In a well-paced psychological thriller, LIz Nugent breaks the rules by telling the reader who killed the victim in the beginning of the book. The thrill is then devoted to who will find out, as well as the aftermath of those connected in the web of relationships to the victim, Annie. Given the crime first, the characters are well developed throughout the book creating chasms of judgement verses sympathy for villains as well as the innocent. From the first word the jaw dropping last sentence, the reader will need to make plans to read this, as it will not be put down until finished.

Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent

This was a really slow burn psychological thriller by Liz Nugent. It was very difficult to put down once I started reading. It was still a page turner even though the pace was not pulse pounding fast. The character's were very well developed as is a trademark of this author. I read "Unraveling Oliver," which made me very anxious to read her new title "Lying in Wait." The title is very significant to the unfolding of this macabre story.

The crime takes place in 1980's Ireland and this isn't your usual who did it. In the first few pages you discover who the victim and perpetrators of the crime. The brilliance is in the setting and the different character's. It is eery and wonderful how the story unfolds. Even though I knew who did what to whom the mystery plays out with how the sister of the victim unwittingly gets involved with the son of the judge and his wife Lydia.

I liked this even better than "Unraveling Oliver," because I really became invested in the victim's sister who is a very sympathetic character. The author is brilliant in creating atmospheric chill both in descriptions of setting and the evolving characterization. I was hooked right from the beginning to the very surprising ending. This author keeps getting better and better with each book she writes.

The story is unique while realistic and I liked that it took place in the 1980's. Lydia is diabolical and menacing as the mastermind between committing two crimes without a conscious. She has inherited a mansion where she lives with her husband who is a judge and her only child Laurence. Lydia and her husband cause another family unspeakable pain by taking things into their own hands. Laurence their only child wrongly suspects that his father committed the evil act.

Laurence and the victim's sister Karen become entwined in a romantic relationship. Karen is a beautiful model who is desperately searching for her missing sister. How the two come together is adding more suspense as they are an unlikely match. Both Karen and Laurence are likable and Laurence is helping Karen find out who could be responsible for Karen's sister Annie who has disappeared.

There is a dark mood throughout the background of explorations of how the police treat the missing Annie because of what she did for a living. Her mother and father and sister Karen are in a lower class in Ireland than Lydia, her husband and son Laurence. The investigation into Annie's disappearance is handled poorly by the police. Will Karen find out what really happened to her sister Annie and who was involved?

There are vivid descriptions that make the weather and the colors of Ireland come alive as it's own character. Class and society of privileged and not so privileged are a sad fact of life. Liz Nugent has written a brilliant character study with suspense but no gore. Good Reads is giving a free giveaway of this book currently and I would urge those who like suspense and a much early Halloween read try this brilliant novel. You won't be disappointed. Five stars. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Net Galley, Liz Nugent and Gallery, Pocket Threshold Books for providing me with my digital copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Author delivers chilling, taut psychological thriller in 'Lying in Wait'
By Sandy Mahaffey For The Free Lance–Star

“My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it. After we had overcome the initial shock, I tried to stop him speaking of her. … It upset him too much and I thought it best to move on as if nothing had happened … but facts are facts and we must get used to them.”

If the first paragraph of Liz Nugent’s “Lying in Wait” does not grab your attention, I can’t imagine what would. This is where the book picks up—the aftermath of the murder, with three narrators trying to pick up the pieces of their lives.

It is Dublin in the 1980s. The quote above is from Lydia, wife of the judge who killed Annie Doyle. She is controlling, obsessed with her son and determined life will go exactly as she wants.

Her son, Laurence, also narrates. His obsession is with food, but he was pulled into the deed during cleanup and is not nearly as naïve as his mother believes. He is treading a very thin line while trying to gain some independence in his life.

The third narrator, Karen, is Annie Doyle’s sister, a successful model who still suffers from frustration over her sister’s disappearance. The police never found a body, but quickly dropped the investigation when they discovered she was a drug-addicted prostitute.

Nugent tells a brilliant tale—taut, horrifying, chilling. Characters are vividly drawn, some showing dysfunctional and sociopathic tendencies. They are complex and fascinating. Flashbacks to earlier days reveal multiple layers of experience that shaped them into the adults they now are. How did Lydia become so unlikable? Why does Laurence seem so spineless? How do they even function in this devious web Nugent has created? Everyone seems to be keeping secrets, no one can be trusted. The location of Lydia’s body is superb irony.

