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The Good Liar
In this provocative mystery from beloved crime writer Denise Mina, new evidence in an old murder case leads a forensic scientist to an impossible
Would you still do the right thing if you knew it would cost everything you loved?
Doctor Claudia O’Sheil is approaching the podium at an elegant fundraiser, where she is expected to give a speech about how her forensic science evidence helped convict the brutal killer in her most famous The Incident at Chester Terrace, a sensational double-murder that ignited the country just one year before.
But the research has moved on, the evidence Claudia gave was junk science, used to put William Stewart away for the murder of his father and his girlfriend. Because of her an innocent man is in prison, and she didn’t act alone—some very powerful people have an agenda she is only beginning to understand. This speech might be her last chance to reveal the truth and catch the real murderer. But admitting her mistake will cost her reputation, her career, her home, security for her two sons, the esteem of her colleagues, and the pride of a nation obsessed with her success. In this breathless upmarket suspense novel, interwoven with the present-day framework is a past narrative that slowly reveals what actually happened the night of a devastating double-murder in a wealthy family.
As Claudia steps toward the microphone, she revisits the murder investigation, desperate to understand what went wrong before her chance is gone. What speech will Claudia give? And what really happened at Chester Terrace that night?
Doctor Claudia O’Sheil is approaching the podium at an elegant fundraiser, where she is expected to give a speech about how her forensic science evidence helped convict the brutal killer in her most famous The Incident at Chester Terrace, a sensational double-murder that ignited the country just one year before.
But the research has moved on, the evidence Claudia gave was junk science, used to put William Stewart away for the murder of his father and his girlfriend. Because of her an innocent man is in prison, and she didn’t act alone—some very powerful people have an agenda she is only beginning to understand. This speech might be her last chance to reveal the truth and catch the real murderer. But admitting her mistake will cost her reputation, her career, her home, security for her two sons, the esteem of her colleagues, and the pride of a nation obsessed with her success. In this breathless upmarket suspense novel, interwoven with the present-day framework is a past narrative that slowly reveals what actually happened the night of a devastating double-murder in a wealthy family.
As Claudia steps toward the microphone, she revisits the murder investigation, desperate to understand what went wrong before her chance is gone. What speech will Claudia give? And what really happened at Chester Terrace that night?
272 pages, Hardcover
First published July 29, 2025
809 people are currently reading
20387 people want to read
About the author
Denise Mina
113 books2,571 followersDenise Mina was born in Glasgow in 1966. Because of her father's job as an Engineer, the family followed the north sea oil boom of the seventies around Europe
She left school at sixteen and did a number of poorly paid jobs, including working in a meat factory, as a bar maid, kitchen porter and cook.
Eventually she settled in auxiliary nursing for geriatric and terminal care patients.
At twenty one she passed exams, got into study Law at Glasgow University and went on to research a PhD thesis at Strathclyde University on the ascription of mental illness to female offenders, teaching criminology and criminal law in the mean time.
Misusing her grant she stayed at home and wrote a novel, 'Garnethill' when she was supposed to be studying instead.
She left school at sixteen and did a number of poorly paid jobs, including working in a meat factory, as a bar maid, kitchen porter and cook.
Eventually she settled in auxiliary nursing for geriatric and terminal care patients.
At twenty one she passed exams, got into study Law at Glasgow University and went on to research a PhD thesis at Strathclyde University on the ascription of mental illness to female offenders, teaching criminology and criminal law in the mean time.
Misusing her grant she stayed at home and wrote a novel, 'Garnethill' when she was supposed to be studying instead.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 446 reviews
July 29, 2025
New evidence in an old murder case will force a forensic scientist to make an impossible choice- If she admits that her research is flawed-old cases may have to be reopened and her own reputation and career will most definitely be ruined.-Will she expose the truth?
Doctor Claudia O’Sheil is approaching the podium at an elegant fundraiser, where she is expected to give a speech about how her forensic science evidence helped convict a killer, one year prior, in her most famous case-“The Incident at Chester Terrace” a brutal double-murder which captured headlines.
She has two speeches in her folder-
Which one will she give?
The prologue tells you, she will come clean.
But is she a reliable narrator?
Does she have the courage to do so?
I requested this, curious to find out.
The present day is interwoven with the past narrative which eventually reveals what actually happened the night of the grisly double murder.
And, in the final chapter, when Claudia steps towards the podium-we will learn what she has decided, and what has motivated that choice.
