Cover Review
That! Cover!! I cannot deny that, even though I of course have heard of Liz Nugent, that what really got my interest piqued in this novel was that cover. The macabre sense it completely conveyed, the grungy yet completely saturated colors just really spoke to me. This is a book that would definitely stop my browsing while looking on the shelves and make me pick it up.

Review
Can I confess something to start off with? I have not read any Liz Nugent before this. Before you click the X up in the corner, do know that I bought Unraveling Oliver on Kindle when it first came out. I just never got around to reading it, even after reading tons (and tons and tons) of amazing reviews for it. Believe me now, though; after reading this one, I cannot wait to actually check her debut novel out.

This book completely brought me in. Those first lines…. Nugent does not waste any time making sure the reader is completely enthralled with this story. The writing is superb, the plot line moves smoothly, and there are enough twists and turns to make any psychological thriller contented.

This story is told from three perspectives. First, we have Lydia, the matriarch. We follow her as she deals with the death of Annie Doyle and can of worms that opens. She is a fascinatingly horrid woman with a dark past that she has made sure to keep secret.

Second, we have Laurence, Lydia’s son. We watch him grow from a chubby teen to an adult. He’s trying to figure out the secrets to Annie Doyle’s death and how his family is somehow involved. Watching him figure things out (whether correct or not) was incredibly interesting. Though I loved Lydia (horrible of a person as she may be), I think Laurence’s parts were my favorites to read.

Third, we have Karen, the sister to Annie Doyle. Karen’s story takes brings in a whole new perspective. While Lydia and her family are rich, Annie’s family is poor. Karen shows us what happens to their family after the disappearance of her sister. Karen was a very strong character, though it took me a few chapters of her story to really get into her part.

Nugent does an amazing job about blending in these characters together. The way she has the different story lines cross over and meld into one is an amazing art. It may be premature to say this, having only read one book from her, but if her others are anything similar to this, I know that Nugent is a mastermind of the thriller genre. The mixture of loveable to love-to-hate characters, the multiple plot lines, the pacing — everything about this mixes together form a solid story.

Go buy this. Right now. You will not regret it.

The biggest issue here is that I went into this wanting and thinking it was something different and those expectations made it difficult to like it as much as I wanted to. However, I can see a lot of people really loving this book. It has a lot of twists and subplots- it is much more than just your typical psychological mystery. I feel if you've read and like Nugent's other books, you'd also enjoy this one. Also, that cover is amazing!

I don't think it's fair to call this book a thriller. Even though it's centered around a murder, it's more of a family drama. Still, it sucked me in and kept me interested. The ending ruined a really good book for me. I think a lot of people will like the ending, but I hated it.

Lying in Wait is a chilling, domestic thriller that will keep you turning pages until the very end.  Once I started the first paragraph, I couldn't stop reading until I found out what happened.

Interestingly, the mystery doesn't come from not knowing what the crime is or who committed it.  Instead, the plot is driven by the suspense of wondering if the criminal will ever be caught.  So many lives become enmeshed from one (not-so-simple) act of violence.  When the climax came, I realized that the author had created a masterful web to lure in the reader.  In fact, this was one of the best-plotted books I've read all year.

The characters are interesting as well.  Some of them, like Lydia, I hated.  Others, like Helen and Laurence, were a mix of good and bad.  Only Karen and her parents were truly admirable.  Since I like complex characters, I enjoyed reading about everyone.  There was plenty of family drama, but the bickering didn't bog down the story like it sometimes can in these kinds of books.

The only thing about Lying in Wait that upset me was the ending.  It was one of the most tragic, depressing ends to a novel that I've read.  Justice was, more or less, served, but the lives of so many characters were brought down as a result.  Part of me wanted to cry when I read what happened, and the other part of me wanted to throw the book across the room.  What I really wanted was a ray of hope.  Just a single ray!  Unfortunately, that didn't happen.

Lying in Wait was a thrilling read.  Not exactly a happy or satisfying one, but good all the same.

Four out of five stars.

Thanks to Gallery/Scout Press and Netgalley for the review copy.

You'll have noticed over the years that I don't read many mysteries or thrillers. This book makes me wonder why that is. It's certainly not the first thriller I've read and thoroughly enjoyed; but, maybe, it's the one that will make me start reading more of them. Because I could not put this book down (and by book, I mean Nook).

That first line pulled me in right away. It didn't take long for Nugent to even tell us why. Even knowing all of that, Nugent still had plenty up her sleeve to keep me guessing.

