I really enjoyed this book. I was so hooked that I read it in one sitting! As someone new to thrillers, I was impressed by how gripping and well-written it was. The plot flowed smoothly and was easy to follow, yet filled with twists and turns that kept me guessing all the way through. From the very first pages, it had my full attention as I tried to find out how the author was murdered. There’s plenty of suspense, and the mystery unfolds in a way that’s both clever and satisfying. It’s everything you could want in a mystery.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

pretty well-done thriller with a side current about the nature of justice and heinous crimes. 4 stars. tysm for the arc, would recommend.

Another great book from Andy Maslen. The previous Kat Ballantyne book was my first Andy Maslen book, I liked it so much that I went back and read books 1 and 2 in the series. Lots of twists and turns and an almost impossible crime to solve. Well written and interesting, and the next one in the series out before the end of the year! Yay.

Kat is at a crime writer's festival when the main speaker is found dead in a locked room from the inside. At first it seems as it's a case of natural death, however, as the investigation proceeds they'll find he was drowned after being hit in the back of his head. It's not an easy case to work as there's a lot secrets surrounding Mark Swift's persona, how he dealt with women and also how he dealt with his wives. Kat and her team will uncover a deep well of crimes and an abhorrent way of life led by the deceased and some of his associates. The Lying Man has a great deal of mystery, humor, and action, and Kat is plagued with doubts regarding the outcome of the case. It also ends with a cliffhanger which opens another case of worms for the next book in the series.
I thank Mr. Maslen, his publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

I found the plot flowing and easy to read.
It was interesting that caught my attention
from the first pages to the end of the book.
With twists and turns trying to figure
out how the author/ speaker was murdered.
I was given arc by Net Galley & Thomas & Mercer.

This is number four in the series, I feel this is better read in order so that you get the characters back stories and the references to previous events will be more meaningful. It's a great series, Kat is a great lead character, as she's likeable and doesn't do stupid things like some I've read. I enjoy the writing style and found myself whizz through the story which moves at a good pace.
My feelings about certain people's involvement were proved true but there were also some things that I didn't suspect, which is always good.
I enjoyed this more than the previous book as it dealt less with Kats contentious relationship with her father, which I preferred.

An outstanding investigative thriller with a well written storyline and outstanding well-developed characters. Very enjoyable page turning read with plenty of action and lots of twists and turns. An investigative that will keep you guessing to the very end. An end with a final twist and a satisfying decision for Kat. Highly recommended book and series by a great author.

My thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Lying Man’ written by Andy Maslen in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

DS Kat Ballantyne of the Middlehampton Police is accompanying her husband Van to a crime-writing festival when the guest speaker, Mark Swift, is found dead in the room reserved for visiting authors. Initially it looks like he died of natural causes but Kat isn’t sure and intends to find out.

‘The Lying Man’ is the fourth book in the series but as I haven’t read the previous three I feel somewhat at a disadvantage as I know nothing about the characters and their backgrounds. But putting that aside, I like the characters especially Kat who has a quirky sense of humour, and the crime taking place at a crime-writing festive is original and enough to keep me reading. With the addition of drama, suspense and twists and turns, I’ve enjoyed reading this thriller and will now look for the three books I’ve previously missed.

This is the 4th in the series and while I always suggest you read the books in order, I really believe you need to with this series. Otherwise, you will not understand what is going on. It's like picking up a tv show in season 4. You don't know the back stories or the cliffhanger from season 3. Same here! But, mostly, you will miss the great character development and continuing plot lines. While the whole bad boss trope is annoying, I love that Kat and her husband Ivan have a good solid relationship! How many detective series feature a divorced, detached main character? If nothing else, that sets this series apart. So although I am still antsy to get more movement on the multi-book plots, I am settled in for the series!

Det. Kat Ballantyne is at an author crime festival, which she is not a real fan of, but her husband is, trying to enjoy herself. When the key author is late getting on stage the crowd starts speculating he is pulling some sort of stunt, which is what is sounds like when an assistant to the festival runs up on stage and yells that the man is dead. Kat immediately goes into police mode. Over the next few days way too much disturbing information about the man is found, including women coming forward about attacks, abuse and payoffs. With way too many suspects and alibis, Kat wonders if the real murder will be found, and with what she learns she wonders if she can truly keep her oath to arrest and charge the guilty considering the true nature of the victim. Blurry lines indeed...

Another fantastic Kat Ballantyne novel. Great writing that hooks you in all the way from beginning to the end. Immersive characters with fulfilling back stories. Plenty of suspense to keep me enthralled. All you could possibly want from a mystery. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Great read! Great character development, very believable. Loved the camaraderie between the detectives! Suspenseful and twisting!

