Alistair goes to Greece to possibly have an "unintentional" run-in with his now ex-girlfriend and gets more than he bargains for. The book was descriptive and kept the excitement level up, as anything that could go wrong seemed to do so. However, I didn't particularly care about the main character or what happened to Ellie.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Alistair Haston (with a silent 'H'), gets dumped by his girlfriend before she heads off to Greece on holiday. So he decides to go travelling (not stalking) in Greece. But, he gets mugged somewhere between Athens and Paros and loses his money, passport, etc.

When a charismatic Australian that Alistair met on the ferry shows up and offers him a lucrative, cash in hand job Alistair jumps at the opportunity. Quickly wrapped up in a world of alcohol, sex, drugs and videotapes Alistair ends up in the frame for a series of horrific murders and on the run from the police.

This book starts with Alistair being quite a bit of a wimpy, whiny, entitled, pathetic loser. He then displays a remarkable and unrealistic ability to survive on nothing. However, when the Aussie turns up the book picks up pace really well and is quite a page-turner. I was eager to see what would happen next and how the book would end. Speaking of which, the end had a tasty little twist that I hadn't seen coming.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and I believe it is a first novel for the author. It's a great debut and I'm interested in where the author goes next.

I received a free, pre-release copy of #TheLizard by Dugald Bruce-Lockhart from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Published by #MuswellPress this book is available from 7th May 2020.

This was a very well written, fast paced book, which definitely lays on the more disturbing side of books! It you’re like me and love those dark, brutal reads, then you will absolutely love this book! It’s intense, chilling, thrilling, and shocking, and unputdownable throughout! I would never have guessed that it was a debut author, but him using real life experiences really helped show reality in the book! It wasn’t quite a 5 star read for me, but one I do highly recommend!
Will make sure to buzz it up on all the different platforms and use my low Amazon reviewer number on release date!

An intense novel about a student who takes a step out of his comfort zone in order to win back his ex girlfriend, and finds himself sucked into a foreign criminal underworld. Well written and gripping.

I love debut authors and he is one you don't want to pass up because he's written a fast paced roller coaster if a story that will have you glued to your seat. A very promising first book from an author I absolutely will keep my eye on. Happy reading!

This debut novel caught my eye when I saw it had an endorsement from one of my most favourite authors, William Boyd, so I knew I had to go check it out! After requesting it on Netgally I was contacted by Fiona on behalf of the publisher Muswell Press asking if I would like to take part in the blog tour. Fantastic!  So, with the book's synopsis, the fab endorsement and a blog tour spot, I couldn't wait to get reading!

Wow!  What a roller coaster of a ride this book took me on!

We meet Alistar Haston, a young university student set out for the Greek Island after being dumped by his girlfriend Ellie.  He's determined to show her that he has spontaneity and a bit of 'get-up-and-go' and sets off into the sun in the hope that she may take him back.  Travelling light he hopes to take each day at a time, working his way across the islands to earn enough for a place to stay and enjoy himself.

However, after a somewhat drunken encounter with some other young people, on a ferry, he realises he has lost not only most of his cash but also his passport.  Determined not to give in at the first hurdle, and be sent back home, he stays and finds himself sleeping out in the open air and in need of work a little more faster than anticipated.

Bumping back into Ricky, one of the guys from the ferry, Alistar is offered the opportunity of making some cash, quite a lot of cash, working with Ricky for a German artist.  Even though he's at first not sure about the offer, he soon decides to throw caution to the wind and off he goes.  These first few chapters of the book are quite racy.  Full of parties, sex, drugs and alcohol the book begins it's sinister story and the character of Alistair starts to get drawn into it's dark world.

For me, this book then started to be a thoroughly tense, pacey and gripping thriller that I couldn't put down.  At every turn Alistair's situation gets more and more nightmarish as he discovers at every turn just how much trouble he has found himself in.  The other characters in the book add great interest and believablity to the story and the pace gets faster and faster as we find our protagonist on the run and in fear of his life.

