I did not know what to expect going into this thriller, but the teaser got me hooked. The novel has a little bit of everything -- family drama, mystery, romance, and suspense. While there were a few unexpected plot twists along the way, the ending totally got me. In fact, the ending is quite disturbing and will linger with (I imagine) most readers for a long time. Overall, a creepy, yet enjoyable ride.

There is a saying “a victory was snatched from the jaws of defeat.” Sadly, for the two families in Lying in Wait, this saying is not applicable. Indeed, the reverse is most often true.
The Fitzsimmons have money and status apparently. The Doyles are working class conventional villagers – seemingly. When these families become immersed in each other’s lives everything goes wrong. Death, mental illness, murder, humiliation, betrayal, oppressive societal norms and theft become the norms for their interactions. Glimmers of joy, love and happiness always fade.
What keeps one reading is the hope that situations turn out well. Author Liz Nugent skillfully draws one into the lives of these families. The reader wants things to work out. We don’t give up on them.
Interesting characters in stressful situations make this a novel well worth reading.
I received a copy of this book via Netgalley. This did not effect my review of the book.
#netgalley #lyinginwait #liznugent #thejwordpress

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book.

Having been blown away by "Unraveling Oliver", I had to read Nugent's latest book. And it creeped me out which is what it is supposed to do. In ways an easier read that her first book, it is easier to keep track of the characters and the action and parts are easier to guess but not the whole thing. Twists and surprises that one does not expect. In the end, none of the characters are likable. This is a book that kept me reading even though it, at times, made me uncomfortable. The author knows how to tell a well written, engaging story.

From the outside, Andrew Fitzsimons and his wife and son Laurence are living quite comfortably. Events on that fateful night, leaves a young woman dead.

Andrew is a respected judge, but finds himself in a situation he should never had been in. Now he is worried about being blackmailed by Annie who happens to be a prostitute. one things leads to another and Annie ends up dead. Murdered..

This is told in multiple POV’s, Andrew, Lydia and Annie’s sister, Karen. Through all the POV’s, the story is layed out giving all the little clues for us. We just have to wait and pieces them all together as they come. The more you read, the more believe that the Fitzsimons are one seriously dysfunctional family. While Karen just want to know what happened to her sister.

Lydia is worried about her families social status but she is one overprotective parent, and I do mean over protective mother too, a little on the obsessive side. I kinda felt bad for her son Laurence. It wasn’t long before I realized that he wasn’t as naive and innocent as his mother thought he was. Andrew is starting to lose it, keeping So many secrets can do that you.

Now story wise, it is hard not to give too much away. It’s almost better not know a lot, allowing the pieces fall where they will. I will say one thing though, that ending was not at all how I thought it all would end. It was a pretty amazing little twist. Well done..

Lying in Wait will take you on one dark and twisted tale, full of suspense from start to finish. Overall, it is a pretty fantastic thriller, fans of this genre will enjoy it.

I liked this book from the beginning. Staring off with a murder really got me hooked. I did not particularly like any of the characters, but that seems to be the new writing style. The story had a lot of twists and turns which keep me guessing, but I didn't care for the ending.

Twisted, like a train wreck you cannot look away from. Wickedly good read. Recommended for psychological suspense lovers. Will be watching this author.

#liznugent #lyinginwait #netgalley "...would have loved to have explained...that his father was not just a common murderer, that he had merely made a mistake under pressure and that the girl was of no consequence."

Wow. What a terrific read. I was repelled and couldn't stop reading at the same time. Clever, pathological...Nugent does an amazing job of fleshing out her characters, her sense of time and place is impeccable. Poor Laurence, Andrew...anyone who enters Lydia's orbit is doomed, unless they bend to her will. What a villain. "It seemed so dishonest and cruel, but Mum was neither of those things."

Thanks so much to Netgalley for the ARC.

