Member Reviews
This was organized so poorly, jumping from one point of view to another. The characters were horrible stereotypes and there so many of them, too many to keep track of.
I did enjoy this book but I was a little disappointed by the ending. It really gripped me at the beginning/middle but I felt it lost it’s way a bit near the end.
Thank you to the author/publisher and Netgalley for this ARC
This is a physiological thriller which is very addictive once you start. Denise, Petra and Anna are lone women and we see through each of their POVs what happening on thier lives. A man's an answer to thier problems right David seems like he has it all. There a problem with online dating though you can't always predict what that person is like. It's a pitfall into the horror of what can happen within the online dating community. This didn't take the direction I though it would.
An interesting, well-written story, with a good twist, but I'm afraid I didn't really enjoy it. I found the main characters very unlikeable, and I didn't really care what happened to them, so this was a rather disappointing book.
I recently saw a TV program which exposes scams and there was a poor deluded woman who truly believed she had a relationship with this scammer despite never having met him. He conned her out of thousands. So I could believe that women do get drawn into this type of fantasy. However the author gave us no depth of character at all - the men were all nasty, the women all stupid; (who could believe that Anna was a teacher, head of department no less?) The plot switched points of view with no warning and some parts were just plain silly. The author says she is currently doing a creative writing course, so I hope she learns to put more depth in her writing before she attempts another book.
This is a good thriller, with lots of diversions - who is the mysterious David Kingfisher? There are so many characters with a grudge, and lots of possibilities. Each of the three women concerned has their own secrets, which are revealed as the book progresses. It kept me guessing, and the final revelation was a big surprise.
Anna, Denise and Petra are 3 different women with one common interest, David Kingfisher.
Anna, a teacher at a posh, private school is still heart broken after her Mr Right broke off their relationship for the second time.
Denise is a downtrodden, unhappy woman, verbally abused on a daily basis by her spiteful, vindictive mother. Her true love made her choose between him or her mother. Regrettably her mother came out on top.
Petra is married to Sam, but their relationship is under strain due to a miscarriage some months ago that neither of them have recovered from. Petra’s state of mind gives those around her cause for concern.
All three women seek solace in an online dating website. That’s when their lives cross and events make them regret their actions.
This book is very good. Totally absorbing, and a joy to read. Can’t believe it’s a debut! . Not at all predictable, full of suspense with a great twist.
The plot is involved but not contrived, a real gem
Would definitely recommend.
Thank you NetGalley.
David is lying to Denise, Petra and Anna. They all love him and believe that he loves them.
But they've only met him online.
I really enjoyed the beginning of this and found it easy to keep the characters separate but before long I began to get confused and annoyed.
There were some great twist and turns and although I was annoyed with the confusion, I kept on reading and didn't see the twist.
A really engaging quick read about 3 women who meet David online and fall in love with him, without ever meeting him. But David turns out to not be who they thing he is. A captivating tale that feels quite realistic given the prevalence of online dating and cat fishing. A good read.
All I can say is wow! I was hooked from the first page till the last, and what a twist, it actually made me gasp out loud, I will be definitely recommending this wonderful book to all those people I know who adore psychological thrillers like me. If I could give it more than five stars I definitely would. Thank you so much for a wonderful psychological thriller. Look forward to the next one.
Well this was not an easy read you really had to concentrate but my goodness by the end you were engrossed and I cannot say anything as it will be completely spoiled for you. Just loved it after I worked out how to follow it.
I was given an advance copy by the publishers and netgalley but the review is entirely my own.
Rating: 3.8/5
It is nothing new for the marketing blurb to describe a book they think people will want to read rather than the one the author actually wrote, but this is one of those less common occasions where the story is a markedly better, more complex (and certainly less superficial) piece of work than its blurb suggests.
Mandy Byatt's debut novel is an entertaining, well-paced and carefully constructed psychological thriller. The three main female protagonists, Anna, Denise and Petra find themselves involved in the world of internet dating. They are all in contact with the same man, David Kingfisher - but it isn't long before it transpires that the Kingfisher is a catfisher. Who is David and what is his motivation for targeting these very different ladies?
The characterisation is admirable with all of the key players being given credible backstories that help to explain their behaviour and decision making processes. Each of them is flawed and this contributes to certain aspects of "Just Another Liar" being reminiscent of noir fiction. There were occasions when I began to question whether the author might be at risk of taking liberties with her dramatic licence and stretching credulity a little too far, but, as it transpired, I need have had no such concerns. Mandy Byatt's meticulous plotting ensures that the various strands pull together and stay within the boundaries of acceptable fictional scrutiny.
