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The Liar's Chair
Rachel Teller and her husband David appear happy, prosperous and fulfilled. The big house, the successful business . . . They have everything.
However, control, not love, fuels their relationship and David has no idea his wife indulges in drunken indiscretions. When Rachel kills a man in a hit and run, the meticulously maintained veneer over their life begins to crack.
Destroying all evidence of the accident, David insists they continue as normal. Rachel though is racked with guilt and as her behaviour becomes increasingly self-destructive she not only inflames David's darker side, but also uncovers her own long-suppressed memories of shame. Can Rachel confront her past and atone for her terrible crime? Not if her husband has anything to do with it . . .
A startling, dark and audacious novel set in and around the Brighton streets, The Liar's Chair will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the final page has been turned. A stunning psychological portrait of a woman in a toxic marriage, Rebecca Whitney's debut will show that sometimes the darkest shadow holds the truth you have been hiding from . . .
*Perfect for fans of Louise Doughty's Apple Tree Yard*
However, control, not love, fuels their relationship and David has no idea his wife indulges in drunken indiscretions. When Rachel kills a man in a hit and run, the meticulously maintained veneer over their life begins to crack.
Destroying all evidence of the accident, David insists they continue as normal. Rachel though is racked with guilt and as her behaviour becomes increasingly self-destructive she not only inflames David's darker side, but also uncovers her own long-suppressed memories of shame. Can Rachel confront her past and atone for her terrible crime? Not if her husband has anything to do with it . . .
A startling, dark and audacious novel set in and around the Brighton streets, The Liar's Chair will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the final page has been turned. A stunning psychological portrait of a woman in a toxic marriage, Rebecca Whitney's debut will show that sometimes the darkest shadow holds the truth you have been hiding from . . .
*Perfect for fans of Louise Doughty's Apple Tree Yard*
306 pages, Paperback
First published December 15, 2014
42 people are currently reading
1280 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Whitney
5 books55 followersHello, and thanks for visiting my Goodreads author page.
I have written two novels - THE LIAR'S CHAIR (2015) which was chosen for the Loose Women book club, and THE HIDDEN GIRLS (31 Dec 2020), published by Mantle / Macmillan. Both books deal with what I call 'the devil in the domestic' although my starting point is always a deep fascination with what makes ordinary people do the things they do, especially actions that are morally questionable. I’m just plain nosy.
My writing career didn’t begin until my forties, but looking back, I’ve always told stories in one form or another, I simply never imagined a career as a writer. During a degree in Creative Arts, I used narratives in my performance work, film and photography. On moving to London, I worked at Creation Records (the pre-Oasis years) then moved into film and TV production on music videos, commercials and documentaries, starting as tea-girl and ending up an executive producer - I was once honoured with the job of powdering Leigh Bowery’s face before he went on set, a later project involved sourcing a cargo plane to fly film-stock out of Tirana during the war in Kosovo. But it wasn’t until after having children that I went back to study creative writing to see if I had a book in me, and realised I had many more stories I wanted to tell.
I also teach creative writing, and have held characterisation workshops for Guardian Masterclasses, the Creative Writing Programme and Beach Hut Writing Academy, as well as holding poetry workshops for the YMCA. I work as an editor and mentor for emerging writers too. My short stories have been published in S-Magazine and shortlisted for the Bridport and Fish competitions, and my features have appeared in The Independent, Psychologies and Buzzfeed amongst others. I've spoken at events nationwide including Bloody Scotland, CrimeFest and the Isle of Wight Literary Festival. And very occasionally I DJ at music festivals.
Insta: @rebeccajwhitney
Spotify: rebeccajwhitney
Facebook: Rebecca Whitney
I have written two novels - THE LIAR'S CHAIR (2015) which was chosen for the Loose Women book club, and THE HIDDEN GIRLS (31 Dec 2020), published by Mantle / Macmillan. Both books deal with what I call 'the devil in the domestic' although my starting point is always a deep fascination with what makes ordinary people do the things they do, especially actions that are morally questionable. I’m just plain nosy.
My writing career didn’t begin until my forties, but looking back, I’ve always told stories in one form or another, I simply never imagined a career as a writer. During a degree in Creative Arts, I used narratives in my performance work, film and photography. On moving to London, I worked at Creation Records (the pre-Oasis years) then moved into film and TV production on music videos, commercials and documentaries, starting as tea-girl and ending up an executive producer - I was once honoured with the job of powdering Leigh Bowery’s face before he went on set, a later project involved sourcing a cargo plane to fly film-stock out of Tirana during the war in Kosovo. But it wasn’t until after having children that I went back to study creative writing to see if I had a book in me, and realised I had many more stories I wanted to tell.
I also teach creative writing, and have held characterisation workshops for Guardian Masterclasses, the Creative Writing Programme and Beach Hut Writing Academy, as well as holding poetry workshops for the YMCA. I work as an editor and mentor for emerging writers too. My short stories have been published in S-Magazine and shortlisted for the Bridport and Fish competitions, and my features have appeared in The Independent, Psychologies and Buzzfeed amongst others. I've spoken at events nationwide including Bloody Scotland, CrimeFest and the Isle of Wight Literary Festival. And very occasionally I DJ at music festivals.
Insta: @rebeccajwhitney
Spotify: rebeccajwhitney
Facebook: Rebecca Whitney
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
July 4, 2019
I bought The Liar's Chair at London Heathrow Airport as my last-minute holiday read - to add to the ones already weighing down my suitcase (Yep, I still favour real books. Besides, I enjoy chasing an escaped page as it flutters down the beach).
Professional courtesy precludes me from posting negative reviews* so, after struggling through two stinkers (where the authors wouldn't have known their syntax from a Tampax), I was heartened by the promising start to this book.
From the get-go, Rebecca Whitney unfurls her authorial style: lean and intelligently-written, each incidental moment well-observed and described with great care.
The story is told from the viewpoint of Rachel, who is trapped in a loveless, Stepford wife-esque marriage that is rotten to its core. Both her and 'perfect' husband David, tag team a baton of contempt whenever their ships pass. Their sham of a marriage is founded on psychological co-dependency. David, for his part, is status-obsessed and forensically manipulative - the kind of guy whom you would happily smack around the chops.
But then Rachel -stymied by her past- has become reckless, selfish, and doubly duplicitous. Strangely though, despite her not possessing one single redeeming feature, I found myself rooting for her. I imagine this to be the minority view, however. It's easy to forget, perhaps, that Rachel is herself a long-term victim.
It is, at times, a very uncomfortable read, but I applaud the author's bravery in writing such an unsettling, unpredictable story. My second-guesses throughout were usually wrong (which I like), and I loved Whitney's smooth writing style.
And, when compared with the other two (highly publicised) books thus far read on holiday, The Liar's Chair wins hands down.
* Addendum: This review was written in 2015, when I first joined Goodreads. I've since become more forthright in my reviews (I live by the sword, and all that jazz).
Professional courtesy precludes me from posting negative reviews* so, after struggling through two stinkers (where the authors wouldn't have known their syntax from a Tampax), I was heartened by the promising start to this book.
From the get-go, Rebecca Whitney unfurls her authorial style: lean and intelligently-written, each incidental moment well-observed and described with great care.
The story is told from the viewpoint of Rachel, who is trapped in a loveless, Stepford wife-esque marriage that is rotten to its core. Both her and 'perfect' husband David, tag team a baton of contempt whenever their ships pass. Their sham of a marriage is founded on psychological co-dependency. David, for his part, is status-obsessed and forensically manipulative - the kind of guy whom you would happily smack around the chops.
But then Rachel -stymied by her past- has become reckless, selfish, and doubly duplicitous. Strangely though, despite her not possessing one single redeeming feature, I found myself rooting for her. I imagine this to be the minority view, however. It's easy to forget, perhaps, that Rachel is herself a long-term victim.
It is, at times, a very uncomfortable read, but I applaud the author's bravery in writing such an unsettling, unpredictable story. My second-guesses throughout were usually wrong (which I like), and I loved Whitney's smooth writing style.
And, when compared with the other two (highly publicised) books thus far read on holiday, The Liar's Chair wins hands down.
* Addendum: This review was written in 2015, when I first joined Goodreads. I've since become more forthright in my reviews (I live by the sword, and all that jazz).
November 29, 2017
Triggers? Yes.
Rachel and David share an orderly but loveless marriage. Their lives are ritualistic and Rachel is expected to follow David’s rules, maintain appearances for business purposes, and perform wifely duties according to his definition of marital obligations. When Rachel confesses to her husband that she accidentally killed a man, David doesn’t hesitate to jump into action and clean up all traces of the evidence.
