The Bad Liar by Tami Hoag is another masterpiece in storytelling. Even with this being the third book in the series, this can be a stand alone book. I enjoyed the story so much I went back and read the first two books in series. If you are a lover of mystery, this is a must read.

Tami Hoag’s Bad Liar reminds us that evil often wears a friendly face. In a novel that is both intense and mesmerizing, you’ll find yourself eager to reach the end and figure out which of the many suspects is our dangerous liar.

The day starts with a dead body and ends with two missing persons, either of whom could be the corpse Lieutenant Nick Fourcade is called to investigate. Left in an isolated area abutting a gator-filled swamp, the body is unidentifiable after having the face and hands blasted off by a shotgun. Nick’s only lead as to the identity of victim is a business card in a pocket reading Mercier & Sons Salvage, $2,875.00 dollars.

When he visits the facility to see if they can tell him anything about the transaction listed, Nick learns that Marc Mercier left his home for a weekend hunting trip and hasn’t been seen since. His brother Luc, his erstwhile hunting partner, had arranged to meet him at the Corners, a local gas station/restaurant, at five am the previous day, but Marc wasn’t there when Luc arrived and hasn’t called, spoken to, or been seen by anyone since.

Detective Annie Broussard, Nick’s wife, is both anxious and excited to begin her first day back on the job after her medical leave. A brutal, unexpected attack during her last investigation has left her with PTSD and a host of other issues, but she has finally been deemed fit for duty. Heading to human resources to fill out some necessary paperwork, she encounters a woman desperate to find her missing son. B’Lynn Fontenot has been to the small local police department, who blew her off, claiming her recovering, formerly drug-addicted adult child Robbie has probably just gone on a bender. B’Lynn is confident that hasn’t happened and is so anxious to get to the bottom of his disappearance she plans to prevail on her friendship with the Sheriff to get his office to take the case. Fortunately for her, the area where her son lived is within the Sheriff’s jurisdiction. B’Lynn is also lucky that Annie is a mother as well. B’Lynn’s worry and anguish touch Annie’s heart, and she agrees to take the case.

Annie and Nick couldn’t be seeking two more different fugitives. Marc, a high school football hero, college graduate, and popular figure in town, seems almost universally loved. Robbie, who barely graduated high school, is, at best, pitied and often spoken of with scorn. Yet our two detectives find their investigations intersecting as they try to unravel just where these men disappeared to – and why,

The author has a terrific knack for showcasing the dark side of human nature and how even the most seemingly normal of us is capable of doing the most horrifying things when desperate. Ms. Hoag also does a fantastic job of demonstrating that sometimes families and friends are our salvation, and other times, they are the cause of our undoing. It was fascinating to see what is uncovered as each man’s darkest secrets are slowly brought to light by the cops.

While this is the third book in the Broussard and Fourcade series, it doesn’t read like a series book. The emphasis is not on Annie and Nick or their relationship. Their son Justin barely makes an appearance and is hardly mentioned and the narrative focuses firmly on the mystery, which works fabulously well here. The lives of Marc and Robbie are both complex and convoluted, and how they converge, and the fallout from that makes the story riveting. Each man and the people around them are drawn with a slowly revealed clarity that leaves us moved by their story.

I can’t say enough good things about the writing. Hoag gets the balance between characters, plot, and location perfectly right. We get a real sense of how the community and the area where these men live play a part in the outcome of their lives - and how the people we interact with and trust are ultimately the ones who can harm us the most. From the start, the narrative has a dark, almost gritty feel that helps immerse us in their world.

We also get a strong feel for who Annie and Nick are as people, and how that affects the way they handle their cases. Annie is all heart, wanting to see the best in people but experienced enough to know that is rarely what she will encounter. Nick is her mirror image. Wise enough to know that nice people rarely get caught up in the kind of nasty problems that result in his being called in, he nevertheless has empathy for the perpetrators and the dark paths that lead their lives to entwine with his. Both of them have the strength of character needed to muck through the dark places most people fear to go, the cynicism necessary to ferret out the truth, and the compassion necessary to do so in a manner that cushions the fallout for the victims. If you were ever to find yourself at the heart of an investigation, you would want them in your corner.

I’ve mentioned the book has a dark and gritty tone, and I want to reiterate that this story deals with some troubling issues. Drug abuse and addiction, alcoholism, prostitution, theft - all of them are covered. The author doesn’t go into needless detail or glorify the situation in any way, but she does shine a light on what it is like to live in a world where those things make up your reality. If any of these is triggering for you, this is probably not a book you’ll want to read..

Bad Liar is more of a mystery than a thriller, and I absolutely loved that. Rather than spending a lot of time in the twisted mind of a psycho, I got to see the good guys (kinda) win one for once. If you enjoy detective stories at all, I strongly recommend this one.

