Cover Image: The Lying Room

The Lying Room

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

A busy mom of three must hide the story of her secret lover while protecting her teenage daughter and trying to find a killer. Suspenseful and well delivered plot that had me guessing till the end. Another of Nicci French's books that I really enjoyed reading.

Was this review helpful?

This was part family drama, part police procedural. There was a decent mystery and suspense but nothing over-the-top that moved me one way or the other. An overall ok read.

Was this review helpful?

I don't know what this says about me, but I love suspenseful books with murder and marital discord! It just adds another layer of distrust to the story line.

This is the first book I've read by Nicci French and it surely won't be my last! Her writing pulls you in and doesn't let go. Any time I had to put the book down, I was thinking about the next time I could get back to it!

Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC and the chance to review this book!

Was this review helpful?

I spent a delightful rainy day today finishing this thriller filled with twists and turns. I’ve enjoyed the books of the writing team known as Nicci French for a while now. The authors deliver what you ask of a good thriller- keeps you guessing, compulsively readable, and flawed characters who you can relate to. Neve Connolly is a middle aged mom, wife, and employee of a company she and her friends recently sold to a larger corporation. She feels like life has lost its spark and she has too.
She embarks on an affair with her new boss- and upon arriving at his apartment finds him dead. Thus begins a series of poor choices to protect herself and others she thinks are behind Saul’s murder. There were a few times I thought I knew the answers- but I didn’t. I’m not 100% sold on the ending, but overall I enjoyed this book and recommend it! Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me this ARC.

Was this review helpful?

A compelling thriller full of suspense and clever complicity that will have you turning pages as fast as possible trying to guess the killer and assign guilt. The writing has a wonderful descriptiveness that at times feels too much but never gets in the way of the building momentum.

Was this review helpful?

The Lying Room is a gripping story of a woman leading a double life - both cleanly separated until one day when she finds her lover dead. Nicci French is an expert in making complex and flawed characters intriguing and lovable despite all their faults. While Neve behaves in questionable ways that would normally turn me against a character, I found myself rooting for her and hoping that all would end well. For those looking for a page turner that focuses on relationships of all kinds, this is your book.

Was this review helpful?

This is a compelling standalone murder mystery from husband/wife duo, Nicci French. The story begins with Neve Connolly finding her lover brutally murdered and having to erase her existence from his life. As the mystery is investigated by cunning DCI Alastair Hitching, Neve has to continue to create lies and cover her tracks to keep her family intact. Even though there is a killer on the loose, I would categorize this book as a "slow burn." The plot is woven well with Neve's lies and the hunt for evidence adds layers to the story. The interactions between DCI Hitching and Neve are fascinating, and one of the most riveting parts of the book. My only critique is on pacing - some of the story could have been condensed to allow for a tighter thriller. Overall, this is a great recommendation for anyone who loves suspense thrillers!

Was this review helpful?

Neve Connolly arrives at her lover's apartment to find him murdered. After trying to wipe all traces of herself from the scene she becomes drawn deeper into the investigation. Suspect everyone and you'll probably still be surprised in the end.

Was this review helpful?

So, so good! This was my first Nicci French book-I feel like I have discovered a treasure. The writing was excellent, and the plot was believable. I found the book hard to put down once I started reading it-highly recommended!

Was this review helpful?

Nicci French once again offer up (these are two authors writing under one name) a twisty mystery filled with red herrings, fascinating characters and a tale that is not what it seems. This time the lead character is not on the police force but rather a normal, everyday woman caught doing things just a bit out of the norm for her. But not out of the norm for many regular folk. And that’s what makes this tale so sly and engaging. Fast and taut, this book is hard to put down. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Was this review helpful?

I loved it. I have been a fan of theirs for years, but I strongly dislike their series with the psychiatrist, so I’m thrilled this is a stand-alone and back to their original twists and turns. It’s fantastic, and I’m thrilled to share it!

Was this review helpful?

Domestic drama and psychological fiction centered on a woman who has a mid-life affair with her boss and turns up to his pied-a-terre one day to find him murdered. What is this cheating woman to do? She didn't kill him but she surely doesn't want anyone to find out her secrets and lies.

Neve Connolly is 46 years-old, married to Fletcher, with 3 children -- one of whom may or may not be heading out to university in a couple of weeks. She and her husband have been married 20 long years and "her affair with Saul Stevenson was just the fever dream of a woman in her forties who had grown weary of the slog of family life." When she finds his body, head bashed in with a hammer, she can't call it in and so she scrupulously cleans the place and removes every trace of her presence. Now she needs to act surprised when the death is discovered and it becomes common knowledge at the office. Meanwhile, Neve is frantic -- who killed Saul and what might the enigmatic investigator, DCI Alastair Hitching be able to figure out. NO SPOILERS.

This was entertaining but a bit unbelievable as far as the investigative elements as it seemed that the police would have been able to figure out what went on in the flat. None of the characters were really very likeable, and Neve didn't elicit the empathy I usually like to have with a protagonist. The writing was good and the narrative moves along with lots of drama, but the ending seemed somewhat drawn out though the conclusion was quite predictable. I haven't read many other books by this author and may give the Frieda Klein novels a look.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for the e-book ARC to read and review.

Was this review helpful?

After starting this and reading other negative reviews, I’ve decided to skip this one and move on to other books that appeal to me more.

Was this review helpful?

I loved the new Nicci French stand-alone The Lying Room. If I could have, I would have finished the book in one sitting. As it was I couldn't wait to get back to it whenever I had to put it down. This is an intriguing tale of a woman who finds her married lover and boss dead in his apartment. What to do? She scrubs the apartment clean of any sign that she had ever been there but nothing but trouble comes from this decision. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc. Two thumbs up!

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review the E-arc copy of The Lying Room.
#TheLyingRoom
A thrilling, mystery that centers on a woman's fear of her affair being found out. Once she finds her lover murdered things spiral out of control and she scrambles to keep her life in tact. It is full of twists and lies. It will keep the pages turning.

Was this review helpful?

Neve Connelly has a routine life , husband of twenty years, troubled teenage daughter and is overworked. She turns to her boss for an affair. When she goes to her lover's apartment for a morning rendezvous and finds him brutally murdered, she decides to scrub the murder scene clean so as not to leave any traces of their affair. When Detective Hitching shows up at her door, she falls deeper into lies, deceit and danger to cover up her betrayal.

Was this review helpful?

I'd like to thank Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC version in return for an honest review. I loved this book.
Suspenseful and a book you can't put down. What a story! Looking for some intrigue? Pick this book up when it gets published in October!~

Was this review helpful?

As I read this book, I found it predictable and over-full of characters. It is the story of Neve, a married woman who finds her adulterous lover murdered and digs herself and her family into a deep well of lies.

Many of her actions are counter-intuitive because they stem from her fear of having her affair discovered. There is too much muddled here and an ending that I found unsatisfying.

Essentially a decent Brit mystery, but not in the top tier.

Was this review helpful?