The End of Lies

by Andrew Barrett

My name is Becky. I arrived home to find my husband, Chris, stabbed to death and a gang of men ransacking our house.

Turns out that Chris has something that belongs to them. And if I want to stay alive, I have to find it and return it. They have given me seven days. And a beating.

There is nowhere to hide and no time left to look. So I will stand my ground as the deadline approaches. All I have is a head full of lies and a very bad plan.

This is my story.

Fans of Rachel Abbott, Karin Slaughter and Robert Dugoni will be gripped by this page-turning and chilling thriller, guaranteed to keep you reading late into the night.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Crime, Suspense, Fiction

240 pages, ebook

First published December 7, 2017

About the author

Hi everyone,

My name is Andrew Barrett and I live and work in West Yorkshire.

My CSI Eddie Collins and SOCO Roger Conniston books focus on the world of the crime scene investigator. I've been a CSI for over twenty-eight years, and try to inject an element of authenticity into each story.

And if you enjoy detectives with a difference, search out the new series featuring a sharp female lead character called DS Regan Carter.

Thanks for looking,

Andy

Reviews

[Dash fan · Rating 5 out of 5]

5☆ Fast Paced, Thrilling, Edge of your seat Thriller

Wow what an exciting, gripping and thrilling read.

From the very first page my spine was tingling with excitement.
Andrew created the perfect creepy opening scene that was completely unnerving.
From then on I just knew it was going to be one hell of a read and I wasn't disappointed!

Becky comes home to find her door wide open. She thinks she might be going crazy! But knows she would never leave it open.
As she enters the house, things just don't feel right!
For some reason she creeps into the living room.... and there lying on the floor in blood is Chris her husband!... He's not Alive!!

She wants to throw up/scream! But something is telling her to be quiet.... She spots the murder weapon....picks it up..... She hears noises/voices upstairs!
She freezes what can she do.... HIDE!!!
She's been found!!!!.....RUN!!

What are they looking for?
Why is Chris dead?
Who are these people in her house?

She keeps running!!

Wow!!!
My heart was literally racing.
In between this adrenaline encounter you are treated to snippets from Chris and a lil of the back story.

Chris wants the lifestyle only crime can pay for... But just what is he involved in to get himself killed and why have these thugs  given Becky 7days to give them what they want!!

Becky is a fantastic Character, she's strong, gutsy and fiesty. She's not about to give up. Luckily she has her friend Sienna to lean on for support.

The End of Lies has lots of thrilling twists and turns, it keeps you guessing and definitely on your toes!
It's a dark, gritty, enthralling, nail biting, spine tingling Psychological Thriller that you really won't be able to Put Down!!!
This really is a race against time and be prepared to be sucked in!

Would I recommend this book....... without a doubt........100% ..... YES!!!
I absolutely loved it!!

I would like to thank Bloodhound Books for this copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

My Review is also on my blog website
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2017/1...

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Librarian On Duty.

Enter: Becky Rose who sorts and catalogues books by day and swears like a smutty-mouthed truck driver at all other times. Can't even find all of her expletives in the dictionary. She's been known to throw back a whiskey or three in the evening hours alongside the love of her life, Chris.

But words will escape Becky as she returns home from the library one evening and spots the back door wide open. Laying on the floor in a widening pool of blood is her husband Chris. Hearing noises coming from the second floor, Becky leaps into the storage room beneath the stairs. Someone is ransacking the place. With heart beating wildly, Becky makes a break for freedom only to be grabbed by an unknown man. She breaks free and rushes out the door and takes to the street with the crazed man in hot pursuit. The man runs head-long into the oncoming traffic and is killed. Case closed? Not hardly.......

Andrew Barrett has now handed our Becky a deck of cards filled with non-stop jokers. The police interrogate her about the break-in and murder at her home. Becky flees to her best friend Sienna's apartment. When a man by the name of Savage contacts Becky, she realizes that Chris' murder is not just a robbery gone bad. Chris had a list of names and Savage wants it or else. Becky has seven days to turn it over to Savage or she'll have a bad ending just like Chris. Becky doesn't have a clue.

The End of Lies is wired with high voltage electricity. Seriously. Andrew Barrett is relentless in creating highly descriptive scenarios in which you, yourself, develop little beads of sweat on your top lip as you turn pages. You've become Becky in a steel trap with no exit strategy. Layer upon layer is stripped away in regard to these adrenaline injected characters. Nothing is as it appears to be. Barrett sees to that.

