A Genuine Puzzle At Its’ Heart....
Tense psychological suspense with a genuine puzzle at its’ heart. Populated with credible characters, the plot weaves back and forth effectively mounting tension and anticipation along the way to a denouement that may well be unexpected. An engaging and compulsive read.

I haven't read this author before but I will certainly be seeking her out in future. I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful psychological thriller.

It begins in a powerful way with Erin Kennedy married to police detective Danny. Erin and Danny have only been married for a couple of years and are very much in love. One day there is knock at the door and it's Danny's work partner with two other officers. Danny takes one look at them and without a word walks to the couple's apartment balcony and jumps off to his death. Erin is given no support by the force who usually look after their own. The rest of the story is devoted to unravelling this mystery.

The structure of this novel is masterful with the twists and turns truly unexpected without dissolving into melodrama. There are two different timelines which feel fully integrated with the narrative. Indeed I often felt I was watching a movie of this book. Perhaps I wasn't alert enough but I didn't guess any of the paths this narrative took. A wonderful read in my favourite genre.

Erin and her husband Danny are the perfect couple and still totally in love when, one morning, Danny’s partner appears unexpectedly at their door and Danny jumps to death. When Erin starts asking questions about the why, the police remain quiet, she only learns that there must have been some internal investigation and that obviously her husband wasn’t the good cop she has always assumed. Yet, a lot of things are strange and when Erin is approached by a guy named Cal who tells her that she shouldn’t believe the rumours because Danny wanted to help his sister against all obstacles within the police, she does not know what to believe anymore. Eighteen months later, she finds herself in court – charged with murdering her husband. How could things turn out so badly?

Again, Jo Spain has created a suspenseful novel in which nothing is as it appears at first glance. “The Perfect Lie” is not just around one lie, but around many lies, things left unsaid, bits and pieces which form a perfect picture but couldn’t be farer from reality. Since the story is narrated at different points in time, you quite naturally interpret the action based on what you know at that moment, just to learn a bit later that all your assumptions were totally wrong since you were lacking that relevant piece of information.

Erin is in her early thirties when she is confronted with the most tragic event imaginable: witnessing her husband committing suicide. Yet, this does not leave her grieving in shock and incapable of action. However, her questions are greeted with rejection and she is treated in the most horrible way by the police and her husband’s former colleagues and friends. No wonder she turns to the people who are willing to help her and one can only wonder why so many behave in this way. Suspense, however, is mainly created by the fact that she finds herself accused of murder only months later. As a reader, you witness the moment Danny decides to take his life, all is clear so quite naturally, it is totally unbelievable how this could have been turned against the widow. How far would police go to cover any trace of misconduct?

I was gripped form the start and couldn’t put down the novel once I had read the first chapter. Spain perfectly plays with our conviction to understand a situation based on the bits of information we have just to demonstrate that maybe we came to a conclusion a bit too quickly since things are not always what they seem. A superb read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

The Perfect Lie
What a book. Set in Long Island, this is the tale of a young Irish girl Erin who following a family tragedy moves to New York. Here she meets and falls in love with Danny who is a detective. All normal enough until one morning Danny jumps out of the balcony window to his death. Here is where our story begins. Bereft and broken-hearted Erin tries to figure out what caused Danny to jump.. This book is full of twists and turns. A gripping read. You won’t be disappointed. Thanks to #NetGalley for my advance copy. #ThePerfectLie #JoSpain #QuercusBooks

Wow.......I’m a little bit speechless after finishing The Perfect Lie! It is utterly brilliant! The opening chapter grips you straight away when Erin’s husband walks over to their fourth floor balcony, climbs over the railings and throws himself off.
Then it’s like a roller coaster ride as you set off on a twisty turning track at high speed until you get to the end and it all makes sense! I changed my mind three times (at least) about who had done what and why and although at one point I actually was right, I then changed my mind again! Several times I scratched my head as I tried to work out the sequence of events and who was guilty and who was innocent!
It’s a cracking story and it’s kept me page-turning from the minute I woke up this morning till just now, late afternoon when I got to the end.
It’s my first encounter with Jo Spain, the author - it won’t be my last!
My thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an advance reader copy of this book in return for this honest review.

Brilliant! Another excellent book from Jo Spain as she takes her characters from Ireland to the beautiful settings of Long Island and New York. A breathtaking and powerful opening chapter sets the scene but as the time line bounces back and forth new characters are introduced and tantalising titbits of information gradually reveal the bigger picture. The conclusion is perhaps a little hurried but overall justice appears to be done. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of this book.

This book is so, so clever. It’s Intense, full of “what the?” moments and has fantastic twists and turns. Erin leaves Dublin for the US following a family tragedy, she meets and falls in love with, quite handily as it happens, Danny a cop. One morning, after making love to her, Danny, in front of her, jumps from their apartment window to his death and so starts one of the cleverest plots I think I’ve ever read
Moving between then and now, and another plot too, the book weaves its way to a truly unexpected climax.

I do enjoy a tightly and densely plotted story and they don't come much tighter than Jo Spain's "The Perfect Lie".

