I have been a fan of Mel's work for quite a while now. I haven't managed to read all of her books yets but I am slowly working my way through them. I especially love the series featuring DS Grace Allendale and I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy of the third book in the series called 'Liar Liar'. Well ladies and gents the wait is over as 'Liar Liar' was released on 10th February 2020 in e-book format and it is due for release on 19th March 2020 in paperback. I was fortunate enough to get my hands on an early review copy and boy, it's another corker. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Liar, Liar' but more about that in a bit.
What can I say about DS Grace Allendale? As soon as I started to read 'Liar, Liar' I felt as though I had been reunited with an old friend in Grace. She has found her feet in her new role and I think that she prefers her new role to her old role, although she is missing some of her old colleagues. Whilst Grace is on a job, she comes across a horrific scene, where a young boy has fallen 8ft from a balcony. Grace arrives in the immediate aftermath and she is horrified by what she sees. She is soon drawn into the investigation. Grace has a gut instinct which is almost always accurate. If something doesn't seem right to her then that means that it usually isn't and she will not hesitate to investigate until every lead has been chased down and until Grace has uncovered the truth. Grace is tough, tenacious, determined and stubborn, but at the same time she is incredibly kind and compassionate. She cares about those she works with and she is always looking out for them. Will Grace unravel the mystery and solve the case? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
Oh my blooming nora, 'Liar Liar' is another amazing read from Mel Sherratt. As soon as I started to read, I knew that I wouldn't be able to put the book down and that I wasn't going to be doing anything but read for the next few hours. For me, 'Liar Liar' is the definition of an unputdownable page turner of a read. The book wasn't exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I couldn't bear to miss a single second of the story. I think that because the opening incident was so horrific, I had to keep reading to find out what happened next and how the investigation concluded. The pages turned over increasingly quickly as my desperation to find out what happened just grew and grew. The latter half of the book seemed to fly past in a blur. Then all too quickly, I reached the end of the story, which I was disappointed about. I don't mean that to sound as negative as it does but what I mean is that I was enjoying the author's reading style, the characters and the storylines so much that I just wished that the book had been longer.
'Liar Liar' is superbly written but then I find that to be true of all of Mel's books. Mel has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. She grabs your attention from the start and draws you into the story. Once she has your attention, she won't let you have it back until the moment you close the back cover as it were. In that sense I was a happy captive because I didn't want to be released or have my attention back!!! Mel certainly knows how to turn a story on its head and she keeps introducing twists and turns throughout the story, which I didn't see coming and which hit me like a slap to the face.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Liar Liar' and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. It is the third book of the series but it works perfectly well as a standalone. I would definitely recommend all of Mel's work to other readers. Once you pick up one of Mel's books you are in for one hell of a read. I will definitely be reading more of Mel's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

I really enjoyed this book, again it was another author I’ve not read any of. It was easy to get into, gripped me from the start and I didn’t see any of the twists and turns coming. I didn’t realise when I was reading it that it was part of a series, thankfully that didn’t spoil it for me. I found that there were a lot of characters to remember and a lot of switching between them, which made me have concentrate a little bit more, but that’s no bad thing. I would definitely read more of this author.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

This is Grace Allendales third outing and was a hugely enjoyable read. The story itself starts with a toddler's fall from a balcony but quickly becomes more complicated and also flashes back in time to give us a greater understanding of the situation. Highly recommend!

This book is another excellent addition to the new exciting series by Mel Sherratt.

This book felt so real, like something that had happened to someone I knew.

It was engaging. The characters were believable.

It didnt take me long to read as I was so gripped.

I am looking forward to the next installment by the author.

Liar Liar by Mel Sherratt, is the third book in the DS Grace Allendale series and I have just loved it. Just like the other two books in this great series I was hooked!

This book starts with a toddler falling from a first floor balcony! of Harrison House is a three-storey block of flats,

How did the toddler fall from the balcony?

Was it an accident or deliberate?

Someone knows what happened! But no one saw nothing and if they did they are not saying a word!