The reader watches Rachel as she emotionally unravels, pill-popping and binge drinking to suppress the nightmares related to the hit and run. All of the added stress unhinges Rachel in all aspects of her life and she engages in risky behavior that further compromises her dysfunctional marriage. The text flashes back to the late 1970’s and the reader meets a superstitious young Rachel growing up with a hippie mother and an absent father. These childhood secrets that Rachel kept tucked away in her mind float to the surface and Rachel rebels against the rules her husband created. Bits of Rachel’s thoughts?
My constructs crumble. Without the poisonous repetition of lies and blame, all that’s left is a small point, dense with sweet and painful memory. I step inside my bones. I fill them, and I rise.
For who are we if not the sum of our experience? We can choose what face to show the world, but there is only one face we can show ourselves.
I had mixed feelings about this book. I really liked the author’s writing style and the characters weredetestable interesting, but the ending was unsatisfying for me. This was an okay read, overall: well-paced, character-driven, singular POV. This story didn’t shoot any chills down my spine but almost every domestic thriller I’ve read has the same features: unhappy middle-aged wife/husband is on the verge of a mental breakdown, is financially successful, has acquired lovely possessions (homes, cars, etc.) but is disgruntled with life in general.
◆ On the upside, there was a clever twist that I didn’t see coming and I’d still recommend this book to domestic thriller/ psychological suspense fans who enjoy complex and barely likable lead characters. What was the liar’s chair? It was a frame of mind that every character in this story took a seat in by harboring nasty secrets and telling terrible lies.
Rachel and David share an orderly but loveless marriage. Their lives are ritualistic and Rachel is expected to follow David’s rules, maintain appearances for business purposes, and perform wifely duties according to his definition of marital obligations. When Rachel confesses to her husband that she accidentally killed a man, David doesn’t hesitate to jump into action and clean up all traces of the evidence.
The reader watches Rachel as she emotionally unravels, pill-popping and binge drinking to suppress the nightmares related to the hit and run. All of the added stress unhinges Rachel in all aspects of her life and she engages in risky behavior that further compromises her dysfunctional marriage. The text flashes back to the late 1970’s and the reader meets a superstitious young Rachel growing up with a hippie mother and an absent father. These childhood secrets that Rachel kept tucked away in her mind float to the surface and Rachel rebels against the rules her husband created. Bits of Rachel’s thoughts?
My constructs crumble. Without the poisonous repetition of lies and blame, all that’s left is a small point, dense with sweet and painful memory. I step inside my bones. I fill them, and I rise.
For who are we if not the sum of our experience? We can choose what face to show the world, but there is only one face we can show ourselves.
I had mixed feelings about this book. I really liked the author’s writing style and the characters were
◆ On the upside, there was a clever twist that I didn’t see coming and I’d still recommend this book to domestic thriller/ psychological suspense fans who enjoy complex and barely likable lead characters. What was the liar’s chair? It was a frame of mind that every character in this story took a seat in by harboring nasty secrets and telling terrible lies.
November 20, 2014
An extremely clever, addictive and fun psychological thriller, I absolutely hated every single character in this book. HATED them. Loved to hate them and could not stop reading about them no matter how I tried though. Now, almost impossibly, I’m quite sad to leave them behind…
So we have Rachel then, telling the story. She’s needy, blames all her issues on other people and is generally not particularly likeable. You may forgive her somewhat when you find out about the man she is married to but we’ll see. After a drunken night with her lover, she runs down a man and kills him. Rather than calling the police she hides the body and returns home to David who is also determined to cover it up. Cue a lot of shenanigans, some twists and some turns, but mostly a terrifically intelligent insightful character piece about a lot of people you most definitely would want to avoid like the plague in real life. They are however extremely authentic and believable. Like calls to like I guess, they all seem cut from the same cloth but with different consequences.
What I loved personally about this was that, a bit like “The Apprentice” on television, it brought out my violent side. Metaphorically speaking of course, in reality I’m fairly placid. But during the reading of this I ground my teeth, growled a lot and often paced around for a bit after putting it aside for a while. As Rachel got further and further into the mire, as she pulled other people into her vortex, despite the fact that she had been through a lot in her life, I found myself being mostly sympathetic towards the dogs and hoping someone would rescue them soon…
David is an extraordinarily well drawn character. Ambitious, ruthless, cold as a fish, he treats Rachel appallingly. Rebecca Whitney has explored the theme of mental as opposed to physical abuse here brilliantly – often its easier to make a character evil by getting them to hit out, but David is much more insidious than that. Still though, I found it difficult to feel sorry for Rachel at all, as I said, I hated the lot of them! Isnt it brilliant?
Overall this was a wonderful debut, it will definitely get your blood up, and is written in a way that gets you deep into the mindset of the characters both main and peripheral and will really give you something to think about. It will stay with me a long time – I’m not sure how I feel about the ending I shall have to ponder!
Highly Recommended.
Happy Reading Folks!
So we have Rachel then, telling the story. She’s needy, blames all her issues on other people and is generally not particularly likeable. You may forgive her somewhat when you find out about the man she is married to but we’ll see. After a drunken night with her lover, she runs down a man and kills him. Rather than calling the police she hides the body and returns home to David who is also determined to cover it up. Cue a lot of shenanigans, some twists and some turns, but mostly a terrifically intelligent insightful character piece about a lot of people you most definitely would want to avoid like the plague in real life. They are however extremely authentic and believable. Like calls to like I guess, they all seem cut from the same cloth but with different consequences.
What I loved personally about this was that, a bit like “The Apprentice” on television, it brought out my violent side. Metaphorically speaking of course, in reality I’m fairly placid. But during the reading of this I ground my teeth, growled a lot and often paced around for a bit after putting it aside for a while. As Rachel got further and further into the mire, as she pulled other people into her vortex, despite the fact that she had been through a lot in her life, I found myself being mostly sympathetic towards the dogs and hoping someone would rescue them soon…
David is an extraordinarily well drawn character. Ambitious, ruthless, cold as a fish, he treats Rachel appallingly. Rebecca Whitney has explored the theme of mental as opposed to physical abuse here brilliantly – often its easier to make a character evil by getting them to hit out, but David is much more insidious than that. Still though, I found it difficult to feel sorry for Rachel at all, as I said, I hated the lot of them! Isnt it brilliant?
Overall this was a wonderful debut, it will definitely get your blood up, and is written in a way that gets you deep into the mindset of the characters both main and peripheral and will really give you something to think about. It will stay with me a long time – I’m not sure how I feel about the ending I shall have to ponder!
Highly Recommended.
Happy Reading Folks!
October 14, 2018
Rachel & David seem to have the perfect marriage a business that's thriving a nice house, Rachel is being controlled by David , she detests this but one day she does something that she may regret for the rest of her life, she kills a homeless man.
Terrified at what she has done she tells David he tells her did she hide evidence she says yes & he tells her to act as normal as possible for their business, but things start to spiral out of control what she hides from David can ruin their unstable marriage their is no love lost between them.
In the meantime she has an affair with will at a his home everything is going great until wills life is put in danger, Alex David's business partner is blackmailing Rachel he does what he pleases with her buy this time she is popping Valium & booze down like there is no tomorrow to forget what she has done, she virtually plays David & Will like to puppets on a string.
MY THOUGHTS
I enjoyed this book was a real page turner quickly paced & I couldn't stop reading till the very last word I didn't like any of the characters as they were flawed & just plain unlikable but the plot was extremely well written Kudos to Rebecca Whitney for writing a novel that made your head spin at times trying to keep up with each characters double crossed ways the story flowed perfectly. 4 ****rs a domestic Psychological thriller.
Terrified at what she has done she tells David he tells her did she hide evidence she says yes & he tells her to act as normal as possible for their business, but things start to spiral out of control what she hides from David can ruin their unstable marriage their is no love lost between them.
In the meantime she has an affair with will at a his home everything is going great until wills life is put in danger, Alex David's business partner is blackmailing Rachel he does what he pleases with her buy this time she is popping Valium & booze down like there is no tomorrow to forget what she has done, she virtually plays David & Will like to puppets on a string.
MY THOUGHTS
I enjoyed this book was a real page turner quickly paced & I couldn't stop reading till the very last word I didn't like any of the characters as they were flawed & just plain unlikable but the plot was extremely well written Kudos to Rebecca Whitney for writing a novel that made your head spin at times trying to keep up with each characters double crossed ways the story flowed perfectly. 4 ****rs a domestic Psychological thriller.