It's only quite near the end of the story that the significance of the title becomes apparent and along the way the author leads us along a convoluted path which is intriguing, and occasionally confusing, but which brings us to a very, very satisfying conclusion.

I am extremely grateful to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.

Such an intriguing synapsis!

This is not one of these gut wringing psychological thrillers like Gone Girl or Unspeakable –
that will make your skin crawl. And I like that. This is a much more comfortable read. A sort of puzzle thriller (if there is such a thing). You are driven forward in the story by the questions. “But how”? “But why”? “But who”?

I also really appreciate getting some answers along the way. It´s not just one big surprise in the end, with a twist. And I did really feel that sense of “aaaahaa”.

I can truly recommend this book. It´s not overly emotional, at least not according to me, but the focus is on the guessing game that keeps the thrill up throughout the story.

Erin moves from Ireland to New York, marries Danny, a detective, and moves to Long Island. One morning Danny's partner and other officers arrive at their apartment and before Erin has time to wonder why they're there, Danny jumps from their balcony to his death. Suddenly Erin is in court charged with Danny's death and she needs to get to the bottom of what's going on to save herself😬

5⭐- Aah, Jo Spain does it again! I have yet to find a book she has written that I don't love, she's amazing! This story grabs you from the very start and sucks you right in. It's cleverly woven, but easy to follow and very pacy. Grab a copy when it's released on 11th May, but in the meantime if you haven't read any Jo Spain books start now!!!😀

When Erin's husband Danny jumps to his death, she realises he was hiding secrets from her. These secrets would come back to haunt her, when just over a year later Erin is charged with her husband's murder.

This was my first Jo Spain. It promised twists... and boy did it deliver! The less you know about this going into it, the better. Pick it up ASAP.

Thank you NetGalley and Quercus for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Jo Spain knows how to weave a tightly plotted twisty story about a whole life built on a lie. Imagine your life was just a tissue of lies and you didn't what was right, wrong or just a lie. I don't want to give too much away by telling you the plot - you can get that from the publishers review. I would heartily recommend this book and gobbled it up in short order! I have read Jo Spain in the past but this book turned me into a fan.

Thanks to Quercus for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Perfect Lie tells the story of Erin, an Irish woman relocated to Long Island via Manhattan, and opens with a big shock when her apparently-happy husband Danny commits suicide, The novel positions Erin as the narrator, telling her story both in the recent past and present day, and includes narration from a third perspective, that of Ally. It took me a long time to work out what connected Erin and Ally, which is true of the entire book - so many things don't quite make sense, but gradually the author casually reveals important snippets of information, keeping you hooked and wanting to know the truth.

Erin immediately gains the reader's understanding and sympathy, and I couldn't help but imagine how I would feel dealing with some the circumstances and challenges she faces, as we gradually begin to understand how she has ended up on trial for murder.

I found the story a little confusing to begin with - as so many things didn't seem to stack up - but this merely encouraged me to keep reading, so it's a real page-turner with some gasp-generating shocks throughout the story. I really enjoyed it and wouldn't hesitate to recommend to fans of crime-thrillers.

I loved this book, it hooked me from the beginning and I couldn’t put it down. A mystery tale of a woman accused of her husbands murder, 18 months after he jumped out of a window, had me turning the pages and gave me a satisfying ending that wrapped up the book nicely.

I am a huge Jo Spain fan and in particular the 'Inspector Tom Reynolds' series. The Perfect Lie is a stand alone book and I think that it is her best one yet! It had me hooked from the first chapter. It is full of plot twists that keep you turning the pages over and over again.

Very early in the book we learn that Erin's husband Danny dies under very unusual circumstances and at the time of his death he is the subject of an Internal Police Investigation. Erin lives in America but is Irish and carries her own family tragedy with her as she tries to come to terms with her husband's death. Who does she trust????

I would highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus for the chance to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Following a family tragedy, Erin moves to New York where she meets her husband, Danny. Now living in Long Island, she wakes up one day, expecting it to be like any other, and answers the door to Danny’s police colleagues. Danny then jumps to his death from the window of their fourth-floor apartment. 18 months later, Erin is in court for her husband’s murder.
Over this time, Erin unravels the truth of Danny’s life. She thought she knew him and knew their life inside out but it was all a perfect lie.
I was gripped by this book from the beginning, eager to learn what made Danny jump. However, in some parts I found it difficult to understand as it jumps from now and the past. Saying that, it did continue to shock me right till the end and I was dying to know how it would finish.
Thank you to Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What a great book. I was really drawn into this story and read it in a day. Excellent plot and great characters . You were kept guessing throughout the book as to what would happen next, just how I like it. There were quite a few oh my gosh moments that kept up the suspense the whole time. A very satisfying ending where everything got wrapped up nicely. I would highly recommend this book and would like to thank the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I loved this mystery tale of a woman accused of causing her husband’s death, even though he allegedly committed suicide. A mysterious and engaging thriller!

This is a book with an interesting plot. I enjoyed reading it, and found myself getting through it quite quickly. Great characters, and great twists too.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of the ebook to review via Netgalley.

I did not want this book to end. Hooked from the very beginning. Incredibly well written and the characters are so we'll developed. Wow!