Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. Another unputdownable read from Sheryl Browne. I was hooked from the start and found myself trying to work out what the twists were even when I had to put the book down and do life stuff. You know it's a good read when you find yourself still glued to it whilst trying to make sure you don't burn your dinner! What would you do if your sick little daughter's new best friend was so much like her they seem to be almost identical? Delightful little girls, adults with dark secrets and lies ... everything I love in a thriller ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ #sherylbrowne #theliarschild #netgalley #tea_sipping_bookworm #litsy #goodreads #amazonkindle #thestorygraph #thriller #bookqueen #bookstagram

This is a complex story with lots of characters, but a gripping read. Not until the very end do all questions get answered. I tried so many times to guess how it would all work out but never got it right. Another highly recommended five star read from Sheryl Browne . Excellent !

This is a great piece of writing, a tense thriller which keeps the reader on their toes wondering what is happening. Matt and Kay are a young couple who have experienced the tragedy of losing a baby and merciless rounds of trying again and tests. They finally have their dream child but she is diagnosed with a life limiting kidney disease and this puts a strain on their relationship as a couple.

There is a good deal of great research which has gone into the disease and the effect it has on the child and the family, which builds to a good climax as the child Poppy meets a girl at school almost her twin and mum Kay wonders is she her husband’s child and also (and possibly more importantly at the time) could she help donate and save her child’s life.

Interspersed with the trauma there is deceit, loss, lies and a tangle of a story with a web of intrigue as to who did what to whom, why and what will happen now.

Told in many perspectives this makes for short and sharp chapters which make the reader carry on long past bedtime.

Recommend this well written story with lots of characters, plots and the beautiful character of the child Poppy, who is a shining beacon in the midst of the drama, despite her chronic illness.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Liar’s Child by Sheryl Browne

Sorry but I did not like this book at all.
The story was very slow and dragged on and on and it only started getting interesting at the 75% mark.

The main characters were annoying and kept thinking to them self the same thing I love him/her so much I only hope he/she knows how much I love them and cannot live without them, well how about saying it to the other person out load may be then they will really know how much you love them as they are not a mind reader.

If I wasn’t reading this book for Net Galley I would have stopped reading it at the 25% mark.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Bookouture for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This was typical Sheryl Browne! Which is what makes me excited every time she has a new one out! This was sad! A sick child, suspicious parents, new friends!! It kept me on the edge of my seat, and it is so relatable how peoples lives become so broken when a child is involved. Really good!

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. This book is the first I've read by this author and I will for sure be adding her to my list of must read authors. She's that good. I truly enjoyed this book and was engrossed from the first page. I stayed up way too late reading as I couldn't put it down. Believe me, you must read this right away!

I was gripped from the start of The Liar's Child. First we have Poppy, a 5 year old girl with a serious health issue. Her parents, Matt and Kay are going through tests, to determine what has caused her kidney problems and to get tested to see if they were eligible donors if and when she might need a transplant down the road. This aspect of the story was heartbreaking and I felt bad for this young family. When Matt finds out he does not have the right blood type, his suspicions ramp up. When Kay meets Amelia, a new student, she gets a bad vibe. We now have a vicious circle, Matt thinks Kay is having an affair with his brother and Kay thinks Matt is having an affair. Then we find out about Olivia, Poppy's new BFF who looks so much like her that Kay is sure they are half sisters. Oh my, who is the liar in the title?

I had a lot of feelings in this story. I can only imagine what parents feel when their child is dealing with a serious illness that could lead to premature death. I liked Matt at first. A dedicated doctor who loved his wife and daughter, but he sure jumped to conclusions fast enough that I wanted to smack him and tie him in a chair to force him to talk Kay. Of course, she wasn't much better, making assumptions without talking to Matt. Having an ulterior motive to save her daughter had something to do with her bad decisions, but again, talk to each other for Pete's sake. Sheryl Browne has penned a very well written and plotted story. The characters are very well developed. Yes, they are flawed and keeping secrets, but they are relatable. Add in the possibility of infidelity, sibling rivalry, secondary characters trying to weasel their way into their lives and the reader isn't sure who is telling the truth, if either of them are. I loved Poppy. She was so sweet and loving and I wanted everything to work out for her. This book is a family drama, a medical mystery and a domestic thriller/suspense all well meshed together to bring me a story that I couldn't put down once I started. If you enjoy a story with a lot of balls in the air, this one is for you, a story that is frustrating and gripping at the same time. I highly recommend.

