Another book I just couldn’t get into reading as I didn’t click with the story, thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an arc of this book.

This is the third book in a series. I’ve read one of the other two and whilst this works well as a standalone, I think it’s best to read the series. There’s character development with each book and the backstory of the Cyrus and Evie grows with each tale.

Robotham is one of my favourite authors. His characters have depth and the plotting is always intricate and it’s difficult to second guess where the story is going. In this tale, there’s a lot of tension with repercussions from the past and murder in the present. Worlds collide and it’s fast paced throughout. He spins a great yarn which literally makes the pulse race at times and I think this is one of his best. Cant wait for more!

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

I’m a huge fan of this series which focusses on a forensic psychologist, Cyrus Haven and Evie Cormac, the young woman he rescued from an intolerable life.

Evie lives under a protection order which seeks to protect her identity. She has a superpower of sorts in that she can tell, when looking someone in the eye, whether or not they are lying. That’s how she knows that the handyman that Cyrus has hired, now out on licence, is innocent of the crime for which he was convicted.

She lives in Cyrus’ house and their relationship is akin to that of protector and ward, albeit that Evie wishes it were different. She can often be very difficult to handle. Both our protagonists are deeply troubled individuals. Cyrus, because his brother Elias, a paranoid schizophrenic, murdered his parents when the boys were young. Evie, because she was a trafficked child.

Now, after 20 years in the Rampton Secure Psychiatric Hospital, Elias has the opportunity to come home on a trial basis and Cyrus is conflicted about having him in the family home.

When Rohan Kirk is murdered and his daughter Maya disappears, Cyrus is called in by Detective Superintendent Lenny Parvel. He doesn’t know whether Maya Kirk has been taken or has gone into hiding but he does understand what goes through the mind of someone when a loved one is murdered in front of them. That’s his superpower.

Evie is working at a Nottingham bar when a second woman goes missing. It transpires that she is a nurse with links to Maya Kirk. Evie witnesses the second abduction, catching a glimpse of the driver, but only Cyrus believes her. The killer knows the truth though and that puts Evie in danger once again.

Michael Robotham’s book makes for deeply riveting, compelling reading. His chapers alternate between Cyrus and Evie’s perspectives and the short sharp nature of his prose means that nothing is extraneous to the plot.

Lying Beside You is a fast paced book which I raced through. Nonetheless it does sometimes make you stop and think about everything these characters are going through. Cyrus dilemma with his brother Elias is an impossible one to reconcile. Evie feels threatened by his presence because he is invading her safe space and encroaching on her relationship with Cyrus. You can’t help but feel for all three of these characters.

Verdict: This is one of my favourite series and I loved this third installment. It’s intense, shocking and sometimes quite emotional. I’d recommend reading this series from the beginning to get the full picture and because you’ll be hooked once you do!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. For me it has everything: believable and complex characters, an excellent gripping storyline; and very accomplished writing. The back story to the main character, Cyrus’ and his brother Elias and the relationship between the siblings, in spite of the past, is wonderfully explored and packs an emotional punch.

The circumstances surrounding the disappearances of three women, initially thought to be unconnected, tells another complex story and is so well described.

However, it’s the character of Evie who really grips the attention. She is so complicated and likeable at the same time. I wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a tense and action packed read.

Lying Beside You by Michael Robotham is a 5 ⭐️ read.
This book was just WOW, I’m new to this author and this world he has written and I was instantly hooked. The book had enough twists to keep you turning the pages desperate to find out what happens. I highly recommend this book.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley.

The third book in a series, told from two points of view. A complex plot with missing people, dead bodies, childhood trauma and lots of red herrings. There are lots of possible directions for the ending but expect to be shocked. Compelling reading.

I enjoyed this book but, not as much as I hoped. It unsettled me quite a lot and I didn’t really enjoy this one. I did finish it this time. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

What a fascinating book this is, full of "broken" people who form strong pairings to deal with some very strange and nasty goings-on. Evie and Cyrus are so right and so wrong for each other but get it so almost right for themselves and the story. A first class psychological tale that is well worth reading, even if it means that you may always wonder who your neighbours are or have been.

