I had such a love/hate relationship with this book.. I hated Amber so flippin much. There were times I had to set the book down because I hated her so much. It's hard to read a book when you don't like the main character and the fact that I read it and liked it really shows you how good the author is.

I felt so bad for the mother in law in this book, but I also found her to be quite annoying and intrusive too. I would have a really hard time if she was my MIL cause she's so darn needy. The son was a total momma's boy and pushover. The dad had issues too. Overall I really disliked ALL of the characters in this book which makes it so unbelievably weird that I liked it so much. It's a great read with a giant twist at the end. I always feel pretty confident about whats going to happen by the end of a book and this one keeps you guessing about the connection. I didn't see it coming. Such a good book!

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. This book is seriously awesome. Run...don't walk to get this thriller.

LIAR by K.L. Slater is a gripping psychological thriller with a shocking twist. I have read all her other novels and knew I was in for another special treat. Well, all I can say is WOW…for me, she blew it out of the ballpark! This was one amazing twisted read, that while I raced ahead to find out how it was going to end…I didn’t want this book to end. It was that good, and I was totally involved in the story line.

This story explores the lengths a devoted grandparent might go to protect her family, a battle of hatred between a domineering mother and her son’s scheming new girlfriend. It explores the negative controlling effects of a mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship.


This book is set in Nottinghamshire, UK, the home of the author and starts at the “END” and then goes back to the “BEGINNING.” The book is told from multiple POV’s, the chapter headings highlight each narrative.

How far would you go to protect your family?

Single dad Ben is doing his best to raise his two young sons alone, with the help of his devoted mother Judi. Life isn’t easy, but Judi’s family means everything to her and together, they manage.

Then Ben meets Amber. Everyone thinks this is a perfect match for Ben but Judi isn’t sure … there’s just something about Amber that doesn’t add up.

Does Amber have a motive for entering Ben’s life and family? Judi doesn’t trust her and feels Amber is there to break up the family. Judi wants Amber “out of the picture.”

Ben can’t see why his mother dislikes his new girlfriend. And Amber doesn’t want Judi anywhere near her new family. Amber just wants Ben and the children.

Not having any children, I was surprised with the passion that I felt for the characters. I despised Amber, and wanted to get rid of her myself. I felt compassion for Judi and all that she had to endure. The men (Ben and Henry-Judi’s husband) played minor roles in the novel. Ben is somewhat of a mummy’s boy, so naïve and totally under Amber’s spell. I wanted to shake him and have him wake up and smell the roses. Henry was an arrogant asshole and always sided with Ben and Amber.

Judi sets out to investigate Amber’s personal life, and the shocking secrets and lies she discovers could change everything for these women.

WHO IS THE LIAR? WHO IS THE KILLER AND WHO IS THE VICTIM?

Read this well-written fast-paced psychological thriller to find out. You will not be able to put this book down.

Highly recommend!

Many thanks to K.L. Slater, Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC.

What a great book! It kept me spellbound from the first page as well as keeping me up most of the night. The characters are very realistic, there's lots of twists and turns and lots of back stories. I have always enjoyed physicological thrillers and no one does it better than K L Slater. Definitely five stars from me!

If you’re looking for a grippy psychological read to enjoy over the weekend, this is your thing. So get a comfy seat and enjoy this eternal battle between a mother and daughter-in-law.

Amber looks like a perfect young woman. Always well dressed, always well-behaved, always manners on the table. She always knows what to say, always knows what to do. She even works with children. So, when Ben, a widower with two little children meets her, he thinks he has found a perfect wife and a perfect stepmother for his sons. He thinks he has found another chance for happiness.

But what Ben doesn’t know is that he is falling into a trap. He doesn’t know that he has been watched. He doesn’t know that Amber has checked him a long time ago before they met. Amber observed his home, observed his sons, observed his parents, checked every detail before she “bumped” into him in the supermarket. And so far, everything is going according to her plans.

But the only person Amber can’t fool is his mother, Judi. Ben is her only son and takes care of his little boys. Ever since her daughter-in-law has died, Judi takes her responsibilities very seriously. She cleans for Ben and the boys, she cooks, she takes them from school, nurses them when they are ill. And suddenly, there is a new woman in her son’s life. Another woman to clean the house, another woman to cook, another woman to do all the things that she does. Another woman is stealing her boys! And something about that woman is weird, but she is going to find out what. Judi loves her boys to the bits and won’t give up without a fight. She would do everything she has to just to protect them. Everything she has to!

But how much love is too much?

The eternal battle between the women in the family. A mother who loves her son more than anything and a wife who loves her husband. Can they share the love for the same man? When does love turn into selfishness?