I have no idea how Barrett will top The End of Lies with his next offering. But I'm locked in and ready for it. Hope it's already in the building stage.

[Kathi Defranc · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a terrific,suspenseful story, that had me on the edge of my seat while I read it and I was unable to put it down! A great mystery that reels you in while twisting and turning every which way.
What a dilemma our librarian Becky Rose has for herself, after coming home from work to find her back door wide open, blood around the room and her husband dead on the floor! As different people appear to know what her husband was planning, the killer is hard to guess. Just when you believe that you understand what is happening...Boom!!
Anyone that enjoys a superb psychological nightmare needs to pickup this book...I bet you can not put it down...

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Becky comes home from work one day to find her husband, Chris, stabbed to death and laying on the floor. There are also several men in the house ... searching for something.

They tell her that her husband has something of theirs and they want it. She has 7 days ..or they're coming back. After describing in detail what they will do to her if she doesn't turn over whatever it is, she panics and turns to her best friend, Sienna, for help.

There are alternating chapters that Becky remembers from the previous weeks leading her up to the predictament she is in now. The rest of the book is current events and told in Becky's voice.

It's a well written thriller with believable characters, lots of action, some violence, with a few huge twists and surprises along the way.

Many thanks to the author / TBC for the advanced digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

[ReadAlongWithSue recovering from a stroke★⋆. ࿐࿔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a brilliant thought out plot that keeps getting stronger as you read.
It really kept my attention.

It’s got a super start to it that immediately grabs you.

There’s something dodgy and dangerous that Beckys husband Chris wants to get involved in that would make tons of money but he’s half in half about the deal. Then Becky has thoughts on it. But Chris says it’s better if she doesn’t know things.

She arrives home one day only to find her husband Chris laying dead on the floor.who did this? Her grief is apparently clear.

But tables turn where Chris has unbeknown left her a terrible legacy and she’s only seven days to solve it.

She has to take his place.

It’s count down.
The timers on.
Tick

Anxiety
Tension
Cold sweats
Edge of seat
Biting your nails

And that’s only the reader!

Very cleverly done

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Becky arrived home from work, she found the door ajar and sounds coming from upstairs. But the sight of her husband’s body almost sent her into meltdown. Chris was quite obviously dead, and she knew if she didn’t hide or get away, she would be next.

Becky was given one week to retrieve the information that they hadn’t been able to find at her house – one week to find something - but she had no idea where to start. Becky was terrified; she needed a plan but as her grief threatened to overwhelm her, she found her thoughts forming and fracturing until the plan she had was the only thing to help her move forward.

What was Becky to do? The criminals she was up against were much smarter than she was – could she win? Was it possible?

The End of Lies by Andrew Barrett is an intense psychological thriller which I flew through. Dark and gritty, the twists and turns are at times unbelievable, other times all too real. Highly recommended.

[Tulay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down.

First, thank you Kathie Defranc recommending this book to me. Really enjoyed it. Such a thrill ride from the first chapter to the end. What a surprising ending, loved Becky character.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book being set in the city where I live is always going to go down well. Knowing the areas described through out the book really brought the whole story to life.

Becky, what a fabulous character she is. She is one strong and feisty protagonist and I was routing for her right from the start. I think it would be anyone’s worst nightmare to lose a loved one, especially your husband. Chris dying though is only the start of Becky’s nightmare and believe me things are about to get so much worse.

Becky is given a week to find a certain something that some very unsavoury characters want. Due to her having a week this really made the pace of this story feel like it was in full throttle. It wasn’t just due to the urgency of Becky finding this item but the whole dilemma she finds herself in. I think most people would go to pieces but Becky shows the reader she is made of sterner stuff. The pace certainly doesn’t relent and at times I had to keep remembering to take a breath!

The End of Lies is a brilliantly dark and truly gritty read. Probably not one for the feint hearted but if you love a gripping and thrilling read with lots of hair raising twists and turns, boy are you in for a treat. Absolutely loved it!

[Maxine (Booklover Catlady) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a killer of a thriller!

Just done a 2025 re-read of this thriller I first read in 2018 and it still hooked me in!

I loved every moment spent within the pages of this brilliant novel. It’s got more twists and turns than a roller coaster and did a great job of getting my reading mojo back after somewhat of a slump.

This is no ordinary crime thriller. The plot is fresh and unique, delightfully new and exciting. Crime books can tend to become a bit “same old” and this busts those constraints wide open. It’s exciting and breathtaking, especially the last third of the novel. It would make a fantastic movie.