This novel started with one of the best first lines ever; “My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it.” Andrew, Lydia, and their son Laurence live in a crumbling mansion, Avalon. Due to gambling debts, they cannot fix their home. Lydia and Andrew lure Annie into their lives, and it ends tragically for her. The novel weaves many other characters into Lydia and Lar’s lives. It is a thrilling and suspenseful novel, and the ending is one of the best ever. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my fair and honest review.

My first thought after finishing this book was "Holy s**t!" The mother in this book was truly crazy. One wild, unforgettable ride! You won't believe the ending!!

(Many thanks to Netgalley for this arc.)

I loved this book. It was well-paced and measured. The beginning sentence was a grabber. The whys and hows needed to be answered so I read and read with interest. I like books that tell the events from different points of views and this book used that technique expertly. Very good story. I would definitely recommend Lying in Wait.

I love it when a character is manipulative, if that's done well--and it is here. Delightfully horrifying.

And wowza... that ending.

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this read.

I loved Nugent's debut novel, Unraveling Oliver, but her second book just did not live up to my expectations, mostly due to the ending. It is definitely a page turner and easy to read, and the first line is a doozy! "My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it." The story is told through two voices, wife/mother Lydia who hides a murder, and her son Laurence, who attempts to live a normal life from within a seriously messed up family. Lydia, who is just out and out batsh*t crazy, has some fairly wicked skeletons in her closet, never wants to go too far from her huge family estate, and pretty much destroys everything she touches. Poor weak, overweight, pathetic Laurence tries real hard to escape her clutches, but alas, for naught. I never really felt for either of these characters: wholly unlikable, thinly drawn, and just not that bright. The ending fell flat as well, so this book was a bit of a miss for me. Thanks to Net Galley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book definitely starts off with a bang - "My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it." The story is told from 3 different points of view - Lydia (the wife and mom), Laurence (Lydia's son), and Karen (Annie Doyle's sister). The alternating points of view were great to have as you were able to see how different people interpreted what was going on... I felt like I (as the reader) had all the information, but with so many secrets being kept by everyone, nothing was really as it seemed.

This story explores some crazy dynamics of Lydia and Laurence's relationship. It is a story of obsession and trying to please the ones we love. Every character had qualities that were completely despicable and unlikeable. However, it was so cleverly written that I kept reading just to find out what would happen next. There were definitely twists I didn't expect.

A great opening sentence that totally intrigues the reader. Multiple, well written characters that tell the story of manipulation and deception from their various points of view. A mentally disturbed mother/son relationship and a criminal act that leads to an unexpected, disturbing ending. As another reviewer put it, this is definitely a well written “why done it” rather than a “who done it.”

This book was difficult - slow, not really interested in picking it back up, so I read half and then read the last half. The premise is decent, I don't know if it got weighted down in details or what.

Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Not a heart pounding thriller, but an entertaining amusing read. The reader will fly through the novel, although one must suspend belief and just enjoy the ride. Lydia Fitzsimons is cast as the evil mother, the son Laurence as the dutiful smothered mama's boy, the husband as the anxious judge..and then comes Annie, the heroin addicted prostitute who upends their life. In addition, the magnificent mansion they live in carries deep secrets which affect all the characters. The story is told by different characters in each chapter which amply fleshes out the story . A fun romp will be had by all.

If there were ever a book to capture dark, comedic noir, this would be the one for 2018. This book is incredibly twisted, and yet there was levity and humor despite the darkness of the book. I felt “WTF?!” in the best way when reading this! Liz Nugent really has a talent for writing. I loved how this book was told like the characters repeating a story from some point in time after the events had happened, rather than experiencing it live. That may not sound appealing, but I believe it was that distance from the events happening that allowed for the lightness when recounting incredibly dark stories.

Lydia Fitzsimmons has the perfect life…

Her husband is a successful judge, they live in her beautiful family home, Avalon, and her son Laurence adores her. Avalon isn’t just any home, it is a gorgeous old-money mansion with sprawling grounds and a pile of family secrets. Lydia can’t imagine ever leaving Avalon. She is essentially a recluse, preferring to stay at Avalon as a wife, mother, and homemaker, while her husband flourishes in his career. But one night everything changes.