Curiously, this book is less about the murder and much more about the people effected by it in the five years after the murder. How does the murder effect the family members of both the murderer and the family of the victim? How does the stress of the murder effect the murder? What happens when the police and the media turn up details about the victim that are hard for her family to learn about? What's the toll on a marriage?

Nugent has crafted some great characters and the relationships between the characters are as interesting as the mystery, particularly the one between Lydia and Laurence. Poor Laurence. Mommy is a little off her rocker!

The tricky part of reviewing a mystery is telling you enough about it to make you want to read it but not to much to ruin the surprises for you. All I can say for sure, is that this is a book both lovers of mysteries will enjoy, but also those who just enjoy a good study in characters.

If you read this, I'd love to know if you saw the last 25 pages coming. I surely did not but I'm never sure if that's because I don't read many mysteries or because the book is just that good. I think Lying In Wait is just that good.

This book (like Unraveling Oliver) is my favorite type-- delightfully messed up
I love the unexpected aspects to this book including characters and plot twists
Can't wait to get my hands on Skin Deep

I’m still trying to understand what I just read. I don’t understand how a mother can be so evil and corrupt. That’s all I’ll say on that matter. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone else

This book is told from multiple pov’s. I thought at first it would make for a confusing read but I was quickly shown that it made sense. I loved being in the head of the characters. It made me understand them better.

The main story centers around Lydia (Laurence’s Mom), Laurence, Karen and Annie. Laurence’s dad has an important role also but the more you read you see how he was easily manipulated. I really liked Laurence. I felt for him. I don’t understand how he survived everything that he was put through.

I loved Karen. She was tenacious. Strong willed. She knew the course she was taking and stuck with it. Regardless of who was mean to her and abusive. At the end I lost a little respect but I know that she lived in a different time and had little to no choice for what she decided.

I can’t say much about Lydia other than I hated her character. I was so angry at times that I put my kindle down just to keep from throwing it. Only to pick it back up because I needed to know what happened next.

Overall this book is a great read. Fast paced, plenty of action, enough suspense and drama to keep you turning the pages. It would have been a 5 Star read if it wasn’t for the ending. It felt rushed and it wasn’t satisfying.

I can’t wait to read more books by Liz Nugent. The ending might’ve been a dud for me but the rest of the book kept me on my toes. She’s a really great writer and that makes me excited for more!

Lying In Wait by Liz Nugent was sent to me by Net Galley for an honest review.
Lydia Fiztsimons is the wife of a respectable Judge and the over possessive mother of an only son Lawernce.
Lydia puts like she is high society but is a overbearing manipulater who will go to any length to have things her way.
The book starts out captivating with all the characters interesting pieces of work . This is all about dysfunction
in all the lives of the characters. They are full lies, deciet ,greed and just plain evil. Just when you think one may be almost normal something elsehappens to change your mind.
Also a shocking ending that I should haveseen coming.
As crazy as this book is I enjoyed reading it!

My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it.
Thus begins the story of the Fitzsimons, Lydia, her respected husband the judge and Laurence their only son. The first line of Lying In Wait grabs you and doesn’t stop even after the last page! Filled with suspense, secrets and an unseen darkness. A compelling tale of how far a husband will go to please his wife, how much the wife will ask of her husband and what sins will their son pay for. If the first line gets you the ending will leave you stunned. I will be reading Liz Nugent again!

This thriller is unlike most because you know who the killer is from the beginning. It was difficult to imagine how this story would unfold as the scenarios were not true to life in my opinion. The son knew more than he was letting on and the sister of the dead girl doesn't seem to ask the right questions. I read it to the end hoping it would pick up, but it didn't and then the ending was equally disappointing.

Great suspenseful novel with unexpected twists. Fun read! Fans of Gone Girl and similar titles will eat this up.

This was just a so-so psychological thriller--the characters are mostly one-dimensional, the scenarios implausible, and the writing mediocre, but it did move along pretty well and was interesting enough that I read through the whole thing.

This was a crazy ride! I was drawn in from the start. While I wouldn't say it was my favorite book, it definitely kept my attention.

I had randomly stumbled upon Ms. Nugent first book Unraveling Oliver, which I absolutely loved and finished only days before Lying in Wait became available for request. To say that I was thrilled to receive a review copy would be a gross understatement.. I plowed through it in two days and loved it even more than Unraveling Oliver.