Add two detectives (who happen to be married), to two missing men, two mothers, and corpse that is impossible to identify, and the result is a story with many possibilities. The detectives Annie and Nick each pursue their own aspect of the mysteries, and of course we know they must be connected. The Cajun flavor of setting and dialog add to the richness of the characters, and we can hope that we'll be reading more about these detectives.

This novel was well written and very interesting. I am new to the series of Nick and Annie, investigating and trying to find justice in their small southern town. Although there were references to the two previous books, I didn’t feel lost or that I was missing something by starting with book three.
I enjoyed it and will be reading more Tami Hoag in the future. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Deep in the Southern Louisiana Bayou, a half naked male corpse is found. “This is about a woman” remarked a local police officer. Detective Nick Bordeaux is perplexed by the man’s state of undress and a business card in the pocket. On the other side of town, Nick’s wife Antoinette is searching for a missing young man after his mother comes pleading into the sheriffs office begging for anyone to listen to her. Her son Robbie, once a high school football star tuned drug addict had been missing for a week but no-one would listen because he’s just another drug junkie probably overdose and just a cold body waiting to be found. As the investigation continues more men are missing and no answers can be found.

Bad Liar has the twists and turns to keep you wanting more and accented with just the right amount of French Cajun that makes this region so unique. Just when you think you know the answer to the mystery another twist is thrown in with an ending no one sees coming. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Bad Liar and highly recommend! I look forward to reading more books by Tami Haag

Thanks NetGalley and Penguin Group for an advanced copy of Bad Liar for my honest review.

4 ⭐️ When I received this ARC I didn’t realize it was the third in a series with husband and wife detectives Nick and Annie Fourcade. Though it is a stand alone, there are some background stories from the first two books I feel will complement this book.

This story started slow. There is a dead man and two missing former high school friends, Nick and Marc. Who is dead? And why? Lots of twists and turns, a real mystery thriller. I got hooked about halfway in and couldn’t put it down. There are many interesting family members and friends that contribute to the feel of the story arc.

I liked the way the plot was woven with several suspects and lots of surprises. Nick and Annie are a great couple and very caring, compassionate and smart. In the end they got their man/men.

***domestic violence, drug addiction, murder

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Looking for a book with dedicated detectives, the Louisiana swamp, and 2 missing men connected by their small town past? Bad Liar by Tami Hoag has all of the above (and more)!
As your resident police procedural expert, this was excellent. Nick Fourcade and Annie Broussard are fantastic leads, with a long history together and a determination to get justice for their cases. I enjoyed following both of them as they worked their cases, visiting the many areas of their precinct.
The cases Fourcade and Broussard were working to solve were fascinating, and so realistic. As the third book in their series, I was worried it would be about hunting some fantastically intelligent serial killer. Instead, Hoag wove together stories of heartbreakingly real issues: opioid addiction, domestic violence, and assault. Hoag also wrote incredible side characters that truly impacted me emotionally.
Thanks to Netgalley and Dutton Books for the free advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book was a slow burn for me. I'm not sure I'd classify it as a thriller because there weren't a lot of twists until the last 1/3 of the book. It was a good read though, with good story development. I like the cop couple, Nick and Annie, and might have to check out the books that came before this one. The Louisiana dialect made it a bit harder to read at times, but I think it would've been easier in physical book form than Kindle, because I could have turned to the definition pages more easily. Overall, it was an entertaining book though!

This book had a slow start for me; I didn't really get pulled in until halfway through. While reading, I felt like a little detective trying to solve three different mystery crime situations. I thought I had guessed it, but nope—I was wrong. When I got to the last 30% of the book, I couldn't put it down; I needed to know what would happen next. This story takes you on a journey involving two missing people and a dead body. There are so many hands in this pot that you won't know who to believe as the story unfolds. Talk about a mystery and fast-paced thriller once things pick up!

I also didn't know this was the third book in a series. After reading this, I will definitely be checking out more books by this author.

Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The book starts with a mystery surrounding three men—one dead and two missing. The dead man’s injuries make him unidentifiable so the mystery begins, wondering if one of the missing men could be the murder victim. There are two competing law enforcement offices—the county sheriff’s and the town police department, who cross one another’s lines and step on some outstretched toes. The mystery deepens with the cast of secondary characters—an abused wife, an abandoned wife, a grief-stricken mother, a head-in-the-sand mother, a black sheep brother, and a taken-for-granted fall guy…all people whose lives barely overlap, but are all connected through the elements of the story. It is a gritty and dark tale that takes place in a deeply Cajun part of Southern Louisiana.