Another excellent book and well written. Brings you into the story. Included mystery and moral questions up until the last pages.

Well done.

In the fourth novel featuring DS Kat Ballantyne, the tables are turned when she goes to a crime-writing festival for relaxation but finds herself at the scene of the murder of a well known author.

Maslen is a master of crime thrillers. He delivers plenty of red herrings, realistic dialogue, pacey writing, a likeable police woman and relatable relationships. The Lying Man has a very contemporary theme, and Maslen has Kat pondering on the weight placed on upholding the law versus delivering justice.

The "MO" in the crime is particularly inventive, with no initial clues about the perpetrator, which compels you to read on.

The Lying Man by bew to me author Andy Maslen, published by Thomas & Mercer is book 4 in the Detective Kat Ballantyne Series.
This is Detectve Ballantyne's next unputdownable case.
Well written, plotty and intriguing, I read the book in one single sitting.
For best reading experience I recommend to read the books inn order.

This was a fun take on your classic locked door mystery! DS Kat Ballantyne is attending a festival when a murder occurs – you can’t be any faster to a crime scene! It’s the perfect setting because it’s a crime-writing festival and the victim is a famous, or more accurately, notorious author. He’s discovered in the locked green room when a volunteer breaks through a window to check on him. Which is more of a mystery – who did it or how they did it? It’s confounding to everyone, and that’s just the beginning. There are too many suspects who had a motive for killing the author and too much opportunity with the high attendance at the festival and no cameras. Will Kat and her team be able to unravel all the threads of this complicated crime?

There are complicated themes in this story, and Kat struggles to balance being an officer of the law and a female in today’s society. The author is a misogynistic narcissist whose death most people celebrate rather than mourn. Will she even feel a sense of justice if she captures his killer when she actually wants to congratulate them? It’s something most women can relate to, especially those who work in law enforcement or the medical field. Their sworn duty wrestles with their intrinsic need to see evil people suffer for their sins. I applaud this author for tackling this tough issue and doing so in an entertaining way!

I’m a huge fan of this author and his series, and I can’t recommend both enough!

Another absolute blinder! I love this series so much; brilliant characters, the perfect balance of Kat's work and personal life and a thrilling plot.

A bestselling author is murdered at a crime writing festival, inside a room that is locked from the inside. As Kat delves into possible suspects and motives, she finds herself drowning in vendettas and revenge.

This fast paced page turner is so well written, I like Kat more and more with each book and the plot was excellent, with Tomski's life hanging in the balance and Kat curious to know more about her recently discovered, but deceased half sister, the connection between her father and her boss, Stuart "Carve-up" Carver and why Tom is acting strangely.

I think this may be my favourite DS Kat Ballantyne book so far as her morals hugely conflicted with the knowledge that she had to arrest a murderer, despite the knowledge that the victim was a monster. I loved the scene with Ernie, the caretaker at the festival venue, where Kat ties up loose ends from the case. The new member of Kat's team, Fez, is set to become a favourite and I hope he is around for a while.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Andy Maslen and Thomas & Mercer for an ARC in return for an honest review.

A famous victim. A locked room. Dark secrets. For DS Ballantyne, murder isn’t black and white! Good book! This book had chilling suspense, murder, mystery, intrigue, action, dark past secrets, and a few wild twists! The story was very interesting! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Detective Kat Ballantyne is attending a crime writing festival with her husband, Van. One of the novelists is found dead in 'the green room'. Locked door mystery - he is alone and the door is locked. Kat is convinced that it is murder.

This is the third novel in the series I have read,(busy reading No.3 as I had missed it).
I really like Kat. An honest detective.

I like her determination to solve cases, and this one is particularly tricky. Solid police work, and almost non existent clues that have been missed.
I recommend.

A huge thankyou to both Thomas and Mercer as well as Net galley for this ARC book. #TheLyingMan #Netgalley.
This was the fourth installment in the Kat Ballantyne detective series and it was break neck pace full of twists and turns right out of the gate.
Firstly, in terms of the mystery and plot element, the author Andy Maslen cleverly weaved the "who dunnit" trope with a number of possible suspects in correlation to the first murder victim (the thriller author) and later with his friend and co worker- this had me guessing right up until the crux of the story when the pieces started fitting together like a puzzle making for an immersive read.
Secondly, I found the main character of DS Ballantyne to be likeable and extremely believable and I also appreciated her empathy and professionalism when dealing with the suspects as a whole (unlike her boss Stuart Carver). The other characters were also a good addition to the story and well fleshed out.
I look forward to diving into more books by this author in the future.