The subject matter and the manner in which it is presented make for a refreshing change from the somewhat more predictable scenarios that are often regurgitated. "Just Another Liar" still delivers the core characteristics that the genre demands, but while managing to avoid the hackneyed clichés. Although not at the core of the storyline, the narrative does also raise a number of interesting sociological questions. These include the rôle of the online world in society and also the effects that traumatic experiences or loneliness can have on a person's perception of themselves and their environment.
An impressive debut and I am looking forward to book two.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.
The concept of this story is good. Three women, all on a dating app for different reasons, 'meet' David Kingfisher, a handsome, committed paediatrician. But weeks into their first on line encounter none of them have actually met him. There are always excuses - a last minute conference, a sick child needing emergency surgery, or being called in to cover for a colleague. When the three women eventually meet up, two of them have been relieved of £10,000 by Dr Kingfisher and decide to find out who he really is. Two want their money back, the third wants revenge for the way she has been treated.
Written from multi-viewpoints, the book delves into the lives of the three women. All are unhappy and see Kingfisher as the answer to their problems and the chance to have the life they think they deserve. None of the three women - Ana, Denise and Petra - are likeable and far from being a united group, everyone has their own agenda. A mystery voice joins the story part way through and it's clear they have issues with the women. But who are they? And what's the reason behind their vendetta? It's an intriguing read which keeps you guessing, although because of the parallel stories of each of the women, I found myself having to check back occasionally. When the culprit was revealed I have to say it came as a complete surprise. I would like to thank Mandy Byatt, Avon and Netgalley for an ARC of Just Another Liar in exchange for an honest review.
Just Another Liar by Mandy Byatt is a fantastic debut. It’s a brilliant twisty thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end. Though I made some guesses along the way the ending took me totally by surprise and was just perfect.
Just Another Liar follows three women, Anna, Denise and Petra. Each of them, for their own reasons, decide to try to online dating. They each meet the perfect guy, and hope that he will be the answer to all their problems. The only issue is, however, that they’ve each fallen for the same man, David Kingfisher. Each woman wants her happy ending, but only one can get it, and one of them will end up dead.
Just Another Liar is brilliant read. It’s full of suspense and is total page turner. It’s short chapters, that change focus between the women on their own and then when they’re together work very well on further building the suspense. I especially loved how the majority of the story is written in third person and only switches to first person when we hear from David. This worked extremely well in gaining his perspective and getting a deeper insight into what he was doing. Though as prior noted this doesn’t become clear until the very end, such is skill of Byatt’s writing to keep you guessing.
The three women are each well developed. We learn more about them as we go through the novel, gaining a greater understanding of why they fell for David and why they’re now trying to track him down. Anna is beautiful but feels rejected by her ex. Denise is trapped under the weight of her Mother’s demands and feels desperately lonely. Whilst Petra has suffered a great loss and is struggling with the aftermath. The women are all very different to each other and this works perfectly within the context of the story.
If you’re after a psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end look no further. Just Another Liar is a rollercoaster of a ride. I can’t wait to see what Byatt writes next.
I loved it! This book was easy to read, with great characters who each had their own issues. All 3 women start chatting to the same man online. When they realise it is the same person they try to find who he is. It's hard to describe how it works but it does, the author manages to show a believable story. It was one of those books I could not wait to get back to. There are a few red herrings and some different characters that come and go but all add to the story. I didn't want the book to end. A good topic in today's world of online dating and not being able to trust everything someone tells you!
Three women try online dating and all three find David, he appears to be perfect. David is Mr Right but are any of these women Mrs Right?
David disappears and the women find themselves trying to work out everything.
I liked this book in the beginning but it was a bit slow for me personally.
Mandy Byatt's Just Another Liar isn't just another crime novel, it's a fast-paced, modern tale of deception and murder and it blew me away. I was even more taken aback when I discovered this is Byatt's debut novel. It's so tightly written and intricately plotted that it had me gripped from the outset. I raced through this and stayed up far too late finishing it - this book is absolutely to blame for last week's dark circles!
I know thriller fans are just going to devour this one when it's released in January and I'm keenly awaiting Byatt's next novel - if it's half as exciting as Just Another Liar it'll be another smasher.
Huge thank you to the publisher for this early review copy.
Just Another Liar follows the story of David. Three women love him but he’s lying to them all. Denise, Petra and Anna all have their reasons for being alone but David seems to be the answer to their problems. However they’ve only met him online. Each woman wants a happy ending but who if any of them will get it? A gripping novel that will keep you guessing. Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and the author for the chance to review.
I liked the book, the story felt very relevant.
Some parts of the book are edge of your seat good others I found just generically standard.
I know I chose to request this book because the plot really intrigued me as it is quite relevant nowadays: finding love on dating apps... However, after reading for a while, I had to not finish it. The writing style wasn't my cup of tea and I was struggling to connect with the characters and the way they were thinking and their decision making. It might be a case of "it's not you, it's me" and not the book.