Sadly this book just was not for me. This sat on my kindle for quite some time - twice I have attempted to read and twice I did not finish.

Thankyou for the opportunity but I will not be providing feedback on any commercial sites for this book.

When I first began reading this novel, I had some serious doubts. Alistair Haston is a bit of an ass and he moans about a lot, which is never attractive. As the story is told from his perspective, he tends to add philosophy to everything, making the story very dull and dry. I couldn’t care less that he was heartbroken over some girl, and I felt no pity for him.

However, the story suddenly picks up steam when Alistair begins his journey into Greece. Readers are thrown into this chaotic world of illegal activities, orgies, drugs, and violence. To say there is a whirlwind of activity would be an understatement! The author has literally packed everything they can into this story – and it worked because it kept me interested. There were plenty of twists and turns that I just couldn’t predict.

Now, there were many questionable things about this book:

As I mentioned, the main character is unlikeable and I’m betting the author wanted it to be this way. However, I found ALL of the characters to be vapid and lacking depth. There wasn’t a single one I liked. One major reason for this lack of depth could be that the characters were introduced simply to fill plot holes; they came into the story and left just as quickly once they had served their purpose. But this technique leads to another problem: there is just no way for the reader to guess anything. In a mystery/thriller, the whole fun is to try and figure out who is the mastermind – but I was robbed of that chance here.

The writing style was so contrived and it made this a difficult read. Many times, the main character begins to ramble and go into monologues; whilst this makes sense since he is a philosophy student, it made the story drag. The action scenes were also very choppy.

With all of these comments, you must think I despised this novel, right?

Well, that’s where the confusion begins. Once the story reached the halfway point, I couldn’t stop. The plot and intrigue were too gripping and I just NEEDED to know how things would end! Even all of the negatives I had mentioned were not enough to dissuade me from continuing.

Trying to decide what to rate this book has been a real struggle. I’ve just been so torn! But I think I’m going to go with 2.5 stars!

I requested this fast-paced thriller on NetGalley because I felt it would take me on a sun-soaked adventure full of danger and debauchery, which it definitely did. However, it took me a long time to get through and here’s why.

It’s 1988 and Alistair Haston is a 22-year-old student who has just been dumped by the love of his life, Ellie. Still obsessed with her, he follows her to the Greek islands where he knows she is going to spend the summer. After being robbed as soon as he arrives on Paros, a charming Aussie named Ricky takes him under his wing and says he can earn money recruiting models for a wealthy German artist Heinrich. But painting isn’t the only thing that goes on at Heinrich’s stunning villa. When one of the wild sex-and-drug-fuelled parties ends in bloodshed, Alistair is the one who ends up taking the rap. So begins a crazy police chase across several beautiful islands.

The above quote is the reason for most of Alistair’s disastrous time in Greece. Ricky struck me as the slimiest, cold-hearted chap I’d read in a long time and I knew he’d cause trouble for Alistair right away. Initially, Alistair sees him as a big brother-esque figure who he trusts and his own recklessness leaves him asking very few questions as to the morality of what Ricky and Heinrich are up to. He just simply goes along with it. At the start of the novel, Alistair is a weak-willed follower with little mind of his own and this made him incredibly frustrating to read. The more that happens to him, the more the adrenaline kicks in and he becomes smarter and more self-sufficient -but you’ve got to get past the annoying passive version first!

Ellie’s words on leaving him reiterate Alistair’s reliance on other people to define himself. The fact that he has followed her to Greece rather than chosen his own self-discovery destination proves how very out of touch he is with his own wants and needs. However, he seems to somehow survive for days on the streets of Paros with no money, shelter or food. The characterisation of the kind of guy Alistair is just didn’t seem to match up with that at all.

None of the female characters were particularly well-developed either, which was disappointing. They all seemed to be beautiful, exotic, background features that occasionally acted as pawns in the game being played by the men. I actually would have loved to have read Ellie’s story because at the end, I still wasn’t entirely sure what she was in on and what was kept from her.

It’s during a heart-to-heart conversation with Ricky’s gorgeous Greek girlfriend, Amara that Alistair is given this little nugget of wisdom. She reminds him of the importance of stepping outside of his known boundaries and discovering new things for himself. In some ways, I think Amara did a lot for Alistair’s development into a better, less infuriating human. I felt like she probably also had a fascinating story to tell and it was a shame that I didn’t get to read it.

The plot is basically a string of bad situation after bad situation and it got farfetched pretty quickly. The final 10% of the book has a few little twists that I enjoyed and definitely didn’t predict, particularly the one on the very last page. However, it is pretty unbelievable which is probably why I didn’t see it coming!

In some ways, The Lizard is very cinematic and it would probably actually work better as one of those ridiculously unrealistic Jason Statham action films. The setting of the Greek Islands is stunning and the author does a fantastic job of taking us there. The characters and plot plausibility just need some work.