The characters may not be likable, but the plot is impossible to resist and the tale is beautifully written. It is a dark tale, but there is enough dark humor to keep the reader from sinking in too deeply. The difficult part is tearing yourself away from it.

If you like psychological thrillers, “Lying in Wait” is perfect.

Sandy Mahaffey is former Books editor at The Free Lance-Star.

LYING IN WAIT
By Liz Nugent
(Scout Press, $26, 320 pp.)
Release: June 12, 2018

I really don't know how to feel about this book.  I wasn't too invested in the characters as no one was 100% likable or honest.  The story line was so screwed up, it was a bit of a turn off.  It was a quick read but I am not sure if I would consider it an enjoyable read.  It was depressing and a bit aggravating.  I don't think I would recommend this book.

IThank you to NetGalley and Gallery for an ARC of this book in exchange for honest feedback.

This book started out with a lot of promise and I really did enjoy it at first. However, one of the main characters is so deranged and evil that I found couldn’t even bring myself to read her chapters. The level of evil she was was so over the top that it kind of ruined the book for me. I really enjoyed reading the other characters POV and the book would have been great from those standpoints. Also, the book kind of slows down towards the end and I found that I wasn’t interested in the story anymore and had to force myself to finish reading it.

I can’t give an “overall” perspective because I’m really conflicted about the book. I’d definitely read another book by this author but this one just wasn’t my taste.

IMG_4875My Review of “Lying in Wait” by Liz Nugent Gallery, Threshold, Pocketbook, June 2018

WOW! “Lying in Wait” by Liz Nugent is a captivating, intense, intriguing, twisted, and disturbingly horrifying and sickening , suspenseful novel, which is hard to put down.. Freud would have a field day with these characters. This has a feel of Alfred Hitchcock, and Twilight Zone mixed. The Genres of this novel are Fiction, Mystery, Suspense and Thriller, with a touch of horror.

One of the first sentences that one reads is ” My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it.” This is a quote from one of the characters Lydia Fitzsimons,.

The Fitzsimons family is looked upon with great respect. After all, Lidia’s husband is a Judge, and they have a loving son Laurence. They live in a mansion, and to the eye, everything is perfect. No one knows that the Judge lost a tremendous amount of money he invested, when the person who handled the funds, ran with the money. No one realizes how Lidia has been over-protective to their son. From all the stress, Laurence can’t stop eating, and is first dealing with new experiences in life.

The author describes her unstable characters as complicated, complex, and deeply dysfunctional .There are deep and dark secrets that Lidia hold the key to, that could destroy the family. ( and have destroyed others)

Meanwhile, Annie Doyle’s family is looking into their daughter’s disappearance. There seem to be some significant clues. Annie’s sister is obsessed with finding what happened to her.

Lidia is one extremely manipulative woman. She has an answer for anything and justifies everything. Unfortunately, Laurence is starting to unravel some of the secrets. There are a lot of Uh-Oh moments, and tension. I would recommend this page-turning chilling thriller to readers who enjoy thrillers and suspenseful stories. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

I am conflicted about this book. I was excited to read it and was taken in by that killer opening line like everyone else. I just didn't love it. Maybe it's because I've been reading too many psychological thrillers lately. Or maybe it's because the characters were all so unlikable that I didn't really care what happened to any them. Not my cup of tea this time. Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

Lying in Wait is absolutely brilliant and reminded me of an Alfred Hitchcock film. I loved this read and it had all the twists I was hoping for! Liz Nugent’s “Unraveling Oliver” was one of my favorite books last year so was looking forward to “Lying In Wait”.

Ms. Nugent’s style is all her own. Her pace is wonderful and her characters are drawn out beautifully. Her descriptions of events, the emotions of the characters, the language is just sublime. She weaves the story with such skill that you are immediately drawn in.

I can’t praise “Lying In Wait” enough. Thank you Gallery/Scout Press and NetGalley for the advance digital copy!

“My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it.”

That is the opening line of the book.

Just a mere 4 pages later, you know that the statement is not quite true.

Andrew, respected judge
Lydia, his wife and mistress to a beautiful house in Dublin
Laurence, their beloved son

Karen, sister of our murder victim, Annie Doyle

You will hear from all of them.

At least one of them is a master of manipulation...

This book, the second by Liz Nugent, author of Unraveling Oliver, is like no other book that I have read. It is truly unique. I was never bored or wanting to skim ahead.