DCI Grace along with her partner DC Frankie Higgins starts to investigate on what happened!!
However, Its going to be a tricking investigation especially as no one is saying anything about it! Harrison House are homes to a great variety of people with all different backgrounds. In the past Harrison House had a bad reputation of being a troublesome area however, since the housing association received a grant to renovate it and improve them, trouble within this area has declined.

Will they find out what happened to the toddler?

But, the biggest question is Who would want to harm a 2 year old child? and Why?

Within this brilliant book Mel touches on subjects of drugs, gambling, domestic violence etc and has lots of twists and turns and many suspicions within her lastest book which made it a great page turner for me.
One thing I loved about Mel's writing style is this book can be read as a stand alone.

I highly recommend all her books.

Big Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

You can’t go wrong with Mel Sherratt. Her Grace Allendale series is one of my favorites when it comes to crime thriller. Liar, Liar is the third book in the series.

The book started out strong, as her books always do. Gripping me from the beginning, I was sucked in immediately. This intensity continues throughout the book and at the end I couldn’t wait to see what happened.

In the newest book I really enjoyed reading about Ruby, one of the secondary books. While Grace is a strong female character, Ruby also demonstrates strength that I could only hope to possess.

Another terrific book by Ms. Sherratt!

I’d never heard of the author before so didn’t really know what to expect with Liar Liar. I enjoyed this book so much I will definitely read more of her work. I read a lot of thrillers and they can get samey after a while. There are only so many original storylines. Liar Liar offers something very different. The premise seems simple, DS Grace Allendale witnesses what seems to be an accident at first when a toddler falls from a balcony. The boy’s distraught parents say it was an accident. Grace is suspicious when all of the neighbours conveniently didn’t see anything and it’s revealed the boy landed on his feet so couldn’t have fallen the way everyone says he did. What’s going on? Was it an accident or is something more sinister going on? Why are the neighbours so reluctant to speak out? Each time I sat down to read, I was hooked and didn’t want to stop until I knew what the hell was going on. Liar Liar offers a new take on ever-popular police procedurals with a realistic setting and great characters.

An electrifying crime thriller that will keep haunting readers long after the last page has been turned, Mel Sherratt is back with a nail-biting new chiller that is impossible to put down: Liar Liar.

When a young boy falls from a balcony in a block of flats, DS Grace Allendale is baffled when not a single soul admits to seeing anything. During that horrific and tragic event, nobody seems to have heard or seen anything that could shed any light on how a young boy ended up falling to his death. But whilst everyone seems keen to brush this off as a heart-breaking turn of events, Grace is not convinced – especially as the only thing which the parents are prepared to say is that their child’s death was an accident. Are the parents hiding something? Are they scared to tell the police what really happened? Did this young boy pay the ultimate price in a cruel game of violence and murder? Or are his parents telling the truth? One thing is for sure: this case is going to be anything but easy, but if anybody can get to the heart of the matter and uncover the truth than that is DS Grace Allendale.

Thrust into a criminal underworld where violence is a common currency, Grace finds herself needing all her wits, her strengths and her courage – especially when the deeper the digs, the closer she comes to the truth of uncovering what really happened that day. Grace is not going to give up until the shocking truth is revealed in its entirety – even if her journey into the darkest corners of the criminal underworld forces her to confront some familiar demons that are very close to home.

Time is running out, but Grace will not surrender, regardless of all the obstacles that are standing in her way. Can Grace uncover the shocking secrets of the boy’s tragic death? Or will somebody do whatever it takes to keep her from the truth?

Mel Sherratt’s terrifying crime thrillers never fail to get the blood pumping and Liar, Liar is definitely not an exception. A gritty, fast-paced and sinister page-turner packed with shocking twists, jaw-dropping revelations and plenty of spine-chilling moments that will have readers on the edge of their seats desperate to find out what happens next, Liar Liar is an exceptional crime thriller featuring one of the genre’s most complex, most interesting and most intriguing detectives: DS Grace Allendale.

A phenomenal read that is simply unputdownable, Mel Sherratt has penned another exceptional DS Grace Allendale thriller with Liar Liar.