March 31, 2016
March 22nd 2016: DNF at 42%
I know I NEVER DNF a book, but I've made a promise to myself this year to stop reading those stories that are starting to feel like voluntary torture. It hasn't been easy to take the final decision to DNF The Liar's Chair, but I really couldn't bring myself to waste any more time trying to finish this read. Do I feel guilty? Yes. But that doesn't take away I feel releaved that I'm finally able to put a book down unfinished.
Full review below...
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
I know I NEVER DNF a book, but I've made a promise to myself this year to stop reading those stories that are starting to feel like voluntary torture. It hasn't been easy to take the final decision to DNF The Liar's Chair, but I really couldn't bring myself to waste any more time trying to finish this read. Do I feel guilty? Yes. But that doesn't take away I feel releaved that I'm finally able to put a book down unfinished.
Full review below...
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
July 9, 2020
A dysfunctional marriage with too many unaddressed questions & overblown prose mar this domestic noir debut.
When The Liar’s Chair was released in 2015 I remember the comparisons to Gone Girl and whilst both novels centre on a dysfunctional marriage Rebecca Whitney’s debut doesn’t quite live up to billing. Narrator of the novel is forty year old Rachel Teller and one half of the highly successful Teller Productions company situated in Brighton. When we first meet Rachel she is driving home from spending a night with her lover and jittery about the reception she can expect from husband, David. It soon becomes clear that behind the veneer of respectability the Teller’s marriage is very unhealthy, although when Rachel kills a local homeless man with her reckless driving it is in controlling David that she confides. Less a union of love and more a simple business arrangement the couple are the keepers of each other secrets but the leverage of a dead man gives David a decisive upper hand. When Rachel starts to unravel and a police investigation into the death begins she becomes a liability that David and Teller Productions can no longer afford. David’s priority is the business and when Rachel starts to probe into the life of her victim it becomes clear that he is prepared to go to drastic lengths to maintain the lifestyle and respect he craves.
A second narrative, also told from Rachel’s point-of-view, begins in 1976 and gives an insight into a childhood that was devoid of affection and moved into abusive territory. It certainly explains Rachel’s low self-esteem, self-destructive behaviour and why she might be tempted to behave riskily. After a captivating opening which felt full of menace and left me desperate to understand the character of Rachel and her toxic marriage of twenty years much of the tension abated as Rachel lurched from one bizarre situation to another. Given her defiant reaction to so much of David’s cruel payback the idea that she is too weak to leave what she regards as a safe haven of home and the marriage simply doesn’t pass muster and I had issues with how unlikely it all felt.
The entire novel suffers due to the overblown prose which feels pretentious and quite frankly bogs the story down. More succinct prose would have encouraged a much needed brisker pace and also have allowed for some much needed background on their relationship as there are too many questions which go completely unaddressed. Although the story is narrated over two timelines the present day narrative suffers due to gaps such as 3 days or 3 weeks between events, making it impossible to understand how the Teller’s marriage functions on a day-to-day basis. These snapshots never really cohere to a believable portrait of a marriage and it becomes increasingly hard to sustain credibility that such a union would has lasted for twenty years.
I didn’t find the story particularly riveting or entertaining and in fact struggled to finish the novel.
When The Liar’s Chair was released in 2015 I remember the comparisons to Gone Girl and whilst both novels centre on a dysfunctional marriage Rebecca Whitney’s debut doesn’t quite live up to billing. Narrator of the novel is forty year old Rachel Teller and one half of the highly successful Teller Productions company situated in Brighton. When we first meet Rachel she is driving home from spending a night with her lover and jittery about the reception she can expect from husband, David. It soon becomes clear that behind the veneer of respectability the Teller’s marriage is very unhealthy, although when Rachel kills a local homeless man with her reckless driving it is in controlling David that she confides. Less a union of love and more a simple business arrangement the couple are the keepers of each other secrets but the leverage of a dead man gives David a decisive upper hand. When Rachel starts to unravel and a police investigation into the death begins she becomes a liability that David and Teller Productions can no longer afford. David’s priority is the business and when Rachel starts to probe into the life of her victim it becomes clear that he is prepared to go to drastic lengths to maintain the lifestyle and respect he craves.
A second narrative, also told from Rachel’s point-of-view, begins in 1976 and gives an insight into a childhood that was devoid of affection and moved into abusive territory. It certainly explains Rachel’s low self-esteem, self-destructive behaviour and why she might be tempted to behave riskily. After a captivating opening which felt full of menace and left me desperate to understand the character of Rachel and her toxic marriage of twenty years much of the tension abated as Rachel lurched from one bizarre situation to another. Given her defiant reaction to so much of David’s cruel payback the idea that she is too weak to leave what she regards as a safe haven of home and the marriage simply doesn’t pass muster and I had issues with how unlikely it all felt.
The entire novel suffers due to the overblown prose which feels pretentious and quite frankly bogs the story down. More succinct prose would have encouraged a much needed brisker pace and also have allowed for some much needed background on their relationship as there are too many questions which go completely unaddressed. Although the story is narrated over two timelines the present day narrative suffers due to gaps such as 3 days or 3 weeks between events, making it impossible to understand how the Teller’s marriage functions on a day-to-day basis. These snapshots never really cohere to a believable portrait of a marriage and it becomes increasingly hard to sustain credibility that such a union would has lasted for twenty years.
I didn’t find the story particularly riveting or entertaining and in fact struggled to finish the novel.
August 22, 2015
THE LIAR'S CHAIR is a good debut novel but it just didn't live up to my expectations. After a promising beginning, the story sort of dragged. This was not the thriller I thought it was going to be but rather a voyeuristic look into a caustic relationship. I have no problem with unlikable characters as all of these are. I do, however, have a problem with characters who behave appallingly without a sufficient exploration of their motivation. Rachel's path of self destruction is supposedly explained in the flashback chapters. But there's nothing new here. David is a manipulative, sadistic creep of a husband. What made him so? Predictable lousy parenting issues leading to guilt and self hate. Anonymous sex as a way to punish oneself. Alcohol and drugs to numb the pain. Ho hum. I kept waiting for the big reveal and the edge-of-your-seat suspense. And they just weren't there.
January 2, 2015
So, I finished 2014 on a high. Sadly, book one of 2015 was not similarly successful. The Liar's Chair was on a list of recommended crime debuts but honestly, I did not enjoy this one bit.
The main character is a feckless alcoholic, drugged-up, cheating woman who happens to be married to a man of monumentally domestically absuvie proportions. The thing is, you just don't care. Rachel is not an appealing character - from the very first page when she cheerfully acknowledges that she's driving drunk away from her lover's house, back to her husband, this is not a character that you're interested in rooting for.
Her marriage is also ... well, not particularly realistic I don't think. This is clearly supposed to be a portrait of why women stay in abusive relationships but it just doesn't work. You don't feel sorry for Rebecca - she annoyed the heck out of me because here is a woman with the wherewithal to get out of the marriage. I know, we never know what's going on inside an abusive relationship and there's no comprehending why some women stay but this is not a marriage that ever seemed to be based on love. It's a business relationship and the fact that she is incapable of leaving that just doesn't ring true or make sense.
If you read the blurb and info for the book it makes it sound like you see this perfect marriage and then discover the cracks beneath but there's never anything perfect about this marriage from day one. They're supposed to be this perfect partnership but it's not until about a third of the way through that you even find out what their business is. The cracks aren't cracks; they're full-on gulfs.
None of the characters are likeable. They're all pathetic examples of human beings - there's no glimmer of human decency really in the whole novel. The characterisation is over-done - it's not enough that she should be a cheater, we'll throw in alcholic and drugged up too. Oh, and him, yep, abusive, coke habit and a rather too close relationship with his dogs. They're self-interested, motivated purely by money and are just vile human beings.
In terms of structure, we have flashbacks to Rachel's old life which I think is supposed to help us understand her current motivations but it just doesn't. It's cliched, daddy left me, mummy hooked up with unsuitable men, and it just doesn't explain anything about her, or make us like her any the more.
There's no ramping up of tension here because you just don't care. I don't care what happens to any of them. As far as I can tell, they all deserve each other!
The main character is a feckless alcoholic, drugged-up, cheating woman who happens to be married to a man of monumentally domestically absuvie proportions. The thing is, you just don't care. Rachel is not an appealing character - from the very first page when she cheerfully acknowledges that she's driving drunk away from her lover's house, back to her husband, this is not a character that you're interested in rooting for.