I am not going to say more...I want you to be surprised.

If you enjoy psychological thrillers, this MUST go on your TBR list.

It is available NOW!

I would like to thank Netgalley, the publisher and Liz Nugent for the ARC I received in exchange for a CANDID review.

From the shocking murder at the start to the truly frightening denouement, Nugent fashions a truly twisty pshchological suspense novel. Lydia Fitzsimons gives every appearance of leading the perfect life in her Dublin stately home with her husband, a respected judge, and her beloved son, Laurence. But the lovely home and perfect family conceal some dreadful secrets. In chapters narrated by central characters, Nugent reveals each secret, ramping up the suspense until the final horror. Lydia and Laurence are very memorable characters, lingering long after reading the final page of this novel. If you like Gillian Flynn and Paula Hawkins, you will enjoy Liz Nugent's new novel. #LyingInWait #NetGalley

I received an egalley of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This book had me crazy!! It book is an edge of your seat kinda book!! I really could not put down!! This is a must summer read!!

Wow!! I just finished Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent and I am stunned., truly stunned. This is an amazing read, and you definitely don't want to miss it!!

The first sentence in the book is exquisite "My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it." Great hook! Well-respected judge Andrew Fitzsimmons and his reclusive wife Lydia don't seem the type of people who would murder a young, drug-addicted prostitute - but they did, and then buried her body in the backyard flowerbed of their posh estate. Why were they involved with the girl at all? What precipitated such a heinous action?

What follows is a dark, twisted story as told from three points of view: Lydia, Laurence (only child of Lydia and Andrew), and Karen, sister of the victim who can't stop trying to find out why her sister has gone missing.

Dysfunctional is far too mild a term to use for this family, which is under the thumb of manipulative, unbalanced Lydia. Mommy Dearest on steroids would be more appropriate. An enthralling read throughout, I promise you will DEFINITELY be surprised by the ending! Do yourself a favor and don't let this one pass you by!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Gallery/Scout Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

“My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it.”

^^^That line right there had me like . . . .

HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GORGEOUS!

I mean let’s be honest. I don’t care if the tramp deserved it – or if she was a tramp – or if the husband did or didn’t mean to kill her. I just appreciate any time someone is dead and I am given an early copy to read. As mentioned a time or a thousand before, I have a bit of old lady brain so I knew I had read Liz Nugent before, but I couldn’t remember what and I didn’t bother looking it up because I thought I had enjoyed her previously. Turns out I was right because this is the author of Unraveling Oliver. Go brain! You is smart sometimes!

Anyway, I didn’t bother looking her up before starting and it turns out I didn’t even have to because once I started reading I remembered who she was and what I had read before. I love an author whose voice is so distinct that you can recognize it without a Google search.

The story here is about that tramp chick above who gets whacked by dear ol’ hubs. It tells the who, when, why and how – and all by the 30% point which had me a little dubious. But then I remembered that it was Liz Nugent writing the story, so the thriller aspect was just the peel of the onion and the remaining 70% would be all the stinky deliciousness contained in the other layers. If you didn’t like Oliver, there’s a good chance you probably won’t like Lydia or Andrew or Laurence either. But if you did????? Oh such good times in a story that reminds us all that a boy's best friend is his mother : )

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!











Reading Progress

From the very first line I was hooked. Won’t say much cause I don’t want to give anything away but this book is definitely a page turner. I couldn’t put it down, had to find out what was going to happen. Will definitely recommend this book.

This was quite an exciting read.

I felt so incredibly sorry for most of our characters - and so absolutely horrified by one in particular. As I got to one particular part, I said to myself that this person was just horrifically evil.

The way that everything ends up is shocking. It made sense, but was still unexpected.

A highly suspenseful thriller. I'd read the author again in a heartbeat!

WOW this book is TWISTED but amazing!
You will find out the who done it right away and then work your way backwards for the why, how and back story of everyone involved in this sick twister tale! I was glued to my kindle! The backstories were WOW…no words! This story was very twisted and sick yet I was still able to sleep after reading each night so that is a major bonus!

Liz Nugent is fast becoming one of my favorite writers. Her books always have a storyline that is so unique and jaw dropping! Lying in Wait is a summer must read!!