When a young boy "falls" from a balcony at the flats of Harrison House, DS Grace Allendale and her partner DS Frankie Higgins are called to investigate.
Trying to ascertain if he fell or was pushed, his parents claim it was an accident and the residents are keeping secrets and unable to shed much light on what really happened.
The story alternates between the present inquiry and the past of the boy's mother Ruby, and what led up to the existing circumstances.
This English police procedural was very entertaining and suspenseful.
My first read in the series and though the story is fine as a stand alone, I feel there would be valuable insights into the characters by reading the books in order.
Thank you to Avon Books UK for the e-ARC via NetGalley.

A young boy seemingly falls from a walkway but did he actually fall and how did he end up out there in the first place. Another incident happens in the car park. Could they be connected and why will no one say what they saw. Can the police figure everything out?

This was interesting crime/thriller. There's a lot going on in the story with various stories developing but it eventually comes together. This is book 3 in the series and I have read book 1 so was curious to see how the series is continuing. This focuses more on the various crimes rather than the personal lives of the detective which is different. The story itself was gritty and quite real. It builds cleverly to a dramatic and well written ending. Another good book in the series.

Liar liar by Mel Sherrett.
When a young boy is thrown from a balcony in a block of flats, DS Grace Allendale witnesses the shocking aftermath of the tragic event. But despite everything, no one will admit to seeing who did it – and the parents will only tell the police that it was an accident.
Determined to bring the perpetrator to justice, Grace must sort the truth from the lies in a case that takes her into the darkest corners of the criminal world – and strikes closer to home than she could have ever imagined…
A very enjoyable read. I liked the story and some of the characters.
I do like this author's books. 5*.

This is a story about lies and the motives that led us to lie; for protection, fear, culpability… But can we say that everyone who lies is a Liar? Yes, but I suppose that depending on the lie you can or can’t understand the motives why they’ve lied.
In Liar, Liar we’ll have to say that there’s no one telling the truth, everyone has a motive to lie, but mainly for fear; because in a small neighborhood where everyone knows everyone there has been a little kid who has fallen down the stairs and it has not been an accident… So who did it? There has been some witness and the police will be the ones that will have to look for them and force them to tell the truth, because they are really afraid for their lives. And let’s be honest, if someone had thrown a little one to the stairs, what could they do to protect the truth?
This is a complex story, full of characters and their special stories creating a big mosaic, each of the character have their part on the story and without it the story would not be full, so don’t dismiss anyone, they are all important! The story is told between the different characters mixed with a story from the past, that will make the story complete and understand it fully.
This is not an easy story to read, is heartbroken and tough, I felt compelled to read and discover more about the characters life, they all seem to turn around to drugs and the gangs of the neighborhood, but no one seemed able to do or change anything. I was surprised that when someone tried to talk to the police they didn’t really do anything, without arresting anyone and letting the witness fear for their life.
This is the the third book of DS Grace Allendale but you can read it as standalone.
Liar, Liar is not an easy story to read, it will make you angry and sad, but I am sure you know that all the good stories are the ones that move you. Ready?

Mel Sherratt’s latest books always seem to jump to the top of my pile of ‘read-right-now’ novels and this one is the perfect example of why they belong at there and why I want more! The third installment in the Detective Grace Allendale series was like catching up with an old friend, as we follow Grace investigating the fall of a young child from a London building? The silent wall of all concerned convince Grace that it was no accident as the parents claimed. London’s crime scenes are gritty and seem realistic and the silence is fueled by fear of crime families. . Grace is loud and clear - she will find the truth at any cost. Excellent read!

The latest in the DS Grace series.
This one has a shocking start, middle and ending. The action is pretty much full on and I was struggling to put it down as I was wanting to read more.

I like the main characters very much.

A worthy crime drama.

I want to start off by saying thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book, it was a very good read easy to follow along with storyline and characters. This was a new author for me but I very much enjoyed it, thank you for the opportunity and I look forward to reading more by this author again. I highly recommend this book to everybody.

This was a excellent read.

