Although a good psychological thriller with expected and unexpected twists and turns, I had difficulty getting into this book. I didn’t like the characters, not so much their actions, but more their crass language and the idea of a therapist sleeping with a patient really bothered me (more so than some of the other unspeakable acts!). Near the end, I found myself skimming over much of the story just to get through it. Despite that, I ended up liking it!

Book Review - The Perfect Liar by Thomas Christopher Greene ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
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I’ve been in a real thriller mood lately and this one didn’t disappoint. Susannah is a single mother who became a widow at a young age after her husband, also her therapist, passed away. Susannah remarries Max, a younger, charismatic art speaker. When he is offered a job in Vermont teaching at a university, the family pack up and leave New York Behind. but when a note is left on their front door saying I know who you are, it surprises Susannah whereas Max dismisses it as a prank. But when more notes appear and both of them hiding secrets, what exactly do they mean?
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I found the story well paced and enjoyed the twists and turns although the were mostly subtle. The ending was good and one I really didn’t expect. The characters weren’t particularly likeable and I didn’t enjoy the flashbacks to Susannah’s first marriage (I didn’t understand the need for them?) but it was well written and I did really enjoy the book. I’ve read so many great thrillers lately that the bar was high and this lived up to my expectations!
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Thanks to St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the eARC!

Susannah, single mother of a teen son, met Max W. and remarried. Max, a charismatic artist and speaker, and his career's rise to popularity helped moved their family to a quiet Vermont town when Max is offered a job there. Everything is perfect in their new life until one morning, Susannah finds a note on her door saying, "I KNOW WHO YOU ARE." The notes keep coming. Max and Susannah are both on edge. They're both keeping secrets from the world and each other. Who are they really?

This is yet another thriller surrounding a couple with the "perfect life" and then something happens to reveal that nothing is as seems. While I enjoyed the book, I didn't think there was a "wow factor." I wasn't shocked by any of the turn of events and truths; it was obvious from the start. I didn't care for the weird third-person narration, and jumping back and forth from past to present. There were a lot of parts to the story that didn't add up and seem unrealistic. I did like how the characters were developed. Overall, the premise of the story was interesting but it didn't unravel the way I wanted it to. However, I still suggest it a read!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I hate this new concept of “Thrillers” that has no suspense or intrigue until the bitter end. That is not a mystery/suspense/thriller book. Even worse are books like this one with an awful narrator that you want nothing to do with. A narrator can be evil and be interesting but an evil, narcissistic and boring narrator is too much to expect to hold a reader’s interest. Very early in the book you will find out who I’m talking about if you make the mistake of reading this book but I’ll leave out who so as not to spoil it. The book very much walks you through their actions and who they are. There is some “reveal” at the end but it was not worth finding out. The only character who I found interesting was the detective who basically has a cameo in the book.

Unfortunately this book spends far too much time on flashbacks. Even worse is that they are seamless flashbacks. One sentence is the present and then the next is a rambling flashback in time. If the attempt was to make the character sympathetic it failed. The POV also switches back and forth between husband and wife and neither character is worth the journey. I love actual mystery/suspense/thrillers but this book was none of those things and just a chore to read.

Susannah and Max, along with her son are living the dream in a Vermont university town. Max is a well-known 'artist' and has secured a position at the university while Susannah is a stay at home mom to a her teen son. She has a lot of very odd behaviors.

They seem perfectly matched and are still in love and passionate. Life is good. Until it isn't. Finding notes on their front door with cryptic messages has them both shaken. For Max the notes could destroy his career and his marriage. Max has secrets. Lots of secrets.

When the person Max suspected of leaving the notes turns up dead, Susannah tries to run with her son, but her son it turns out is not on her side. Why? Because she has secrets too. And someone knows them. And only when they come out will we find out who the perfect liar is.

The story was told from both points of view as well as past and present. The premise of the story was good. It was a twisty, nasty tale! But I didn't know or understand the characters well enough to care if any of them got caught or disappeared. They just had no depth to any of them.

