The bio on the inside cover of Black Lies describes Mercedes Mercier as an author who writes ‘just-one-more-page’ crime. Yep, accurate! My to-do list for today is proof because reading a book wasn't on it, but that was the only thing I got done. Oops!

I started this book yesterday and finished it less than 24 hours later. I had to know what happened next. But the cast of potential suspects kept growing and my inner detective couldn’t rest until the jig was up.

Black Lies follows Dr Laura Fleming, a criminal psychologist who is tasked with convincing a dangerous inmate to give up the location of his murder victim before he dies from cancer. He only has days left, but as Laura uses all of her skills and training to establish a connection with him, she discovers that there’s a lot more to this crime than meets the eye, including who the real killer is.

Mercedes is the master of red herrings. I was flip-flopping like a fish out of water with my theories, but I’m pleased to report that I solved the mystery correctly. Sure, it was only one sentence before the big reveal, but that still counts, doesn’t it?

I liked the character of Laura Fleming in the first book of this series, White Noise. But I loved her in Black Lies.

Black Lies can be read as a standalone. Just don’t start it on a day when you have important things to do!

When I had such a FOMO with Mercedes’s previous title White Noise, I had this feeling that this time, I will be one of the first to read her next title. So I jumped on the bandwagon thanks to Netgalley. Although I didn’t realise that it’s the second instalment to the story of Dr. Laura Fleming, this can definitely be read as a stand-alone.

Black Lies is about the cases Dr. Laura deals with at a high security prison handling some of the worst crime scenarios. She is presented with the task of handling Tomas Novak, the killer of a pregnant mum, Cassie 15 years ago, for which he confessed but without giving the whereabouts of the body. Tomas has refused any kind of psychological assistance so the task of getting him to talk and make him confess to the location is highly difficult, along with the pressures she faces from different higher levels of authority. On top of this is the fact that he has only few weeks to live. But she slowly starts to understand that there might be errors of judgement from the start. Without any support, she tries to figure out the background of both Cassie and Tomas and tries to solve this puzzle.

This wild goose chase for a killer who may or may not even exist itself was thrilling and entertaining to read. I loved Laura’s character and didn’t for a moment judge her character or activities. The final reveal was totally unexpected and gave me such a chill and anticlimactic feel just because of the fact that I could not even predict it for a minute.

This book is another one that you could definitely finish in a day or two.

This was an edge of your seat kind of read.

Just like in White Noise, I enjoyed reading more of Dr Laura Fleming. I hope this series continues.

Mercedes Mercier has taken me on another suspense filled ride following psychologist, Laura, as she seeks the truth. I'm loving this character, her development and kick-arse attitude.

I have loved both White Noise and Black Lies and look forward to whatever comes next.

Fresh spine tingling crime that I can not get enough of. I loved this one just as much as the first. Dealing with the worst criminals and it has me hooked. This is the second book in the series and I just want more and more. I can't wait for the next book!

Black Lies is the sequel to Mercedes’ debut novel, White Noise (I read that one back in June). We again follow Dr Laura Flemming in this story set a few years after the events of the first novel. I like that Black Lies gives some small nods to White Noise and the back story of some characters without rehashing their entire history. It allowed the focus to be on the current events and not stuck in the past.

The story is intriguing with twists that give the side characters more context. I found it easy to read through quickly and it kept me engaged in yet another time when work was going a bit mental.

I enjoyed the first book in this series (White Noise) but with Black Lies, the second book, Mercier absolutely knocks it out of the park.

Tomas Kovak has spent 15 years in prison for killing a young woman, Cassie Walker, where he will now die, being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Our heroine, psychologist Laura Fleming, is tasked with speaking to Kovak to try and find out what he did with Cassie's body, to give her family closure. After a couple of sessions Laura starts to suspect that perhaps Kovak has been wrongly convicted and the actual killer is still at large.

Mercier did a great job with introducing lots of likely suspects and red herrings. I’m sure I suspected everyone at one time or another. She also did a great job of building the tension. Things really ramped up at one stage until I literally could not stop turning pages like mad to finish the book and learn Laura’s fate.

One of my fav books of the year. Highly recommend. 5 out of 5

📚Book Review - Mercedes Mercier📚

One of the best nail-biting, page-turning crime thrillers I’ve read in a longgg time!

I absolutely devoured this book which I read in half a day 🙈 thank goodness for a daycare day to be child-free and it definitely justified me avoiding any study for my uni exams 😂

Mercedes’ writing is just phenomenal and captivates you from the very first page. The characters are so well-developed and it’s such an immersive experience reading one of her novels.

It felt like a race against the clock reading this book, clearly I couldn’t stop turning the page, I was getting some serious jitters and reading alongside the audiobook was a fabulous time! I honestly can’t wait to see what Mercedes comes out with next 😱

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Available to purchase now 😍🥳

Thank you so much to @netgalley @harpercollinsaus and @merce for sending me a copy of Black Lies to review 🙏🏻 will definitely be getting a physical copy for my collection 😍

Criminal psychologist Dr Laura Fleming has been given a tough job - speak to inmate Tomas Kovak, recently diagnosed with terminal cancer and find out where he hid the body of his victim so the family can finally get some peace. But what Laura finds out is more than she expected and ultimately puts herself into the danger zone.

Holy moly - you guys, this book was SO GOOD! I could have easily read it in one sitting but when the clock hit midnight, I knew I needed to hit the sack. As soon as the kids were off to school the next morning, I was back to it with chores set aside as I devoured the last bits of this stellar novel. I loved White Noise but I believe Black Lies is even better. Highly entertaining, I was kept on the edge of my seat throughout. I can't rave about this book enough - it's worth all the stars.

Obsessed with this book. It was so engaging and I read it under 24 hours. Five out of five stars. .

I requested this book solely on all the 5 star reviews it has garnered and the endorsements from authors I love. Unfortunately the book didn’t really do it for me. Some of it’s page turning but equally some of it borders on Mills and Boon territory.
Laura Fleming is a criminal psychologist working at Westmead Prison in Sydney Australia. One of the inmates is Tomas Kovak, serving 15 years for murdering a young pregnant girl. Her body has never been found. Kovak has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and has weeks to live. Pressure is put on Laura to try and find out where the girls body is buried so her family can have closure. As she visits Tomas and takes it slowly to try and get him to tell where the body is, she starts to believe he didn’t kill the girl and for reasons only known to him has confessed to the murder. As Tomas’ condition rapidly deteriorates, Laura starts to look into why he might have confessed. The more she looks the more danger she faces.
If there was a 1/2 star rating I would give this novel 3.5 but will round it up to 4

#BlackLies. #NetGalley

A fast paced and enjoyable murder mystery/thriller with lots of twists and turns. This is second in the series with main character Dr Laura Fleming, criminal psychologist. I haven’t read the first but this didn’t spoil my enjoyment. A great read.

Black Lies by Mercedes Mercier is the second in the series featuring psychologist Laura Fleming who works with inmates at Westmead prison. It kicks off two years after the events of White Noise and things seem to have settled down in Laura's life after a history of pain killer addiction created problems with her ex-husband and daughter.

I should mention that it won't matter if you've not read the first in the series as there's minimal reference to it here.

Laura's a likeable lead and I'm enjoying this series. Mercier works (or did work) in the criminal justice system so obviously knows it well and it's evident in the way she's able to talk about routine prison operations and prison culture.

What interests me the most in these books is some of the stuff Laura gets up to. There's no question she bends the rules and her boss seems to (now) appreciate she gets results because of her occasionally unorthodox methods. But there's also a line she seems to cross, putting herself in danger again and again. And I have to admit the sometimes-overly-anal-about-ethics part of me finds myself questioning her actions. 

Here she tracks down the perpetrator in a prison beating, looks up his personal details in prison records, gets information in relation to his partner on the outside, including her phone number and address, and then goes to see her.

She doesn't even seem to think it's problematic and justifies it as wanting to help a client but in my mind she's crossed so many boundaries I don't know where to start. Of course, it's fiction and for all I know that stuff happens all of the time.

But... practicalities and dodgy ethics aside, this is again a well paced thriller.

Kovak isn't at all what Laura expects and she soon believes he's innocent of the charges, though can't understand why he'd confess to a murder he didn't commit. We readers are also suspicious because Mercier puts us in the head of the killer - who we slowly realise is not behind bars and therefore of threat to Laura - even though (they tell us) she doesn't fit the profile of his usual victims.

There was less of a focus on the diagnostic side of things in this outing, it's more about Laura's investigation and pulling at loosely linked threads and I enjoyed that element.

I liked the way this ultimately plays out. I also enjoyed where Laura ends up - personally and professionally - and Mercier left me looking forward to the next book in this series.

Black Lies is my first book of the Dr Laura Fleming series. This is my first time reading Mercedes Mercier, and I am so delighted I picked up this book! I was hooked from page one with a plot that drew me instantly with a crisp narrative style. Dr Fleming is a well-written character, and discovering the protagonist through multiple lenses was a delight. The main plot and the subplot revolving around one of Laura's patients complement each other exceptionally well. The twists and turns are placed well throughout the book, and Mercedes Mercier pulls off an ultimate shocking reveal.
I look forward to reading more of this series and will keep an eye out for the author's work.

Thank you, NetGalley & HarperCollins Publishers Australia, for giving an e-ARC. This honest review is left voluntarily.

Having really enjoyed Mercedes Mercier's debut novel White Noise, I knew I had to read her next book in the Dr Laura Fleming series. Black Lies did not disappoint. Thrilling and addictive with short chapters and a twisty plotline, I raced through the first half in a day and I finished the second half on another day. If I had to describe this book in one word it would be "unputdownable".

Thank you to Harper Collins Australia and NetGalley for this ARC to read and review.

Another 5-star read from Mercedes Mercier! After loving White Noise I was super keen to dive into the life of Dr Laura Fleming again as she reaches into the minds of convicted killers. Black Lies has cemented Mercedes as an auto buy for me now, delivering yet another outstanding thriller. This book has all the right amounts of twists, turns and red herrings to keep you guessing and I found it extremely hard to put down.

When a convicted murderer is himself knocking on deaths door it is up to Dr Fleming to find his victims body before it is too late. You will literally hear the clock ticking as the race is on, can Laura deliver and bring closure to his victims’ family? A must read and one that will keep you up long into the night.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for this early reading copy it is one I highly recommend.

Another gripping story by Mercedes Mercier. I can't fault a single thing in this - the storyline keeps you guessing and filled with anticipation to get to the end of the book.
Dr Laura Fleming is faced with another difficult case and discovers all is not as it seems. There's danger, drama and unexpected allies.

Tomas Kovak has been convicted of murder and now 15 years into his life sentence, has a terminal cancer diagnosis. Tomas has not disclosed where he hid the body of his victim and has refused to speak to a psychologist. That is until Dr. Laura Fleming, a criminal psychologist working in the prison has been tasked with trying to get Tomas to disclose where his victim's body is before it is too late and to give the family some closure.

Laura follows her gut, has to deal with the different personalities within her workplace and goes against conventional training in an attempt to find the truth, putting those that she loves at risk to find the truth.

Mercedes Mercier has written a beautiful book that keeps the plot building, characters growing and the pace of the story moving forward all the time making this read a hard one to put down. I also love that this leis based in Sydney, making the locations easily relatable. I recommend this book and gave to 5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for making this title available before the June 2023 publish date. #BlackLies #NetGalley #mercedesmercierauthor #harpercollins #harpercollinsaustralia #harpercollinsau

I loved Laura!! She's someone who hasnt had any kind of police training but continually puts herself in danger. It was really hard to find something that I didn't love, but if I had to pick something it would be Laura's neighbour. He seemed to be an unnecessary character.

Overall, this was yet another incredible book from Mercedes Mercier!!! Its really well written and it will honestly keep you guessing the entire way through!! Mercedes Mercier is fast becoming an auto buy author for me and I'm looking forward to reading more from her.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book.

This was a fantastic aussie murder mystery and thriller. The second book in a series about psychologist Laura Fleming, she is assigned to find out where a dying inmate hid the body of a pregnant woman he killed 15 years ago. This was exciting and well written, I found it hard to put it down. Will definitely be checking out future books by this author!