Cyrus is a forensic psychologist whose brother is in Rampton secure hospital has been for the last twenty years.
What did he do to get there? He killed the other members of their family - Mother, Father and younger twin sisters because his voices told him to.. Now Elias is being evaluated to be gradually released back into society. Evie, a young woman with a troubled past, lives in Cyrus's house and is uncomfortable at this, but agrees to see how it will go..
She gets a job working in a bar collecting glasses and inadvertently get's caught up in the investigation that Cyrus is helping the Police with. A woman has disappeared and her father has been found murder, and then another woman disappeared shortly after Evie put her in a car ordered from the woman's phone.
The story is quite compelling as alongside the main story of the murder investigation, there is the will-he-or-won't-he with Elias and the involvement of Mitch, a man released from prison recently after serving 6 years for a crime that he maintains he didn't commit. Evie can immediately tell if people are lying and can see he's telling the truth, but how can she convince Cyrus that Mitch is innocent?
After halfway through, the story races to it's conclusion and loose ends are tied up nicely.

This was an unusual crime book with an interesting structure. I enjoyed the plot, which took a lot of twists and turns and found the protagonist, Cyrus interesting and moody. I'll be interested to see what the author comes up with next

Cyrus Haven #3. The third book in the series but for me it was the first Michael Robotham's book I have read. In the beginning it looked like average book but the close to the end the more I liked the book. The characters not primitive, good psychological analysis convinced me that it was worth of reading.

There are very few sure things in life. [Insert the usual items such as death, taxes, and fine wine aging!]. When it comes to a guaranteed thrill read, a new Michael Robotham book is also a sure thing. And for the first time, I actually got to read one before its publication date, which was an extra special treat for me.

“Lying Beside You” is the upcoming third book in Robotham’s Cyrus Haven (and Evie Cormac!) series. The first two, “Good Girl, Bad Girl” and “When She Was Good”, were simply superb. After his incredible Joseph O’Loughlin series, as well as a few thrilling stand-alones, Robotham introduced us to the unforgettable duo of Cyrus Haven and Evie Cormac, so different yet so complimentary! Robotham is not just a master storyteller, he has absolutely mastered the art of character development, as well as the art of defining and revealing character traits. He makes us relate to the characters and care for them, over and over again.

It’s one thing to come up with a perfect story idea, but it’s another thing entirely to weave it together and make it work. The pace in “Lying Beside You” is just right, allowing the reader to soak up the details while also having great forward motion. Not only does Robotham get pace, he knows when and how to change it, further enhancing our reading experience. “Lying Beside You” is yet another shining example of that. It's an excellent whodunnit. It’s a cleverly written plot-twister. When it comes to must-read thrillers, Michael Robotham has yet again delivered the goods, and then some, further solidifying his name on my “must read everything he writes” list.

Well, if you know me at all you know that Michael Robotham is one of my favourite Australian crime writers. His books are always so addictive, full of complex characters and storylines that could go anywhere. I have had the pleasure of hearing his talk at a few crime writers festivals now and he always has some great stories to tell. And he is a lovely man to talk to. So it will come as no surprise that Lying Beside You is another 5 star read for me.

Book 3 in the Cyrus and Evie series and we are still learning so much about our 2 main characters. If you have read the previous books you will know that both Evie and Cyrus had extremely hard and disturbing childhoods. In this installment, Cyrus’ brother, Elias, is getting ready to be released from his high security hospital at Rampton, and come back into Cyrus’s life. But is he ready.. and is Cyrus ready to forgive and help him? And is Evie ready to share Cyrus and her home?

While this is all happening, women are going missing and turning up dead. Cyrus is called in as the forensic psychologist to help the police. Evie also finds herself a witness when the second woman goes missing from the bar that she is working in.

As always, Michael Robotham keeps you guessing until the very end. There are so many ways that this story could go, and so wonderful written that you just need to keep turning those pages. A fabulous addition to the series, and I look forward to seeing what happens next. Get this book and series on your TBRs people, you won’t be sorry.

A great read! brilliant storyline which didn't slow down, read this in a few days! recommend as a great thriller

Great book, I didn't realise it was part three of a trilogy and read it as a stand alone. Now I want to go back and read the others as I want to know more of the back story of the characters. Lots of twists and turns and I distrusted a lot of characters at various points...not always the right ones.