The book is only 272 pages, so the pace is quick. It seems like Claudia moves from one conversation to another so there are lots of characters that you don’t get to know very well. I prefer more character building, so while I enjoyed the premise-it’s not a book that will leave a lasting impression on me.
TW: Graphic description of a family dog killed, Crass language
NOW AVAILABLE
Thank You to the Novel Suspects program and Mulholland Books for the opportunity to try this “NEW TO ME AUTHOR”.
A gifted ARC was provided through NetGalley and as always-these are my candid thoughts.
Doctor Claudia O’Sheil is approaching the podium at an elegant fundraiser, where she is expected to give a speech about how her forensic science evidence helped convict a killer, one year prior, in her most famous case-“The Incident at Chester Terrace” a brutal double-murder which captured headlines.
She has two speeches in her folder-
Which one will she give?
The prologue tells you, she will come clean.
But is she a reliable narrator?
Does she have the courage to do so?
I requested this, curious to find out.
The present day is interwoven with the past narrative which eventually reveals what actually happened the night of the grisly double murder.
And, in the final chapter, when Claudia steps towards the podium-we will learn what she has decided, and what has motivated that choice.
The book is only 272 pages, so the pace is quick. It seems like Claudia moves from one conversation to another so there are lots of characters that you don’t get to know very well. I prefer more character building, so while I enjoyed the premise-it’s not a book that will leave a lasting impression on me.
TW: Graphic description of a family dog killed, Crass language
NOW AVAILABLE
Thank You to the Novel Suspects program and Mulholland Books for the opportunity to try this “NEW TO ME AUTHOR”.
A gifted ARC was provided through NetGalley and as always-these are my candid thoughts.
May 26, 2025
We do not appreciate Denise Mina enough. She has been writing incredibly consistent crime novels for over 25 years and she's writing some of her best stuff recently. The Good Liar is a great study of an antihero that has a twisty plot and some great character depths to explore.
I want to take a moment to thank this book for writing a perfect Prologue. I am so tired of thrillers with prologues thrown in that do absolutely nothing to pull you into the story. All they do is give you some big thing that is supposed to be thrilling to give you some incentive to stick with the boring beginning of the book. But without character, without context, I find these prologues offputting. I generally find that if you skip them all together you lose absolutely nothing. But in this book, Mina gives us a prologue laying out the stakes of the entire book, telling us where she will be taking us, and doing it all quite clearly. It is a big gamble to show so much of your hand this early, but this is such a smart plot. And even better, we end up returning to the prologue and it turns out it isn't a prologue at all, it is our present plot which will be intertwined with the flashback plot. Again, a common device, but it's so expertly done here. Each visit back to the present raises the stakes even higher and gives us a deeper understanding of the complications.
Now for all this to work, you will have to occasionally find yourself in moments where you don't quite understand what something means or why something is important. But be patient, Mina is getting to it. All these pieces end up coming together as we slow roll through reveal after reveal.
And in the middle of all this we get a portrait of our protagonist, Claudia. She is an accomplished scientist whose study of blood spatter analysis has created a new industry standard. She is recently widowed and is now trying to parent two teenagers on her own and also keep her addict sister off the streets. So many of these pieces are the makings of a sympathetic protagonist, but the more time that passes the more we see Claudia for who she really is. And it's not a pretty picture. For Claudia has been pulled into the trappings of a comfortable life, she has reached a level of success she never dreamed possible. It's about more than getting away from Scotland to London, or making her way in the professional world. Claudia isn't just a striver, she wants the comforts of the upper crust that she is now able to rub shoulders with. This is the true conflict of the book: can Claudia give up these comforts to tell the truth? It seems like a simple call at first, but the more you know Claudia the more you realize that she is not as noble as she seemed. And it's unclear that she has the will or the strength of character to do the right thing.
I love a book that gets into these kinds of nuances, where you're not just waiting for the hero to do the thing you always knew he would do. Really, this isn't about the mystery. (This is never really much of a mystery at all, you have more than enough evidence pointing you in the right direction early on.) It's about what people will do to cover it up and whether Claudia is willing to be part of it.
Tore through this, one of the best mysteries I've read in a good while.
