DNF at 40%. I enjoy unlikable main characters, but opening by telling the reader over and over (and over) how cold and detached Peter is, instead of simply allowing his actions to just speak for him, didn't work for me. It was obvious that he was "doomed" from the start and I knew who was going to collapse his life. (I did peek at the end, and yep! Family.)

Had the potential to be fascinating but Once A Liar doesn't trust the reader enough to let the story unfold without constant and laborious reminders about who Peter is, etc.

Hooked from the beginning and the end .... totally unexpected!! Highly recommend if you are looking for an intense , pshychological thriller that you won't want to put down.

Thank you #netgalley and #HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) for the eARC.

“Once a Liar” is an exciting psychological mystery thriller in which Peter Caine, a ruthless and cutthroat but highly successful defense lawyer in New York is accused of the brutal murder of his mistress, Charlie. As the story unwinds, there are many surprises, twists and turns that make this an enjoyable read. I was sure I had this book all figured out but then the author managed to prolong the suspense about who murdered Charlie. The ending is totally awesome and shocking. This is a fascinating book. I highly recommend it. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book had an awesome twist at the end that I loved! To me part of the ending had always been possible, but there were other things that happened that I hadn't thought were a possibility. It was great!
The book follows a man named Peter Caine, a criminal defense attorney; and it goes through his life alternating between the past and the present. Peter has just obtained full custody of his teenage son Jamie, as his mother, Juliette, has passed away. The flashbacks start right before Peter has met Juliette, and goes to the present with Peter and his live-in girlfriend, Claire. Peter is a changed man as the job of criminal defense attorney has really changed him; hardened him. It definitely is causing problems in his life, as his personal and work lives collide.
This is definitely a book I would recommend.

AF Brady has constructed an electrifying psychological thriller and page turner in Once a Liar. Worth the read!!

My review is featured in Library Journal. It will be in January or February 2019.

Great second effort by Brady, proving to be a master of suspense!

3.5*
Peter Caine is a highly successful defense lawyer in New York.

Many would call him cutthroat, ruthless. But he wasn’t always this way. Once upon a time he was a kind and loving man.
A man who fell in love and simply wanted to follow the noble path of his mentors to become the best lawyer he could be.

Careful what you wish for...

Told in two time lines:
Then - Peter is just starting his rise. Falling in love and building his empire, on his climb to becoming the most feared and regarded defense attorney in NY.
Now - Peter is on top of his game! As it often happens, Peter is so caught up in his own grand success, he fails to see or consider anyone around him. And that list is growing. His current wife, desperate for a child. His ex-wife who recently passed… and his son, lost and alone in his grief.

A.F. Brady has created a highly despicable character in Peter Caine that you’re just waiting and hoping will get what’s coming to him.
Though this thriller moved at a slightly slower pace than I would have liked, I was totally engaged throughout and anxious to see where this author was going to take me. I’m always a sucker for characters that you love to hate!

A buddy read with Susanne!☃️

Thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss and Harlequin Park Row for an ARC to read and review.

This is an intense and dark psychological thriller. It is told from the protagonist's point of view giving the reader an insight into his inner thoughts and feelings.
The plot is pacey and raises many thought provoking questions.
Brady also succeeds in creating a character that is both despicable, yet appealing all the same.

My thanks go to the author, the publisher, Netgalley for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars rounded down
This is a hard book to rate. It does extremely well in some areas and not so much in others. It is the kind of book that is fascinating yet not too hard to put down. It starts at a good pace and is engrossing but then it quickly slows its pace and that does not help, also I did figure it out so that made it slightly predictable. The timeline of Peter’s life is a little messy so it takes effort to keep track of it. Other than that it’s fantastic. Peter is evil, unreliable, and cruel. He is a high functioning sociopath in my opinion. He has so many multiple facets to his personality that it is exhausting to read his story. There is so much fabrication and pretense with this character that it is hard to know what is the truth! I did not quite understand why any of the women in his life put up with him, he has no redeeming qualities in my opinion. He fits the image of a greedy, cunning and mean-spirited DA completely. This is a disturbing novel and I rate it a 4 only because of how much it made me feel!
Thank you NetGalley and HARLEQUIN for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. #NetGalley, #OnceALiar
You can find my reviews on romasharma.blogspot.com

Thank you NetGalley, A.F. Brady and Harlequin Publishing for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Peter Caine is a cutthroat defense attorney who seems charming and handsome, but is cold and heartless inside. He is practically a sociopath who can defend people who are guilty of heinous crimes without guilt. When Charlie Doyle, daughter of the DA and Peter’s latest lover is murdered, the DA will stop at nothing to convict Peter of the crime as they are mortal enemies. Peter has to defend himself and finds that he might not want to know who murdered Charlie.

