne and Max a perfect couple or are they? Although I didn't like the actual characters in the book the story line itself was decent and kept me interested.

Was this review helpful?

The plot sucked me in from the very beginning. The Perfect Liar was the perfect psychological thriller, one that I would read again and recommend to friends and family. The blend of the suspense and mystery in the storyline was astounding. All I have to say is WOW. Read this book when you have the chance!

Was this review helpful?

This excellent thriller kept me guessing until the end. So many of the characters are frauds, either by choice or pathology, and two of them are cold blooded killers. Figuring out who wrote and left three mysterious notes on the door of an outwardly normal, solid, couple is almost impossible, and you will be stunned when you find out who is behind it. This is not only a good story, it’s one that poses a broader question: who are we? How much of ourselves is a creation of our base desires? And how long can you get away with your lies?

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley.

Was this review helpful?

The Perfect Liar by Thomas Christopher Green is a novel of love and deceit and the collateral damage that comes from the dark secrets we keep to ourselves. It is also a reminder of the past and its ability to return and take back those things that we have stolen from it.

Susannah was a young widow and single mother when she met Max, a charismatic up and coming artist who's views on modern art were turning him into a rock star. He was everything she didn't even know she wanted. After the death of her first husband, a much older man, Susannah was left rudderless and drifting. But Max came along and moved her to a small college town where is speaking tours and tenure in the art department made him a local celebrity. Susannah feels as if her life has just been blessed, Max is a strong provider and her teenage son seems to have a great relationship with Max as well. But the loss and memories of her first husband's death haunt her still.

Max has a past. It's one he's worked very hard to keep hidden. His life now is a product of that past but he knows full well that it would take very little to bring his life down around him. He has a great career, plenty of money, a beautiful wife and a stepson that adores him. For once in his life, Max has more to lose than ever before. But he has taken precautions and Max knows he has to protect his new life by any means possible.

Then one morning, while Max is away, Susannah finds a note taped to her door.

I KNOW WHO YOU ARE.

Max convinces Susannah that it must be a prank but she knows in her heart that it must be more to it than that. Max knows that there is more to it than that and he knows he needs to find out who left the note on his door. Then days after a neighborhood couple share a dinner with Max and Susannah, the husband ends up dead. A victim of a tragic accident while on a run with Max.

Days later, another note ends up on their door.

DID YOU GET AWAY WITH IT?

The secrets that Max and Susannah have kept from the world and from one another begin to unravel and soon they find one another to be strangers. Max knows he has to keep his secrets at any cost and Susannah begins to fear the man she loves.

The Perfect Liar is a tense and atmospheric thriller that is played out as much in the minds and past of our main characters as it is in real time moments. Who is Max and who is Susannah is central to this tale. While it is Max whose lies and deceptions are open for the reader to see, it is Susannah's past that is integral with the where the story goes. Susannah is a complex character and the first impression of a dependent and damaged wife is misleading and it is Susannah's growth through this tale that makes it very much worth the reading.

A good novel and fast read!

Was this review helpful?

The Perfect Liar had me hooked from the very beginning. This thriller was right up my alley. Who doesn’t love a good suspenseful, domestic drama filled with lies, deceit, betrayal and secrets? I know I do!!

I enjoyed reading this book from alternating perspectives of both Susannah and Max. As it turns out, neither of them were completely honest with not only themselves but with one another. They hid secrets, and betrayed not only each other but everyone else around them. They both had something to lose if others found out their secrets, and both came from a dark past.

Max was an interesting character and as the story is told from his perspective we learn that he had gone through a lot. He makes his fair share of mistakes, has a lot of secrets from his dark past as well as the present, and is clearly a troubled man. he can be dark, mysterious and frightening. However, he presents as very friendly, charismatic, charming and successful. Everyone seems to adore him.

Susannah seems like a loving and doting wife to Max and mother to her teenage son. She will do anything for those she loves, and has a kind heart and is friendly with everyone she meets. However, she too has her own secrets and has a troubled past.

Both characters were complex and interesting to read about.

I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. If you love a good thriller then look no further than this book! With a gripping and addictive storyline, and a shocking ending that will rock you, this book was a fantastic read!

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed the writing style in this book. The characters were all very interesting and that hooked me from the beginning. The twists weren't all incredibly original however, I never found myself bored. It was a fast read and perfect for those looking for an escape.

Overall very happy with this and will pick up more by the author in the future.

Was this review helpful?

2.5 stars?

To me. nothing really stood out against other domestic thriller novels that I've read in the past. It started out really captivating, but after the first big plot reveal, my enthusiasm for this book took a dive. I was also just let down by the ending. I feel like it was predictable and I was hoping that the author would have taken these characters and their actions to the next level, but he really didn't.

ALSO!! It just took a simple google search to uncover a BIG secret in this book??? Like how did none of the other characters catch on???

Was this review helpful?

I received this book from netgalley for an honest review. I'm glad that I read it! This book hooked me in from the beginning with the description of the note left for them to find. "I KNOW WHO YOU ARE" . So creepy and mysterious! Never knowing who wrote the note and why for so long kept me in suspense. If that happened to you, what would you think? With the wife's shady past, what we start to learn of the husband and what little we know of the son it's hard to know who it's for and why. This book definitely kept me hooked! I'll be looking for more books from this author real soon!

Was this review helpful?

This was a pretty solid psychological thriller. Susannah and Max seem to have the ideal life living in Vermont, but things are definitely not what they seem. Susannah, a widowed single mother meets Max when he sneaks into a fancy artists' party. He is an up and coming artist looking for the right introductions. They fall in love, get married and Max's career takes off. They end up living in Vermont when Max is offered a teaching job at the university. Things start to unravel when they find a note on their door saying, "I know who you are." We quickly learn that Max is not who he claims to be and Susannah may have some secrets of her own. As the tension ramps up, their mistrust of each other spirals out of control. What lengths will they each go to in order the keep their secrets buried in the past?

Was this review helpful?