I want to take a moment to thank this book for writing a perfect Prologue. I am so tired of thrillers with prologues thrown in that do absolutely nothing to pull you into the story. All they do is give you some big thing that is supposed to be thrilling to give you some incentive to stick with the boring beginning of the book. But without character, without context, I find these prologues offputting. I generally find that if you skip them all together you lose absolutely nothing. But in this book, Mina gives us a prologue laying out the stakes of the entire book, telling us where she will be taking us, and doing it all quite clearly. It is a big gamble to show so much of your hand this early, but this is such a smart plot. And even better, we end up returning to the prologue and it turns out it isn't a prologue at all, it is our present plot which will be intertwined with the flashback plot. Again, a common device, but it's so expertly done here. Each visit back to the present raises the stakes even higher and gives us a deeper understanding of the complications.
Now for all this to work, you will have to occasionally find yourself in moments where you don't quite understand what something means or why something is important. But be patient, Mina is getting to it. All these pieces end up coming together as we slow roll through reveal after reveal.
And in the middle of all this we get a portrait of our protagonist, Claudia. She is an accomplished scientist whose study of blood spatter analysis has created a new industry standard. She is recently widowed and is now trying to parent two teenagers on her own and also keep her addict sister off the streets. So many of these pieces are the makings of a sympathetic protagonist, but the more time that passes the more we see Claudia for who she really is. And it's not a pretty picture. For Claudia has been pulled into the trappings of a comfortable life, she has reached a level of success she never dreamed possible. It's about more than getting away from Scotland to London, or making her way in the professional world. Claudia isn't just a striver, she wants the comforts of the upper crust that she is now able to rub shoulders with. This is the true conflict of the book: can Claudia give up these comforts to tell the truth? It seems like a simple call at first, but the more you know Claudia the more you realize that she is not as noble as she seemed. And it's unclear that she has the will or the strength of character to do the right thing.
I love a book that gets into these kinds of nuances, where you're not just waiting for the hero to do the thing you always knew he would do. Really, this isn't about the mystery. (This is never really much of a mystery at all, you have more than enough evidence pointing you in the right direction early on.) It's about what people will do to cover it up and whether Claudia is willing to be part of it.
Tore through this, one of the best mysteries I've read in a good while.
August 1, 2025
This is a crime procedural with a twist that the key protagonist /investigator is a blood splatter expert- Claudia O'Sheil.
Following the murder of an aristocrat and his fiancee , suspicion falls on the son. Claudia is convinced that the son is innocent despite the fact evidence appears to condemn him.
This is. story about corruption, a race against time and the Establishment- the rich , the greedy and the powerful trying to stop the truth being revealed.
As the book progresses, Claudia realises that she is caught in a trap- does she reveal the truth or get pulled into the web of lies.
This is a fascinating read and the science/procedures behind demonstrating/providing criminal evidence is really intriguing.
The 'fly in the ointment' are the characters - the wealthy and the elite are a self absorbed and obnoxious group - seemingly displaying their wealth with ease and entitlement alongside-building up any sympathy towards them is limited and this does impact slightly on the story. Claudia is on the periphery and escapes their clutches- just!
A unique crime novel that may well divide readers....but it's the "will she..won't she " element that keeps you gripped.
Ultimately, this story shines a light on the incestuous nature of the rich maintaining the status quo for themselves by weaselling their way into all areas of the judiciary and politics.
Following the murder of an aristocrat and his fiancee , suspicion falls on the son. Claudia is convinced that the son is innocent despite the fact evidence appears to condemn him.
This is. story about corruption, a race against time and the Establishment- the rich , the greedy and the powerful trying to stop the truth being revealed.
As the book progresses, Claudia realises that she is caught in a trap- does she reveal the truth or get pulled into the web of lies.
This is a fascinating read and the science/procedures behind demonstrating/providing criminal evidence is really intriguing.
The 'fly in the ointment' are the characters - the wealthy and the elite are a self absorbed and obnoxious group - seemingly displaying their wealth with ease and entitlement alongside-building up any sympathy towards them is limited and this does impact slightly on the story. Claudia is on the periphery and escapes their clutches- just!
A unique crime novel that may well divide readers....but it's the "will she..won't she " element that keeps you gripped.
Ultimately, this story shines a light on the incestuous nature of the rich maintaining the status quo for themselves by weaselling their way into all areas of the judiciary and politics.