Right from the beginning, I enjoyed the layout of this novel and who it went back and forth from the past and seeing how Peter began the man he is today and the present where he is trying to defend himself against these allegations. I found Peter completely unlikeable as a character and really did enjoy watching him squirming when people started to believe he is a murderer. I did feel like Peter was an actually a real person because of the way Brady portrayed him and made him and his sociopathic tendencies feel so accurate. I did find that this novel had more of a slow burn to it then the fast paced thrillers that I am used too, but I did find most of the book enjoyable. I am very torn about the ending and once you read it, I think you will understand and I won’t say anymore and spoil it.

Out January 29th!

3.5 Stars (rounded down)

Peter is a high-powered attorney. He’s cold and he’s calculating. Getting ahead and being successful is all he cares about. Peter has been divorced from his ex-wife Julianne for quite a few years to the detriment of his teenage son Jamie, whom he gains custody of once Julianne passes away. He has been with his girlfriend Claire forever, though being faithful is not high on his list of priorities. He’s been stepping out on her with Charlie, the DA’s daughter for years and he doesn’t even care. Unfortunately for Peter, it’s about time he started caring as his life is about to become quite complicated and not, in a good way. Good thing lawyers know a thing or two about damage control!

“Once a Liar” is a twisty-turny suspense which I stayed up quite late to finish! My head was spinning round and round trying to discern who did what. I’ll be happy to report however, that my detective skills paid off in the end, as I guessed correctly.

This was another buddy read with Kaceey!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin - Park Row and A.F. Brady for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 11.27.18.

This is a good book, but is it very dark and intense. It is written in first person, which I will admit, I don't care for, so I would read some and then get tired of being in Peter Caine's head and I would put the story down and come back to it. What I found fascinating as the book went along was whether he was a true sociopath, or became one over time. A very scary thought. There were even times where I admired his capacity to not give a damn.

Peter Caine, a cutthroat Manhattan defense attorney, worked ruthlessly to become the best at his job. When Charlie Doyle, the daughter of the Manhattan DA and Peter’s former lover, is murdered, Peter’s world is quickly sent into a tailspin. He becomes the prime suspect as the DA, a professional enemy of Peter’s, embarks on a witch hunt to avenge his daughter’s death, stopping at nothing to ensure Peter is found guilty of the murder.

In the challenge of his career and his life, Peter races against the clock to prove his innocence. As the evidence mounts against him, he’s forced to begin unraveling his own dark web of lies and confront the sins of his past. But the truth of who killed Charlie Doyle is more twisted and sinister than anyone could have imagined…

For Peter it seemed like he was for sure the one who murdered Charlie but in this novel you are never certain on who really murdered her. I don't want to give too much away but I will say this, there are a lot of twists and turns and you never know for sure who to believe until the end... So did Peter do it, or was he cleverly set up?

Thank you #Netgalley for the ARC of #OnceAliar
Pub Date: 29 Jan 2019

Complex, intricately plotted stunning psychological thriller that will keep the reader on edge until the very end despite a bit too dark conclusion. Full review on The Prairies Book Review.

Once a Liar by author A.F. Brady. An intense novel that uncovers who murdered one mans partner. Was it him? Was it someone who’s set him up? You’ll have to read through the many twists and turns to find out the shocking truth!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an arc copy of Once a Liar in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found it interesting that this story is in Peter's point of view. The author takes us through his innermost thoughts, his interactions with his family and his colleagues. Peter is not a good guy. I tried to find redeemable qualities in this flawed, broken hero but even when he realizes that he's hurt a lot people and his family, he still seems insincere and calculating. So it only seems fitting that he gets what's coming to him at the end. It's unique that the author chooses not to save him in the end. I felt robbed of a redeemable hero.
What I also found shocking that no one in this story is 100 innocent. They are all out to get vengeance on each other. Nothing is what it seems. Disturbing novel but well written. I liked that the author takes us from the past to present in a easy way to follow.

Peter Caine is good at his job. As a defense attorney he fights, and wins the freedom of some terrible people. Rapists, murderers; guilty or not, Peter doesn’t care, his job is to get them acquitted, and he does. When his former girlfriend, Charlie is murdered, Peter becomes the prime suspect. Because she’s the daughter of the Manhattan DA (Peter’s prime enemy), there are a lot of people eager to see Caine go down for the crime. Now, he must use the skills he employed to keep his clients out of prison, but the truth he uncovers is not at all what he suspected. It takes a talented writer to get readers to care about a despicable protagonist, but Brady manages to do it, and leaves us with some thought provoking questions