I loved the ebb and flow the book had, slowing down to introduce new characters and to be allowed the time in the novel to evoke the vibrant setting.  I was taken away, in my minds eye, to the heat and dryness of the island and to swimming in the gorgeous blue sea, only to be whisked back to the story line when another twist is presented taking the book even further into this nightmare of a holiday.  I also thought that the author cleverly uses the year of 1988 to explain why Alistair perhaps doesn't do some of the things to help himself out of a situation that would be available to him now.

All in all I found this a dark, sinister but also highly entertaining and pacey thriller and as the story gets faster and faster, it concludes with a dynamite of an ending with a really great twist at the very end which may offer up a chance of another book??  If not I really look forward to reading more from this author.

Inspired by a trip to the Greek island of Paros taken by Dugald Bruce-Lockhart in 1988, The Lizard charts the events of a deadly summer. Heartbroken and obsessed by a breakup with his first girlfriend, Alistair Haston follows her to Greece to rekindle their relationship. But on a ferry from Athens he meets Ricky; a magnetic Australian called 'the Lizard', who offers him a cushy job on the island of Paros. Soon swept away in a cocktail of hedonistic pursuits, Haston is immersed in a sun-drenched world of sex, alcohol and drugs. But when the body of a missing tourist is found, Haston's world collapses and he is sent on a desperate run for his life…

This is a rich and atmospheric read and you can feel the unease with each turn of the page. The perfect escapist tale in which the island is described in such beautiful detail you almost feel you are there feeling the heat of the sun and smelling the saltiness of the sea breeze. Dugald pens an utterly compelling and pacey thriller which lures you in from the first few pages. A word of warning: there is a lot of sexual activity that goes on throughout the story, so if you are easily offended you may want to take a pass on this. All in all, this is a taut, tense and superbly crafted debut and I can't wait to see what he writes next. Many thanks to Muswell Press for an ARC.

The Lizard was inspired by a solo trip which Dugald Bruce-Lockheart took in 1988, during which he slept rough on beaches and rooftops and ended up getting chased by a local gang – at knifepoint! – around the island of Paros.

As soon as I was told it was loosely based on a real experience I couldn’t resist giving it a go, even though this is not the type of book I normally pick up.

The best word to describe the first quarter of the novel is hedonistic, and it’s definitely on the racier end of the spectrum. Alistair’s ferry trip on the way to Paros is debauched, and the parties at Heinrich’s mansion spiral further out of control as Alistair films the sexual antics of the attendants. If you’re someone who is opposed to reading books which include a lot of casual sex then I would recommend staying away from this one, as it is a huge part of the novel: Alistair works recruiting models for Heinrich to paint and gets a bonus if the models sleep with Heinrich – who also pays them for the pleasure of sleeping with them – so the sexual aspects of the story are not easily avoidable.

However, things quickly go from wild to absolutely WACKY. Alistair is arrested and discovers that Heinrich hasn’t just been painting the models. They have been turning up dead, and Alistair has been set up to take the fall for their crime. He manages to escape from prison and intends on heading to the British Embassy in Athens, until he receives a picture of Ricky with Ellie. Can he save her before she becomes their next victim, without losing his own life in the process?

This novel has so many twists and turns that you feel as though you’re on a rollercoaster, and every time you think the ride is nearly over you discover a whole new stretch of track filled with loop-the-loops and plummeting drops. Your stomach will be in your throat, your heart will be racing, and it will be impossible for you to put this book down.

Meanwhile, the location is described beautifully, the vibrant nature of the Greek islands thrumming through the pages. Considering there aren’t going to be any summer holidays happening this year, this is the perfect way to get a taste of warmer climes and escape from the ceaseless rain of another British summer.

If you’re longing for an escape to the sun but have a taste for a gritty crime novel, The Lizard is the perfect combination for you. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this novel, and it’s certainly put Dugald Bruce-Lockhart on my radar as one to watch out for in the future. As far as I’m aware this is a standalone, but it has a cheekily open ending so there is the possibility that he could revisit some of the characters in the future. I for one would be completely up for that!

A great debut from this author. The way the Greek Island are described is divine. There are some violent and sex scene but don't let this put you of.
A strong four stars.