My husband didn’t mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it.

Lydia is forced to do the unthinkable—help her husband cover up a murder. She buries this secret the same way she has buried all of the others—in the safety and security of their family home, Avalon. Lydia and Andrew may be able to hide their secret from outsiders, but what will they do when someone inside the home—someone much closer to it—discovers the truth?

Reflection

There is something so matter-of-fact in the way these characters tell their story. The Fitzsimmons family is one that is easily able to separate emotion from action, with the exception of Andrew. I found Lydia and Laurence to be completely fascinating characters. The way they react to everything from shock, to hurt, to anger, is incredible to behold. They don’t process their emotions the way many of us do. For that reason, Andrew stands in such stark contrast to them. He is someone completely overwhelmed by his emotions, and unable to keep them in check.

We see this same theme play out with other characters—Helen, Dessie, Bridget, Karen, Annie. All of them tend to either be ruled by their emotions, or be surprisingly good at separating them from their actions. This is not to say that those actions aren’t driven by their reaction to the events around them. To the contrary, the characters that seem the least motivated by their emotions are probably the most irrational of the group.

There is a scene early on (that I won’t spoil because it is so wonderful) with Laurence that honestly made me laugh out loud when I read it. Another awesome reviewer, Carrie, said she wasn’t sure at times with this book if she should laugh, cry, or cringe. That is the perfect description of this book! I dare readers to find a dull character among the lot.

The ending of this book is the icing on the “WTF?!” cake for this read! It was crazy, but sort of perfect for the story and the characters. I was so delighted by this book! It was my first by Liz Nugent, but it will certainly not be my last. I’m looking forward to sharing this book with other readers!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and to Liz Nugent for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Initially reminded of Jodi Picoult style, I was more deeply fascinated with the depth of each character. The relationship between Laurence and every other character kept me guessing as to what would end up changing between the dynamics. And lydia definitely kept me guessing

I did not see that ending coming. Wow. I knew the mom was crazy and figured her true colors would eventually be brought to light just not how I pictured it. Great read. I was hesitant to put it down after the second major plot twist. I have a slight book hangover after reading this and was sad it was over. All I can say is "Poor Laurence."

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

On the surface, Lydia Fitzsimons has the perfect life—wife of a respected, successful judge, mother to a beloved son, mistress of a beautiful house in Dublin. That beautiful house, however, holds a secret. And when Lydia’s son, Laurence, discovers its secret, wheels are set in motion that lead to an increasingly claustrophobic and devastatingly dark climax.



My Thoughts: Lying in Wait has been described as “seductively sinister,” and from the very first page, we become aware of the strangely dark voice of Lydia Fitzsimons, wife to the judge and mother to her only son Laurence. Lydia is one of those narcissistic women who is primarily focused on herself and her needs, and her apparent overwhelming love for son Laurence is really more about what she needs from him. When her darkness turns pathological, she becomes an interesting study in mental illness.

Her husband Andrew didn’t stand a chance. His poor choices were all about serving her needs, too, and those would come back to haunt him.

The intersecting lives of Andrew, Lydia, and Laurence with Annie Doyle, her sister Karen, and her parents have their twisted origins in one dreadful night when everything went out of control.

But then we learn that way back in the past, Lydia’s true colors showed themselves at a tragic event when she was nine years old.

Would Laurence be able to extricate himself from the grasping control of his mother? Could he continue to bury the secret that was lying in wait to come out? Or would his mother’s twisted needs turn everything upside down?

Set in Dublin in the 1980s, the story immediately hooked me, with the dark and disturbing characters and their secrets; I couldn’t stop turning the pages, loving every minute with them all, curiously wondering how it would all end. 5 stars.***My e-ARC came from the publishers via NetGalley.