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The Lying Room
It should have been just a mid-life fling. A guilty indiscretion that Neve Connolly could have weathered. An escape from twenty years of routine marriage to her overworked husband, and from her increasingly distant children. But when Neve pays a morning-after visit to her lover, Saul, and finds him brutally murdered, their pied-à-terre still heady with her perfume, all the lies she has so painstakingly stitched together threaten to unravel.
After scrubbing clean every trace of her existence from Saul’s life—and death—Neve believes she can return to normal, shaken but intact. But she can’t get out of her head the one tormenting question: what was she forgetting?
An investigation into the slaying could provide the answer. It’s brought Detective Chief Inspector Alastair Hitching, and Neve’s worst fears, to her door. But with every new lie, every new misdirection to save herself, Neve descends further into the darkness of her betrayal—and into more danger than she ever imagined. Because Hitching isn’t the only one watching Neve. So is a determined killer who’s about to make the next terrifying move in a deadly affair….
After scrubbing clean every trace of her existence from Saul’s life—and death—Neve believes she can return to normal, shaken but intact. But she can’t get out of her head the one tormenting question: what was she forgetting?
An investigation into the slaying could provide the answer. It’s brought Detective Chief Inspector Alastair Hitching, and Neve’s worst fears, to her door. But with every new lie, every new misdirection to save herself, Neve descends further into the darkness of her betrayal—and into more danger than she ever imagined. Because Hitching isn’t the only one watching Neve. So is a determined killer who’s about to make the next terrifying move in a deadly affair….
448 pages, Paperback
First published October 3, 2019
1322 people are currently reading
19140 people want to read
About the author
Nicci French
80 books3,680 followersNote: (Nicci Gerrard and Sean French also write separately.)
Nicci Gerrard was born in June 1958 in Worcestershire. After graduating with a first class honours degree in English Literature from Oxford University, she began her first job, working with emotionally disturbed children in Sheffield. In that same year she married journalist Colin Hughes.
In the early eighties she taught English Literature in Sheffield, London and Los Angeles, but moved into publishing in 1985 with the launch of Women's Review, a magazine for women on art, literature and female issues.
In 1987 Nicci had a son, Edgar, followed by a daughter, Anna, in 1988, but a year later her marriage to Colin Hughes broke down.
In 1989 she became acting literary editor at the New Statesman, before moving to the Observer, where she was deputy literary editor for five years, and then a feature writer and executive editor.
It was while she was at the New Statesman that she met Sean French.
Sean French was born in May 1959 in Bristol, to a British father and Swedish mother. He too studied English Literature at Oxford University at the same time as Nicci, also graduating with a first class degree, but their paths didn't cross until 1990. In 1981 he won Vogue magazine's Writing Talent Contest, and from 1981 to 1986 he was their theatre critic. During that time he also worked at the Sunday Times as deputy literary editor and television critic, and was the film critic for Marie Claire and deputy editor of New Society.
Sean and Nicci were married in Hackney in October 1990. Their daughters, Hadley and Molly, were born in 1991 and 1993.
By the mid-nineties Sean had had two novels published, The Imaginary Monkey and The Dreamer of Dreams, as well as numerous non-fiction books, including biographies of Jane Fonda and Brigitte Bardot.
In 1995 Nicci and Sean began work on their first joint novel and adopted the pseudonym of Nicci French. The Memory Game was published to great acclaim in 1997 followed by The Safe House (1998), Killing Me Softly (1999), Beneath the Skin (2000), The Red Room (2001), Land of the Living (2002), Secret Smile (2003), Catch Me When I Fall (2005), Losing You (2006) and Until It's Over (2008). Their latest novel together is What To Do When Someone Dies (2009).
Nicci and Sean also continue to write separately. Nicci still works as a journalist for the Observer, covering high-profile trials including those of Fred and Rose West, and Ian Huntley and Maxine Carr. Novels include Things We Knew Were True (2003), Solace (2005) and The Moment You Were Gone (2007). Sean's last novel is Start From Here (2004).
Nicci Gerrard was born in June 1958 in Worcestershire. After graduating with a first class honours degree in English Literature from Oxford University, she began her first job, working with emotionally disturbed children in Sheffield. In that same year she married journalist Colin Hughes.