Her marriage is also ... well, not particularly realistic I don't think. This is clearly supposed to be a portrait of why women stay in abusive relationships but it just doesn't work. You don't feel sorry for Rebecca - she annoyed the heck out of me because here is a woman with the wherewithal to get out of the marriage. I know, we never know what's going on inside an abusive relationship and there's no comprehending why some women stay but this is not a marriage that ever seemed to be based on love. It's a business relationship and the fact that she is incapable of leaving that just doesn't ring true or make sense.
If you read the blurb and info for the book it makes it sound like you see this perfect marriage and then discover the cracks beneath but there's never anything perfect about this marriage from day one. They're supposed to be this perfect partnership but it's not until about a third of the way through that you even find out what their business is. The cracks aren't cracks; they're full-on gulfs.
None of the characters are likeable. They're all pathetic examples of human beings - there's no glimmer of human decency really in the whole novel. The characterisation is over-done - it's not enough that she should be a cheater, we'll throw in alcholic and drugged up too. Oh, and him, yep, abusive, coke habit and a rather too close relationship with his dogs. They're self-interested, motivated purely by money and are just vile human beings.
In terms of structure, we have flashbacks to Rachel's old life which I think is supposed to help us understand her current motivations but it just doesn't. It's cliched, daddy left me, mummy hooked up with unsuitable men, and it just doesn't explain anything about her, or make us like her any the more.
There's no ramping up of tension here because you just don't care. I don't care what happens to any of them. As far as I can tell, they all deserve each other!
January 1, 2015
This is the second book I’ve read this year which opens with a car accident resulting in death, the first being Keep Quiet by Lisa Scottoline. Rachel Teller, our narrator, is a woman who was returning to her husband and their ‘perfect’ life straight from the bed of another man when she rounds a bend and hits a man. Fear of the consequences particularly as she had consumed a fair amount of alcohol she decides to continue on her journey home. As Rachel is to find, removing herself from the scene isn’t going to erase her horror when she contemplates what she has done.
Rachel’s marriage to David is the type of strange marriage that could only exist between the pages of a psychological thriller and I failed to understand why she stayed despite being presented with various reasons, none of them felt authentic enough when combined with the protagonist’s actions. David is presented as one of those particularly cruel men who act only out of their own need to be superior, even to his wife and busy partner. Be warned if you don’t like books where the main character isn’t likable, in this book you will struggle to find a single person you’d want to spend more than five minutes with!
Fortunately I don’t mind disliking book characters and this book starts off strongly and I wanted to understand more about the Teller’s marriage, their friends and the super successful business that they’d built from scratch and the fact that there was a twin strand of the story back to Rachel’s childhood in the 1970’s only served to pique my interest. This breath-taking start was diluted as the book continued when the marriage unravelled and the story became less taut during the centre section with seemingly bizarre actions being taken purely to progress the narrative. Despite this wobble the author soon got the story back on track to a satisfactory dénouement although my initial opinion was that both characters really needed to meet a grizzly and untimely death for being so foul.
I have a feeling this one will be popular with those readers looking for a domestic psychological thriller with the emphasis on the thriller and is a perfect read for those times when you need to remind yourself that those people you know aren’t so bad after all.
The Liar's Chair is due to be published on 15 January 2015. I received a free copy of this book from Amazon Vine in return for this honest review.
Rachel’s marriage to David is the type of strange marriage that could only exist between the pages of a psychological thriller and I failed to understand why she stayed despite being presented with various reasons, none of them felt authentic enough when combined with the protagonist’s actions. David is presented as one of those particularly cruel men who act only out of their own need to be superior, even to his wife and busy partner. Be warned if you don’t like books where the main character isn’t likable, in this book you will struggle to find a single person you’d want to spend more than five minutes with!
Fortunately I don’t mind disliking book characters and this book starts off strongly and I wanted to understand more about the Teller’s marriage, their friends and the super successful business that they’d built from scratch and the fact that there was a twin strand of the story back to Rachel’s childhood in the 1970’s only served to pique my interest. This breath-taking start was diluted as the book continued when the marriage unravelled and the story became less taut during the centre section with seemingly bizarre actions being taken purely to progress the narrative. Despite this wobble the author soon got the story back on track to a satisfactory dénouement although my initial opinion was that both characters really needed to meet a grizzly and untimely death for being so foul.
I have a feeling this one will be popular with those readers looking for a domestic psychological thriller with the emphasis on the thriller and is a perfect read for those times when you need to remind yourself that those people you know aren’t so bad after all.
The Liar's Chair is due to be published on 15 January 2015. I received a free copy of this book from Amazon Vine in return for this honest review.
February 24, 2015
The Liar's chair is the clever, disturbing, debut novel by Rebecca Whitney, which looks at the psychological turbulence of being trapped in a venomous marriage.
Rachel is already struggling to maintain a veneer of respectablity, trapped in a relationship which brings her no solace, she is returning from a night of drunken indiscretion when her car hits a vagrant killing him. As the accident occurs on a lonely stretch of road she panics and drags the body into the trees and leaves the scene.
Husband David offers to help her conceal the crime in order to continue to present to the world the pretence of civility and opulent success the couple enjoy, to all outward appearances. But she has just presented him with the perfect opportunity to be more sadistically controlling. Her already dissatisfying, sham of a marriage when coupled with her crippling guilt becomes a trap from which she can only escape inside her head by indulging in increasingly self destructive behaviour.
This story illustrates the downward spiral of a woman tortured by guilt and haunted by her own past and present. Neither character is in any way likeable. David is a self centred shit, although I felt his behaviour might have actually been shown to be even worse and I was a little irked by Rachels self destruct mentality, constantly blaming childhood events and other people for her own foibles and rather large flaws.
However I really admire authors who can create characters I believe enough to dislike and the rather impudent and shady storyline kept me turning the pages deep into the night, it's dark and disturbing and has just enough of the "there, but for the grace of God" about it to make you think, and then think again.
A thoroughly enjoyable caliginous read with characters who will make you cringe and a tense, unconventional, truly chilling storyline. My huge thanks to Panmacmillan/ Mantle books for my advance copy.
The book will be launched in January - keep your Christmas book tokens for this one and you won't be disappointed.
Rachel is already struggling to maintain a veneer of respectablity, trapped in a relationship which brings her no solace, she is returning from a night of drunken indiscretion when her car hits a vagrant killing him. As the accident occurs on a lonely stretch of road she panics and drags the body into the trees and leaves the scene.
Husband David offers to help her conceal the crime in order to continue to present to the world the pretence of civility and opulent success the couple enjoy, to all outward appearances. But she has just presented him with the perfect opportunity to be more sadistically controlling. Her already dissatisfying, sham of a marriage when coupled with her crippling guilt becomes a trap from which she can only escape inside her head by indulging in increasingly self destructive behaviour.
This story illustrates the downward spiral of a woman tortured by guilt and haunted by her own past and present. Neither character is in any way likeable. David is a self centred shit, although I felt his behaviour might have actually been shown to be even worse and I was a little irked by Rachels self destruct mentality, constantly blaming childhood events and other people for her own foibles and rather large flaws.
However I really admire authors who can create characters I believe enough to dislike and the rather impudent and shady storyline kept me turning the pages deep into the night, it's dark and disturbing and has just enough of the "there, but for the grace of God" about it to make you think, and then think again.
A thoroughly enjoyable caliginous read with characters who will make you cringe and a tense, unconventional, truly chilling storyline. My huge thanks to Panmacmillan/ Mantle books for my advance copy.
The book will be launched in January - keep your Christmas book tokens for this one and you won't be disappointed.
February 8, 2015
I went to great lengths to buy this book, well sorta, as it's not available in the US yet on Kindle, so I bought a physical copy from the UK as I really wanted to read it. A good thriller about Rachel, a very damaged woman runs down a homeless man in a drunk driving accident on the way home from a night with her lover. Rachel has been having an affair for years after her rocky marriage with her controlling husband eventually fizzled out. I thought the book would be about the cover-up of the accident, and it was, but there were a lot more twists and turns. There was also the running story of Rachel's childhood and damage inflicted back then. It was hard to root for Rachel after many bad choices, but I definitely had to find out what happened in the end.
November 26, 2014
Liars Chair was an engrossing read. Frequently you are appalled by the behaviour of the characters as we do not get to read about nice people - I don't believe there is a single likeable person in the book.
Yet you are compelled to keep reading. As you HAVE to find out if Rachel and David will reach an impass or if they will escalate tensions to a critical (possibly lethal) climax.