Having started a new job I hadn't picked up a book for a while , this was a great title to get me back into the swing of things , exactly what i expected from Sheryl .Kay is picking her daughter up from school , she meets her new friend who is so like Poppy she could be her twin , Kay of course instantly thinks the worse of her husband but can't help feeling some good could come of this too as her daughter is in declining health . Kay and her husbands miscommunications were the only annoying part for me , i found myself screaming in my head just talk to each other but then the book would be half the length . Really fast paced and I couldn't put it down

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Liar's Child' by Sheryl Browne.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Sheryl Browne, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 21st September 2021.

This is the second book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'My Husbands Girlfriend' which I highly recommend.


I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that 'If you can’t get enough of addictive psychological thrillers like Gone Girl, The Wife Between Us and The Marriage, you’ll love The Liar’s Child.' I am a huge fan of 'Gone Girl' so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a huge fan of Sheryl and if this is half as good as 'My Husband's Girlfriend' it is sure to be a page turning read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists a prologue, 72 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in the UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture.


This book is written in third person perspective with the main protagonists being Kay, Matthew, Nicole, Angela and Amelia. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

'The Liar's Child' discusses some topics that may trigger some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Sheryl discusses/includes child loss.

Wow!!! What did I just read!!! What a twist and a half fairplay, I most certainly was NOT expecting that!!! Anyway, we shall return to that!!! This book is extremely well written and completely drew me in from start to end. The synopsis, title and cover worked perfectly with the storyline.

The storyline was extremely compelling and I was completely addicted from beginning to end. I started it this morning and finished it in a day!! It was filled with mysteries, twists and surprises and had me completely absorbed throughout. It was filled with suspense, family, lies, romance, twists, heartbreak, deceit and shocks!! It had me on tenterhooks on the edge of my seat and biting my nails to get to the truth. I absolutely loved how it completely shocked me at the end!! There's not much worse in a book than when you have already figured out what is going on by 50%!! I love that the fact that Sheryl has done her research shined through. One of my pet hates is when an authour picks a subject to include in their novel but hasn't done any research, it litters the books with mistakes and errors and it can spoil a storyline. Sheryl had not only done her research but I'd like to say well done to her on bringing Glomerular up. It is not well known and good that her books will inform people about it and may even save life's if they recognise symptoms from reading this book so congratulations Sheryl. This book is not only an epic psychological thriller filled with twists and turns that I would have never expected all the way to the end but it is also quite sad and heartbreaking when it comes to what the family, especially Poppy went through.


The characters were vivid, realistic, unique and very compelling. Throughout the book I liked, disliked and questioned most of the main characters unsure of who was to blame and who was doing what wrong and right. After I had done all that I was still wrong!!! Throughout the book I flicked from feeling sorry for either Kay, Matthew or Amelia and then by the next chapter I thought that same character seriously needed help or were just horrific. I became suspect of them all including Nicole and Jason. I felt the book ended perfectly the way it did and everything was explained with no loose ends, another pet hate of mine. It was intriguing that Kay is a university teacher who teaches her students to write scripts and stories. One part she specifically talks about characterisation and how to connect the reader with the character which was very interesting. I found this to be a nice touch!!

This book would make a truly captivating movie which I would love to see and I am definitely looking forward to reading more books by Sheryl. Congratulations Sheryl on yet another amazing read!!!

Overall a page turning, gripping and addictive psychological thriller that will shock you at times and break your heart on others!!



Genres covered in this novel include Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Crime Fiction, Noir Fiction, Crime Fiction and Psychological Fiction amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Gone Girl, Shalini Boland, Lisa Jewell and anyone looking for an explosive novel with a bombshell twist!!!


359 pages.

This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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Creepy, terrifying and unsettling, The Liar’s Child is a complex, emotional and disturbing thriller from Sheryl Browne’s dark and twisted pen.

For Kay, her beloved daughter Poppy is her entire world. Kay will do absolutely anything for her daughter and she would climb mountains and go to the ends of the earth in order to protect Poppy and keep her safe. Kay is a devoted and loving mother who worships the ground her daughter walks on. But Kay has a dark secret she wants to keep hidden at all costs. But are her fears about to be realised? Has her luck run out and are all her worst nightmares about to come true in the most shocking and unexpected of ways?

When Kay goes to pick up Poppy from school she is shocked to her very core when she sees her daughter holding hands with a girl who looks exactly like her. The two girls look so similar they could be mistaken for sisters. Worry consumes Kay as she begins to wonder whether her secret is about to be revealed and her alarm only intensifies when her husband begins to receive text message after text message from an unknown number. Is Kay’s world about to implode? Will she end up losing everything she has worked so hard for? Or is she about to realise that she isn’t the only liar in this family and that her husband might have his own shameful secrets?

Uncertainty might currently be dominating Kay’s life, but there is one thing she is absolutely positive about: nobody is taking Poppy away from her!