A fast paced thriller with some good twists and nice Greek scenery.
Thank you to netgalley and Muswell Press for an advance copy of this book

A teenage lad , Alistair , after splitting from his girlfriend Ellie because he can't decide about going on holiday to the Greek Islands decides to go by himself and surprise her later on . He meets up with some people on a ferry to the first island and gets drunk . This leads to him falling asleep and having all his money and passport stolen . He decides not to report it and manages to get a job on a building site . One of the lads from the boat called Ricky meets him and offers him a job recruiting people to model for his boss , an artist . They all get involved in drunken drug fuelled parties but after one everybody disappears from the villa leaving Alistair abandoned . A body is found and Alistair becomes chief suspect and goes on the run from the police . He meets up with another man ,Roland ,who is trying to find out what happened to his brother who disappeared earlier , all his research has led him to suspect Ricky and his boss , but there is also evidence of police corruption . He is eventually dragged in to meet up with Ellie again who has unsuspectingly been drawn in to Ricky's web and he tries to rescue her .An exciting story with many twists to the plot .

You may want to rethink a holiday to Greece after reading this book!

Alistair Haston is a university student whose life is going fairly well until his girlfriend Ellie dumps him. To start with Alistair comes across as a weak and love sick puppy. Deciding to go to Greece to surprise his ex girlfriend in the hope of winning her back. I was a bit dubious about whether I was going to like him or not but have to say, he took me by surprise.

I had absolutely no clue what was in store for me within these pages. When Alistair starts his journey to the island, alarm bells started to go off. I’m not very knowledgeable when it comes to travelling, apart from good old fashioned common sense. Things seemed to be a bit to easy for Alistair to start with and you know the saying that if something is to good to be true, then it usually is. This was certainly the case for Alistair.

It isn’t long before Alistair is in deep, deep trouble. At times I wanted to give him a good slap but who wasn’t young and reckless once? The story whilst already quite sinister, started to get a whole lot darker as well as thrilling. It has an almost cat and mouse feel to it.

The Lizard is a dark and tense read with a great setting which the author brought to life in my head. The story starts off at quite a steady pace, picking up through out and it turns into a race against time whilst Alistair tries to prove his innocence. I picked this book up not expecting to be so hooked that I ended up reading it in one afternoon. I have to say I really enjoyed this debut novel and will look forward to more from the author in the future.

This debut does what you’d imagine any thriller would do - it thrills. Alistair travels to the Greek Islands one summer - for some reason, this is set in the 80s, in the days pre-Euro - to track down his ex-girlfriend, Ellie. Evidently, Alistair is obsessed with Ellie but before he finds her, he gets caught up in something much more sinister.

Bruce-Lockhart creates a cinematic read here. I can imagine The Lizard being made into a film: the constant heat of summer; the picturesque harbours; the wild scrublands of some islands’ interiors. However, as a book, I found it cliched and, quite often, lacking in originality.

Alistair evidently finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time - and it’s his drive to make a lot of money, quickly, that contributes to what happens. The premise is interesting but the characters, from Alistair himself to Ricky, Leo and Roland, to name but a few - are fairly implausible and wooden. For me, the first-person narration doesn’t help. Alistair, an undergraduate at St.Andrews, had an unconvincing voice. I just don’t think he is portrayed as he should be, if could be.

There is a lot of action in The Lizard and the final twist (probably fairly impossible without a further twist) is quite ridiculous, although it does leave the reader thinking: okay, but what if...?

I think some people will love this book. I can see the easy-reading-on-a-beach appeal but it just doesn’t work for me. Each to their own, I guess.

Call me an old fuddy-duddy, a prude, even, but this has been thrown onto my Did-Not-Finish-And-Will-Never-Try-Again pile.

It starts off quite well, with ordinary guy, Alistair, besotted with girlfriend, Ellie, who eventually dumps him because he just has no get-up-and-go – and no I'm not going to even repeat the old joke. She'd been nagging him for long enough to go to Greece with her but his lack of enthusiasm irritated her so much, it's the big heave-ho. So, guess what? Alistair decides to go it alone where, hopefully, he will “bump into her” and renew their romance. Oh dear, poor Alistair – he's robbed soon after his arrival, left with nothing - no passport, no money – just a dollop of self-pity. Does he go to the police? No, because he's Stupid.