This time the author has really surprised me. I wasn’t expecting that kind of turn-over. There were moments when I had no idea who was more psychotic, the mother-in-law or the daughter-in-law, or both. Who is the bigger liar, Amber, who wants a new start, or Judi, who doesn’t want to share?

A terrific read with a really shocking twist. I really wasn’t expecting that kind of twist! A read full of surprises, it kept me on the edge till the last page!

Totally recommended!

Since the death of his wife, Ben has relied on help given by his mother, Judi, who cleans his home and cares for her grandsons regularly. All that changes when Ben meets Amber, however. Judi goes from being a constant presence in their lives to someone they occasionally spend time with—and she knows it’s all because of Amber. But why is she doing it, and what can Judi do about it?

Wow, what a book! LIAR kicks off with a bloody bang—someone covered in blood, dead on the floor, and someone else standing over them with a knife… feeling nothing. The end is literally the beginning. It’s not until the (actual) end of the book that we find out who’s who, and what brought on the murder, because the next chapter starts at the beginning of the story.

Amber and Judi are both unlikable characters to some degree, but that isn’t strictly due to their interactions with one another, in Judi’s case. I was annoyed with her sometimes for being a bit too clingy with her son and grandsons, or for being upset at the way things changed in her son’s home after Amber came along—such as the new furniture. It absolutely made sense that Judi would feel that way about it, given the way she was, but it still got on my nerves. (Or maybe I felt that way because Judi had already annoyed me in other ways? Hmm. Probably.) That’s not to say that I didn’t feel sympathetic towards Judi. I did quite often because—whether she was a clingy mother or not—not being allowed to spend time with your loved ones is a hurtful thing, indeed.

Amber struck me as a manipulative woman with an agenda immediately, and I instantly decided there couldn’t possibly be any redeeming factors about her whatsoever. As I slowly learned more about her, however, I had a feeling there was more to Amber than meets the eye.

A lot happens throughout this story, but the last quarter of the book… holy crap! The twists kept on coming, and just when I thought nothing else could happen that would shock me, it did. I was completely blindsided and blown away by a certain event, and scared away at least one life for each of my cats when I yelled “WHAT?!” at the top of my lungs. I had to go back and reread that portion again, because I couldn’t believe what happened. I never saw it coming, and I loved it!

If you’re ready for an insanely addicting psychological thriller that will knock you off your feet, you need look no further than LIAR by K.L. Slater. This fantastic book hooks you from the start and never lets go. Highly recommended!

Liar is the second book I’ve read from Kim this year, following Blink. Both are standalone novels but I would highly recommend Blink if you haven’t read it yet.

Ben is a single father raising his two boys alone following the death of his wife two years ago. Liar is told from the viewpoint of the two women in his life – his mother Judi, and his new partner Amber

Amber appears in Ben’s life, to him it’s a chance encounter, but it soon becomes clear that for Amber this is anything but chance, before long she’s hooked Ben but it’s clear something isn’t quite right, but just what are Amber’s true motives? I wasn’t really sure where I stood with Amber throughout the book, it was clear she had ulterior motives but I couldn’t figure out what they were and why she chose Ben

Judi on the other hand has made herself indispensable to her son since his wife’s passing, helping with childcare, housework and often making dinner for him, overbearing but harmless? She soon becomes put out when Amber becomes more influential and Ben begins to do more things without her or her approval.

Plot wise Kim certainly starts with a bang, that is at the end. It’s shocking but gives nothing away, it’s clear the two women feature in the scene, but who’s who and just what happened for them to end up like this? It certainly had me turning pages well into the night to find out just what had happened.

The multiple points of view are really successful in Liar. It keeps the plot moving quickly and enables us to learn more about both Amber and Judi and see situations from both their points of view – and then you reach that finale Kim teased you with right at the start! Wonderful!

Would I Recommend?

Liar is another wonderful thriller from Bookouture this year, well paced and full of twists Kim’s latest novel will keep you gripped right to the last page.

This story begins with the end- a brutal stabbing. What you don't know is who has been stabbed and by whom!

Ben, a young widower is busy keeping things going for his two boys with the help of Judi, his mother. Judi is a very dedicated mother & grandmother-or put it another way; Judi's life almost entirely revolves around her son and grandsons. As far as she is concerned, she knows what is best for the family. When the young attractive Amber appears on the scene and sweeps Ben off his feet Judi is instantly suspicious. Maybe she has a right to be as Amber has her own agenda.