Highly recommended as a tense psychological read. Be warned, at no stage is there an expectation of a happy ending.
Yet you are compelled to keep reading. As you HAVE to find out if Rachel and David will reach an impass or if they will escalate tensions to a critical (possibly lethal) climax.
Highly recommended as a tense psychological read. Be warned, at no stage is there an expectation of a happy ending.
August 20, 2015
i have to admit did like this thriller even though it was more physiological than physical as both main characters weren't really likeable but at the start were a team until that accident and the husband (david) used mental abuse and control as his way and gradually got worse and the wife (rachel) just became more self destructive with alcohol abuse and dogging/sexual adventures.
December 16, 2014
Rachel and David Teller; partners. Partners in a successful business and partners in marriage. How they appear to colleagues and associates is very important, it is important not to let anyone scratch beneath the surface, for if they do, the poison will seep out.
It is the morning after the night before. Rachel is driving her shiny, fast sports car down the narrow twisting roads near to their perfect home. She's probably still drunk, she reeks of sex with another man, she's intent on getting her story straight, making sure that David is not suspicious. Her mind is on other things, she certainly didn't expect to see anyone in the middle of the road. God, she's sorry the tramp is dead, but she needs to hide the body, get home and clean herself up.
The death of the homeless man with the briefcase is the event that finally fractures Rachel and David's marriage for good. David deals with things in his usual way, he controls it, he pays for it, he ensures that no traces are left .... just as he does with their marriage.
Rachel and David are characters who are easy to hate. David is controlling, sadistic, ruthless and incredibly plausible. Rachel is teetering on the verge, she's flaky, she's haunted by events from her childhood and now has the death of a stranger on her conscience.
As David uses this incident to his advantage by increasing his terrifying hold on Rachel, she self destructs. There are incidents of self-harming and of casual sex. David's cruelty appears to have no boundaries and Rachel's mind slowly unravels until she cannot function any longer.
Rebecca Whitney is a new talent to watch out for. Her ability to create sinister, almost crazed characters is incredible. There is something about this story that makes the reader feel a little grubby whilst reading, there is a voyeuristic feel to it, as though you know that you really shouldn't, but you really can't help but keep watching, and reading.
The Liar's Chair is an excellent debut. It is psychologically thrilling, it is challenging and it is often an uneasy read. The author's characterisation is wonderful, but don't expect to actually like any of them, they are a bunch of cold and calculating, yet absolutely realistic people but at the same time are fascinating in a very dark sort of way.
It is the morning after the night before. Rachel is driving her shiny, fast sports car down the narrow twisting roads near to their perfect home. She's probably still drunk, she reeks of sex with another man, she's intent on getting her story straight, making sure that David is not suspicious. Her mind is on other things, she certainly didn't expect to see anyone in the middle of the road. God, she's sorry the tramp is dead, but she needs to hide the body, get home and clean herself up.
The death of the homeless man with the briefcase is the event that finally fractures Rachel and David's marriage for good. David deals with things in his usual way, he controls it, he pays for it, he ensures that no traces are left .... just as he does with their marriage.
Rachel and David are characters who are easy to hate. David is controlling, sadistic, ruthless and incredibly plausible. Rachel is teetering on the verge, she's flaky, she's haunted by events from her childhood and now has the death of a stranger on her conscience.
As David uses this incident to his advantage by increasing his terrifying hold on Rachel, she self destructs. There are incidents of self-harming and of casual sex. David's cruelty appears to have no boundaries and Rachel's mind slowly unravels until she cannot function any longer.
Rebecca Whitney is a new talent to watch out for. Her ability to create sinister, almost crazed characters is incredible. There is something about this story that makes the reader feel a little grubby whilst reading, there is a voyeuristic feel to it, as though you know that you really shouldn't, but you really can't help but keep watching, and reading.
The Liar's Chair is an excellent debut. It is psychologically thrilling, it is challenging and it is often an uneasy read. The author's characterisation is wonderful, but don't expect to actually like any of them, they are a bunch of cold and calculating, yet absolutely realistic people but at the same time are fascinating in a very dark sort of way.
April 12, 2015
Wow, this one is dark. It makes Gillian Flynn's books look positive and upbeat. Rachel and David have been together for twenty years. They have built a very successful business together and from the outside their lives look perfect. But Rachel is badly damaged from her childhood and David is extremely controlling and abusive. When the book opens, Rachel accidentally kills a man in a hit and run and this will set off a chain of events which will unravel her.
This is a well written book and in the second half particularly the tension is very high. Reading it, I was desperate for Rachel to get back at David and willing her not to be a victim. Be aware that it covers a lot of unpleasant territory and almost every glimmer of hope gets ruthlessly stamped on. This is not a book about pleasant people or neat resolutions. It is dark, darker than a toothless panther on a moonless night.
This is a well written book and in the second half particularly the tension is very high. Reading it, I was desperate for Rachel to get back at David and willing her not to be a victim. Be aware that it covers a lot of unpleasant territory and almost every glimmer of hope gets ruthlessly stamped on. This is not a book about pleasant people or neat resolutions. It is dark, darker than a toothless panther on a moonless night.
May 25, 2021
Stuck in a controlling, unhappy marriage, Rachel stays over at her lover's house sometimes. On the way home, on a seemingly normal day, after having far too much to drink, she hits a man. This is just the start of what will be the end of life as Rachel knew it....
This is such an amazing book! I loved how much I hated David, how awful he actually was. Parts actually made me cringe. Rachel wasn't perfect but her character was broken and couldn't find someone to help her. This book literally is just full of emotion. Absolutely fantastic!
This is such an amazing book! I loved how much I hated David, how awful he actually was. Parts actually made me cringe. Rachel wasn't perfect but her character was broken and couldn't find someone to help her. This book literally is just full of emotion. Absolutely fantastic!
January 17, 2015
Psychological thriller set in Brighton, UK (the story of a “skilled and multi-faceted wife”)
A stark portrayal of a relationship founded on abuse and control. David and Rachel have all the trappings of a happy and wealthy lifestyle – only to those, however, on the outside looking in. The pivotal event happens right early on in the book, when Rachel, still under the influence of alcohol (and several hours after her last drink) runs over a vagrant in the road. And it is from this event that the story unfolds. She is on her way home from spending the first night ever with her lover, Will. She staggers around the road and drags the body to the side, and then drives away. She spots a watch belonging to the man, and takes it with her, and it becomes her talisman, her reminder of her terrible deed, her connection to the man. As she arrives home, she slips to the bathroom to gather her thoughts and to shed the evidence of what has happened.
Pretty soon Rachel does tell David what has happened, and of course this information is an addition to his armoury, a gift to him in the power stakes. He takes the information on board, almost without batting an eyelid which feels surprising despite the context of what is going on between them. But the knowledge lurks and festers.
As the noose of control tightens, Rachel ups her chemical addiction, whether it be alcohol or prescription meds. Little instances push her ever further to the edge – she puts petrol in her tank at the garage, only to discover that her credit cards are missing, a little control “intervention” from David, a nod to the power he can exert even when he is not around. He can humiliate and control her even in his absence.
The vagrant has been living in a derelict caravan, situated on land that David, as it happens, is involved in developing. Rachel discovers the vagrant’s abode and removes an age old picture of his daughter which she keeps with her. And it is almost as if the adult Rachel is driven to find a way to make something right for one young girl. Rachel herself experienced an abusive childhood and nobody made things ok for her, so this is one thing she perhaps can rectify – if not for herself, then for someone else.
There are many strands to this story, and the driver for the reader is to see what outcome the author chooses for the ending. It is a very readable novel, yes, I think one can call it a thriller. Many readers will undoubtedly find annoyance with Rachel’s acquiescent character, but that is the nature of an abusive relationship for the underdog: the sense of perspective becomes fogged, and the less powerful person stays… and stays… and stays, even though it is hugely detrimental to them as an individual (research shows that on average it takes at least 30 attempts for a ‘victim’ of an abusive relationship to leave). The complexities of power and abuse are well delineated. And yet…. It sometimes felt like I was observing their relationship through the fish eye lens of a washing machine (and there is indeed a scene set in a laundry) where the clothes tumble back and forth prior to a spin. The characters acrobat their way through the book, they fade into focus, they fade out. As Rachel slides down the pole of diminishing self esteem, she randomly encounters a ‘dogging’ group (look it up if you are unfamiliar with what this involves). Indeed, things get pretty down and out for her – the author deftly describes her demise. However, lewd encounters add very little, they feel gratuitous and serve to underline how far Rachel has fallen – but that is clear anyway. The author needs to trust that she can convey the harrowing situation without resorting to these episodes that detract rather than add.