July 24, 2025
I'm giving up on this one halfway through. There isn't really a story in here, though it sounds as though there should be. Two people have been murdered, and our extremely unlikeable protagonist, Claudia, seems to have in some way been partly responsible for someone having been wrongfully convicted for the crime. Now Claudia intends to reveal all at a big party for the scientific elite, which will presumably reveal the true murderer. Fine. But the whole book so far is taken up with sneering descriptions of the upper-class characters Claudia seems to be mixing with. I'm all for a bit of inverted snobbery but it can come over as an inferiority complex if not handled carefully. And so far we've been given no information - none - about who, other than the wrongfully convicted person, might have had a reason to murder the victims. There is no suspect pool, no mystery to get us thinking. Just descriptions of unpleasant people interacting unpleasantly, sprinkled with occasional outbursts of foul language which... I don't know, are they meant to shock? I think we're beyond that, aren't we? Anyway, since I dislike Claudia and all the other characters, and haven't been made to care about who committed the murders, I'm not motivated to read on. Mina can be great, but this one simply isn't working for me.
January 10, 2026
It took me a long time to connect with the main character, a forensic specialist named Claudia O’Sheil, in Denise Mina’s latest crime fiction. The opening scene is a reception preceding a speech she is to give about a sensational crime solved using techniques she pioneered. Except that she is secretly planning to give a different talk, one that will expose all manner of evil doings by the powers that be.
The story weaves back and forth between this setting, as the moment of the speech comes closer, and the circumstances of the dual murder and its aftermath. Claudia had been recently widowed and is a psychological mess as she tries to hide her sadness from her two teenage sons, while her career is suddenly skyrocketing. Living with her and her sons is her drug-addicted sister, who is clean at the beginning of the story but then relapses.
Claudia is clearly a flawed individual; as Mina points out in a fairly heavy-handed way, she is entranced by all the trappings of wealth and thus distracted from some pretty obvious indications that things are going on beneath the surface. Eventually the light dawns, and now the focus is on whether she can go through with her speech.
Not Mina’s finest, I think. Kind of messy and with some plot elements that left me scratching my head. Can’t pull up more than 3 stars for this one.
The story weaves back and forth between this setting, as the moment of the speech comes closer, and the circumstances of the dual murder and its aftermath. Claudia had been recently widowed and is a psychological mess as she tries to hide her sadness from her two teenage sons, while her career is suddenly skyrocketing. Living with her and her sons is her drug-addicted sister, who is clean at the beginning of the story but then relapses.
Claudia is clearly a flawed individual; as Mina points out in a fairly heavy-handed way, she is entranced by all the trappings of wealth and thus distracted from some pretty obvious indications that things are going on beneath the surface. Eventually the light dawns, and now the focus is on whether she can go through with her speech.
Not Mina’s finest, I think. Kind of messy and with some plot elements that left me scratching my head. Can’t pull up more than 3 stars for this one.
July 22, 2025
The Good Liar is my second experience reading a book written by Denise Mina and cements my earlier belief that I must read more of her novels. In The Good Liar, we meet Dr. Claudia O’Sheil a forensics expert famous for having developed a formula for assessing blood spatter patterns for useful data to pinpoint perpetrators of crimes. Her assessment tool was used to identify the killer in what has become an infamous murder committed a year ago, the murders at Chester Terrace. Now, 12 months later, she has been asked to give a speech on her well known and much used tool, the business she leads and some thoughts about that murder and its solution. But…and there is a huge but…she knows so much of this story is a lie and she plans to tell the truth, a truth that would destroy her career, as well as many people she knows well, and might endanger her two sons and their futures.
As this story unfolds, it moves back and forth in time from the present, the evening the speech is to be given, back to the night of the murders, to times with Claudia and two sons at home as they try to adjust to the recent loss of their husband and father, and many other events of all types. With a cast of well developed characters, we follow Claudia’s attempts to work through her personal grief, care for her children, do her work, and begin to see the traces of problems in what had been certainties in her life.
I recommend this book and Denise Mina for those who enjoy well written mysteries which emphasize plot and character. This is not an action story so would not satisfy anyone looking for fast paced action.
Thanks to Little Brown and Co. and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
As this story unfolds, it moves back and forth in time from the present, the evening the speech is to be given, back to the night of the murders, to times with Claudia and two sons at home as they try to adjust to the recent loss of their husband and father, and many other events of all types. With a cast of well developed characters, we follow Claudia’s attempts to work through her personal grief, care for her children, do her work, and begin to see the traces of problems in what had been certainties in her life.
I recommend this book and Denise Mina for those who enjoy well written mysteries which emphasize plot and character. This is not an action story so would not satisfy anyone looking for fast paced action.
Thanks to Little Brown and Co. and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
June 16, 2025
I received a free copy of, The Good Liar, by Denise Mina, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Is Dr. Claudia O'Sheil a good liar or not? Did she send an innocent man to prison with evidence she provided? I did not care for the language in this book, This book was a little to dark for me, the characters were not nice at all.