I took to the plot with delight and enjoyed the complexity of the main character. She is one hell of a woman and had me feeling a lot of different emotions and viewpoints about her as the book rolled out. Excellent character building and portrayal Mr. Barrett!There is plenty of the unexpected in both plot and characters in this book.

If you fancy something out of the ordinary that will hold you close from start to finish then don’t go past this book. It really did break an awful month of me starting books, getting bored then putting them down. I devoured this to the very last word. What an ending might I say too! Did not see it coming.

Brilliantly written, well paced and guaranteed to entertain. This is one of my first five star reads of 2018. Put this on your must read book list! Plenty of thrills and action along with some psychological elements that will keep you guessing.

Thanks SO much for taking a little time to read my review. Your likes and comments mean a lot to me. 😻

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[Lisa - *OwlBeSatReading* · Rating 5 out of 5]

The End of Lies, the end of excitement, the end of gasping and cringing, and the end of my first FIVE STAR 2018 book!

What a book to start the year off with. First of all, I'd like to thank Bloodhound Books for sending me a copy via Instafreebie to read in exchange for an honest review.

The End of Lies is a gripping psychological thriller with so many twists and turns that it left me in bookish turmoil! Here's the synopsis:

"My name is Becky. I arrived home to find my husband, Chris, stabbed to death and a gang of men ransacking our house.

Turns out that Chris has something that belongs to them. And if I want to stay alive, I have to find it and return it. They have given me seven days. And a beating.

There is nowhere to hide and no time left to look. So I will stand my ground as the deadline approaches. All I have is a head full of lies and a very bad plan.

This is my story."

Andrew Barrett took me on a fast-paced, roller coaster ride from the moment I started. This is not a simmering thriller that slowly builds tension as you go, this is full steam ahead leading to total overdrive as the conclusion looms.

The plot was tight and organised, the characters I loved to hate and hated to love. The main protagonist, Becky, was an absolute joy, she was ballsy and dry-witted. The antagonist, Savage, was wonderfully awful, he truly was that perfect 'baddie'.

The writing was stylish and quirky, with short, sharp, shock chapters. The setting was in Yorkshire, UK, so the scenes and dialogue were relatable for me, I do love a bit of British grit! Initially, the chapters alternated between before and after Chris was stabbed, but as the plot unravelled, the present was the main timescale. Heading towards the finale brought more past events into the story to tie the conclusion into a neat little package.

This was an action packed, gripping and rather violent story. There's a fair amount of swearing with some very brutal and bloody moments that enhanced the fear factor and gave it an edge.

I was thinking of giving this 4 stars, because surely my first 2018 read wasn't going to be 5 star literary perfection. But I had no gripes, no niggles, the characters were fantastically drawn, the plot was thrilling and the ending was so satisfying. Did I see any of those twists coming? Nope! It was outstanding. My next read has a very hard act to follow.

[EMMA · Rating 2 out of 5]

راجب پليسيه كه كشته ميشه و اتفاقاتي كه بعد مرگش براي هميرش اتفاق ميافته،پايانش غير قابل پيش بيني بود ولي اتفاقاتي كه تو طول كتاب ميافتد عين فيلما بود يعني خلاقيتي نداشت و ميگفتي آره تو فلان فيلم ديده بردم.در كل بد نبود ولي عالي هم نبود،يه لول از متوسط پايين تر بود

[PJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent story. Not his normal CSI story, but a great plot with twists and turns throughout.

Don't start this book unless you have time to finish it. It's hard to put down.

I thought I knew how it was going to end, boy, was I wrong.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this was gooood. It started with a bang and accelerated from there. Becky, a librarian, comes home from work to find her husband dead and strange men searching her house. Apparently her husband had some information they want. They give her a beating and seven days to find the info for them. Becky doesn't know where to start but Becky is clever and she comes up with a plan.

This was so nice and twisty. There are many shocks along the way. Every time you thought you knew what was happening the ground shifted again and you were back to rapidly turning the pages to try and work it out. I just loved it. The ending was a nice surprise as well, quite unexpected it was. If you a psychological suspense thriller you could give this a go. Andrew Barrett is a talented author who often throws a spanner into the endings. This stand alone story is a good example.