The writing is pretty evocative, it is as satisfying as rolling a toffee round one’s mouth. But creative writing courses can labour the point of floral writing – it encourages writers to be evocative in creative ways which easily flip over into a fug of overwhelming flavours. Sometimes the style is a little too florid – and this is something that author Charles Lambert picked up in his guest blog on Hannah Kent’s novel Burial Rites (http://www.tripfiction.com/novel-set-...), where he talks about ”the attention-seeking language of similitude”…
Do go out and buy this book – you will witness at first hand a relationship where domestic abuse prevails, where strands do come together. And the ending? Tell us in the Comments below what you think….
Brighton is the setting for this story, but in terms of TripFiction it isn’t a major player.
This is a debut novel and Rebecca Whitney is definitely an author to watch.
This review first appeared on the TripFiction blog: http://www.tripfiction.com/thriller-s...
A stark portrayal of a relationship founded on abuse and control. David and Rachel have all the trappings of a happy and wealthy lifestyle – only to those, however, on the outside looking in. The pivotal event happens right early on in the book, when Rachel, still under the influence of alcohol (and several hours after her last drink) runs over a vagrant in the road. And it is from this event that the story unfolds. She is on her way home from spending the first night ever with her lover, Will. She staggers around the road and drags the body to the side, and then drives away. She spots a watch belonging to the man, and takes it with her, and it becomes her talisman, her reminder of her terrible deed, her connection to the man. As she arrives home, she slips to the bathroom to gather her thoughts and to shed the evidence of what has happened.
Pretty soon Rachel does tell David what has happened, and of course this information is an addition to his armoury, a gift to him in the power stakes. He takes the information on board, almost without batting an eyelid which feels surprising despite the context of what is going on between them. But the knowledge lurks and festers.
As the noose of control tightens, Rachel ups her chemical addiction, whether it be alcohol or prescription meds. Little instances push her ever further to the edge – she puts petrol in her tank at the garage, only to discover that her credit cards are missing, a little control “intervention” from David, a nod to the power he can exert even when he is not around. He can humiliate and control her even in his absence.
The vagrant has been living in a derelict caravan, situated on land that David, as it happens, is involved in developing. Rachel discovers the vagrant’s abode and removes an age old picture of his daughter which she keeps with her. And it is almost as if the adult Rachel is driven to find a way to make something right for one young girl. Rachel herself experienced an abusive childhood and nobody made things ok for her, so this is one thing she perhaps can rectify – if not for herself, then for someone else.
There are many strands to this story, and the driver for the reader is to see what outcome the author chooses for the ending. It is a very readable novel, yes, I think one can call it a thriller. Many readers will undoubtedly find annoyance with Rachel’s acquiescent character, but that is the nature of an abusive relationship for the underdog: the sense of perspective becomes fogged, and the less powerful person stays… and stays… and stays, even though it is hugely detrimental to them as an individual (research shows that on average it takes at least 30 attempts for a ‘victim’ of an abusive relationship to leave). The complexities of power and abuse are well delineated. And yet…. It sometimes felt like I was observing their relationship through the fish eye lens of a washing machine (and there is indeed a scene set in a laundry) where the clothes tumble back and forth prior to a spin. The characters acrobat their way through the book, they fade into focus, they fade out. As Rachel slides down the pole of diminishing self esteem, she randomly encounters a ‘dogging’ group (look it up if you are unfamiliar with what this involves). Indeed, things get pretty down and out for her – the author deftly describes her demise. However, lewd encounters add very little, they feel gratuitous and serve to underline how far Rachel has fallen – but that is clear anyway. The author needs to trust that she can convey the harrowing situation without resorting to these episodes that detract rather than add.
The writing is pretty evocative, it is as satisfying as rolling a toffee round one’s mouth. But creative writing courses can labour the point of floral writing – it encourages writers to be evocative in creative ways which easily flip over into a fug of overwhelming flavours. Sometimes the style is a little too florid – and this is something that author Charles Lambert picked up in his guest blog on Hannah Kent’s novel Burial Rites (http://www.tripfiction.com/novel-set-...), where he talks about ”the attention-seeking language of similitude”…
Do go out and buy this book – you will witness at first hand a relationship where domestic abuse prevails, where strands do come together. And the ending? Tell us in the Comments below what you think….
Brighton is the setting for this story, but in terms of TripFiction it isn’t a major player.
This is a debut novel and Rebecca Whitney is definitely an author to watch.
This review first appeared on the TripFiction blog: http://www.tripfiction.com/thriller-s...
February 5, 2015
Quite a frustrating read. The main problem, as so many reviewers have pointed out, is that there's not a single decent, likeable character in the entire book and it's quite hard to care about the fate of the main protagonist when they're portrayed as a needy, selfish, irritatingly weak character. The 1970s flashbacks worked well, right up until the end which is when I thought an even darker twist would be coming and then didn't (seriously, I actually thought I'd missed a chapter). An odd, disturbing book and not exactly a fun, relaxing read.
April 24, 2017
This just didn't do it for me at all. Looking back the plot was good, but the execution of it was painfully slow. I was tempted numerous times to abandon it, but I'm glad I stuck it out as it did come together nicely. Can't really recommend though.
March 23, 2015
You can also read the review on my blog
When I read the summary, I assumed that the book would focus on the relationship between Rachel and David after the accident, but it’s not that simple. There are many twists and turns, which are hard to predict. I was hooked, even from the first five pages!
This book mostly focuses on the characters and their darkness. They’re all cold but absolutely realistic and fascinating people. We see Rachel do everything on her own, showing that she’s strong, even though that she doesn’t feel so. She does bad things, but in the end, we see her feeling guilty about them. The novel mostly focuses on her and her past, we see why she became so flawed and how her relationship with her husband is.
The writing style is great and the plot is gripping, there’s a rich use of language, vivid descriptions and many details. The pacing creates a tense narrative, making it hard to put down. It’s extremely well written and easy to follow. A great psychological thriller that you need to know what happens next.
Initial thoughts:
1. Rachel and David are easy to dislike but for an inexplicable reason, I didn’t hate them, when I was supposed to. I loved their dark side. For some reason, Rachel reminded me of Camille from Sharp Objects by Flynn, I think they have many things in common. Generally, I like flawed characters, because I think that they’re very interesting people. I definitely fancied both of them, but mostly David. Ohh no, don’t gasp, for a strange reason, I loved him, such a fascinating character.
2. The end was satisfying but somehow that wasn’t enough for me. I can see that the author intended to make it more realistic and I really appreciated it, some of you may love it but I found it flat. I expected something else, something more dark and that’s why I found it a little disappointing. It’s certainly not the author’s fault, but I personally expected something to blow me away!
3. The ending left me wanting to see more, leaving it open for a sequel. I’d love to see Rachel getting revenge. I’d definitely buy the second book, if the author decides to continue the story, but I have a feeling that she’s quite finished with Rachel.
It’s easy, disturbing read but at the same time enjoyable and truly chilling. It’s a story that you don’t easily forget, highly recommended!
When I read the summary, I assumed that the book would focus on the relationship between Rachel and David after the accident, but it’s not that simple. There are many twists and turns, which are hard to predict. I was hooked, even from the first five pages!
This book mostly focuses on the characters and their darkness. They’re all cold but absolutely realistic and fascinating people. We see Rachel do everything on her own, showing that she’s strong, even though that she doesn’t feel so. She does bad things, but in the end, we see her feeling guilty about them. The novel mostly focuses on her and her past, we see why she became so flawed and how her relationship with her husband is.
The writing style is great and the plot is gripping, there’s a rich use of language, vivid descriptions and many details. The pacing creates a tense narrative, making it hard to put down. It’s extremely well written and easy to follow. A great psychological thriller that you need to know what happens next.
Initial thoughts:
1. Rachel and David are easy to dislike but for an inexplicable reason, I didn’t hate them, when I was supposed to. I loved their dark side. For some reason, Rachel reminded me of Camille from Sharp Objects by Flynn, I think they have many things in common. Generally, I like flawed characters, because I think that they’re very interesting people. I definitely fancied both of them, but mostly David. Ohh no, don’t gasp, for a strange reason, I loved him, such a fascinating character.
2. The end was satisfying but somehow that wasn’t enough for me. I can see that the author intended to make it more realistic and I really appreciated it, some of you may love it but I found it flat. I expected something else, something more dark and that’s why I found it a little disappointing. It’s certainly not the author’s fault, but I personally expected something to blow me away!