June 11, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.
I was looking forward to it as I like Denise Mina’s writing, but I was disappointed. It may be because I read an ARC, but there were no chapter headings to indicate the backwards/forwards in time of the story telling, and this was really confusing. The passage of time was not clear; at one point there was mention of 4 months passing, and this surprised me. People get sent to prison on the basis of one piece of evidence, ignoring the evidence that said they couldn’t have done it, or that was obviously planted. Claudia does nothing. She knows crimes have been committed that the police are not taking seriously, and she does nothing. She sees huge amounts of evidence pointing to the actual killer…..and does nothing.
It’s pretty obvious from early on who the baddies are.
I didn’t really get any ramping up of tension, the scenarios which should have been menacing or dangerous didn’t work for me. The story jumped about a lot, which gave it a lack of flow.
I was looking forward to it as I like Denise Mina’s writing, but I was disappointed. It may be because I read an ARC, but there were no chapter headings to indicate the backwards/forwards in time of the story telling, and this was really confusing. The passage of time was not clear; at one point there was mention of 4 months passing, and this surprised me. People get sent to prison on the basis of one piece of evidence, ignoring the evidence that said they couldn’t have done it, or that was obviously planted. Claudia does nothing. She knows crimes have been committed that the police are not taking seriously, and she does nothing. She sees huge amounts of evidence pointing to the actual killer…..and does nothing.
It’s pretty obvious from early on who the baddies are.
I didn’t really get any ramping up of tension, the scenarios which should have been menacing or dangerous didn’t work for me. The story jumped about a lot, which gave it a lack of flow.
July 31, 2025
4.5
Dr Claudia O'Shiel is a respected forensic scientist, whose landmark blood spatter programme is used to condemn the guilty. But is it really as foolproof as everyone believes? And what would you do when you realise that it might be responsible for unsafe convictions? Would you be prepared to lose everything or save yourself?
Claudia finds herself drawn into a conspiracy of lies, unable to trust anyone or anything she believed in. While she tries to find out the truth behind the brutal murders of a lord and his fiancee she is also trying to keep her drug addict sister from falling off the wagon, her sons from becoming any more estranged and the real reason her husband died in a seemingly senseless car crash.
This is one twisty story. My advice is just to keep reading and the confusion soon clears up. It's a really taut, unnerving thriller of a murder mystery. I read it in two sittings. I could hardly put it down.
Great writing, lots of dodgy characters, a lot of twists and a great end. What more could you wish for.
Excellent. I only knocked off half a point because there's a curse word that used that I really don't like. Otherwise highly recommended.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Random House UK for the advance review copy.
Dr Claudia O'Shiel is a respected forensic scientist, whose landmark blood spatter programme is used to condemn the guilty. But is it really as foolproof as everyone believes? And what would you do when you realise that it might be responsible for unsafe convictions? Would you be prepared to lose everything or save yourself?
Claudia finds herself drawn into a conspiracy of lies, unable to trust anyone or anything she believed in. While she tries to find out the truth behind the brutal murders of a lord and his fiancee she is also trying to keep her drug addict sister from falling off the wagon, her sons from becoming any more estranged and the real reason her husband died in a seemingly senseless car crash.
This is one twisty story. My advice is just to keep reading and the confusion soon clears up. It's a really taut, unnerving thriller of a murder mystery. I read it in two sittings. I could hardly put it down.
Great writing, lots of dodgy characters, a lot of twists and a great end. What more could you wish for.
Excellent. I only knocked off half a point because there's a curse word that used that I really don't like. Otherwise highly recommended.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Random House UK for the advance review copy.
May 22, 2025
The Good Liar is a tense well paced read that captured my attention from beginning to end.
Dr. Claudia O'Sheil is a well renowned blood splatterer that is called to a brutal double murder at Chester Terrace in London.
The case is being handled with kid gloves as the upper echelon of the police do want any mistakes like the Lord Lucan fiasco.
The book is told in two timelines where Claudia is about to blow up not only her world but many others.
The past takes us back to the investigation at Chester Court and all its complexities.
Denise Mina has woven a suspenseful story that shows both good and evil and that keeps you guessing.
I could not put the book down , read it one sitting and am still thinking about The Good Liar.
Hiighly recommmend you grab your copy and settle in for a roller coaster of a read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the privlege of reading and reviewing The Good Liar.
