𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱. 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁. 𝗡𝗼, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. 𝗠𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗵𝘂𝘀𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

The story begins on the day Danny jumps out of the window of their apartment. Erin's life will never be the same. Her parents feel that they cannot get over their fear of flying to come to her; his colleagues close ranks on her... and she does not know what is happening, and why...

As she starts asking questions, and finding answers... she finds her tribe - Karla, friend and lawyer; Bud, barman and protector; Cal, more than just class and wealth; Leslie, psychiatrist and reluctant confidante...

"𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗲."

(𝗛𝗲) 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 (𝗵𝗶𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳) 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁.

𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝗺, 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲. 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗼 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗺. 𝗦𝗼 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗵𝗶𝗺.

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗵𝗲? 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗱?

This is one of the most thrilling, mind-blowing and cleverly-plotted books I've ever read.

Jo Spain is a fantastic writer and I couldn't put this down. I am shamed to admit that this is the first book of Jo's that I have read but it certainly won't be the last. I feel like I have discovered a new great author and will rave about this book to anyone who will listen!

Thank you to the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this fabulous book.

After the death of her sister, Erin Kennedy flees her home life in Ireland to move to America. Whilst escaping her demons, she meets and marries police Detective Danny and also pursues a career in publishing. One morning, she opens the door to Danny's police colleagues, and upon seeing them, Danny opens their apartment balcony and jumps to his death. 18 months later, however, Erin is on trial for her husband's murder - that can't be right.... or can it? Told from dual timelines of both past and present, and with perspectives from a character called Lauren (that you later learn the significance of) each chapter weaves the narrative behind this intriguing page-turner of a thriller.

With a shocking incident right from the offset, Jo Spain cleverly sets you up for a tale of intrigue. It is not obvious how the narratives will all join together, and whilst at times I was a tad confused, later you learn the significance of the events being described and the people Erin and Lauren mention, and how the two women pose a significance to one another. It is interesting to see the characters that come to Erin's aid, and I enjoyed the twist even if it was a touch predictable from the middle of the story onwards. I also found the Harvard perspectives from Lauren were a little samey and longwinded, and this affected the fast pacing and punchy enjoyability that I had from the dramatic start of the story. There are red herrings and some compelling moments, but ultimately I feel as though the narrative peaked at the beginning and then trundled downwards from there.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for the arc

This book was a thrilling ride. I was wondering what the heck was going on. At some point I started to guess, and I was partially right. Highly recommended for all thriller lovers!

Thank you Netgalley for the copy. Early one morning Erin answers the door to her husband's police colleagues. Her husband takes one look at them and jumps from the window. Erin is desperate to find out why her husband killed himself. But who can she trust? A thriller full of twists and turns.

Jo Spain always writes the best thrillers with super characters who definitely come with warts and all! This book is no exception in fact I think it’s her best yet that I’ve read.
You won’t guess what’s happening and you won’t guess the ending but you will love the read.

Firstly, thank you Netgalley, Quercus Books and Jo Spain for this ARC.

I love Jo’s writing style, and this book was no different.

This book was packed with suspense and twists. I was hooked from the very beginning. The characters were well developed and the plot had me captivated throughout.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good thriller.

I cannot wait to read more of Jo’s books.

If you want a book that starts with a bang, you just found it!

What on earth would you be thinking if you answered the door one morning to find your detective husband Danny’s colleague Ben there with “bad news” only to have your husband then walk straight to their fourth-floor balcony and throw himself off!

And how does Erin then find herself in court eighteen months later for the murder of her husband? You will have to read this one for yourself to find out!
What a cracker way to draw the reader in!

Erin has no idea what could be so bad to make Danny do such a thing but she is not going to let things lie. Erin is determined to know the truth.

The story alternates between the present-day court case, then from when Danny jumped until the present-day court case and Harvard – the story of Lauren and Ally. All slowly unpacking the mystery and Danny’s past being slowly revealed. It seems Erin did not really know her husband like she thought she did!

I was hooked from the get-go! Full of twists that will keep your mind reeling! Such an addictive read and certainly one that will keep you guessing right until the very end!

I have loved Jo Spain's previous work but this one definitely goes down as her best!
I hadn't read a thriller for a while as I was beginning to find them all a bit unrealistic and 'samey' but this one has reignited my love for the genre. It's a proper page turner with many twists along the way but what i liked is that it isn't just a thriller, there is so much more depth to the book , touching on issues such as rape, suicide and grief. I also found Erin a very believable character who i warmed to .

