Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for gifting me with an ARC of Thomas Christopher Greene’s newest thriller. In exchange I offer my unbiased review.

Having read and really enjoyed The Headmaster’s Wife, I was quite excited to read Mr. Greene’s newest novel. While I had no problems turning the pages, I felt this story lacked suspense and originality. Early on, I was able to figure out who the culprit was and how the story would unfold. The one part of the book that made me gasp was more out of confusion/ disbelief than actual surprise.

I thought this was a weaker novel and I believe the author is capable of crafting a better story. I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts, and preview a much admired author’s work.

A surprising tale of deception and murder with multiple ironic twists. The portrayal of emotional states, both fragile and overly self-confident bring depth and interest to the story.

This book is a great read...it’s fast paced, mysterious and intriguing. It’s broken up in to 6 chapters only which really helps people like me ‘I’ll stop after this chapter’....sure, it’s only 40 more pages!
This book is a true psychological thriller. In today’s day when every other book comes with a tag line of being ‘twisting gripping taut thrilling...’ this one actually is all that..without the tag line! The book speaks for itself. What makes it a really compelling read is how well the characters are developed. There are layers to each of them no matter how small a role they seem to play. Each character is vital to the story. The secrets Max and Susannah keep are dark. We know Max’s secret from the start but we don’t know much else. The plot keeps you on the edge yet when things are revealed it’s surprising. The anticipation of twist is beautifully crafted and every reader will succumb to it.
I enjoyed the introspection done by Max and Susannah a few times, it gives you great insight in to their devious minds. It makes you wonder who is playing whom and who is the ultimate ‘perfect liar’.
The book depicts the transformation of Susannah from a strong willed and rebellious young girl to a mellow routine-following homemaker. But you can catch glimpses of her real personality. Max on the other hand is a selfish ruthless man right from the start and there is no way you can like him. The fact that he is such a strong negative character draws the reader’s attention away from everyone else in the plot. Very little time is spent on giving us insights to Freddy and his relationship with Susannah- this is the only flaw of this book. I think a little more background or interaction between them would have helped the plot better.
The writing style is pretty easy to follow. At times the narrative shifts from Max to Susannah or vice versa pretty abruptly but their voices are distinct enough for the reader to follow.
Dolores plays a nice role as the investigator and I have to say that I was a little disappointed with the way she handled the situation in the end, highly questionable! It’s a bumpy ride but worth your while. The book actually releases in Jan 2019, but it is one that you should put a reminder for, you don’t want to miss it. I’ll definitely be looking out for more books my this author.
Thank you St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Sometimes you’ll feel sympathy for these characters, sometimes ambivalent, and sometimes you’ll strongly dislike them—but you’ll have to keep reading! Just when you think you’ve figured out all of the clues and twists, another will appear that makes you rethink it. Writing was strong and plot was well developed.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC to read and review.

I couldn't get into this book at all. It seemed like all it did was drag on and the characters were not likeable. I was disappointed!

This was a can't put it down kinda book....fast paced, well written, full of twists and I didn't see any of them coming. . Really well done.... Thank you Net Galley for the ARC.

Interesting characters, and while the premise is not a new one, there were enough surprises along the way to keep me involved and reading well into the evening. Chillingly illustrates how the secrets we keep can come back to haunt us! Highly recommended.

Truly wicked, deceitful & psychotic main characters. Who will outdo who in lying?! A quick read and it will keep you guessing til the end which character is the biggest liar!

If you’re looking for a book to take you directly from A to B, this is not the selection for you. With so many twists and turns that you get dizzy remembering and guessing, the author also mixes in some great character development. The characters, however, were not people you’d choose as friends. Murders, old an new keep the action moving in this fast-paced thriller.

A solid, twisty-turny thriller by Thomas Christopher Greene.

While I didn't find any of the characters in The Perfect Liar particularly likable, this did not take away from my enjoyment of the book. I was kept guessing all along. And now I also want to go and visit Vermont! :)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of The Perfect Liar. All opinions in this review are my own.

Just when you think you have it figured out, you find out you don’t. At all. Twist and turns at every corner.

I requested this one because I adored the author’s earlier work, The Headmaster’s Wife. The Perfect Liar, unfortunately, did not resonate with me. The twist in the plot was obvious from early on and there were no red herrings or alternative solutions, really. Seems to be piggybacking on the Gone Girl phenomenon.

DNF! I was able to get through about 25% but I was so frustrated I couldn’t continue.

It is possible it was just the version I was provided by NetGalley & the publisher but there was not a single chapter. No breaks. Just paragraph after paragraph and switching between the 2 MC’s. It was so confusing and frustratung that I just gave up.

If we could give 1/2 stars, I would rate this book a 3.5. The main characters in the book are Susannah and Max. From Susannah's relationship and later, marriage, to her therapist, who was 49 to her 21 years of age, when they first started seeing each other, we know that Susannah is strong willed and actively rebels against authority and conformity. Later, after her first husband dies, she eventually meets Max, an up and coming "artist" whose talent lies in words and manipulating those who pay to hear him speak.