[Rod · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received the End of Lies as a pre release read from the author
The End of Lies is a High Octane psychological thriller taking us on more twists and turn than you thought possible.
From go to woe are plunged into plots that change all the time.
you are kept busy through the whole book and you don't find out until the end the outcome.
very well written terrific characters a real page turner.
this book is a cracker one of my best reads of the year
5 stars

[Todd Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! This book was certainly a surprise, and I loved it. When I first started reading this story, I really thought it was heading in the one direction, however, Andrew Barrett has done an amazing job with the twist and turns throughout the book. Great characters, along with a very edgy plot, made this a very entertaining Thriller.
It’s hard to imagine how you would react if you came home and found your partner dead on the floor, and unfortunately this is exactly what happened to Becky. Could this really have happened because Chris wasn’t satisfied with his life, and wanted more? Seeing all the wealth the criminals were amassing in his job investigating them was hard for him, and he wanted his share. If Chris had crossed the line into the criminal world, and had something the murderers were after, then Becky’s life could also be in danger. Luckily she has her best friend who she can turn to for help, especially since she doesn’t want to go back to her house. Unfortunately she may have to though, as there is mounting pressure to find something that Chris may have hidden in the house, as this could be her only way to keep herself alive, and start a new life. This is one of those books that you will still be thinking about long after finishing it. It’s a fabulous novel and well worth a read.

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big fan of this author, especially his Eddie Collins CSI series so when I heard he had something a little different on offer, I jumped at the chance to read it. With an established and popular character such as Eddie, you may think that this is a brave move by the author, especially considering that the main character herein is a woman but, oh my, this guy is definitely not a jack of all trades! Although there are some who say that Eddie is a bit of a woman sometimes but in this book, Becky comes across as totally real and, within the story being told, completely credible!
So, Becky returns home to find husband Chris dead and strange men searching their house for something. She manages to escape and thus beings a roller coaster ride of secrets, lies and duplicitous behaviour that delivered shock after shock as I devoured it in pretty much one sitting.
I am deliberately not giving away too much of the actual plot as I think it's too tricky for me to attempt and not inadvertently include spoilers but I will say that it is set mostly in the present with flashbacks to the past, building up to where the book begins with the death of Chris. These flashbacks giving depth and explanation to what is happening in the now. Delivered expertly in the timeline, they tell a chilling tale which more than enhances the overall storyline.
The plot is tight and well executed. Characterisation is also top notch as expected from this author. Well know for his banter, interaction, and relationships between his characters, I found all his trademarks front and centre in this book. Not so easy to do given the nature of the narrative and, shall we just say, behaviour of some of his cast, but within these bounds, I found them all to be very credible and well described.
Pacing is also good. There are moments of calm which allowed me some respite from all the shenanigans going on around and about, these being perfect placed so as not to distract from all the action that was going on. This also added to the often claustrophobic atmosphere which was evident throughout the book as Becky desperately tried to get to the bottom of what was going on. Honestly, my heart was in my mouth several times, so tense it was, that I even forgot to breathe on occasion.
All in all a cracking read that held my attention throughout, leaving me completely satisfied at the end. My thanks go to the publisher for the chance to read this book.

[Misfits farm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do not read this book…… unless you want to be gripped from the go, spun around a few times and thrown completely off course. Think of one of those rides, say at a well known American theme park (see ch16) . You sit in a comfortable seat, feel relaxed and then wonder what on earth happened when you finally come back down to earth. Wow! Becky comes home to find her husband Chris dead and intruders upstairs. she eventually flees but not before a few things have happened. The thing is , her and Chris had planned “an escape”, a plot, a get rich quick scheme and were due to go to Italy in a few days. What did Chris get himself involved with and who are these people? How will Becky stay out of their grasp?. Andy has ( I think for the first time) written from a female perspective and I am not saying it is realistic but welcome to the sisterhood girlfriend! . Becky’s character immediately comes alive and you warm to her. The chapters alternate between “then” and “now” until they come together which means it is easy to deal with in your head. One gripping story and a very well told one with descriptions that you can see in your mind’s eye. This would make a brilliant one-off drama- however I might have to peek from behind the sofa at times- the baddies really do sound hard nuts. and the escapades would make brilliant screen- play. The descriptions are brilliant both scenic and emotional - the one about grief stopped me in my tracks. A brilliantly told tale to put you in a spin. I rarely award 5**- out of 250 books read per year less than 10% make this rating. One of my top reads of the year. Truly stunning.
I voluntarily chose to read this ARC and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exrremely fast paced exciting read that is written in almost ‘chatty’ narrative that draws you in to the story and keeps you there.
A wife returns home from work to find her husband dead,and the man who did it still in the house,looking for something......
Why has been killed,what has he done to warrant this,what is the killer looking for?
All becomes clear as the story unfolds...or does it?
There are plenty of twists and turns and a few times you think you have sussed the ending....then you reach the explosive ending!!!!
As I say the narrative is chatty,almost relaxed and I enjoyed this
I had read there was a lot of swearing in the book,if you have read Martina Cole or Kimberley Chambers you wont notice although the book itself mentions the reason why!
Good Characters although I found Sienna not to suit her name and felt she was more of,well am not sure what tbh but not a Sienna and the main crim being called Mr Savage was a risk but kinda fit
A really good read,enjoyable and clever without being condecending