Alastair is a student in his 20s, distraught after being dumped by his girlfriend. They had planned to go to the Greek islands in the summer and he decides to go on his own to see if he can win her back.

He’s never gone away on his own before and is very trusting of the other travellers he meets. This doesn’t go well as he’s mugged and has lost all his money and passport.

After an unsuccessful job hunt, he meets a charming Australian guy who offers him easy money. All he has to do is recruit models to be painted by a very wealthy artist as part of an ‘art project’. Of course, there’s more to the project than meets the eye and it turns out to be a very sordid set up.

I found the book easy to read but found the sailing terminology spoiled the flow a bit for me and I wondered if it was necessary.

It’s quite fast paced and the plot makes me think of the style of a film. Poor Alastair has quite the time of it!

There are a lot of characters and I got a bit confused as to how they were connected and those parts lost me a bit. I didn’t really like any of the characters and found Alastair’s transformation from meek, lovestruck student to wannabe badass a bit ridiculous.

I found some parts were quite unbelievable and it was a bit too convenient how it played out. The plot seemed to get more outlandish as the story went on.

Overall, the book was OK but not for me.

A slightly unbelievable tale of a student, rejected by his girlfriend, travelling to the Greek Islands and becoming embroiled in drugs, sex and murder. Not too my taste but I imagine it would make a good film.

Breathtaking thriller of hedonism gone wrong and the "innocent" being framed. Alistair follows his ex-girlfriend to the Greek Isles. On day one, captivated by the party culture, he gets hopelessly drunk and finds himself without any money or his passport. He refuses to admit defeat and return home. Instead he accepts a lifeline from the Lizard. All he has to do is recruit models for a German painter, and in return he will live the life of luxury and earn generously. But nothing is as it seems and soon Alistair finds himself in a Greek jail cell for a crime he didn't commit.
The story gripped me from page one and took me on a breathtaking ride around the gorgeous Greek Isles which are perfectly captured. Alistair is highly intelligent, but naive and of weak character. The Lizard is notorious and magnetic with far reaching connections. Together they spend a summer of excess and decadence until it all goes wrong. What more could you ask for from a thriller?

Well, that was different. A rather wimpy Alastair loses the girl but takes on the world? He goes to Greece to prove a point to his ex-girlfriend and finds himself in a sort of parallel universe where he is quickly mugged, drugged and framed for a bunch of murders - and that’s just the beginning. If wild sex, drugs, violence and nasty stuff is your deal, here it is. If redemption and love is your deal, here it is. If you enjoy a good mystery, read this book.

I really enjoyed this book. Well written with lots of twists and a good ending. Highly recommend this book

Fast moving, tense thriller with strong characters, it's a book you wont be able to ;put down. The Greek Islands is the setting with sex and snuff movies at the heart of the plot. Can our main character get out of some sticky situations that appear at every turn. Who will still be alive at the end of this fast paced tale? Up to date, fresh story and some great writing.

Very fast moving story. Brought back vivid memories of my only visit to the Greek Islands many years ago.
Excellent plot and couldn't guess the ending.

The Lizard by Dugald Bruce-Lockhart

This is a thriller that’s bound to put you off from spending your summer island hopping in Greece! Dark at heart and so twisty you never know who trust. Alistair Halton has a broken heart. His university girlfriend Ellie has broken up with him before the summer and has gone to spend her holiday in Greece. Planning to follow her and win her back, Alistair has a very different summer break from the one he expected.

It starts to go wrong when he encounters outgoing Aussie, Ricky after losing his wallet. With no money or passport, Alistair decides to work and earn some cash before presenting himself at the British Embassy for help. However, help comes in the form of Ricky who offers him work at a luxury villa owned by Heinrich, a German painter. It soon becomes clear that the work is a little unusual. Heinrich likes to paint beautiful people so Alistair’s job is to recruit both men and women as artist’s models. But he must also make sure their morals are fluid enough to be open to further work - sleeping with Heinrich for money. He’s surprised by how many are open to the offer, but that’s not the end of the enterprise. Ricky carries a video camera everywhere recording parties and sexual exploits, even those of Alistair himself when he gets lucky at a villa party. After several weeks, and having a few thousand stored under his pillow, Alistair thinks about making his move and going off to find Ellie. Ricky and Heinrich are putting together plans for a huge party, so maybe he’ll leave afterwards. What he sees over the next few days terrifies him and makes him realise he is complicit in a series of horrific crimes. Not only that, but the organisers have carefully made sure he’s on film. Can he ever leave now that he knows everything? Will they ever let him? Worst of all, is Ellie safe here on the Greek Islands?