Almost from the time we meet Max, we know he is a murderer and that his life is a lie, as he lives life, using the identity of someone else, to be what he wants to be. He'll stop at nothing to attain his goals and Susannah comes to realize that almost everything that Max tells her, is either a lie, or based on a lie. Neither of these people are likable and for that reason, I had trouble caring much, about their present or future. I did care about Susannah's 17 year old son Fred, but it appears his future will be filled with lies and deceit, too. He is his mother's son and I think that shapes his future.

At no time though, did I want to put down the book, before finishing it. The book is well written although the story will move from Susannah's viewpoint to Max's viewpoint, from one sentence to the next, with nothing to indicate a change. I was able to pick up the changes within quickly but it took me a while to get used to this way of writing and I think it'd be easier to read the book with some distinct breaks between viewpoints. Also, Max shaves his head, a habit that Max took on to become another identity, but in at least two areas, there is mention of the hair on his head.

I think it's interesting that during Susannah's marriage to Max, she takes on her mother's passiveness (being a homemaker and catering totally to her husband's and son's needs) which others can see, while at the same time, having a hidden part of herself, someone who smokes in secret everyday and who even has a stuffed fox that she hides in her closet. It'll be up to the reader to decide the identity of the perfect liar, because Susannah and Max hide so much of their real selves.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC I as given in exchange for my fair and honest review.


I feel like I should give a disclaimer before I get into my review: I'm getting really sick with the trend (if you can call it a trend since there doesn't seem to be an end in sight) that has been popular in thriller for the last few years of making the main characters as despicable as you possibly can. As I mentioned in an earlier review on this blog, I'm not one of those people who needs to like the main characters; I agree that many of the most well-written fictional characters of all time have been just awful. Having said that, there's a difference between making developed well-rounded characters that happen to have some truly gross and disturbing traits (pedophilia, abuse, etc.) and just seeing which character in your story will be more morally bankrupt. This was the main problem I had with The Perfect Liar; while I believe there are many selfish, dishonest narcissists in the world, I have a problem when everyone is the book is similarly awful to sociopathic levels because it's just not believable. It's the same as when everyone is portrayed as a saint: most people are gray.


That said, many of the themes in this book are important ones, particularly the way abuse is handled. Susannah goes from an obviously abusive husband to a more subtly abusive one, which I think is something that happens a lot; people who have been abused are so happy that there partner isn't as bad as the last one, they don't see the glaring warning signs. Max, who is extremely opportunistic, hones in on Susannah quickly and a perfect storm of toxic marriage begins. It's a sad story, but one that feels totally authentic. Truth be told, the sub plots of murder and the whole "thriller" aspect is far less interesting than this very human one: the descent that manipulation causes in their marriage is more interesting than some notes that come from an unknown source.


My last complaint is I wish we saw more of Freddy. I know that his absence is kind of the point; his isolated, sullen teen boy nature hides the complicated dynamic between he and his mother. Still, I think there should be something a reader can grasp, some signs of what's to come when a story is finished. The relationhsip between Susannah and Freddy turns out to be a pretty huge plot point and I'd loved it if that relationship was explored in more depth. It might have also humanized Susannah a bit more and let's face it: that would have been a welcome addition.

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Wow!! I did not see that coming!

Max and Susannah seem to be the perfect couple, but looks are deceiving.

There were some times I had to start a paragraph over because of a flashback catching me off guard.

While reading this, you know something is going to happen, so you hang on to the edge of your seat. Once things start happening and you’ve gotten the back stories behind you, hang on tighter. The road is about to get bumpier.

This is a great and quick read! It took me about 3.5 hours to read.

I really enjoyed it! Maybe you will to!

I received this book "The Perfect Liar" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. The book was somewhat interesting but nothing great in my opinion. I would have liked some breaks in the story so that you can stop at a chapter. I almost gave up reading until about a third of the way in - it got more interesting but still lacked something. Kinda wished I just didn't finish because there are so many books on my list to read and this one seemed liked a waste of my time. I didn't care about the characters and the story just seemed to drag.

Never have I been so glad to finish a book! These were truly awful characters, so evil! I almost stopped reading this a few times but I was curious to see how it would end so I stuck it out. Ugh. Wow.

You really have to suspend reality with this story. I think that had it been written before all the real crime tv shows and the computer age set in it would have been more “believable”. Now that we know about identity theft and falsifying resumes’ and the like it seems highly improbable that the identity of Max wouldn’t be discovered well before he gained any real fame, regardless of how much of a showman he was.

Susannah was horrific too. Her son, though more of a victim of circumstance, seems to be on track to end up in the same boat.

There were some good twists, unexpected. Delores, the investigator, made some highly questionable decisions even based on some facts that came to light. It would have been a more clever story had she done the opposite I think.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and St. Martin’s Press for a copy in exchange for a review.

A psychological murder mystery with complex characters.

Susannah & Max W are both hiding secrets from the world and each other. Their marriage becomes a game of cat and mouse as Susannah fears for her life when she learns about Max's previous life before she mete him. The ending was perfect in so many ways though no-one should get away with murder.

This was another hard to put down book.

The twists and turns is what kept me captivated! You think you know whats happening and then something else comes up and it changes your thoughts! Loved it!