[David Gilchrist · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will never look at a librarian in the same way again. More twists than in a bowl of spagetti. Some humour, plenty of gruesome scenes. This is a quite a change from this authors normal fare. It works for him and me. I will be looking out for more from him.

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodness me. I have just finished and I have no idea how to sum up this book. I'm not keen on swearing, you may not be, but look beyond that, because this book is a cracker. It will take you to a world of killers and women beaters (another thing that had me wincing), to a world of rats and creep crawlies. It will have you holding your breath and exhaling loudly. It will demand to be read, calling you whilst you are meant to be doing other things, it will make you read 'just one more chapter'.
It is really well written. I do not usually put quotes in, but I loved this description of grief - “Someone told me once that grief is actually a great gift. You have to let it lie for a while, let the sharp corners weather away. And once its ferocity has cooled, it shares all the best times with you, like looking through a window into your past. And when you’re at your lowest, it comes to you and it brings you comfort.”

And I loved this idea; and am seriously considering doing it soon -
"We’d buy a ticket almost at random at Leeds Station if we couldn’t make up our minds on a suitable destination, and just see what waited for us when the train stopped."

This book is not for the faint hearted, but by gum it is excellent.

[Kath Middleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This stand-alone crime story is told by Becky Rose whose husband Chris, working for the police, has a plan to make them rich. Why should the gangsters be untouchable, he asks. It all goes wrong when Chris is found stabbed to death in their living room and a group of thugs ransack their home looking for something. Becky stands up to a vicious gang boss in terror of her life. Nevertheless, she’s not a likable character.

In this book, Andrew Barrett has created a fast and action-packed story which moves about in time with the death of Chris as the balance-point. Before he dies, we hear of their plans. Afterwards, Becky fights to outwit a gang boss and get the money her husband was implicated in trying to steal. The backward and forward chapters fill in details for the reader without that feeling of disorientation it can sometimes create. It’s an exciting story and an unusual take on the police versus gangs model of crime fiction. It’s a roller-coaster of a read and I really enjoyed it!

[Donna Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book 'The End of Lives' to be a real grabber- had me at the first few lines. I liked the fact of a female 'protagonist', ha-ha. I also liked the changes back and forth from present to past; I feel it helped to keep the reader engaged and guessing, although I know some people don't care for that style. As soon as I thought I had the rapid succession of events figured out, up popped another to flummox me. I like the way the main character's personality was revealed in layers, but even at the end I was left wondering what kind of person she really was. I do feel some aspects of the plot were a wee bit farfetched, but that's all right, suspension of disbelief and all that, right? I've seen that others may object to the strong language, but I feel that it goes with the territory, real life and gangsters. I would feel that the story wasn't as believable without it; same with the brutality of the bad guys. I wish I could have read the whole thing in one sitting, but started it too late in the evening. I was wishing it would hurry up and end, because I was in such exquisite suspense and dying to know how it ended, but when it did, I wanted more! That's pretty much how I feel about all the books by Mr. Barrett that I've read, which is almost all of them. A true test of how much I liked a book is how long I think about it when I've finished, and I finished this one almost three days ago and I still wonder...

[Jay V · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad I came across Andrew Barrett's books! The End of Lies is quite the thriller. It has everything: plot twists all over the place, an insanely wonderful plot, and a female "protagonist" like no other. This is definitely worth a read.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel. Barrett is very good at writing flawed characters that the reader can empathise with. Fabulous plot twist about three quarters of the way through. If you like crime/mystery/thriller books and haven’t yet read Andrew Barrett you are missing out.