Sheryl Browne’s The Liar’s Child is an intricately woven, brilliantly plotted and highly shocking page-turner full of twists that will leave readers with their jaws on the floor. A mistress of the psychological crime thriller who lifts the lid on the darkness lurking behind closed doors, Sheryl Browne has penned a captivating chiller full of tension, danger and suspense that will have readers double-checking whether they’ve locked their doors and windows.

A spine-tingling thriller about dangerous deception, devastating secrets and destructive lies, The Liar’s Child is the latest heart-stopping thriller by Sheryl Browne.

Loved this book! So many questions that start happening fairly early in the story. This just keeps it interesting for the whole novel. Great if you love a family centered mystery.

Another amazing read from Sheryl Browne, whom is sure to grip you in her enthralling story telling! Written in Browne’s signature and unique style, with fantastic character development, which captivated me from page one! Plenty of thrills, chills, deceit, and shocks, along with Sheryl‘s emotional hold! A must read, for the authors fans or those new to her! Highly recommend!

Kay picked up her daughter, Poppy, from school, only to find her holding hands with a little girl who looks almost identical to her. While certainly a bit freaked out by this, Kay can’t help but wonder: what if they are related in some way?

Poppy is very sick, and will need a kidney transplant sooner rather than later so what if this little girl is a potential match?

I really appreciated the medical aspect of this book and seeing the evident struggle that Kay and Matt (the father) had to go through on a constant basis. Poppy was a sweetheart so any part involving her was enjoyable, too!

I did not particularly care for the fact that no one is this book communicated! I know a lot was going on, but if these characters would have just talked to each other, I feel like so much drama could have been avoided!!

I absolutely love Sheryl Browne’s books, and they are always guaranteed to be totally gripping and addictive.

This one weaves a very tangled web of deceit, lies and misunderstandings. Both Matt and Kay have suspicions about the other, but neither wants to confront their fears, and there’s no communication between them. When Olivia, who is practically identical to Poppy, appears there is even more confusion thrown into the mix.

This book really kept me guessing, and it’s so hard to put down. I just really needed to see where it was going, and it was responsible for some late-night reading!

A very clever plot, perfectly paced to keep you on the edge of your seat, this book will have you totally consumed. Really highly recommended for anyone who loves an engrossing roller-coaster ride of a novel. Another superb book from one of my favourite authors.

Wow I absolutely loved this book , another great one from this author . Plenty of twists and turns , especially in the last 10 % . I loved the characters and so hoped for a happy ending . I’ve read all this authors books and I think this is definitely one of my favourite. 5 start from me

The chapters of this twisty thriller alternate between the perspectives of University lecturer Kay and her husband Matthew who was a paediatric doctor. The couple had a five year old daughter called Polly who was a very sickly little girl. Her consultant suspected that she was suffering from Glomerular disease which is many cases could result in chronic kidney disease and eventual kidney failure. The book opens with Kay having a nightmare and then, just before Matt headed to work and Kay took Penny to school, Kay and Matt have a disagreement after he discovers that Kay had received a phone call from his estranged brother Jason. Later that day, Kay's world is plunged into confusing blend of paranoia, anxiety and possibilities when she goes to pick Poppy up with school and is introduced to her daughter's new best friend Olivia who looked so much like Poppy that they could have passed as identical twins. Kay's mind was instantly flooded with questions, had Matt cheated on her? Was he Olivia's father? Was he really working all the hours that he said he was? And the obvious question for a parent with a seriously ill child, if the two little girl's were related, could Olivia be a blood match and be able to help Poppy if she eventually needed a kidney transplant?

Now, you would have hoped that the best way that Kay could get the answers to her questions would be to just ask Matt. I know from personal experience that being the parent of a seriously ill child can be mentally draining, the constant worry, hospital visits, the tests, the feelings of helplessness and having to trust others with the care of your beloved child. As a couple, you need to be there for each other in all ways, be able to rely on each other for support and comfort. Not this couple, they didnt appear to know how to communicate and there was a number of times when I felt so frustrated with them that I felt about reaching into my kindle and banging their heads together. Every time they attempted to to talk, they were either interrupted or ended up arguing and Matt would storm off like a sulking school boy who had just been told off by his parents. I didn't think that Kay helped the situation by insisting on keeping in contact with Jason despite knowing that Matt wasn't happy about the situation, Jason was also Kay's ex boyfriend and had always made Matt feel inferior about himself. Kay also had the added problem of a student in her class called Amelia (who also had some chapters narrated from her perspective scattered throughout the book) who kept making snide comments and insinuations about men and cheating and questioned if could Kay really trust Matt. Amelia kept trying to get friendly with Kay but could she be trusted? What was her end game?

