The Lying Room

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As hinted in the book's title, a key theme of the story is lies piling up. Lies creating lies; lies upon lies creating a tower where one lie being discovered would cause the tower to topple. The plot is fabulously drawn with an intricately woven web of lies that spiral into deeper and deeper complexity which excel in this thriller. The mental rollercoaster of Neve, trying to remember what she had said previously, how she should respond to questions from her colleagues, friends and family, how she should act, and how to protect herself when information could be validated from other sources. “She had never understood how intricate and delicate the act of communication was, how many clues and contexts there were.” Detective Chief Inspector Alastair Hitching leads the investigation and possesses that searching stare that implies he knows when you’re lying. The engagement with DCI Hitching is one of the clever and enthralling aspects of the story, how he doesn’t forget information and asks those seemingly guiltless questions that wrong foot a liar. It was fascinating to observe the delicate interplay between Neve and him, how she tried to prepare her reactions and responses so they don’t look fabricated. Never has been married to Fletcher for twenty years. But she's also been having an affair with her boss. She gets a text message to meet him at his Covent Garden flat, but when she gets there, hes dead. His heads been caven in. In a blind panic, she scrubbed a the flat clean to erase any trace of her being there. Going out of her mind with worry, Neve decides to try and find out herself who had murdered Saul.

and don't forget to feed the guinea pig, Neve... Neve, the guinea pig? Neve, YOU NEED TO FEED THE GUINEA PIG -- I really thought there was going to be a vital clue hiding in the guinea pig hutch but nope, just feeding the guinea pig, nothing to see here, thankunext.) The Lying Room takes us into the Lying Life of Neve. She's been married to Fletcher for almost twenty years with three very different children. Neve seems to be the oil in this wheel that keeps everything moving in the right direction. She's been the "go to" person within all of her friendships and her house is constantly filled with friend and stranger. But all that is about to change.

Nicci French

Over the past eight years, Nicci Gerrard and Sean French, the husband-and-wife writing team that makes up Nicci French, moved away from standalone psychological thrillers to follow the adventures of psychotherapist Frieda Klein in a series of titles. The Lying Room is a return to their roots, and, oh boy, is it a good one. Neve is a publisher, a mother of three, a wife – a good woman who, lost in the morass of work, children and duties, has embarked on an affair with a colleague. When she turns up at his flat one morning to find his dead body lying there, she is presented with a string of choices that leaves her increasingly in danger. “Her secret was like a monstrous thing, growing bloated in the dark.” With its terrifying premise – how easy it is for an ordinary woman to find herself suddenly faced with evil – The Lying Room isn’t merely a return to the form of Nicci French’s earlier chillers – it’s even better. Through the Wall But what could be amiss? Did a cake recipe fail? Has the chain come off Neve’s trusty bike? Does one of the boys need to go to football practice? Well no, it’s a little more complicated than that. You see Neve, friend, mother, wife and all-around good egg has been having a secret torrid affair with her new boss at work. And now Saul is dead. He’s been murdered, his head stoved in with a hammer, and Neve is the person who finds him at the little flat they use for their trysts. Having received a text from him to meet up for some more fun, Neve heads over to his flat only to find him dead.

I was able to determine early on who the killer was not, but I was totally wrong when it came to the final reveal.... There are any number of twists and turns to THE LYING ROOM beginning a third of the way into the book and then occurring with increasing rapidity." It's Nicci French perfection - which, as we all know, is the best kind of perfection. So, so gripping and brilliantly clued' Although there are times when Neve is really annoying, I warmed to her and her self-inflicted predicament. She and her accompanying cast of eccentric, damaged, hugely engaging associates are well worth the acquaintance – and that’s the truth!The best crime novels combine great writing, compelling storylines, and memorable characters. You get all of that in a Nicci French, but you also get something more: a deep insight into what it means to be human, and how to live with pain and loss’ Cara Hunter A suspenseful, professional-grade north country procedural whose heroine, a deft mix of compassion and attitude, would be welcome to return and tie up the gaping loose end Box leaves. The unrelenting cold makes this the perfect beach read.