This book was excellent. I'm a huge thriller reader, but have been struggling to find something really good lately. Heads up, this is a slowburn thriller, it works more on atmosphere and doesn't really pick up on the 'thriller' aspect until the very end. But - it really is so excellent at what it does.

Firstly, all the characters are so good. They're fleshed out, they feel like real people, their relationships are as deep as it is possible to get in the 2 weeks they're together. Anna and Claire's relationship was such a highlight - books don't always manage to get female relationships right, and the way these two women immediately bonded and started looking out for each other while sharing their pain was so, so good.

The AI aspect of this book - incredibly well done. AI is a huge discussion in book circles, but I don't always find the conversation done super well. Every bit of that topic was incredibly handled, from the harms of AI, the good it can do in the world, the reason it's so seductive, the threat down the line, the way that companies see profit motives.

I devoured this book. The atmosphere is great, and there were so many great little nuggets in it - I particularly love the discussion on the snobbery around romance fiction with Anna standing up for Claire.

"House of Liars" was fun to read. From the very beginning I was hooked, and I found myself looking forward to the next chance I had to pick it up and step back into the world Jenny Williams created. It kept me engaged the entire time, and I never once felt tempted to skim (as sometimes happens).

Anna is the kind of protagonist who feels like a real person rather than simply a character moving the plot along. Because the story is so grounded in issues we're already beginning to face, it felt completely believable. I especially appreciated how it explores the growing role of AI in the writing world. Rather than offering easy answers, it gave me quite a bit to think about after I finished the last page.

Another thing I really enjoyed was the setting. The story takes place in the Pacific Northwest, a part of the country I visited in 2019. Williams describes it so vividly that I felt transported back there. Instead of simply serving as a backdrop, the setting became part of the experience and made the story feel even more immersive.

What stayed with me most, though, was the writing itself. There were several passages I highlighted, not because they advanced the plot, but because they expressed an idea or emotion so perfectly that I wanted to remember them. Since this book hasn't been published yet, I won't quote them here, but I found myself stopping more than once just to appreciate a beautifully written sentence. Jenny Williams has a genuine gift for knowing exactly the right words to use.

I've read several novels that explore the impact of AI and future projections, but "House of Liars" approaches the subject from a fresh angle. It manages to be thought-provoking without sacrificing the mystery and suspense that make it such an enjoyable read.

If you're looking for a novel that's both entertaining and intelligent, with characters you'll care about and a story that will stay with you after you've finished it, I highly recommend "House of Liars".