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck....but not always.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

I’m a big fan of this author and have read the two previous books in the Cyrus and Evie series so I was excited to receive this one as a review copy.
It is told from Evie’s and Cyrus’s viewpoints in alternate chapters and fits together extremely effortlessly as Mr Robotham is so good at his craft.
“Lying Beside You”focuses more on Cyrus’s background but as always there is a crime to solve- an abduction and a murder. Cyrus’s brother, Elias , is being released from a high security hospital. He killed his whole family when he was a teenager and Cyrus only escaped by hiding. Cyrus does not know what to feel- as a psychologist he knows that schizophrenia is a disease and Elias was sick but as a person he is not sure how to react.
Evie is definitely not keen on the idea and the fact that she is living with Cyrus makes it all the more difficult.
Evie has a part time job in a bar which leads her to become a witness in a further abduction and it is then a race against time to find the victim alive. Evie uses her unusual skills to help Cyrus- being able to tell if a person is lying is very useful when you are investigating a crime. Her own abusive background has made her a loner who finds it hard to make friends or trust people.
I love both of the lead characters in these books, Evie is vulnerable but also extremely clever and intuitive. Cyrus is kind hearted and is keen to help Evie, refusing to acknowledge her growing feelings for him. Elias is just plain creepy and I found it quite difficult to come to any conclusion about him.
This was a compelling and fast paced read which I found difficult to put down. There were a number of twists and connections which kept the plot moving along nicely.
Although you could read this as a stand alone I would advise reading the earlier books to enjoy the novel in its fullest capacity.
I’m now looking forward to the next book in the series and really hope I don’t have to wait too long. Evie and Cyrus are great characters who become more interesting in each book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown for my arc.

LYING BESIDE YOU

Although #LyingBesideYou is book #3 in the Cyrus Haven series I read it as a stand alone, as I had never heard author or of this series so thank #netgalley the author Micheal Robotham and the publisher for the advanced E-arc copy.

What I loved about this novel was Robthams exceptional writing, he honestly grabbed my interest from the start where I instantly felt invested.

And where this was my first time reading about these characters I did not feel as though I was missing a backstory.

I found this story exciting and very intriguing. Not only are we following a serious investigation, we are also following the life of Cyrus; a criminal psychologist (the main character) and the turmoil of his life.

This book was so fast paced, especially towards end I found that I just could not put it down.

This has made I’d easy for me to award it the full five stars and I will certainly be looking out for more by this author.

Ive read this author before but havent read this series at all and boy was I missing out.

Cyrus is a man with a troubled past. When he was 9 years old he witnessed his older brother kill his parents and twin sisters after hearing voices in his head. He is now a forensic psychologist and is summoned to a house where a father is found dead and the adult daughter missing.

His brother is also being considered for day release after being in a secure hospital for the last 2 decades receiving treatment for his schizophrenia and Cyrus must decide if he can forgive him and once again have him live with him.

That just scrapes the surface of this multi-layered story which is a fascinating and riveting read. Theres a lot to get through in this one but I never felt overwhelmed by storyline or characters, despite both being plentiful.

I absolutely loved this one. The book reads much shorter than it is(always a good sign)and will have you on edge throughout. It can be read as a standalone as I did but I will definitely be seeking out the previous 2 in the series.

A big 5 stars from me.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.

I was not aware this was part of a series, therefore, I will re-review once I have read the first two instalments.

This is my first foray into reading Michael Robotham's Cyrus Haven books. I received this book as a review copy from NetGalley not realising it was the third in a series. There were a couple of times when I did wish that I'd read the earlier books first as there seemed to be a complicated back story to the two main protagonists, Cyrus and Evie, and there were various allusions made to Evie's time before she meets Cyrus which I would have liked to no more about. Having said that I didn't feel that this actually impacted upon my understanding of the story. I wasn't sure initially why we were introduced to Cyrus' brother (at the time in Rampton secure hospital for having killed the rest of his family) but as the story progressed it became clearer how the different individuals fitted together and would be key to the final conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book - part police procedural (because Cyrus is employed by the police) and part thriller/murder mystery/who dunnit. On the basis of having read this book I will now be looking out further Cyrus Haven books.