Dr. Claudia O'Sheil is a well renowned blood splatterer that is called to a brutal double murder at Chester Terrace in London.
The case is being handled with kid gloves as the upper echelon of the police do want any mistakes like the Lord Lucan fiasco.
The book is told in two timelines where Claudia is about to blow up not only her world but many others.
The past takes us back to the investigation at Chester Court and all its complexities.
Denise Mina has woven a suspenseful story that shows both good and evil and that keeps you guessing.
I could not put the book down , read it one sitting and am still thinking about The Good Liar.
Hiighly recommmend you grab your copy and settle in for a roller coaster of a read.
Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the privlege of reading and reviewing The Good Liar.
July 21, 2025
This one is going to give you whiplash. From the timeline to the decisions Doctor Claudia O'Sheil makes, you'll be in a whirlwind of indecision. I can happily see The Good Liar made for the screen. Complex and at times confusing, I felt a gamut of emotions until the ending. Exactly what a good thriller does.
*Thank you to @LittleBrownCompany @MulhollandBooks via Netgalley for sharing this title with me.
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*Thank you to @LittleBrownCompany @MulhollandBooks via Netgalley for sharing this title with me.
Follow me on
✿KTBookReviews✿Instagram✿Twitter✿Facebook✿TikTok
May 14, 2025
It took me a bit to get into this one, but as the story progressed I began to really appreciate and enjoy it. It's a crime procedural novel highlighting corruption and how progression in how crimes are analyzed can affect individuals who have been wrongly convicted. While this novel is suspenseful it is also moving and thought-provoking. I really couldn't wait to read the ending to find out what Claudia ended up doing.
Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company | Mulholland Books for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company | Mulholland Books for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
January 16, 2026
This was a NYT top 100 book of 2025? Am I missing something? This book was not bad but it was not great. Too many characters that I lost track of, plus some of the character motivations are very unclear. Maybe since there were too many characters we did not get to know any of them enough?
August 10, 2025
I have read most of Denise Mina’s books, but I did not care for this one. Every character was so unlikable and the timeline was difficult and tedious to follow. What a convoluted mess.
January 23, 2026
I generally liked this well-plotted, suspenseful book, with the suspense maintained almost to the very last page. The protagonist is a forensic scientist unafraid to question her own methodology and searching for the reason behind the death of her husband while trying to maintain a relationship with her challenging sister and raise two boys.
I gave this book 4 stars instead of five. There is some of the standard class stuff so central to those in the UK (but which ignores the far bigger cultural and crime elephant in the room that's been ignored in the UK for decades. Either you know or you don't). Midway through there is also a totally gratuitous slam of oil companies (ironic for a country that itself is so lacking in affordable energy) re being run by know-nothing bartenders and owned by Nazis. But hey, why not alienate half or more of your potential audience to make a unrelated-to-the-plot political point?
Yeah, I know, ignore it and read the book.
I gave this book 4 stars instead of five. There is some of the standard class stuff so central to those in the UK (but which ignores the far bigger cultural and crime elephant in the room that's been ignored in the UK for decades. Either you know or you don't). Midway through there is also a totally gratuitous slam of oil companies (ironic for a country that itself is so lacking in affordable energy) re being run by know-nothing bartenders and owned by Nazis. But hey, why not alienate half or more of your potential audience to make a unrelated-to-the-plot political point?
Yeah, I know, ignore it and read the book.
December 31, 2025
i read this at the direction of the nyt column psychological thrillers that will give you goosebumps. not accurate.
December 22, 2025
Denise Mina is a great storyteller! This is really a 4.8, but only because of some unresolved plot issues.
January 15, 2026
Denise Mina, one of my favorite crime/thriller authors, hits it out of the ballpark again with this female centered thriller set in England (instead of her usual
setting of Scotland 🏴).
What I appreciate so much about MIna is her intellectual ability to use the written language well, bring the setting and characters alive, and lead us down unknown paths with the protagonist. Her writing is both smart and clever, with a dry sense of humor. She doesn’t waste words nor over explain. My favorite style.
I read this early last august, but forgot to review it and mark it read. I started the audiobook again and realized my mistake
setting of Scotland 🏴).
What I appreciate so much about MIna is her intellectual ability to use the written language well, bring the setting and characters alive, and lead us down unknown paths with the protagonist. Her writing is both smart and clever, with a dry sense of humor. She doesn’t waste words nor over explain. My favorite style.