This is a fast moving plot, full of complex twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. One in particular made me literally jump in my deckchair! The backdrop of the islands is beautiful but also bleak and difficult terrain. Alistair is also at the mercy of a small population who all know each other - tourists stand out and it would be unlikely one would be trusted above a local. In order to complete his quest safely, Alistair has to think like a criminal and commit petty crimes, disguise himself and pit himself against a local, and potentially corrupt police force. Arguably, he becomes as criminal as those he’s trying to escape. The pace meant it was hard to find a good stopping place so there was a tendency to keep reading. Each discovery Alistair makes brings about even more questions, about how long Ricky had been targeting Alistair, who on the police force is working with them and how they’ve evaded capture for so long. I didn’t feel I got to know the characters very well but it’s not that sort of novel. It’s all about the action, the twists and blistering pace. This is a great summer read but be warned; it could put you off making friends at the bar.

Alistair, heartbroken and adrift, departs for Greece in the hopes of "causally" meeting up with his and rekindling their relationship.

On the ferry Alistair meets Ricky, The Lizard, a cocky, flamboyant, freedom-loving Aussie who knows how to have a good time. Alistair has such a good time that he wipes himself out and awakens to find he's lost his passport and is essentially stranded. After some fumbling he manages to get employment and inevitably loses said job. But never fear, Ricky reappears offering work, lodging, sex and drug. What more could you ask for? Well, my guess is, to not wake up and discover your new fly d friends have disappeared and being accused of murder.

This is a fast-paced read and truly a cautionary tale. The writing is clear and fluid and the characters are well developed. The ending for me though did feel a little rushed, but the twist at the end....

This book may not be for "everyone" due to some of the themes (sex, drug use, violence, kink and murders), however I thought the thriller aspect of the story was well done.

This book was good on many levels. It was well-written. The pacing was excellent, constantly pulling you further into the hero's saga. The characters were well drawn so that I could submerge myself into the story. I loved the idea that it was born out of the author's past experience bumming around the Greek island of Paros and getting chased by a gang of knife-brandishing locals.
So, we have Alistair Haston, heading off to Greece, chasing after his girlfriend, Ellie, who dumped him. He is robbed on a ferry and loses everything (passport, money) and doesn't want to report the theft because it will interfere with his staying on the island and proving to Ellie that he is not the do-nothing guy she left. He meets Rick, a fellow traveler from Australia who offers him a job, no ID needed, recruiting models for Rick's eccentric employer to paint. Haston accepts. He soon finds that painting is the least of what the employer has on his mind and, after being drawn into a world of wild parties, drugs, sex and violence, discovers that he has naively and willingly walked into horrendous personal danger.
What didn't work for me was Haston's abrupt transformation from boring student into a wild and reckless party guy. Nor did the amount of beatings and abuse that he took. I found the gratuitous violence to be a distraction from a good plot.
Would I read this author again? Yes. He's a good writer. I'd try him again.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Muswell Press for the ARC copy in return for my honest review.

The Lizard by British actor/author Dugald Bruce-Lockhart is an intriguing story set in Greece during the late 1980's. Be warned this story contains violent sex scenes and lots of drug use. Alistair Haston, a British University Student gets dumped by his girlfriend Ellie. He decides to follow (stalk) her to Greece on their Uni break. On his arrival Alistair is mugged and has to rough it for a few days. Soon after he is offered a job by an artist to recruit models. This innocent job turns into something more sinister. I really enjoyed this dark thriller. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital copy.

Being at the end of the second month of lockdown, I gobbled up The Lizard in record time! This was the injection of excitement I needed. I felt the hot Greek sun on my skin and took part, vicariously, through a deadly survival course as experienced by Alistair Haston, a university student off on holiday after his girlfriend breaks his heart. Why Greece? Because that's where Ellie wanted to take him before crushing his dreams. He hopes to run into her there and disabuse her of any thoughts she may have entertained about his lack of fitness as a boyfriend.

What he gets is worlds away from what he intended but it is the perfect guilty pleasure to sink into with an ice cold beer in hand. This smart thriller is filled with all kinds of low-life criminal happenings and Alistair must change his stripes to survive. Gripping and full of action, this is just what I wanted. I look forward to the next outting by the talented Dugald Bruce-Lockhart. A pulse-pounding adventure is the cure for these difficult times!

This is one hell of a book! A book that has absolutely everything and more. I enjoyed every minute of reading The Lizard! Every time I picked this book up, I was transported to Greece in the 1980's; turquoise seas, street bars and restaurants, mopeds, parties, clubs, pubs, villas, boat tours, yachts, island hopping with strangers met along the way.