One thing that I find so impressive is how different this book is from most standard psychological thrillers. We know what’s happened from the get go, we know who has committed the crime from the first couple of pages (or dare I say from the opening sentence). What we don’t know is why the crime was comitted and that is where the novel’s ingenuity lies. Things are revealed slowly, but in a way that make the novel impossible to put down. Ms. Nugent manages to masterfully draw complex psychological studies of her character, particularly Lydia, who is not a character one easily forgets. Why is Lydia the way she is? Did something happen to make her that way? Why does Laurence put up with her? This is where the book excells, with the subtle, but important nuances of character development.

I loved everything about this novel and would highly recommend it to everyone who is looking for originality in crime fiction. I can’t wait to read the author’s next book!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of the book!

This one kept me guessing til the end. Well written and taut. A bit creepy but in a good way, i was literally gasping at times. Very good book.

The very end of this book is odd, I cannot say out of character, but I can say that I am questioning the fit and if it even needed to be there. But then again, to fully understand what Lydia had become, it could not have been told in any other way.

Helicopter mothering has been taken to a whole new level in “Lying in Wait” and Laurence Fitzsimons is about to find out the lengths that his mother will go to, to not only protect him, but to keep him as close to her as she can since Annie Doyle reneged on her deal and is now buried in the backyard.

Laurence’s parents had a plan, they were broke, living in a mausoleum of a home that they could not afford, and mentally unstable Lydia wanted just one more child - why not broker a deal according to their terms. The problem was that the legitimate agencies rejected them and now with Laurence reaching legal age, and wanting to branch out on his own, they were in a time crunch with very few options.

When the police start to tie observations together, Laurence begins to ask his own questions. In a strange coincidence he befriends the family of Annie where he can quiz them, guide them, and distracting them all at the same time. With a story told in three voices, the reader is following each of their timelines, and in doing so, realizes the depth of derangement that is all Lydia, and the lengths that Laurence will go to get his answers.

This book would make an incredible movie. The creepy gothic feel, the burgeoning understanding of each character as the depth of Lydia’s mental illness and domination are revealed, resulting in a final true entrapment that Laurence will never be able to escape.

Liz Nugent has a gift for storytelling and the genre of psychological thriller is definitely her niche.
The opening scene of Lying in Wait set the fast paced tone of the rest of the book. Trying to have a child can sometimes be a very emotional & traumatic time in a couple's life and in rare cases it can cause them to go to extreme measures.
Please do not let Lying in Wait pass you by!

Just a word of thanks, first to both the publisher, Scout Press/Simon & Schuster, as well as netgalley.com for an advanced reading of this novel.

Hands-down, this was one the the BEST psychological thrillers I have read in a long, long time. What makes it a great read? Number one, it is eerily believable. I truly enjoy thrillers that I can say to myself, "this could actually happen". Throughout this book, I felt that the plot was well-done and really made sense to me. Secondly, as the novel progressed, I pressed "stop" on everything else going on in my life, and NEEDED to see how this novel finished. And, it finished with a bang - my mouth was dropped at how it ended.

Liz Nugent impressed me with this thriller. I believe I have found a new author. Again, this was ONE OF THE MOST ENTERTAINING thrillers that had me guessing throughout the novel - excellent novel!

OKAY, let’s talk about LYING IN WAIT by Liz Nugent. First of all – LOOK at this book cover – can you say GORGEOUS ?!?!?! The cover ALONE is enough to make me buy this book without knowing ONE (1) single thing about it!!! YEP...... I’m definitely guilty of judging a book by its cover.....

“ My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it “ - Lydia Fitzsimons
- This is the BRILLIANT opening line of LYING IN WAIT - AND it only gets BETTER from there!!!

This is a really well written, easy to read novel that’s divided into THREE (3) parts – 1980 (the year Annie Doyle was murdered), 1985, and 2016 (present day), with 26 short chapters that will flip back-and-forth from Lydia to Lawrence (Lydia’s son) to Karen (Annie Doyle’s sister).

The story takes place in Dublin, Ireland and spans over a 36 year period starting with Annie Doyle’s murder ( by Lydia‘s husband, Andrew, a well-known judge in their hometown) and finishing with an ending that you will NOT even believe!

We know who did it. Now we get to find out why! I enjoyed this book for the different approach it took to the story. With different narrations came a bit of clarity in why things happened the way they did. I received a copy from NetGalley and and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.