Give it a read and see what you think.

Netgalley/  January 15th 2019 by St. Martin's Press

Susannah was a young widow living in New York City. Raising her son alone after her husband passed away, Susannah is not looking for love. Then she meets Max. Max, an up and coming artist, sweeps Susannah off her feet. They move from NYC to a quiet college town in Vermont. Life is good until Susannah finds a note. A not that says “I Know Who You Are“. That note starts off a series of events that will rock Susannah and Max’s lives. Secrets, long buried, will be revealed. Relationships will be changed. Who is sending the notes? Why is that person sending them?

I don’t like leaving negative reviews. I usually try to find something good to say about the book I am reviewing, even if I don’t like it. But there are some books that I have read that I can’t find anything nice to say about it. The Perfect Liar is such a book. Which is sad, because I was excited to read this book. It had all the earmarks of a book that I would enjoy.

I could not connect with either of the main characters. There were no endearing traits or quirks for me to focus on. Nothing that made me feel bad for the characters. They felt flat. They were also unlikeable. I couldn’t stand both Max and Susannah. They were both self-centered people who thought that they could get away with horrible things.

The plotlines dragged in The Perfect Liar also. The book started off fast enough but it started lagging by the middle of the book. There was almost a stall in the storyline towards the end of the book. I almost DNF’d the book at that point. But, I was so close to the end. So, I soldiered on.

The end of the book was anticlimactic. There were points where I was asking myself “When is the other shoe going to drop“. I was surprised at who was writing the notes. It was the last person I thought it was going to be. Why that person sent the notes was a surprise also. I was expecting what happened at the end of the book to happen. I was surprised by who. I was also surprised by who helped after the fact.

I want to end the review saying that I do think that this book has potential. I thought that the story was interesting (when stripped down to the bare bones). I couldn’t move past the characters.

I gave The Perfect Liar a 2-star rating. I didn’t like this book. I could not connect with the characters. I thought the plotlines dragged. I thought the end of the book was anticlimactic and understated. What saved this book from being a 1-star review is that I thought the book had potential. I thought that the story was interesting.

I would give The Perfect Liar an Adult rating. There is sex. There is violence. There is language. There are triggers. They would be abuse by an authority figure, mental illness, and murder. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would not reread The Perfect Liar. I would not recommend this book to family and friends.

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for letting me have the chance to read this book
A chilling and suspenseful read! I thought I had this book figured out halfway thru, but WOW was I wrong! Had a very good plot for this book first time reading his books would like to read more of his books

Other people seem to have rather really liked this one - which makes me feel like I read a different book... The characters were odious - stereotypes, tropes, and banalities galore rendered them utterly one dimensional to me. The writing was fine - neither outstanding nor problematic, good solid middle-of-the-road stuff - but the story itself (pacing, plot, "surprises" and all) went flat early on and never really pulled me in. I couldn't even finish it - just kept getting lost in the ridiculousness of the wife and her willingness to fall into just about every 1950s housewife stereotype imaginable as she followed this man she KNEW was lying and dangerous... Not for me!!

I was thrilled to death for the opportunity to read an ARC of his new book. I was drawn in from the first chapter and could hardly put it down! Highly recommend!

A chilling and suspenseful read! I thought I had this book figured out halfway thru, but WOW was I wrong!

Susannah is a young single mother after being widowed at a young age; she remarries to Max, a charming speaker who took her and her son out of New York to live their perfect lives. She thinks her life is perfect until she finds a note on the door that says “I know who you are”. Max tries to convince her that the note is a practical joke, but just a few days after one of their neighbors comes to supper, the husband dies a mysterious death while on a jog with Max. Not long after, another note appears on the door stating “did you get away with it?” Both Max and Susannah are keeping secrets that could destroy their lives.

