The premise is interesting, but the novel does not deliver, I am sorry to say. This is more of telling the story than to solve a mystery, more of a women’s fiction than a novel of crime. The reader is simply told a story, no questions asked neither from the reader nor from the author. Which is, unfortunately, not my cup of tea.

Fabulous plot which I could not put down. Brilliant characters, and twists and turns. Highly recommend to other fans of this genre!!

I read this book with interest as we have another female detective with angst to learn about. But question for authors - why so many - dare I say the majority - of female detectives seem to have angst? At least until they reach a ripe middle age and even then - see 'Vera' who is still anguishing about her relationship with her father.
Now for the book - a suspense novel with twists and turns and heartbreak - child abuse, criminal fraternity links, lots of queries about who is telling truths and much more. Not a light book for a beach read, but compelling and w,ell written. A book that keeps you reading even if you wish it would take a turn for the better...
Ducks and their sex life is a light topic that gets mentioned and as I have often seen ducklings with multi coloured broods I decided to check up on it.– see www.news.com.au which is a serious study of ducks and how they procreate. And just what it is that male ducks produce ...
And not forgetting that female ducks can be quite promiscuous around mating time – they will sometimes choose multiple partners in order to receive the best genetic material. Hence you can see duck mums with a brood of many different colours or even species ducklings.

I've read all of Mel's books, and once again this one also didn't disappoint! I got gripped by the throat from the very first page and could only get my breath back at the last page. Recommended!
TB

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the previous ones in the series.
The ending felt flat and things weren’t tied up.
Hoping the next one will be better

I listened to the audiobook version of this novel. I didn’t realise it was part of a series but I don’t think it mattered too much that I hadn’t read the others.

The story opens with a young boy falling from a balcony in a block of flats. His parents are insistent it was an accident, despite the railings being too high for the boy to fall over on his own. There are plenty neighbours around but all of them maintain they didn’t see anything.

DS Grace Allendale has to find out the truth, amidst everyone’s lies.

It turns out Ruby, the boy’s mother, has had a chequered past and dodgy characters from her past are hunting her down and threatening not only her, but her family.

There are quite a lot of these dodgy characters and I did get them mixed up a few times and had to think about who was who.

The plot jumps around from different characters and different time periods which was a bit confusing sometimes.

The narration is good and diction clear, it isn’t overdone and tells the story well.

Some parts I thought were maybe a little implausible but overall I quite enjoyed this. It held my interest and I was curious enough to find out what was going to happen next.

I might read the other books in the series and will look out for more from this author.

I am absolutely LOVING this series and this book was no exception. Grace Allendale is back and this book felt much more focused on the story as opposed to anything personal about Grace. The first two books give you a real insight into her as a character which is great but this one was a pure page turner in terms of what why and who. It starts with a young boy Tyler Douglas ‘falling’ from a block of flats but conveniently nobody saw or heard anything.

At first we just see the storyline develop in terms of them questioning suspects and you will see a couple of characters brought into the fray. In addition a secondary thread switches between times and looks at Ruby back from when she was younger up to now. I can honestly say that I was really taken with the story and didn’t really want to put the book down.

This was such an enjoyable read and a brilliant addition to this series and I cannot wait to see what happens next. Luckily book 4 is already out so will be on my to read list in the not too distant future.

Another fantastic read in the series! I couldn't stop reading - so many twists and turns to keep you guessing. Grace is a great character, as always.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author but it was great. If you’re into Martina Cole/Kimberley Chambers definitely give this one a go. I felt sorry for Ruby and the life that she found herself trapped in and it was really easy to dislike the main characters that were up to no good. Overall a really enjoyable fast paced read and I would recommend it to others.

Unfortunately I suspect I was not quite in the mood for a police procedural when I picked this up. It was well written with good characters but I never really got into it and it evaporated from my memory quickly.

For some reason I had trouble getting into this book and I k ow it's not the book as this author is one of my favouties

This is one of my fav thriller series so far. The thing that makes it stand out from other thrillers is just how realistic the storyline and characters are! I could not put it down and look forward to the next books. I actually read this book before reading the previous two and ended up stopping, going back to book 1 and reading the series from the start.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVE Mel Sherratt’s books, and this latest instalment of the Grace Allendale story didn’t disappoint. I was completely invested throughout, wanting to know why nobody would speak out when a child falls from the balcony of a block of flats. Guilt? Fear? Grace and her team get to work to establish the truth and solve the case. Finished in a day!

Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read this book. I am sorry to say I found it very pedestrian so much so that I only got 30% through before I gave up. Sorry.