I read this early last august, but forgot to review it and mark it read. I started the audiobook again and realized my mistake
January 13, 2026
It's been far too long between Denise Mina books for me. This emphasized that discrepancy. Her central character is complex, flawed and at an impasse with her future in the crosshairs. What I have loved in her books is her deep dive into the motivations behind a character's decisions, and here she does not disappoint. If some find this slow going, give it time. Patience will be rewarded.
June 4, 2025
Mina’s 2019 crime thriller, Conviction, was one of the first books I remember really liking from this genre. I’ve sought out and read several since, and she has such a unique and compelling approach to story telling. Her female protagonists tend to have this unapologetic, raw tone.
We have Claudia O’Sheil, a recently widowed forensic scientist who is thrust into the middle of a high profile, gruesome double homicide straight from the jump. She is forced to juggle her personal life, her grief, her two teenage boys, her struggling sister and now this case. The pacing shifts, the time jumps from the present to a year ago, yet it all works. The book as a whole was a satisfying and fun read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
We have Claudia O’Sheil, a recently widowed forensic scientist who is thrust into the middle of a high profile, gruesome double homicide straight from the jump. She is forced to juggle her personal life, her grief, her two teenage boys, her struggling sister and now this case. The pacing shifts, the time jumps from the present to a year ago, yet it all works. The book as a whole was a satisfying and fun read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 7, 2025
Denise Mina was an author that I hadn't tried so I was excited when I got hold of The Good Liar.
The beginning was slow but I thought it would pick up pace eventually. The writing was the main problem here, there wasn't any sparks or whatsoever. It was so flat that the characters were just going around doing their business and I was bored.
3 stars, cool concept but the writing killed it. I had a hard time pushing through, but finally I got to see the very last page.
The beginning was slow but I thought it would pick up pace eventually. The writing was the main problem here, there wasn't any sparks or whatsoever. It was so flat that the characters were just going around doing their business and I was bored.
3 stars, cool concept but the writing killed it. I had a hard time pushing through, but finally I got to see the very last page.
September 11, 2025
My least favourite of her writings. I have read Denise Mina since Garnet Hill and have really enjoyed her work. I just didn't care about this story. Nothing reeled me in, no character, no plot line. It was convoluted. I lost interest. Overall the story was meh. Mina can write crime stories much better than this.
April 3, 2026
Professor Claudia O'Sheil is about to make a life-changing decision. She is scheduled to deliver a lecture at the reception of the Royal College of Forensic Scientists in London, a lecture that would cement her leading position among forensic science experts. Claudia's most important achievement is developing the BSPS (Blood Spatter Probability Scale), which has become one of the fundamental tools in forensic science. Yet Claudia has found out that there is an error in BSPS and that many convictions secured based on using the tool may have been wrong. Will she decide to destroy her professional life by telling the truth?
The struggle with the ethic dilemma forms the narrative flow of the novel. Yes, there is a murder mystery involved, very skillfully presented, suspenseful, and full of plot twists. Yet, at least to me, that story constitutes the secondary flow. The two mysteries are masterfully connected and intertwined. The narration alternates between two timelines. One relates the current events just minutes before the lecture. The other describes the fateful events of the preceding year. The combination of these two dualities is an extraordinary successful literary device!
There is so much more in the novel! Biting critique of the class system in the UK, the system that offers unearned privileges to people who have the "right" parents as opposed to all others, who can get just a little closer to the world of privilege by having actual talent and working extremely hard. There is also a family thread in the plot: Claudia's husband has died and she is raising two young sons on her own. I am impressed by how skillfully Ms. Mina portrays the struggles of a single mother with the boys' onset of puberty.
An outstanding mystery and a very good novel. Highly recommended!
The struggle with the ethic dilemma forms the narrative flow of the novel. Yes, there is a murder mystery involved, very skillfully presented, suspenseful, and full of plot twists. Yet, at least to me, that story constitutes the secondary flow. The two mysteries are masterfully connected and intertwined. The narration alternates between two timelines. One relates the current events just minutes before the lecture. The other describes the fateful events of the preceding year. The combination of these two dualities is an extraordinary successful literary device!
There is so much more in the novel! Biting critique of the class system in the UK, the system that offers unearned privileges to people who have the "right" parents as opposed to all others, who can get just a little closer to the world of privilege by having actual talent and working extremely hard. There is also a family thread in the plot: Claudia's husband has died and she is raising two young sons on her own. I am impressed by how skillfully Ms. Mina portrays the struggles of a single mother with the boys' onset of puberty.
An outstanding mystery and a very good novel. Highly recommended!