Grace and Frankie happen to be in the area when a boy falls over some railings on a nearby housing estate. At first, it doesn’t seem suspicious, just a nasty accident. However behaviour of the little boy’s parents and reluctance of neighbours to say anything, plus the sight of a man running away from scene raises questions. Was this an accident or had the little boy been hurt purposely?

The story flits between present day and 2010/2012 where we read the story of Ruby, her early adulthood to today.

All the characters are well drawn, not necessarily likeable in some cases and the setting feels very authentic, if tragic, you sense there is very little hope or a better life for those living in that housing estate.

Grace and her colleagues come across as really likeable. I also liked the relationship she had with her partner, who being a reporter must be a challenging one at times!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my review.

I have read a few books by Mel Sherratt and although I have not read any of the earlier books in this particular series, it was fine as a standalone.
Mel specialises in settings in the poorer socioeconomic areas of England. Her books are gritty and realistic but also convey that there are good people doing great things in all classes.
In this story there is a terrible situation where a young boy goes over the balcony rail of a housing estate. DS Grace Allendale and her partner Frankie are trying to find witnesses to determine if it was an unfortunate accident or an act of violence. The residents close ranks and claim to have seen 'nothing'. It soon becomes apparent that many are scared of repercussions and more than one person has something to hide.
Quite a compelling story and certainly gripping. Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books UK for the opportunity to review this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Liar Liar is the third in the DS Grace Allendale series, Hush Hush and Tick Tock being the previous two. This third installment could easily be read as a standalone but I would always recommend reading the full series.

There is no slow start to this book - within the opening pages a child, Tyler, falls from a balcony suffering traumatic injuries and Grace is a witness. The parents are adamant that it was an accident and the other residents of the block of flats refuse to admit seeing anything but Grace is determined to get justice for the victim. Sorting the truth from the lies will take her deep into the darkest corners of the criminal underworld.

Part of the story takes us back to 2010 and Ruby's (Tyler's mum) younger days where she meets and soon quickly falls in love with an older boy. Trouble runs deep for the couple and it becomes apparent that no matter how far Ruby runs she can't escape the demons from her past.

Grace is a fantastic protagonist and I love the tenacity and duty of care that she exhibits throughout. A gripping addition to this series and I look forward to the next!

Liar Liar is the third book in the ‘DS Grace Allendale’ thriller series by best-seller author Mel Sherratt and it was a thoroughly enjoyable and first-class read. The first book is Hush Hush, which was followed by Tick Tock. The instalments work perfectly well on their own so you can dive in here should you wish to.

The book kicks off with a shocking scene when a young boy named Tyler falls from a balcony in a block of flats. As Grace and her team begin investigating, it is immediately apparent that Tyler's parents are hiding something. Why would they lie? The residents of the flats at Harrison House are keeping their mouths firmly closed and are claiming that they saw nothing. But Grace is determined to bring the perpetrator to justice, however difficult that will be when everyone is keeping schtum about the incident.

Mel Sherratt does a fantastic job of instilling feelings of foreboding underneath the blanket of silence. The reader gains the perspective of different characters, which helps to move the story along at a brisk pace, also providing insights that Grace isn't privy to. The characters are superbly drawn by the author and I particularly like Grace who I thought was top-notch. Her partner in this investigation, DC Frankie Higgins, is someone I rapidly grew to like. They complemented and worked alongside each other brilliantly, and I really wanted to see them succeed. All of the characters were compelling, multi-dimensional, well-rounded and enhanced the story. The stakes and tension were high throughout most of the novel, full of mystery and drama and packed with different themes of murder, assault, deceit, lying, gang culture, the criminal underworld, and many more.

Mel Sherratt’s fantastic writing style helped to make Liar Liar so enthralling and exciting and this was particularly true towards the end for the dramatic and tense conclusion. I've been inspired to begin her 'DS Allie Shenton' series starting with Taunting the Dead and I'm intrigued to see where this 'DS Grace Allendale' series is leading. I can't wait to see what the author has in store next time around.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my request, from Avon Books via NetGalley, and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

Wow! This series just keeps getting better. The family is not as involved this book, but still at the edges. The difficult life poorer people lead needing money but getting into all sorts of problems.
I love this series. I can't wait for the next...