[Silver Surfer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that starts slowly, get’s you engrossed then hits you with an ending you don’t see coming. Again another feisty female. I really liked reading this book and if you like a good thriller then you will too. Highly recommended must read.

[Dee Groocock · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful standalone book by Andrew Barrett. Once I started this book, I really did not want to put it down! Full of heart stopping, breath taking moments. There were plenty of twists and turns throughout the story. I absolutely loved this book.

[Norma · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Trust me or we're through."
A dramatic and thrilling start to End of Lies has forty six years old librarian, Becky Rose, return home to find her husband, Chris, lying murdered on the floor and unknown men ransacking their house. She barely escapes with her life. She and Chris, who had worked for the police as an intelligence analyst and coordinator, had been married for twenty two years and, as she said, she still 'loved him so much that it hurt.' Despite working hard, they had not been wealthy, unable to afford a new car or luxury holidays. And Chris had devised a dangerous plan to change all that, a plan which had obviously gone wrong...

Author Andrew Barrett is a powerful writer, bringing his subjects vividly to life. Written mostly in the present but with some chapters backtracking to explanatory past events, this story follows Becky's discovery and her actions and reactions, both external and within herself, over the next few days. She has the reader's sympathy even if, at times, she can be less than nice. Well written and quick to read, this book is gripping, fast moving and sometimes unexpected.
Recommended to all crime story readers.

A second reading, September 2019, of the Audiobook, narrated by Colleen MacMmahon, had lost none of the pleasure of first time around: despite knowing what was to come, the story was still chilling and exciting. Ms.MacMahon has a very pleasant voice, well modulated and giving a dramatic reading even if the individual protagonist voicings were differentiated only by the addition of slight accents. But to my ear, she was wrong for the first person performance of Becky and I was glad that I had read the print/ebook version first. No rating change: the book can stand up to the wrong narrator, so good is it's own delivery.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Bloodhound Books and the author for the advanced copy and the blog blitz spot!

Do you like psychological thrillers that move at a fast pace and keep you guessing? Well, look not further. THE END OF LIES by Andrew Barrett was something I wasn't expecting. When it says there's a twist at the end, there definitely was! I love when a thriller goes in a completely different direction that I was expecting.

Becky is our main character - she's a great female lead. She's feisty and full of personality. She comes home to see that her husband, Chris, had been stabbed to death. What's worse? There was a group of men destroying her home. Why would they be targeting her husband and their home - she quickly learns that he had something that the men were after. If she wants to stay alive, then she needs to find it and return it to them. She has 7 days to find it or she's next.

I don't want to give away too much more of the plot or what happens. This is another Bloodhound Books novel that is best to go into with just the info from the synopsis. Becky has a plan and she decides to stand her ground - but will that be enough?

Overall, if you want a unique thriller that will keep you turning the pages, then you need to pick up Andrew Barrett's THE END OF LIES.

I give this one 5/5 stars!

[Maureen Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as part of the advance reading team, and is the first review i have ever written, so bear with me!

"Oh! what a tangled web we weave
When first we practise to deceive!"
Marmion: Sir Walter Scott

I read the whole book over two evenings and what a rollercoaster of a ride. A woman arrives home to a broken door frame and her husband of 20 years dead on the living room floor, there are also others in the house. She flees the murder scene, followed by one of the intruders and the book starts it's narrative of her journey to solve the mystery of the crime.
No one in the book is entirely truthful about their relationhip with the deceased or their motive for interacting with the widow. There is a web of deceit, misunderstanding and self delusion throughout the entire book. I didn't particularly like the widow or her friend, but I did understand their friendship and their need to help each other. There are a couple of extremely graphic torture threats and descriptions that made my blood run cold.
OverallI enjoyed the book and read it over a couple of nights. I had guessed who the murderer was but the end was still unexpected and satisfying.
A good read.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Becky: "Throughout this whole charade -and that's exactly what this was, a charade - I'd wrestled to the death with a madman on an old ammunition site, been stabbed in the boob, been beaten up and almost strangled by a copper, been slapped, and stabbed in the neck by my one only true best friend. How much more challenging could life get?"

So said Becky, a self-described librarian with anger issues, after her husband Chris, an intelligence analyst and coordinator, is murdered. And that about sums up the whole book -- no, wait, just the first three-fourths of it! The suspense builds from the first chapter right up to and through the last page, and while there were a few times I thought oh no, no way, the plot just kept moving along with one surprising turn after another. Mr. Barrett certainly knows how to grab and keep the reader's interest.