3. The ending left me wanting to see more, leaving it open for a sequel. I’d love to see Rachel getting revenge. I’d definitely buy the second book, if the author decides to continue the story, but I have a feeling that she’s quite finished with Rachel.
It’s easy, disturbing read but at the same time enjoyable and truly chilling. It’s a story that you don’t easily forget, highly recommended!
January 18, 2015
The Liar's Chair isn't a novel that eases you gently into the story, on the first page we learn that married Rachel is having an affair and is now driving back home, still drunk from the night before. Within a few pages she will run over and kill a homeless man then conceal his body in nearby woods.
Not a character to warm to then, yet Rachel whilst never a likeable character is at least somebody to pity, unlike her manipulative and abusive husband, David. The Liar's Chair is certainly an unusual book in that it's hard to think of any redeeming qualities for any of its characters; Rachel's lover Will is possibly the easiest to like and he's a cocaine dealer.
Nevertheless despite the lack of protagonists to warm to, this is a book that hooked me, it follows Rachel's life as it spirals unrelentingly out of control, as she goes from being a successful businesswoman in a marriage that to the outside world looked perfect to somebody barely hanging on to her sanity and taking crazy risks that put her life in danger. David is a truly chilling character, an example of the devastating power of the abuser, both verbally and physically.
As the book progresses we gradually learn more about Rachel's past and while her present day actions often can't be excused we do at least understand more about why she has become the woman she is. My only slight criticism would be David's shady double life, it felt a little like over-egging the pudding, we already know he's a bad person but I'm not sure it was completely necessary or entirely believable for the boss of a reality TV production company to also become so involved in organised crime. However, despite my questioning the believability I can't deny it helped ratchet up the tension so I won't say it didn't work, just that it made me raise an eyebrow now and again.
The Liar's Chair isn't a light and cheerful read, it's disturbing and twisted meaning I can't say I enjoyed it as such but it's a brilliantly written and constructed psychological thriller that I couldn't put down.
With thanks to Sam Eades and Mantle, an imprint of Pan Macmillan for my copy of The Liar's Chair, published in the UK now.
Not a character to warm to then, yet Rachel whilst never a likeable character is at least somebody to pity, unlike her manipulative and abusive husband, David. The Liar's Chair is certainly an unusual book in that it's hard to think of any redeeming qualities for any of its characters; Rachel's lover Will is possibly the easiest to like and he's a cocaine dealer.
Nevertheless despite the lack of protagonists to warm to, this is a book that hooked me, it follows Rachel's life as it spirals unrelentingly out of control, as she goes from being a successful businesswoman in a marriage that to the outside world looked perfect to somebody barely hanging on to her sanity and taking crazy risks that put her life in danger. David is a truly chilling character, an example of the devastating power of the abuser, both verbally and physically.
As the book progresses we gradually learn more about Rachel's past and while her present day actions often can't be excused we do at least understand more about why she has become the woman she is. My only slight criticism would be David's shady double life, it felt a little like over-egging the pudding, we already know he's a bad person but I'm not sure it was completely necessary or entirely believable for the boss of a reality TV production company to also become so involved in organised crime. However, despite my questioning the believability I can't deny it helped ratchet up the tension so I won't say it didn't work, just that it made me raise an eyebrow now and again.
The Liar's Chair isn't a light and cheerful read, it's disturbing and twisted meaning I can't say I enjoyed it as such but it's a brilliantly written and constructed psychological thriller that I couldn't put down.
With thanks to Sam Eades and Mantle, an imprint of Pan Macmillan for my copy of The Liar's Chair, published in the UK now.
January 20, 2015
Having recently read Keep Quiet which is also about a hit and run it was inevitable that comparisons would be made with this book. However, the hit and run in this book isn't the over-riding plotline in this book - it's sort of a catalyst to the undoing of the protagonist - Rachel.
In Keep Quiet, a relationship had been established with the reader so we knew whether we wanted to sympathise and understand their motives for leaving the scene but we didn't get this here, literally a couple of pages and it's happened, our feelings towards Rachel only coming after the accident.
And that brings me on to the characters, I don't think I've ever read a book where all the characters are so flawed as this. Actually, not just flawed they're really not very nice people. David is one of the most unlikeable characters I've ever read, controlling and manipulative, just plain bloody nasty and if I'm honest I think this is why I didn't rate the book higher than 3/5. If you can't connect with the characters then how do you have any interest in what happens to them?
Although I appreciate and empathise with Rachel and understand why she does the things she does: the car park activities, the pills, trying to find out the victim's identity and about his life all whilst coming to terms with her guilt but why she put up with David's behaviour is beyond me, I couldn't get my head round why she didn't just leave and take him for half of everything. This was frustrating!
I'm not sure I entirely understand the relevance of the flashbacks to Rachel's childhood, I assume it's so we can understand the place she's at in her head but I felt her current situation gave her enough to deal with in the present.
Overall, it's not a badly written novel, it's well constructed but just not what I was expecting which isn't the author's fault.
I also noticed a couple of Americanisms; the use of faucet for instance. As I read the ARC this may well have been corrected.
Thanks to the publishers Pan Macmillan for the ARC I received via a competition.
In Keep Quiet, a relationship had been established with the reader so we knew whether we wanted to sympathise and understand their motives for leaving the scene but we didn't get this here, literally a couple of pages and it's happened, our feelings towards Rachel only coming after the accident.
And that brings me on to the characters, I don't think I've ever read a book where all the characters are so flawed as this. Actually, not just flawed they're really not very nice people. David is one of the most unlikeable characters I've ever read, controlling and manipulative, just plain bloody nasty and if I'm honest I think this is why I didn't rate the book higher than 3/5. If you can't connect with the characters then how do you have any interest in what happens to them?
Although I appreciate and empathise with Rachel and understand why she does the things she does: the car park activities, the pills, trying to find out the victim's identity and about his life all whilst coming to terms with her guilt but why she put up with David's behaviour is beyond me, I couldn't get my head round why she didn't just leave and take him for half of everything. This was frustrating!
I'm not sure I entirely understand the relevance of the flashbacks to Rachel's childhood, I assume it's so we can understand the place she's at in her head but I felt her current situation gave her enough to deal with in the present.
Overall, it's not a badly written novel, it's well constructed but just not what I was expecting which isn't the author's fault.
I also noticed a couple of Americanisms; the use of faucet for instance. As I read the ARC this may well have been corrected.
Thanks to the publishers Pan Macmillan for the ARC I received via a competition.
May 2, 2015
I won a copy of this book in a give away in The Book Club, so a big thank you to The Book Club and to the lady behind the give away.
The Liar's Chair is a dark, chilling thriller. The story follows Rachel a seemingly happy woman who seems to have everything and appears to everyone else to be happy. Then one fateful night Rachel kills a man in a hit and run and the cracks in her life start to appear. Living a lie starts to take its toll on Rachel and she turns to her controlling husband David and her lover Will for help. Due to Rachel's lies and guilt she digs herself even more into trouble.
To be honest I can't say I liked any of the characters in this book but then I don't know if the reader is supposed to. David is a controlling husband who uses everyone in his quest for power and money in the business world and even though I think Will does genuinely have deep feelings for Rachel I don't think he came across that well until towards the end of the book. As for Rachel, she is very much a troubled soul but then most of the time I don't think she helps herself. Towards the end though I did start to have more empathy for her.
Even though in general I didn't like the characters I did enjoy The Liar's Chair. There are a couple of twists towards the end and the story line drew me in right from the very start.
Anyone who likes dark, psychological thrillers will enjoy this book and I certainly look forward to reading more by this author.
The Liar's Chair is a dark, chilling thriller. The story follows Rachel a seemingly happy woman who seems to have everything and appears to everyone else to be happy. Then one fateful night Rachel kills a man in a hit and run and the cracks in her life start to appear. Living a lie starts to take its toll on Rachel and she turns to her controlling husband David and her lover Will for help. Due to Rachel's lies and guilt she digs herself even more into trouble.
To be honest I can't say I liked any of the characters in this book but then I don't know if the reader is supposed to. David is a controlling husband who uses everyone in his quest for power and money in the business world and even though I think Will does genuinely have deep feelings for Rachel I don't think he came across that well until towards the end of the book. As for Rachel, she is very much a troubled soul but then most of the time I don't think she helps herself. Towards the end though I did start to have more empathy for her.