First I want to thank netgalley and the author for an advanced copy for my kindle! Wow wow wow, the books starts out right away with a murder and knowing who the murders are. Lawrence is the son of a judge and a mother who is basically a psychopath and recluse and always in fear of anyone leaving her. Liz Nugent the author does a perfect job combining the story line and having each characters point of view and how they play a role in each others lives and the murder victims life. The murder victim whose name is Anne has a sister named Karen who cannot and will not let go of her sisters disappearance to the point of obsession. The ending will blow you away and have you questioning did I just read that? I feel sorry for Lawrence he tries so hard to fit in and he’s self contious about his weight and his mother has him wrapped around her finger, you just want to reach into the book and strangle his mother at times! I don’t want to give to much away but this will be a great summer thriller!

Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent is the first suspense novel of the year that has audibly made me gasp in surprise. Readers learn fairly quick that Annie Doyle has been murdered by Andrew, a high-ranked judge, and his wife, Lydia. This novel follows the guilty family as they try to cope with their decisions that led them to murder, as they try to hide their secrets and as they try move on with their live--but their suspicious son Laurence doesn't make moving on easy. Told in a split-narrative, readers will hear from several different characters--but not all of them are exactly reliable.

Upon finishing Lying in Wait, I quickly added Nugent's other novels to my "to-read" list on Goodreads! Once you have read so many thriller and suspense novels, it can be easy to expect the twists or surprise endings. However, with Nugent's work, I suspected a totally different climax and ending! As an author, she doesn't fall into common plot lines or tropes of the genre, which was refreshing and exhilarating. As I mentioned, I would audibly gasp during parts of this novel and stayed up a little too late, on more than one occasion, to continue reading! I also found my loyalties to different characters were constantly changing. With each new piece of information or insight, Nugent is able to manipulate her readers into rooting for almost everyone at some point! I may be wrong, but I believe Lying in Wait was previously published in Europe, but is now available (with a beautiful new cover) in the US as of today! I highly recommend grabbing a copy, curling up and digging in.

Another outstanding psychological thriller from Liz Nugent! Annie Doyle has been murdered and unlike most murder mysteries, we know upfront who committed the murder and why, making this plot unique. Lydia Fitzsimmons has a seemingly picture-perfect life with a gorgeous mansion and well-respected husband who is a judge. So why do she and her husband get involved with the seedy prostitute Annie Doyle and what leads to her murder? As the story progresses, we are drawn into the lives of several characters, including Lydia, her son Laurence and Karen, Annie's sister. The story centers around Annie's murder and its impact on each of these characters and how they ultimately handle very stressful situations. As the story progresses, more and more very disturbing secrets are revealed right up to the very unexpected conclusion.

Nugent's style of writing is so enjoyable and the alternating narrators worked especially well in this instance. I loved how we were shown different perspectives of the same situation by the different characters, which ultimately revealed very deep character flaws. I can't say that any of these characters were particularly likeable, but some were definitely worse than others. This was not your typical psychological thriller but Nugent's innovative technique worked so well. I would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys psychological suspense.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing a complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.75/5 stars

Well this was fun! Sick and twisted, but fun nonetheless.

Going into this I thought that it was going to be a contemporary murder story, but it wasn't the case. The story starts in 1980, and I think that the time period chosen added a very nice touch to the overall feel of the book.

Is there anything worse than smother-mother? No. And apparently there is also nothing more terrifying than a smother-mother either. The format is quite different, as the main murder and its murderers is given away right in the beginning, so in the sense the mystery is already known to the reader. I was very curious how the rest of the book would play out and what ways the plot could possibly go.

With that said, I devoured this book within 24 hours - I just could not stop reading! The plot took some interesting turns, and while none of them were too shocking they still kept my attention glued. But I think what definitely propelled this book forward was the amazingly messed up cast of characters.

There are three points of view. We get a very twisted and mental, but oh so calm character - which was the most terrifying one to read. We also get a person who knows, but can't do much about it, except keep covering it up. And we get the victim's sister, which is probably the only semi-normal character of this book. Emphasis on semi, because none of them were truly normal.

The three different points of view weave the story perfectly - I especially liked how they interlocked and crossed on the most important parts. The character study in this book is simply superb.

​I went into this book not expecting much, but it turned out that this was just what I needed - a very twisted, very wrong, but oh so fun murder book. It's not gory or brutal in any way, but it's still very ghastly and macabre, thanks to the messed up characters. I will definitely be picking up another book by Liz Nugget in the future, because I really dig what she did here.

​Big thanks to NetGalley and Gallery, Threshold, Pocket books for a digital advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own, honest and come from the heart.