One of Us Lied

Honza #3

by Andrew Pratt

One of Us Lied is the third book in the Honza crime series.Jonny ‘Honza' Fox has moved to Prague. Renting an apartment of his own means living apart from his girlfriend, Ivana, but it feels like the start of their relationship proper.Days after moving in, Jonny gets pulled into investigating threatening messages received by his new neighbours, wealthy businessman Michal Polák and his glamorous wife, Amy. Despite his concern over the potential conflict of interests of befriending the couple, Jonny gets embroiled in the case when Michal's friend and business partner turns up dead on a metro train.The murder investigation turns out to be full of deceit, diversions, and half-truths about the circle of long-term friends. Can Jonny piece together the truth between the past and the present, work out which one of the friends lied, and why one of them had to die?

Paperback

About the author

After a career in the corporate world, mostly based in London, Andrew Pratt now lives and writes in Prague, Czech Republic.

Reviews

[Paul McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another page turner set in Prague with the detective team from fhe first two books. Pacy and well written. I almost guessed whodunnit this time!

[Jonathan Cornell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book by a friend and quickly finished it over a few days.

This is the third book in the Honza series and picks up after the second book “Head to Head” finishes.

The book is a fast paced thriller based on a central character Jonathan “Honza” Fox, a retired Metropolitan Police Detective who has now moved into his own flat in Prague.

After successfully identifying the murderers in the first books, Honza, is still working as a consultant with the Czech police. The book starts with him investigating some threatening messages received by neighbours in his new flat.

This book continues the ongoing strong working relationship between Honza and the eccentric but likeable famous Czech Detective Felix Mikes, the reliable and dependable Marek Boukal and Jonny’s niece Lucie, a police sergeant

The investigation quickly explodes off the page as a murder victim is discovered who worked for a local tech company. The book is full of exciting twists and turns with clues that lead in one way and then another only to end up as dead ends. The complex and long standing relationships between the company employees and their partners is brought to life. For the first time in the Honza series we see political pressure to close down the investigation potentially prematurely

Another key strand of the book is the ongoing romantic relationship between Jonny and Ivana his Czech girlfriend.

Having visited the stunning city of Prague a number of times it is wonderful the way the author has brought to life all the stunning locations and the modes of transport. I can picture the characters and the locations as the characters move though the city.

If you want a page turning crime thriller set in a beautiful city with wonderful set of interesting and likeable characters you won’t be disappointed. And if you have missed the previous books “Honza: In the Heart of Prague” and “Head to Head”, I thoroughly recommend them.

[Alok Bavadekar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast paced and engaging continuation of the series. The investigation is well structured, with plenty of misdirection and dead ends that keep the tension high without feeling contrived. I particularly enjoyed how Prague is woven into the story. The city feels alive, not just as a backdrop but as part of the atmosphere of the book. The returning cast, especially the working relationship between Honza and the Czech police team, adds familiarity and warmth. While I did suspect parts of the solution earlier than expected, the journey getting there was still satisfying. Overall, this is a solid and confident third book that reinforces why the Honza series works so well.