Bad Liar is my first Broussard and Fourcade novel and I look forward to going back and reading books 1 and 2. I found it to be a deeply layered story and I admired Tami Hoag’s ability to bring all of these complicated plot elements together to resolve the multiple mysteries within it. I admit, I was hoping for a happy ending for one of the characters and was crushed when she didn’t get it, but I get, too, that there were certain story choices involved that made the book more, sadly, realistic.

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton for and advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A wife and husband law enforcement duo search for a few missing men with strange connections. The search takes place in the Louisiana bayou, and the characters are intriguing.

Bad Liar
Tami Hoag
September 24, 2024

We are in Southern Louisiana’s French Triangle,a place where Cajun is the language and the people have lived in the black water Bayou most of their lives. Folks here have grown up together, played together and through it all now work together in professional jobs as well as businesses that their families have created. Drugs are a problem amongst the students and young adults.
Bad Liar is a sad tale of the local police and sheriff’s departments daily rounds. Technology is not nearly as up to date as it should be. Both are short on staff and they too have grown up with the people they must take into custody.
Bad Liar will be published on September 24, 2024 by Penguin - Random House. I was able to read Tami Hoag’s latest novel via NetGalley.
This harrowing story begins when Detective Annie Broussard and her team are called late night to investigate the spotting of a body found on the edge of the basin. He was an unidentifiable man who had been shot in the face and chest. It was presumed that whoever took his life had planned to dump him into the area where the crocs would dispose of the body. Perhaps his dead weight was too much for the slayer to put the corpse in the water. The suspense was grisly and the families involved in the inquiry were Acadian. I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written, edgy novel. Don’t miss it!

What a great read! This was a really good reset read for me.

It had mystery wrapped up in a small town storyline. It brought heartache and grief to addiction and loss. I loved the two main characters in this book and their story! I am going to go back and read this series!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Duncan for this ARC for my honest opinion.

#BadLiar #NetGalley #TamiHoag

I really enjoyed this detective mystery page turner! Annie and Nick are very likable and perfect “good cop” characters. The Louisiana setting was so perfectly done, it added a ton of interest to the storyline. It’s 3rd in a book series but the story does a great job of filling in the blanks if you don’t read the first 2. Such a great who did it, murder mystery read!
4.5 stars rounded up

Bad Liar by Tammy Hoag is a wonderfully written Louisiana mystery story. Several plot lines run concurrently involving family dramas, long ago sins and deceits, and redemptions. The crimes and resolutions play out throughout the book - some as expected and some with surprises. Truly a winning combination!

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Group for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Married Detectives Nick Fourcade and Annie Broussard are back investigating the murder of a semi decomposed and unidentifiable body that was found in the Bayou as well as a the disappearance of a drug addict who had seemingly recently gotten his life back on the right path.

3.5 stars.

I love Tami Hoag and have been reading her books for literally decades. This was a little long and a little slow for me, unfortunately. It felt like there was just a lot of spinning wheels in the investigation for at least the first half of the book and I couldn't get interested in what was going on. The story somewhat redeemed itself at about 60-65%, and I felt like things picked up a bit and I found myself getting more interested in the outcome, which was not one that I would have guessed. Overall, a good/decent book, but not my favorite from her.

Pros- good plot lines for Annie and Nick that intersect at times. I thought the author did a good job with Robbie’s life and the horror of addiction, not only on the addict but on the family.
Cons: I don’t have any. I wish I had read books one and two before this one, but it isn’t a must for the novel.

While this could probably be read as a standalone novel, it is likely best to read them in order, since this is part of a series. I didn't read the prior books, so perhaps that is why I had a bit of a struggle connecting with the characters and staying engaged. I found it repetitive. The pace was also slower than I expected. Thankfully, there were a few unexpected twists. The latter half of the book is definitely better than the beginning. I would consider checking out other books in this series.

I love Tami Hoag and was so excited to see another one out by her because it has been years! This one starts with a body found. There are also two people missing that could fit the description of it. We got through all the twists and secrets this town has to uncover who this person is. We also need to find out who is behind their murder.

I thought this book was too slow and not a lot happens that keeps me turning the page until the end. I have read the other two books in the series and The Boy is still my favorite!

Another winner by Tami Hoag. We have three seemingly separate crimes happening - a missing favorite son (at least by his mother), a missing addicts (again, by his mother) and a dead body. Is the dead body one of the missing? As the story progresses, we come to discover that there may be more linking these together than we thought. Family support is in the forefront here, sometimes misplaced. Peer support is here, again, perhaps misplaced. I found this to be a solid read that kept my attention and kept me riveted. As always, I look forward to the next installment and will generally read anything by this author.