I found this novel very interesting right from the beginning; I was drawn in by the notes and how different the couple reacts to them. I enjoyed that they incited action from Max and that there was never a dull moment in the first two parts. I really liked the writing and how different the couple is from one another and I always enjoy short chapters. There are a lot of twists and turns in this one that will leave you wondering where this novel will leave us. I didn’t really feel like I liked either of the characters, but I didn’t dislike them either. I just wanted to know what each character was up to and capable of. I loved the ending and I didn’t see it coming, but it made it all the better. I really enjoyed that you were never quite sure where each member of the couple stood with one another and how they seemed to have their own screwed up values in their relationship. I would definitely recommend giving it a try and I will definitely be trying more books by Greene.

Greene has written an intriguing and engrossing thriller with The Perfect Liar. Well worth the read!!

Max and Susannah have the perfectly psychotic relationship. There is so many twists and turns and surprises to be had in this story. The author surely keeps the reader turning the pages. The multi-person perspective from which the story is told adds a unique take on the intrigue. The psychology of why people do the things they do is argued here but never quite answered. It is a fascinating dichotomy of right versus wrong.

DIdn't love this one. It was okay - I didn't find it very believable. I almost put it down several times- I was glad I stuck with it, but I wouldn't recommend.

I was looking forward to reading this book but sadly I couldn't get into the story and gave up on it. Sorry, not for me

Susannah and Max are living a great life in Vermont when one day, a note is stuck to their door stating "I know who you are" and everything spirals downwards. Both Max and Susannah are lying about something...who's the better liar?! I didn't really care for either of these characters but the writing was strong that I wanted to keep reading. If you're looking for murder, sex, and twists, you'll find it in this novel!

The Perfect Liar by Thomas Christopher Greene is a psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. Susannah is a young widow with a son, who marries Max, a brilliant artist who is offered a teaching position at a Vermont college. When a note saying "I know what you did" appears on their front door, it sets of a chain of events that are so unexpected, you will be on the edge of your seat until the last page has been read.

2.5*
After being widowed in her 20’s, Susannah is bringing up her son Freddy on her own. Into her life waltzes Max. And oh, he’s everything she could want in a man! Handsome, caring and only has eyes for her. The topper? He will fit into her 'artsy' world perfectly.

Sure, they met under less than honest circumstances, but maybe she can just shove that little issue aside. When other odd, unexplainable incidents continue popping up, Susannah does her best to squash her fears and trust the man she loves.
The question now… how many warning signs can you ignore? How long do you deny the obvious truth?
Soon enough, Susannah is fearing for her life and her son Freddy.

I was so excited to read this novel. The premise sounded right up my alley for thrillers! Sadly, it started un-raveling right from the start. The story-line seemed disjointed, jumping back and forth too much. There were parts of the story that just didn’t add up. I always do my best to suspend belief when I read a thriller. This one was just too much of a stretch, even for my vivid imagination.

I noticed reviews are extremely mixed for this book. It’s a love it, or.... well you get the picture. Unfortunately I fell into the latter category. If this book piqued you interest enough to read, I hope it works out better for you!

A buddy read with Susanne!

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and Thomas Christopher Greene for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

The Perfect Liar is the first book I have read from Thomas Christopher Greene.

I did find this book to be an enjoyable read and a very engaging story. The only drawback for me was that the chapters were so long. Nonetheless, I do recommend this book.

I'm sorry to say I ended up hating this book. There are no chapters and it makes for a long, drawn out story. I'm always wondering 'should I stop now?' And I didn't always know who was talking at first as there was no clear indication - I hope this is only in the ARC. It was so boring. None of it held my interest. I didn't like the characters. I was hoping it'd pick up. At 44% one of our unlikable main characters goes for a walk at night, picks up a dead fox and carries him home and begins slicing him up in great detail (or I think in great detail, I skipped the huge paragraph) After I skipped that paragraph, we went onto dead rabbits and that's when I decided I was done with the book. I love animals, I don't eat them, and I don't enjoy reading about them being hurt/killed/eaten in great detail. Nothing redeeming about the ending - it was anticlimactic and weird and I'm so happy I skipped all the shit in the middle, but disappointed I didn't start skipping earlier.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC.