I personally couldn’t get past 30% of this book so can’t give an honest review as it might have got better later on.

DNF @ 40%
Book/Story:
Book Cover: ⭐⭐⭐

TRIGGER(S): PEDOPHILIA (hinted at), MURDER, MENTAL HEALTH

POV: Singular, First Person
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Part of a series: No
Safe or Dark: Dark (see trigger warnings above)

It was just too slow for me to get into. Eventually started to pick up around 35% but sadly by that point my interest was lost.

This will most likely be my first and last Iain Maitland book.

I would like to thank Inkubator Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.

This is my voluntary, unbiased, and honest review.

What Lies Inside
by Iain Maitland
Pub Date: Jun 16 2024
I don't know how I feel about this one. It definitely gets you inside the mind of someone who positively believes what he's doing, his odd behaviors, his weird quips, his beliefs are normal and acceptable, when in reality he is deranged to the point of being completely detached from reality.
Malcolm lives in a small bungalow with his unemployed adult son whose OCD and laziness is getting on Malcolm's last nerve. He knows his son can be trouble and he's worried because the usually reclusive son has started going out, not telling him where he is going. His son has been in trouble before. He's odd and he does odd things....odd things that often end up with the police inolved. Now Malcolm has to worry, is his son back to his old ways?
Malcolm's wife is gone. It wasn't his fault, but she's gone. Malcolm, a gentle older man who would just like to find someone who would love him. He had a failed relationship with a young lady at his work which ended his career. It wasn't his fault, but his career ended just the same. His son has now brought home a beautiful woman named Josie. She is too much woman for his deadbeat son and Malcolm knows she might be the perfect woman for him instead. It's not his fault, it's just how it is.
Told from Malcolm's point-of-view, this novel gets into the head of a sociopath (?) who believes his actions are completely justified. It's horrifying to know these people walk among us.
The ending left me wanting more (no spoiler), but I can see why it ended the way it did.
#WhatLiesInside
#IainMaitland
#netgalley

You feel like you are part of the unraveling of a mentally insane man’s mind. His constant battle with himself on whether what he did was the right thing and how he convinces himself it was.

One bungalow, one air raid bunker and a Pervert with a psychologically altered mind. What more could you ask for?

This is the craziest psychological thriller. You are right inside main character Malcolm’s head, and I’m not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. His head is such a creepy, disturbing, macabre place to be. It’s hard to say too much without spoiling, but know that there is a slow start, and OH MY GOD THE ENDING!!!!

I almost stopped reading this book after the first chapter....BUT I'm so glad i didnt! I was becoming more shocked with every chapter as the story unfolded. It had me gripped and amazed at every turn. A very just ending I think!

The beginning of this book unfortunately proved to be TIRESOME. The prologue grips you immediately and then it goes downhill from there...The main character really goes on and on and on about nothing in particular and it's lacking something interesting to keep you reading.

It took almost 30% into the book for it to prove slightly more interesting, although still tough to read because there is no information given.

When Finally things started happening in the book and it got more interesting but for me it's too little, too late. For more than half of the book he waffled on and on and didn't say anything!!! For me, the book had potential but was far too long, and the ending - still not sure about it? Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel; however it just was not for me!

A clever, thrilling and captivating story full of tension and suspense! Great multi-faceted, realistic characters. Very interesting plots. Vivid descriptions. Kept me intrigued from the first page to the last.

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6562308672


I enjoyed this read. I was able to be along with the character in his emotions and distractions. I love how I did not see it unfolding with nice surprise. Would love to have seen just a little more past the ending but overall I thoroughly enjoyed it .

I received this book from NetGalley.

I'm only on Chapter 3 and this book is already tiresome. The prologue grips you and then it goes downhill. The main character really goes on and on and on about nothing in particular and it's lacking something interesting to keep you reading - but I shall.

Adrian has so many things that he's done to involve the police and yet there are still no consequences. That's very weird. Why was nothing done except for a chat?

The narrator appears creepy and obsessed with his coworker. Nothing is said about what she says/does. Just him. And it appears she was being friendly, but who can tell.

So this man killed someone, right? Or people. That's why he can't leave. 29% into the book and it's starting to get slightly more interesting, although still tough to read because there is no information given.

The dad is being horrible to Adrian. Adrian's answering all of the questions and the dad is just horrid to him. It shows a completely different dynamic to the woe is me that the dad portrays.

This man is absolutely crazy. I knew it from the beginning but I didn't realise just how messed up he was!

