Jack is desperate to track down his father who went into witness protection years ago. This is so incredibly pacy and each and every page took my breath away!

The Lie Maker is a novel by best-selling Canadian author, Linwood Barclay. Just when two-time novelist Jack Givins is jobless, his third novel rejected by his editor, his car has torched and with very little money in the bank, his editor hands him a cell phone that represents an opportunity. It seems the US Marshal Service deems him suitable to create back stories for those protected by witness security.

He meets with Gwen Kaminsky, learns the requirements and accepts an assignment. His girlfriend, Boston Star journalist, Lana Wilshire is curious about his new source of income, but Jack can’t reveal what he’s doing, no matter what her educated guesses land upon. Lana’s digging into possibles is derailed when she reports on the recent, somewhat baffling, drownings of a retired judge and an ER doctor.

When Gwen severely critiques his first draft, Jack asks to meet the witness so he can do a better job, but the experience strikes him closer to home than he expected. He reveals that his own father, a contract killer, went into the program when Jack was just nine. He begs Gwen for contact with the man who used to be Michael Donohue.

She cites numerous reasonable objections, but eventually reveals that the Marshals have lost contact with him. For the sake of Michael’s safety, or perhaps that of the public, if he has returned to his former career, they’re now relying on Jack to trawl his memory for any clues that might lead his father.

One or two things, though, don’t quite add up, and when Lana manages to get hold of a lead to Michael’s whereabouts, Jack borrows her car and heads out on his own, without telling Gwen…

Once again, Barclay gives the reader a very cleverly plotted tale with a hefty body count in which not much suspension of disbelief is required. His main protagonists are smart, resourceful and appealing: Lana proves feisty when the situation requires. Very entertaining crime fiction.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harlequin Australia HQ Fiction.

Unfortunately though I'm a huge Barclay fan I missed out on getting a hard-copy of this, just an ecopy that expires... So I'm sharing my love for this book here rather than on my website.

I was a smidge disappointed in <a href="https://www.debbish.com/books-literature/book-review-look-both-ways-by-linwood-barclay/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Look Both Ways</em></a>, but think Barclay's back with a winning formula here.

I appreciated that he doesn't waste much time on backstory up-front. Rather the book opens as 9-year old Jack's father is being taken away and put into witness protection.

Fast forward 25 years and Jack's got two minimally successful novels under his belt and trying to sell his third when he's approached by someone asking him to write backstories for those in witness protection. Apparently the US Marshalls have several 'lie-makers', helping them make-up feasible pasts for those on the run.

Initially he assumes he was approached because of his family's contact with the program but on sharing his past with his 'handler', he discovers it to be a coincidence, so seeks their help in making contact with his father.

Barclay very deftly shares snippets from the past here and we learn of those impacted by Jack's father's actions and discover they're still trying to track him down after all of this time.

I read this in an unplanned sitting and liked the twist Barclay throws in. It was something I pondered but discounted, so he does a good job at offering up several red herrings. I also appreciated that he digs a bit deeper into motives and motivation - what we're prepared to do, and who we'd destined to become, even if we'd prefer to change.

This is a fast paced, thrilling read and one I couldn't put down. And one of the best things about it is the length. Not too long and drawn out so once you start reading you just get so into it you can't stop reading.

This is a story of family, lies, murder and finding your way to someone who may not be able to be found. It is so intriguing and full of tension, grit, twists and thrills. Great characters and a story that flows so you can keep up with it and understand what is going on.

A great read, engaging and enthralling to say the least.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Jack was only a boy when his father left them. Taken into protective custody, given a new life without his wife and son, Jack's father was sad at leaving his son, but his wife wouldn't go with him. So he departed alone, leaving Jack distraught. Over the years, Jack ran away many times to try to find his father, but he didn't succeed. But one day he was approached by the US Marshals to become a lie maker - to create lives for those heading into witness protection. Jack was a struggling author, with two books under his belt and a third waiting to be accepted. But he'd lost his job, had his car torched and was scratching the bottom of the barrel when he was approached. He said yes.

Jack still wondered where his dad was - he'd had fleeting visits from him over the years and each time was a joy. Now, with his girlfriend Lana an investigative reporter, he risked his boss' wrath and told her what he was doing. Jack asked for her help to find his dad before someone else found him. Lana was working on a mystery case she wasn't sure whether the police had shelved or not. But important people had drowned, and she thought it was too coincidental not to be murder. Were these deaths connected?

The Lie Maker is another gritty, tension filled thriller by Linwood Barclay which I thoroughly enjoyed. Jack was an excellent character, well written and easy to like. With a great plot and some intriguing characters, I have no hesitation in recommending The Lie Maker to fans of the genre.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Now, I’ll admit that I’m something of a Linwood Barclay fan, so I started reading with high anticipation. The good news is that he didn’t disappoint: this is a fast moving and absorbing thriller. It’s also a stand alone, so if you haven’t read his work before, it’s a great place to start.

Jack Givins is a moderately successful author who’s having trouble selling his third novel. That in turn means he’s having trouble making ends meet. So he’s very receptive when the US Marshals approach him. They want him to create characters – backstories for people going into witness protection.

The money is good and it doesn’t sound too hard. Besides, Jack has an ulterior motive. When he was a child, his father disappeared into the witness protection program. Perhaps working for the same program is a way to find him.