I will point out though that the book switches between various different times which at first can be confusing and did find myself having to flick back to check where i was in the story but once you get fully into the plot it all comes together.
I wont say much more about where the story goes but the ending was great!

Wow! I did not see that ending coming!

The Perfect Lie takes us through several different timelines as the story of what happened after Erin's husband, Danny, leaps to his death, to the present day when Erin is on trial for murdering her husband, and then a background story that takes place before Erin met Danny.

I was a little confused at the start of the book and sometimes didn't catch the switch between timelines, but payoff was worth it as more secrets and lies are revealed as the story progresses. As Erin becomes more and more frustrated when no one will tell her why Danny would take his own life, she begins her own investigation. While that kind of "play amateur detective" doesn't always work, in this case the clues and the way she found them were totally realistic. I really didn't want this story to end!

Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for an advanced reader's copy.

I loved this!

I did find it a bit slow to begin with, but once I got into it I couldn’t put it down.

There were so many twists and turns that you’d sit there thinking you knew what was going on, to be completely blindsided, which is something I need in a thriller.

I strongly recommend.

The most unpredictable thriller you’ll read this year! Utterly compelling!

Wow, what a fantastic read this was! From the first chapter to the last, this book held my attention, kept me guessing and blew my mind!

Erin and Danny are happily married and looking forward to spending the rest of their lives together. So when there’s a knock at the door one morning, why does Danny decide to take his own life by jumping from the window of their apartment? And why 18 months later is Erin in court, charged with her husband’s murder? Intrigued? I know I was!

The chapters switch between the time of Danny’s death, when Erin is in a state of shock, trying to work out why Danny felt he needed to end his life and then 18 months on when Erin is on trial for murder. As we uncover secrets and lies from the past, Erin begins to wonder if she ever really knew the man she married!

I think this has to be one of the most cleverly plotted books that I’ve read in a long time. I’ve read many thrillers and have become quite good at predicting the outcomes, but even with all my theories and suspicions, this one had me stumped!

The great thing about this story is that Erin is so in the dark about what is going on, that we are right there in the dark with her! Jo is careful never to reveal too much information at any point, leaving the reader confused (in a good way) and with so many questions that we just have to read on!

There are some great characters in this book, some you love and some you hate, but they all fit perfectly into the story.

A fast-paced read with insanely good twists that will shock and surprise you. This book is up there as one of my favourites so far this year!

Thank you so much to Jo Spain, Quercus Books and NetGalley for my copy of this book.

The Perfect Life was bloody perfect. It kept me enthralled in suspense at the edge of my seat, wanting to know what the pages would reveal. The sense of anticipation overwhelmed me completely, and I loved crashing into it.

he past and present along with different POVs rolled along to show me all the events that occurred leading to the fateful day.

Just a tiny niggle, initially I found the time leaps a little confusing, and some lines were repetitive. But those were just a wrinkle in the framework of a story that was largely filled with twists and reveals.

I had an inkling of an idea where the book was heading halfway, but I buried it deep as I wanted a day of reading without analysis. Jo Spain’s words had some freaky shockers which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Beginning with her husband’s suicide, we soon discover that The Perfect Life is really a story about the wife’s murder trial. Jo Spain presents this psychological thriller from two different time perspectives – before and after the husband’s death. Erin Kelly fled Ireland after a family tragedy and married a police detective. As the mystery deepens, she is baffled by what he has done and is determined to solve the secrets of her husband’s life. The characters are believable and the encompassing connections reveal of a suspenseful story. A most enjoyable twisted tale with a three-and-a-half-star rating. With thanks to NetGalley and the author for a preview copy for review purposes. All opinions expressed herein are bias free and totally my own.

This book starts with an extremely confronting scene - a police officer jumps to his death from the balcony of his apartment right in front of his wife’s eyes - and it doesn’t get much less shocking from there. Trying to deal with the trauma of Danny’s death, Erin Kennedy wants answers. Why did Danny jump? And why won’t any of his police colleagues even look her in the eye?

Searching for the truth, Erin is lucky enough to find supportive friends: ferociously tough lawyer Karla, black-sheep-of-his-rich-family bar owner Bud, and others she doesn’t realise are really on her side until later. When she meets Cal Hawley, however, is when she starts to discover the truth of what Danny was really up to. Cal’s from a rich family but incredibly troubled by his stepsister Lauren’s tragic death - and he’d asked Danny to look into Lauren’s case.

This is told in several different timelines, with Lauren’s original troubles being documented through the eyes of Ally, who knew her at Harvard a couple of years before any of the events with Danny and Erin occur. Then there’s Danny’s death and the immediate aftermath of it, and the ‘now’ timeline… where Erin is on trial for murdering her husband. This does lead to some momentary confusion - did Danny really die? - but it’s eventually apparent that Erin remarried and it’s this second husband she’s accused of murdering.