Finally things started happening in the book and it got more interesting but for me it's too little, too late. For more than half of the book he waffled on and on and didn't say anything. For me, the book had potential but was far too long, and the ending - still not sure about it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this advanced copy. This one was very slow to get started took until halfway through to get to anything. I like the author's other books, and will still read them, but this one wasn't for me. The plot was intriguing, but just didn't get there for me.

What Lies Inside gave a me an overwhelming sense of dread and creepiness as I read through. The beginning was pretty slow and to be honest I nearly dnf'd it but I am glad as the ending and twist made it worth it to me. I thought it was an interesting look into the MC's mind and gave conflicting and intriguing perspective into why he is the way he is. Even though it was a slow start (really just a slow burn) the plot was developed well and the characters had lots of depth and sustenance to them that made this an overall intriguing (and heartwrenching) read.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for my copy :)

3.5 stars

Im a sucker for a great cover and What Lies Inside, wins.

Between the mysterious cover and intriguing tittle, there was no need to read the synopsis, I knew this was a match made in bookish heaven.

Gosh, I love it when I'm right !!!

This book is.... CREEPY

All over body chills the minute you begin.

Twisted, in all the best ways possible and quite literally you will abandon your body and submerge your soul within the pages of this book.

Chefs kiss.

Check out this teaser :

At last, Malcolm has found the perfect woman. Now he just has to keep her.

Malcolm Todd seems like an average older man – he lives a quiet life in an ordinary bungalow on a suburban street.

But Malcolm is hungry – he’s looking for love.

There was that young woman at work with the lovely hair. That didn't work out.

And the one who worked at a delicatessen. That ended quite badly.

But now someone very special has come to stay, right here in his own home. Josie is young, beautiful, spirited. And it’s clear to Malcolm that he and she have a very strong connection. A connection that could lead to a truly delicious future.

Josie might not immediately understand how happy they could be together. But Malcolm is sure he can find ways to persuade her…

What a trip we are taken on in this story about a man, Malcolm, who is definitely not ok but just really wants to be left alone, have love, and be respected. This man also has issues with boundaries especially when it comes to women and not thinking that any kind gesture is them coming on to them. His wife of 30 years doesn’t really want him anymore and has left him to deal with their adult son who isn’t capable of taking care of himself or so Malcolm says but you can’t really believe anything he says and as the story goes on you see why.

Creepy, eerie and compelling, this book kept me hooked! The mental illness factor was brilliant and well thought out. The main character genuinely terrified me! Excellent novel!

Good read, keeps you in suspense as you learn about the characters and story. This book had me questioning every chapter, where it was going and brining my mind back to original details shared wondering when it would come into play.
Definitely worth the read!

Creepy and compulsive. A slow burn that gave me a feeling of dread, that it was building to something truly horrible. It was like when you know you should look away, but you can’t!

Malcolm and his son Adrian are strange and disturbing characters. Malcolm lost his job with HMRC and Adrian has previously had police involvement due to an inappropriate interest in children, which Malcolm worries he is regressing into again.

The story is narrated by Malcolm in the present and through his journal. All he wants is to live out his days in peace, but then he discovers his wife is having an affair and matters get complicated!

3.5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Iain Maitland and Inkubator for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I found it hard to engage much with this book and thus took much longer to finish it than I normally would. It was a slow start and didn't pick up traction until around the halfway point.

The main character Malcolm, who's POV the book is in, has zero self awareness or accountability. He blames literally everyone else for the mistakes he's made that led him to his current situation. He's also a major creep, rapist, and murderer. With that being said, the ending/his demise was very satisfying and I'd even go as far as saying it was my favorite part. I don't condone cheating, but I also understand why his wife wanted to GTFO.

Josie is a total leech. Considering how Adrian was described, I believe she was looking for someone to fool and hide away with after stealing from Leon. I'm fully convinced at this point that Josie knew Adrian was not coming back and simply was biding her time until the opportunity came to get rid of Malcolm. Malcolm had already gotten rid of Leon, so ultimately she got a free house and 10k out of the whole ordeal.

I wouldn't say I enjoyed the book, but I also didn't hate it. I definitely didn't like any of the characters and found some quite repulsive. 3.5 stars.

This was somewhat of a slow start. I loved how it was told from the view of the main character who is falling further and further into mental illness. There were some intense parts for sure. I would recommend.

This book is definitely a very slow burn read, it takes a while before it picks up. The plot was definitely interesting and what kept me hooked and kept me reading until the end.