Liar Liar is a fast paced gritty detective thriller. The characters have depth and are believable. The plot is very well thought out and executed. I enjoyed reading it and consider it one of Mel Sherratt’s best books.

My thanks to Netgalley and Avon at HarperCollins publishers for the opportunity to read it.

Mel Sherratt takes us to Stoke, Staffordshire and the fictional estate of Harrison House where we come across guilt, drugs, gangs, survival, fear, payback, family/relationships, abuse, manipulation, dangerous games, and a desire for justice to be served.
Liar, Liar’s opening had my jaw on the floor. You immediately know that something terrible has happened, but what!? That was it, I was HOOKED! Told from multiple POV’s, you get to know the characters and hear their stories – Mel Sherratt has a great knack for making the reader feel they know her characters – like they could be your neighbour or your friend. I love that sense of familiarity. The dual timeline was a clever addition, we slowly learn the backstory of how everyone is connected, without revealing too much so the suspense is what keeps you turning the pages until everything is revealed.
As much as I loved the storyline, it really is the characters that move this story forward. We see one version of them as described by those around them, but when the author lets us into their heads – and their secrets are drip fed to us – it makes for some intense and uncomfortable reading at times. Superb! I enjoyed learning more about Grace Allendale this time around – although the Steele’s are present, we see more of Grace finding her feet within her team and understand how she works in bringing justice to those who decide to use her patch as a way to break the law.
Would I recommend this book? I’d be ‘barmy on the crumpet’ if I said I didn’t because I bloody well do! Gritty, intense, pacy and compelling – Mel Sherratt has a skilful way of bringing the reader into the pages and delivering an unputdownable read! This series just keeps getting better and I can’t wait to see where things go from here!
Highly recommended!

Having not read the previous books in the series, I am happy to say this worked well as a stand alone novel - although I have since bought two of Mel's earlier books to read. The subject matter was quite dark in places and even tough reading at times, you couldn't help but feel a chill thinking of the secrets people keep and the way their lives are affected. I don't have (thankfully) experience of the surroundings of estate life or gangs, no police procedural workings, but Mel's excellent scene setting and style of writing makes the atmosphere feel cloaked around the reader and allows us to step right into that world. For me this is the real talent of the writer and the reason I immediately went on to order two previous books - this was a wholly absorbing read and the characters will stay with me for a long time. Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.

‘Liar Liar’ is the latest book by Mel Sherratt in the DS Grace Allendale series.

When a young boy falls from a balcony in a block of flats, DS Grace Allendale witnesses the shocking aftermath of the tragic event. But strangely, no one will admit to seeing anything – and the parents will only tell the police that it was an accident. Determined to sort the truth from the lies, Grace is thrown into a case that takes her to the darkest corners of the criminal world – and strikes closer to home than she could have ever imagined.

‘Liar Liar’ is the first book that I’ve read by Mel Sherratt and it honestly was a great introduction to a new author.

It’s the latest book in her DI Grace Allendale series and is thrilling mystery of who done it and why they done it.

The story is about a little boy who falls from a balcony and is initially thought to be an accident but when more things happen around the estate and everyone claiming that they saw nothing, Grace finds herself questioning the residents of Harrison House and everyone claims to have seen nothing.

The story is primarily seen through the narrative of Grace and Ruby who is the mother of the young boy who has fallen. Her story is written in past and present sequences, setting the background clearly for her story and how she came to live on the estate. She’s a strong and relatable character who thought she had found the love of her life, only for it to come apart after falling in with the wrong crowd. Her first instinct is the safety of her children and will stop at nothing to protect them.

As Grace delves into the case of the fallen child, she finds herself uncovering nasty characters, as well as a society that is controlled and live in fear.

I really enjoyed this story and found it quite easy to be absorbed in. Even though the book is part of a series, Mel explains the background of characters clearly without giving anything major away or any spoilers, should the reader decide to read the previous books.

A gritty and thrilling story about possession and the strength of a mother’s love ‘Liar Liar’ is a dark and twisty tale that’s filled with drama and suspense and has the reader gripped to the edge of their seat.

You can buy ‘Liar Liar’ from Amazon and is avaialble to buy from good bookshops.

This is a heart wrenching police procedural, crime thriller. Edge of the seat reading with lots of twists and turns, great characters and all ends tidied up in the conclusion.

After Allie Shenton moved on and Grace Allendale came along, I did not think a branching out with Allie in the background would work. I eat my hat and will admit it did work to a point but I find myself missing Allie.

I will eat my hat again if Mel can add anything more to this group of characters.

3.5*