Even though in general I didn't like the characters I did enjoy The Liar's Chair. There are a couple of twists towards the end and the story line drew me in right from the very start.
Anyone who likes dark, psychological thrillers will enjoy this book and I certainly look forward to reading more by this author.
January 2, 2015
Oh boy. You know those books where you hate pretty much all of the characters? The Liar's Chair is one of those. I absolutely detested the two main characters, Rachel and David who have the most toxic marriage ever. They're both selfish, cruel (to each other and everyone else) and just generally people that I would never want to find myself around for even a moment. I even hated David's dogs who, though they're just background to the story, are just as bad as their master.
Despite my hatred of everyone in the book, I actually enjoyed reading The Liar's Chair. Whitney's writing is crisp and easy to read while packing a punch. While I didn't care what happened to the characters, I did feel invested in the story and wanted to see how all of the different storylines, from Rachel's hit and run to David's horrific and abusive nature, were going to play out.
After finishing this book, I wasn't 100% sure how I felt about the ending. The Liar's Chair is well written but the last few pages were a letdown for me. I don't want to go into detail (and ruin the book) so I'll just say it wasn't a very satisfying conclusion and I almost feel like it was wrapped up a bit too quickly.
Thank you to the publishers for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Despite my hatred of everyone in the book, I actually enjoyed reading The Liar's Chair. Whitney's writing is crisp and easy to read while packing a punch. While I didn't care what happened to the characters, I did feel invested in the story and wanted to see how all of the different storylines, from Rachel's hit and run to David's horrific and abusive nature, were going to play out.
After finishing this book, I wasn't 100% sure how I felt about the ending. The Liar's Chair is well written but the last few pages were a letdown for me. I don't want to go into detail (and ruin the book) so I'll just say it wasn't a very satisfying conclusion and I almost feel like it was wrapped up a bit too quickly.
Thank you to the publishers for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 25, 2015
Spoilers, not many, but substantive
This is not a novel for people who need likeable characters. Rachel, the main character, from the outset, is a rich, selfish alcoholic who kills someone by accident and then covers it up. Her husband David is more than a little controlling. His behaviour is so extreme that we begin to feel for Rachel, in spite of how unappealing she is. And we do gradually discover there are reasons in her background that explain why she turned out the way she did. Their business partners are similarly repellent. Her secret lover is a violent drug dealer. Even the dogs have little to recommend them.
It's a bleak modern fairytale of a thriller though, and impossible to put down. The need to know what happens next is compelling, and the gradual revelations about Rachel's background and how she does try to put things right for the daughter of the man she killed goes some long way towards redeeming her - which initially seems unlikely.
Her husband is the real villain and my only disappointment is that there isn't a grand revenge at the end, just the hope that it will catch up with him eventually. By that point I would have liked an over-the-top climax, but that was the subtle part of the story....
A very good debut.
This is not a novel for people who need likeable characters. Rachel, the main character, from the outset, is a rich, selfish alcoholic who kills someone by accident and then covers it up. Her husband David is more than a little controlling. His behaviour is so extreme that we begin to feel for Rachel, in spite of how unappealing she is. And we do gradually discover there are reasons in her background that explain why she turned out the way she did. Their business partners are similarly repellent. Her secret lover is a violent drug dealer. Even the dogs have little to recommend them.
It's a bleak modern fairytale of a thriller though, and impossible to put down. The need to know what happens next is compelling, and the gradual revelations about Rachel's background and how she does try to put things right for the daughter of the man she killed goes some long way towards redeeming her - which initially seems unlikely.
Her husband is the real villain and my only disappointment is that there isn't a grand revenge at the end, just the hope that it will catch up with him eventually. By that point I would have liked an over-the-top climax, but that was the subtle part of the story....
A very good debut.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 24, 2014
It's rare to read a book where none of the characters is likeable but this is definitely one.
"Rachel Teller and her husband David appear happy, prosperous and fulfilled. The big house, the successful business . . . They have everything.
However, control, not love, fuels their relationship and David has no idea his wife indulges in drunken indiscretions. When Rachel kills a man in a hit and run, the meticulously maintained veneer over their life begins to crack."
I like dark psychological thrillers and I raced through the first two-thirds of The Liar's Chair. The writing style has a rich use of language and the reader can luxuriate in the descriptions of complex relationships and plot. After that though I thought the story lost its way a little and I had to suspend disbelief at Rachel's behaviour in order to enjoy the conclusion. Having said that it may be that I've had too sheltered a life to appreciate her motivation.
I'd recommend this book to readers who enjoy unpredictable and complicated plots and who aren't easily shocked.
Thank you to the publisher for my advance reading copy of the book.
"Rachel Teller and her husband David appear happy, prosperous and fulfilled. The big house, the successful business . . . They have everything.
However, control, not love, fuels their relationship and David has no idea his wife indulges in drunken indiscretions. When Rachel kills a man in a hit and run, the meticulously maintained veneer over their life begins to crack."
I like dark psychological thrillers and I raced through the first two-thirds of The Liar's Chair. The writing style has a rich use of language and the reader can luxuriate in the descriptions of complex relationships and plot. After that though I thought the story lost its way a little and I had to suspend disbelief at Rachel's behaviour in order to enjoy the conclusion. Having said that it may be that I've had too sheltered a life to appreciate her motivation.
I'd recommend this book to readers who enjoy unpredictable and complicated plots and who aren't easily shocked.
Thank you to the publisher for my advance reading copy of the book.
February 22, 2015
The Liar's Chair is extremely well written easy to read and follow. A stunning psychological thriller that hooks you into the main characters Rachel Teller and her husband David who appear to be happy in their marriage and at the office where they work together. Inside closed doors is very different life for Rachel as she is living with a violent, abusive and controlling husband. Rachel has killed someone in a hit in run accident, her husband is willing to destroy all evidence of the accident on one condition that they continue as normal. While Rachel is living in fear of her husband, she is now also living in fear that the police will still find her. And David has his own demons to hide. This is a novel that is unputdownable. I highly recommend The Liar's Chair to all psychological thriller fans
November 10, 2015
Rachel Teller commits a crime and from this point, things spiral out of control.She has no friends, no one to help her except the drug dealing lover,( I couldn't understand what he saw in her, except he was as damaged as her).
The characters were completely unsympathetic and felt like caricatures, pretty one-dimensional. There was no increase of tension or pacing-it felt flat, bleak and predictable. I guess I didn't believe that a woman, however abused and neglected in her childhood, with some income and property from her mother, would put up with a sadistic husband who locks her in the utility room for 3 days- 3 DAYS!- with 2 hungry dogs!
Some of the language was nicely written and quite poetic.
The characters were completely unsympathetic and felt like caricatures, pretty one-dimensional. There was no increase of tension or pacing-it felt flat, bleak and predictable. I guess I didn't believe that a woman, however abused and neglected in her childhood, with some income and property from her mother, would put up with a sadistic husband who locks her in the utility room for 3 days- 3 DAYS!- with 2 hungry dogs!
Some of the language was nicely written and quite poetic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2015
I found this book raw, brutal at times, but very moving. The main character Rachel is surviving in her dysfunctional world. Others have expressed that they do not like her character but I have to disagree. I love the way the story unfolds to reveal how Rachel became Rachel. Her parents were selfish and self involved to the extreme so that Rachel never knew how to receive love and affection or how to go about making a good decision in life. She was like a small dingy tossed by huge waves beyond her control. Through all of this chaos and mess she emerges strong, shows courage and is able to finally make sense of it all on her very lonely road to redemption. I loved Rachel.
October 2, 2019
Wow... this was so dull
This is such a below average domestic thriller full of so many cliches.
After the initial hit and run described in the synopsis nothing else really happens.
I felt like it was a bit all over the place. It went back and forth in time sometimes but in all honesty, if I had to describe this book in one word it would be a mess. It just felt very clumsy to me.
The writing was pretty mediocre and the characters were quite annoying. Some of the decisions they made were so dumb.
This was nothing special and I don't think I'll be checking out books by this author in the future
TW: domestic violence, child abuse and sexual abuse
This is such a below average domestic thriller full of so many cliches.
After the initial hit and run described in the synopsis nothing else really happens.
I felt like it was a bit all over the place. It went back and forth in time sometimes but in all honesty, if I had to describe this book in one word it would be a mess. It just felt very clumsy to me.
The writing was pretty mediocre and the characters were quite annoying. Some of the decisions they made were so dumb.
This was nothing special and I don't think I'll be checking out books by this author in the future
TW: domestic violence, child abuse and sexual abuse
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