Alastair Haston is heartbroken when his girlfriend Ellie suddenly breaks up with him. They'd planned a summer together in Greece and he suddenly finds himself with no plans and the prospect of spending his summer alone and pining after his ex-girlfriend. On an impulse, he decides he's not going to be that guy; that he's going to be the person Ellie doesn't expect, the person he thinks Ellie wants. And so, he makes the trip to Greece on his own with the ulterior motive of bumping into her in Greece in the hope that upon seeing him, she'll realise she wants him back.

Upon his arrival in Greece, Alastair is immediately thrown into a world of strangers, alcohol, drugs and debauchery; the "highs" of island life. Waking up the next morning with the monster of all hangovers, he can't remember what happened the night before and worse still, his money and passport have been stolen.

Alastair's journey over the summer is incredible. Everything he stumbles into is worlds away from the life he lived before. He finds himself in scenarios that he could never have dreamt, doing things he'd never have imagined he'd be capable of. And when he finds himself in prison, accused of a crime he didn't commit, suddenly Alastair needs to fight to survive, to clear his name and make it home... alive.

The Lizard is fantastically written. The first Dugald Bruce-Lockhart book that I've read and I enjoyed it immensely! The story development is brilliant, everything is meticulously planned with characters and relationships developed throughout with fantastic pacing and detail throughout.

I genuinely cannot recommend The Lizard enough! An exceptional plot that grows and grows with twist after twist right til the very end. Extremely enjoyable and entertaining and a welcome change from books I've read before - I think I'll remember this book for a long time - and one I'll most likely read again one day. 5 huge stars!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Dugald Bruce-Lockhart and Muswell Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Young guy heads to greece in order to try and win his girlfriend back but...well then it starts to spiral out of control and it's like watching car crash tv as far as Alastair is concerned. He decides to let his hairdown and gets mugged. Then it's all like an episode of Banged up Abroad - you know at the beginning when everyone is dancing and life is so sunny and they are relatively carefree?

This is what not to do when abroad...well when anywhere really. the guy has some bad luck but he's not the sharpest tool in the box. It does make for a thrilling read mind! There is some violence and sex scenes which are a bit uurgh but in the main, there is tension and then some!

So much to like here.People heading for their year abroad need to read this as a warning

The author wisely summarises the whole story in its title as a furtive creature sitting alone on a rock; with one eye on security,other,on next meal & had took inspiration for the book from his real life experience on his solo trip to Greece in 1988.
Alastair Haston, a German & philosophy student at St. Andrews University, everything was good in his life until his gf, Ellie dumps him. Being obsessed with his gf he travels to Greece where she is on vacation to prove himself worthy & win her back.

Upon arrival at Paros, he gets mugged & loses everything from passport to money. Then only he meets a magnetic Aussie, Ricky known as 'The Lizard' who offers him a high money making job under a big villa owner,Henrich & due to in high need Haston accepts that offer. His job is to recruit model who will let them painted naked by Henrich & he gets bonus if the models agree to sleep with him and model also get paid. Soon he is dragged in a world of drugs,alcohol & wild sex,forgetting Ellie.

But after few weeks situation turns when body of a missing tourist is found. In few days he is being convicted of not one but 4 murders including models he recruited; victims are raped, murder,the whole act is recorded & being sold for high pay;Turns out that villa & wild parties were rented in his name. Situation gets worse when he has to run from the jail & get to Ellie because now she may be the next victim.

Even though I really enjoyed it, this novel freaked the hell out of me. I'm not sure if I'll recommend it to everyone as the story,plots,twists etc are so dark & violent. So, if you're not used to reading that level of dark things you should pass it. In 1st quarter, you're gonna face all the wild sex, parties, dark events; 2nd Q give start to actual story bring along all most brutal acts followed by 3rd Q with major thrills & twist. Still it ended at amazing twist, with a feeling of 'it ended?where is more?'

This thriller will make you think twice before going traveling solo abroad.

Alistair is an average twenty-two-year-old British student unable to overcome a breakup with his girlfriend Ellie. He becomes so obsessed with getting Ellie back that he follows her to Greece where she is vacationing with her family. However, everything that could go wrong does just that; Alistair is robbed of all his possessions at a drunken cruise party and instead of reporting it to the police, blinded with the need to find Ellie, he stays and gets some odd jobs... That is, until he unknowingly becomes involved with a powerful criminal organization and gets framed for a number of crimes. With the police being paid off by the criminals, Alistair has no choice but to play the game much bigger than himself.

There were for sure some holes in the story that require you to suspend your disbelief, which I don't want to spoil here. However, "The Lizard" is full of unexpected twists and turns which, paired with the gorgeous setting of the Greek islands, is a brilliant combo, Thankfully, the resolution with Ellie was realistic and not cheesy or overly romantic. And finally, I really liked the fact that the author kept the suspense high all throughout, including the chilling ending which makes me want to scream for a part two.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am sorry but this was not my type of book. I could not warm to the writing style or the characters. I got disinterested fairly quickly. Sorry.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.