March 13, 2026
3.75 ⭐️
Enjoyed this! Felt I could guess the ending though!
Enjoyed this! Felt I could guess the ending though!
April 28, 2026
4- ish
June 6, 2025
I found this book very hard to stay with. The writing is acceptable, but the story just doesn’t flow well. The present to past flashbacks were not sufficiently correlated and early on in the book, I was a bit confused as to what was happening or did happen, in relation to what I had just read.
Claudia, the protagonist and her boss, Philip were the only characters that had any depth. Claudia's addict sister, Gina doesn’t add to the story in any meaningful way. The only character who was relatable, fun, and lighthearted was Sir Evan Evans.
I'm not a fan of foul language in my books, yet can tolerate a little. This book was replete with f-words, distracting from the overall reading experience.
Unfortunately, the ending was a cliffhanger that simply didn’t work. I didn’t find myself pining for the next installment, as any good cliffhanger ending would do.
I did give a second star for a marginally good plot, even though it did not come together as well as I hoped.
Thanks to #netgalley and #LittleBrown for the advance reader copy, in exchange for my unbiased review of TheGoodLiar
Claudia, the protagonist and her boss, Philip were the only characters that had any depth. Claudia's addict sister, Gina doesn’t add to the story in any meaningful way. The only character who was relatable, fun, and lighthearted was Sir Evan Evans.
I'm not a fan of foul language in my books, yet can tolerate a little. This book was replete with f-words, distracting from the overall reading experience.
Unfortunately, the ending was a cliffhanger that simply didn’t work. I didn’t find myself pining for the next installment, as any good cliffhanger ending would do.
I did give a second star for a marginally good plot, even though it did not come together as well as I hoped.
Thanks to #netgalley and #LittleBrown for the advance reader copy, in exchange for my unbiased review of TheGoodLiar
May 22, 2025
One of the best crime/thrillers I have read for some time. I thought that the narrative spine of the book really set the pace and urged me to keep page turning.
The opening sets up the story where our protagonist, Claudia, a forensic scientist, top of the game, is about to say something life changing. The reader is then thrown back to a year earlier when the events leading up to this began.
I have read many of Mina's previous books so was surprised to find this one set in London. I have been used to a Glasgow or a very Scottish backdrop. I quite enjoyed how she contrived to show the wealthy, the titled, the entitled in the worst light in this very English context.
Really enjoyed.
With thanks to #NetGalley and #RandomHouseUK for the opportunity to read and review
The opening sets up the story where our protagonist, Claudia, a forensic scientist, top of the game, is about to say something life changing. The reader is then thrown back to a year earlier when the events leading up to this began.
I have read many of Mina's previous books so was surprised to find this one set in London. I have been used to a Glasgow or a very Scottish backdrop. I quite enjoyed how she contrived to show the wealthy, the titled, the entitled in the worst light in this very English context.
Really enjoyed.
With thanks to #NetGalley and #RandomHouseUK for the opportunity to read and review
December 14, 2025
2.0-2.5/5: The summary on the back of the book felt a lot different than what the story was, so was kind of confused while reading. It was easy enough to read but I found it less than thrilling and the author introduced too many side characters with no purpose to try to distract readers from the real perpetrators. I also thought there were some side plots that didn’t make sense and I didn’t really get how they contributed to the story at all. Ending was also lackluster. Bummer as this was a Good Reads Choice Awards nominee.
February 18, 2026
Eh... I usually love these kind of novels but this one was very boring. The villain was cartoonish, the language very plain, the plot was wayyyy over the top for such a basic set up. It calls itself out on that later but it's not even a good kind of over the top. I found myself rolling my eyes a lot.
The characters all seemed very shallow and one note. No depth, no complexity. There was 0 frame of reference for jumping forward and backward in time. Timing in general felt strange. Lastly, if someone sucked their teeth one more time in this book, I was going to lose it.
The characters all seemed very shallow and one note. No depth, no complexity. There was 0 frame of reference for jumping forward and backward in time. Timing in general felt strange. Lastly, if someone sucked their teeth one more time in this book, I was going to lose it.
February 16, 2026
1.5. This book was on NYT's "Best of 2025" article and I need an investigative journalist to find out how much money changed hands for that. The timeline was super muddy (did those two things happen in the same day or three months apart?). You know when you've stayed up too late reading and you're kind of foggy so you wonder "does that not make sense or an I just 90% asleep?"? That was this book's whole vibe. Also it was boring.
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