I won’t spoil things any further, but the whole story is a sobering look at what happens to regular folks who get caught in the crossfire of sociopaths with enough money to bury anything they want to bury. It’s riveting, if occasionally traumatic - trigger warnings for violent assault, rape, suicide and drug addiction apply. I honestly couldn’t put it down; I was rooting for Erin from the beginning and the ending was definitely satisfying even if it did leave one pressing question unanswered (obviously deliberately, just for the creep factor). Five stars for a fantastic read.

This was my first Jo Spain book and I don't think it will be my last.

Fast paced and twisty, right until the end I wasn't sure where this story was leading which I loved.
It's hard to say much about this book with out giving away spoilers, so it 's best to just say read it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a free copy in return for an unbiased review.

My mind is totally blown, I did not see that coming.

However to get to the incredibly rewarding conclusion, was a tad slow. It takes about half the book to set the scene, set in motion the various key plot lines, and give enough background so that the second half of the book can be experienced in its brilliance.

This was a bit of a weird read for me, as a fair bit of the first part of book I had incredibly strong feelings of deja vu as I was reading that I just couldn't quite get into the swing of the book. Once I got out of my own head and those feelings dispersed I couldn't get enough of the book.

I literally can't say anything about the plot, knowing how it resolves as I fear I would give away hints that would ruin the surprises for you.

Hmm what I can say is I didn't guess most of it, and have no idea how Jo Spain comes up with these fantastic plots, let alone writes them in such a way that the readers are kept on their toes.

There are three time lines, which are all connected, although it takes a while to see how the Harvard sections fitted in to Erin's story, but it all made perfect sense once various things are revealed.

This is another truly great book from Jo Spain, not my favourite as I felt disconnected to start with but the payoff was totally worth it to keep reading. Definitely worth a read if you love a slow burn building up to an unpredictable climax.

Thank you to Quercus and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

My thanks to Quercus Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Perfect Lie’ by Jo Spain in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book by Jo Spain that I have read and I was very impressed.

When I review psychological thrillers and domestic noirs I often suggest that it is best to read them ‘cold’. In the case of ‘The Perfect Lie’ this is especially so. The opening chapter left me sitting with a stunned expression on my face and then I was in for the count.

Jo Spain played her cards close to her chest and i felt that this proved highly effective delivering a smashing thriller that kept me guessing throughout.

A great read. I will definitely will be reading more of Jo Spain’s books.

The Perfect Lie is a contemporary suspense novel about a young Irish woman living on Long Island, New York, who is left devastated by the inexplicable suicide of her police officer husband. I’d read and very much enjoyed Spain’s three previous stand-alones, so had high hopes for this one, but after a strong start, I found it slow-going, with an unsympathetic main character. It has taken me several days to get through, so I missed the publication deadline, and TBH if it wasn’t an ARC I would probably not have kept going.

Erin Kennedy’s husband Danny leaps to his death from their apartment window, his police colleagues want nothing to do with her, and she rapidly discovers that despite being deeply in love, she really didn’t know him at all. The following year, she is on trial for murder. How do these shocking events connect to an assault on a student at Harvard University?

This is a well written mystery told in first person present, “Then” and “Now”, as well as the past Harvard chapters, which does a good job of conveying Erin’s shock and confusion as she finds herself alone, far away from her family and with little support. While I don’t usually mind split timelines, unfortunately here it slowed the pace down too much as the author holds back so much information that I just got bored rather than intrigued. There are three main questions here: what made a beloved detective kill himself, how can Erin be on trial for killing her husband when Danny’s suicide was witnessed by his partner Ben, and how does Harvard proctor Ally fit in? I guessed some of the twists but not how it all fitted together and did think it had a good ending - it just took a lot of effort to get there. I’m sure most readers would enjoy this - there’s a big dollop of “it’s not you it’s me” going on because I’ve read too much in this genre - so don’t let my lukewarm review put you off if you like the sound of it. 3.5 rounded down for the present tense.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for the ARC which allowed me to give an honest review.
The Perfect Lie is available now.

This was my first book by Jo Spain and I absolutely loved it. I will definitely be reading more from her.

I was totally engrossed and couldn't turn the pages fast enough trying to figure out what was going to happen next. There were a few times, where I had to stop and think about where the story was going. I just love a book that gets you thinking about the plot.

A likeable protagonist and a plot so well written, it keeps you invested till the very end.