It's after he bumps into, not Ellie, but an Aussie he guy he'd met on the boat across to the island, that things get a little more interesting. Interesting that is, if you're into people ripping their clothes off and indulging in drugs and orgies...

Ricky, the Aussie, introduces Alistair to his boss, and a job offer he can't refuse: recruit people for his boss to paint, and then.....

Nah, not for me. I don't care how thrilling this might turn out to be, I don't like any of the characters or their unsavoury activities, so there it goes....onto that pile I mentioned earlier. Thank goodness it was a Kindle version.

Thanks anyway to Netgalley fro an ARC download.

Did I or didn’t I enjoy this book? That is the question. It frustrated the hell out of me and I found it really difficult to connect with any of the characters. Alistair made some stupid choices and didn’t learn from the mistakes he made. The way in which he behaved left him right open to be mugged, robbed, set up and imprisoned on a murder charge.

The plot worked and there were plenty of twists, turns and revenge activity, however it was very predictable and the ending didn’t surprise me. Came across as the same old, same old. Drugs, sex, drink, wild parties with a few murders thrown in, oh and brutal and corrupt police force.

I can’t believe that this imbecile didn’t get in touch with the police straight away or his parents or at least someone back home. Suppose if he had done that then there wouldn’t have been a novel born out of what happened, so lacked a bit of credibility.

“‘Would Ellie have succumbed? Could she be tricked? She was on holiday, of course, out for fun - for adventure . . . But she was far less gullible than I. She would never compromise her integrity, or put herself in a vulnerable position –and she’d never ditch her cousin. In all probability, Ellie was safely out of harm’s way, utterly oblivious.’”

Did Ellie succumb or didn’t she 🤷‍♀️ you’ll have to read the novel to find out.

As you can probably surmise I’m quite flat in regard to the context of The Lizard, however I would read subsequent novels by this author. It’s just I found it difficult to relate to as I get a tad p***** off by the way in which people are portrayed and behave when they go on holiday, it disgusts me so it is rather personal. And I know it’s fiction and make believe, however atrocities like this do happen. 🤦‍♀️

Bruce-Lockhart can write, no question about that and this is a decent debut, however it wasn’t for me. What we do and don’t enjoy is personal so give it a go as you may enjoy it. I’m not saying don’t read it as it flowed and was a quick read.

Thank you to Dugald Bruce-Lockhart the author, Netgalley and Muswell Press for this ARC provided in exchange for this unbiased and honest review.

A mystery and thriller all in one! Fast-paced and exciting and keeps you on the edge of your seat until the end!

I had high hopes for The Lizard based on the synopsis. I love thrillers set in other countries, or travel based novels. However the writing and story was too hedonistic initially, with gratuitous orgy scenes which nearly ended up in The Lizard being flung in the DNF pile. But I persevered. It improved a little but still not enough for me to rave about it. It was too unbelievable, too fantastical, and with a cast and central character I couldn’t care less about. Sorry but for me The Lizard was more a damp squib.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

After the first chapter of The Lizard I was very pessimistic about this book, the first person narrator was already annoying me and i just wasn’t convinced by the initial scenario. If you feel the same, please don’t stop reading!
The twists and turns that follow are genuinely exciting, with a well drawn (if predominantly unlikeable) characters, and an escalating sense of danger and horror. I rattled through this in under 24 hours - it is a proper old school page turner, with a real sense of the hot Greek summer coming over throughout. I’d recommend this as perfect beach read, but given how the year is currently panning out i’d say it’s perfect for escapist reading to take you away from the lockdown.

The Lizard is an interesting story. Though I enjoyed this book, I am not sure if any of the characters are likable,they are realistic. Our “hero” is a college student on vacation in Greece who meets the wrong people. They steal his passport and money,leave him stranded. He gets caught up in a dangerous scheme to make money that leaves him stranded once again,and as a suspect for murder. His vacation turns into a quest.l like stories that put you in the situation and make you ask what you would do. This is such a story.

I started reading this book believing it was going to be a good right of passage for Alistair Haston on his travels through the Greek Islands. However, as i read on it became more and more unbelievable as it appeared that Haston had more lives than 9 cats .