There was also a number of chapters scattered throughout the book that were narrated from the perspective of a character called Nicole but who was she and how did she fit into the story?

Wow....just wow, readers always know that they can rely on Sheryl Browne to play with their emotions whilst reading one of her books but I think that she has excelled her own high standards of writing with this latest addition to her catalogue of thrillers. The story hooks you in from the first page, has more twists and turns that a strand of DNA and takes the reader on a roller coaster ride of feelings and emotions. The cast of characters were a collection of vivid, realistic, relatable and at times untrustworthy individuals. It was obvious that the Author had extensively researched Nephrology and she had written about her subject with care and sensitivity. I loved this gripping, addictive thriller, very very highly recommended and definitely going to be one of my favourite reads of this year.

Kay and Matt are the parents of 5-year-old Poppy. Kay is a college writing lecturer and Matt is a very talented pediatric surgeon. Poppy was diagnosed early on with kidney disease. They monitor her constantly and hope that they can find a kidney donor for her. Unfortunately, Matt is not a match and Kay, while a better match, is not perfect.

Matt’s and his brother, Jason, have never gotten along. Jason always picked on Matt trying to make him look bad. After spending some years in the US, Jason has returned to the UK working in their father’s company.

Poppy has found a new friend at school, Olivia, and they are almost identical. Kay is convinced that Matt must be the girl’s father. Turns out she was adopted by a single woman. So, Kay just knows that Matt is hiding something.

Now, Jason keeps trying to insert himself in Kay’s life looking for sympathy from a girlfriend who passed away. Matt sees this and he is convinced that Kay is hiding something.

Matt and Kay clam up when they’re together and won’t just TALK to each other. So frustrating. This is how the book is structured which makes my eyes roll. Yes, one certainly feels sorry for Poppy and the worry that goes with having such a sick child. The lack of communication in this book is very frustrating, but I realize that’s the plot. I’m sorry to say that I just didn’t care for this book due to that one thing.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I love this author. She is a great writer and all her novels are suspenseful.

This novel is a family drama mixed with psychological aspects and lots of Twists and turns.

It was a thrilling read and i will definitely read more from her in the future.

The Liar’s Child is a interesting read about a family with a child that has medical issues. The family is constantly on guard about Poppy's health. Matt is a neonatologist and is frequently on call for emergencies. Kay starts to feel as if Matt may be having an affair. Matt has always believed his brother, Jason, who has tormented Matt all his life is the brother Kay preferred and is the father of Poppy.

Poppy has a new friend, Olivia, who looks enough like Poppy to be a twin. Kay thinks Olivia may be Matt's daughter from another relationship. Kay's insecurities get the better of her.

People in their work circles are acting strangely, and accusing Kay and Matt of behavior that is out of character. Kay and Matt are out of sync and life keeps them from talking to resolve the issues and fears they have.

Matt's brother has returned to work at the family business. Matt's complicated relationship with his father and brother intensify his insecurities. Matt will lash out and judge Kay harshly.

As Poppy's health takes a turn for the worse everything else escalates. Matt and Kay are sent home from their jobs after accusations threaten their careers.

There are many characters in this story and initially it was difficult to keep them straight. Sticking with the story, all becomes clear as the story build to several high stress twists. Finding out who is lying and who will save this family will come to a surprise conclusion.

This, my sixth novel by the talented author Sheryl Browne was as absorbing and exhilarating as the previous ones, including The Marriage Trap and The New Girlfriend.

In The Liar's Child, the reader is privy to an exciting and intriguing prologue that hooked me in immediately. I was introduced to Kay and Matt Young who have a five-year-old daughter, Poppy. Little Poppy has medical needs because of her acute kidney disease. Matt is a paediatrician working long hours, and Kay has become disillusioned with her marriage, but the couple needs to be on the same page regarding Poppy. Both Kay and Matt have long-hidden secrets...

This is a sterling read and a veritable spiders web of secrets, lies and obsession. It boasts a solid fast-paced plot, together with shedloads of drama. A psychological thriller full of secrets, revenge, jealousy and sibling rivalry, no one escaped this story unscathed and the events that I didn't predict made this novel interesting and unexpected. The chapters were relatively short and snappy, giving me a dreadful case of just one more chapter syndrome. This well-executed, cleverly written, complex story also explored the feelings of the main characters and their motives and justifications, all culminating in an unexpected ending. The unique way with the narrative that Sheryl Browne possesses made this intoxicating and enthralling story stand out from many of the others in this genre. Thanks, Sheryl Browne for this fantastic book!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.