This is a thriller, so it’s pretty much a given that there are layers to what’s going on, and that not everyone is being straight with Jack. I did work out some of the plot a little earlier than I was probably intended to. This is partly because I’ve recently been on a Barclay binge, so I know how he thinks. However, that little bit of knowledge didn’t dissipate the tension or make me any less invested in finding the outcome and all the details. You won’t want to leave this book till you’ve finished every last word.

Fortunately Barclay’s writing style is easy – it flows well and you barely notice the pages turning.

Characters haven’t always been a strength for Barclay, but here I found them a plus: if ever the plot gets a little far fetched, you’re so engaged with the main characters that you don’t care. You just want to know what happens to them. Jack is a strong and empathetic character who most readers will care about.

Other characters are drawn to various depths, depending on how close their relationship with Jack is, and how much of themselves they’re revealing to him. I found the portrait of his father particularly interesting, given that it was drawn almost entirely from Jack’s childhood memories. Although it was vivid, it was also easy to see that young Jack wasn’t seeing the full picture.

This novel has it all: a fascinating premise, a tightly woven plot, strong characters and non-stop action. It’s a great thriller, and readers will find it hard to put it down.

I have thoroughly enjoyed every Linwood Barclay book I have read and this one didn't disappoint either. Even though at a few points I felt I knew what was coming, I still found the story line engrossing and page turning.

Linwood Barclay, the twist maker returns with The Lie Maker. His books are always incredibly wild rides and I am there for it. Are they always believable? No, but that is half the fun with his books, you just never know how they might turn. You know that you are going to get plenty of threads that might not make sense to begin with, but you will then get the ahh ha moment when all the pieces slide into place.

Meet Jack. He is a writer with a past. When he was 10 years old, his father went into witness protection without him and his mother. All he knew was that his father had done bad things and had to go away. Now as an adult , he is given the opportunity to work with the government writing back stories for new witness protection individuals. He hopes it will help him track down his dad, but he gets so much more than he has bargained for.

Thanks to Harlequin Australia and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. Publishes in Australia on August 31st

Really enjoyable read. I loved the storyline and it kept me on the edge of my seat right till the ending. Can not wait to read more books by this author.

This is my first read by this author, and I was disappointed. I expected the pacing to be more intense, but it was really slow for a crime novel.

This novel uses a popular plot, which makes it predictable. I would have loved some twists and turns.

Still, an okay read for whiling away an hour or two.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

a few years ago I saw a recommendation from Stephen King for a book by Linwood Barclay. I think that was Elevator Pitch. I immediately bought the book and read it, and loved every second of it. Now, I’ve gone through his catalogue and almost read all his books. A new book from him is an event I put alongside new books by Harlan Coben, Stephen King and Michael Connelly.
When I was given the privilege of an ARC for Barclays newest book, The Lie Maker, I was beside myself.
I was immediately hooked from the get go and it never let me go until the end.
There are always plenty of twists and turns, and the characters are so well developed.

A man goes into witness protection. Years later, his son is trying to track him down before his enemies can find him. At the same time, the son, Jack, is given an opportunity to write back stories for people in witness protection, which he enthusiastically takes on in the hopes it can help him find his father.

The rest of the story you just need to read to find out yourselves. It’s a doozy. The Lie Maker is one of the best of Barclays efforts and the only downside is there’s a long time to wait for his next one.

This book has many strands and perspectives and, as always, Linwood Barclay brings them together beautifully. I loved Jack and enjoyed following his point of view very much. A fa our ire author already, this book cements a well deserved reputation as one of the masters.

I’m kind of on the fence with this one. It took me a while to get into the story and then it was a page turner but I felt it wasn’t one of the best Barclay books I have read, nor the worst.
Jack Givins is a writer struggling to get his third book published and his latest job offer for a magazine has fallen through, so when he is offered an amazing deal with The US Marshals Service/Witness Protection team to write back stories for the people they need to relocate at $1000 a day he isn’t going to say no. When Jack was 10 his father went into Witness Protection himself, a deal he made to escape a life in prison in return for turning on his boss, a man responsible for many killings. Jack would like to find his father and asks the US Marshall, Gwen to help. She has to admit to Jack that they have lost contact with his father and this sets Jack on a dangerous path as he looks for him himself. There are a few great twists in this book and overall a good story, but for some reason it didn’t grab me,
3.5 stars

#TheLieMaker. #NetGalley

Review
Your dad's not a good person. Your dad killed people, son. Those were the last words Jack's father spoke to him before being whisked away to witness protection. His mum refused to go with him, so the two were left behind.

Jack has lived his whole life wondering what happened to his dad, particularly after the death of his mother, left with his mostly absent step father. Years later, he is offered an opportunity to create false stories for people going into witness protection, as a Lie Maker. He realises this may also be his opportunity to find his dad.

This was another suspenseful and fast paced novel that kept me entertained. Of course I had to suspend disbelief, but that is all a part of the reading journey, as who wants to read about real life? It would be very dull. I am fascinated by the subject of witness protection in any novel, so it was a hit for me from the very start. I loved the characters the author created, including Jack's girlfriend, Lana, the journalist, who added an interesting twist, with all of the surrounding mysteries being brought into the story. This was such a fabulous mystery/thriller with twists I did not guess. 4.5*

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for the gifted review copy.