This book contains two thoroughly dislikeable characters in Amber and Judi. Usually I need to engage and root for a character- this book was an exception. Although I am of an age to appreciate some of Judi's problems, I found it very difficult to sympathise with her extreme behaviour; not that I found Amber much better!

As the story moves on there are more twists and surprises. At one time I wondered if there was another explanation for the ending. I couldn't stop reading until I found out what had finally brought the story to such an extreme end.

This is a brilliant psychological thriller. Definitely five stars!- thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this terrific book.

Liar by K.L. Slater
Publisher: Bookouture

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Bookouture for the ebook ARC of Liar by K.L. Slater in exchange for an honest review.

Single dad, Ben is doing the best to raise his two sons alone, with the help of his mother, Judi. Ben’s wife died 2 years ago from leukaemia.
Judi’s family means everything to her. Her and her husband Henry have their son, Ben and grandsons, Noah and Josh over every Sunday for lunch.
Then Ben meets Amber, and things begin to change. Everyone seems to think that Amber and Ben are a perfect match but Judi thinks something isn’t adding up when it comes to Amber.
Amber slowly begins pushing Judi out of Ben and the boys lives. She wants them all to herself. Judi begins digging into Amber’s past, and she starts uncovering secrets and lies. Judi must make a decision that could lead to serious consequences. How far would you go to protect your family?

I rate this book 5 stars. It was sooo good! It was very hard to put it down.
The book was written in point of views, mainly of Judi and Amber. The way it was written it made you want to absolutely hate Amber, and fall in love with Judi. It was an outstanding psychological thriller with a shocking twist. I highly recommend this book. I would love to read other K.L. Slater’s novels, this is the first one that I have read!

K.L. Slater is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. This is her third book and the other two, Blink and Safe with Me, are worth reading. This story is a modern thriller and has chapters by our two main characters, Judi who is a mum and grandmother and Amber who is her son's new girlfriend. Judi does not trust Amber and Amber hates Judi. At the start of the book one of them is holding a knife over the other's body! So read on to find the killer!

I absolutely devoured this book. Gripping from start to finish and an epic finale. I loved the speed of the book and the story progressed so well you were on the edge of your seat constantly. Great characters and fantastic twists, loved it !!!!! 5 stars all the way

Wow, talk about a creepy woman.... I wanted to shake Ben so hard sometimes but unfortunately could not. He is a typical momma's boy and that irritated me a bit, but I enjoyed the book regardless. Can't wait for the next one!

Complex characters with clear voices make this thriller from K.L. Slater an excellent read. Don't get me wrong, the story itself is entertaining and the suspense well crafted, but the extent to which the author takes you inside the character's minds is the most gripping aspect for me. The pacing is fast, the twists and turns arent telegraphed, and I am thrilled to have found a new (to me) author to add to my list!

A quick read as I couldn't wait to found out what happened! The book begins at the end of the story so grips you from page one. A must read.

4.5 stars for Liar by K L Slater, a book that once I started reading, I was simply unable to put down.

Liar starts at THE END, and then goes back to THE BEGINNING. But don't worry, it gives nothing away. You know what happened, but not to whom, or who was responsible. I kept changing my mind, as I read the book, as to who was the killer and who was the victim.

Told from multiple POV, Liar is very well written and very clever. It is simply written, which only adds to the suspense.

Judi's beloved daughter-in-law, Louise, died when the children were very young. Judi stepped in and has cared for her son Ben and his two sons, Noah and Josh, ever since. They are her world, and her world is threatened when Ben brings home a girlfriend, Amber. Judi should be happy that Ben has another chance at love, but Amber unsettles her. Is Judi just unwilling to let go, or is there more to Amber than meets the eye?

If you enjoy psychological thrillerso, I can heartily recommend Liar.

Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital copy of Liar by K.L. Slater for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This is the first book by this author I have read and I am so excited I have found a new exceptional author. This book was one of the best books I've read in a long time. With an ending I did not see coming. I would definitely recommend this book for the excellent story and twists .

This book is about the conflict that develops between Ben's mother and Ben's new girlfriend. Ben is a single dad and is raising his children with the help of his mother Judi. When Ben meets Amber, things begin to change. Judi doesn't like Amber, and Amber doesn't like Judi.

I enjoyed the book, but the ending seemed a little rushed and unsatisfying. That is a minor complaint, though. Most of the book was really good. It was fast-paced and held my attention.

You had me sympathizing with the grandmother throughout the entire book. So much so that I didn't see that twist at the end coming. I was very engaged and didn't want to put the book down. I felt like the ending was a little rushed and could have been elaborated on a little more. As it is I was left with more questions.

Good story that kept my attention throughout. Had a hint of suspicion at the twist but brilliant nonetheless!