In the early eighties she taught English Literature in Sheffield, London and Los Angeles, but moved into publishing in 1985 with the launch of Women's Review, a magazine for women on art, literature and female issues.
In 1987 Nicci had a son, Edgar, followed by a daughter, Anna, in 1988, but a year later her marriage to Colin Hughes broke down.
In 1989 she became acting literary editor at the New Statesman, before moving to the Observer, where she was deputy literary editor for five years, and then a feature writer and executive editor.
It was while she was at the New Statesman that she met Sean French.
Sean French was born in May 1959 in Bristol, to a British father and Swedish mother. He too studied English Literature at Oxford University at the same time as Nicci, also graduating with a first class degree, but their paths didn't cross until 1990. In 1981 he won Vogue magazine's Writing Talent Contest, and from 1981 to 1986 he was their theatre critic. During that time he also worked at the Sunday Times as deputy literary editor and television critic, and was the film critic for Marie Claire and deputy editor of New Society.
Sean and Nicci were married in Hackney in October 1990. Their daughters, Hadley and Molly, were born in 1991 and 1993.
By the mid-nineties Sean had had two novels published, The Imaginary Monkey and The Dreamer of Dreams, as well as numerous non-fiction books, including biographies of Jane Fonda and Brigitte Bardot.
In 1995 Nicci and Sean began work on their first joint novel and adopted the pseudonym of Nicci French. The Memory Game was published to great acclaim in 1997 followed by The Safe House (1998), Killing Me Softly (1999), Beneath the Skin (2000), The Red Room (2001), Land of the Living (2002), Secret Smile (2003), Catch Me When I Fall (2005), Losing You (2006) and Until It's Over (2008). Their latest novel together is What To Do When Someone Dies (2009).
Nicci and Sean also continue to write separately. Nicci still works as a journalist for the Observer, covering high-profile trials including those of Fred and Rose West, and Ian Huntley and Maxine Carr. Novels include Things We Knew Were True (2003), Solace (2005) and The Moment You Were Gone (2007). Sean's last novel is Start From Here (2004).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,704 reviews
August 12, 2019
The authors behind Nicci French have written a terrific twisted standalone psychological thriller that so aptly illustrates just what a tangled web we weave when first we start to deceive. Neve Connolly is a well liked wife and mother in her forties, working at a publisher she and her friends had helped to establish. She has been married to Fletcher for twenty years, he is a depressed illustrator, their relationship has become stale, she has 3 children, including the troubled Mabel with her problems with drug addiction, now on the cusp of leaving for university. Life has not been a bundle of laughs, but Neve has embarked on an affair with her married boss, Saul, which has helped to invigorate her. So when Neve gets an unexpected message from him, she cycles over to his flat, arriving to the shocking sight of a dead Saul, with a blood stained hammer by his side.
A desperate Neve does not want her family to find out about her affair as she makes the decision to wipe all traces of herself at the flat, not only herself, but that of the murderer too, an act that will have devastating repercussions for Neve. DCI Alastair Hitching is the contained detective in charge of the investigation, a man for whom no-one is above suspicion, time and time again he keeps returning to Neve. As her friends turn up at her home, Neve lies to the police, lies, lies and lies again to those around her. She wonders who the killer is, whilst having to live with the burden of her web of lies and deceit, and simultaneously trying to continue her normal busy everyday life. This is a complex, well plotted tense thriller of twists, packed with tension, with great characters, that is truly a compulsive read. You can always rely on the Nicci French writers for fabulous crime reads, this standalone is another great addition to their canon. Many thanks to Simon and Schuster for an ARC.
A desperate Neve does not want her family to find out about her affair as she makes the decision to wipe all traces of herself at the flat, not only herself, but that of the murderer too, an act that will have devastating repercussions for Neve. DCI Alastair Hitching is the contained detective in charge of the investigation, a man for whom no-one is above suspicion, time and time again he keeps returning to Neve. As her friends turn up at her home, Neve lies to the police, lies, lies and lies again to those around her. She wonders who the killer is, whilst having to live with the burden of her web of lies and deceit, and simultaneously trying to continue her normal busy everyday life. This is a complex, well plotted tense thriller of twists, packed with tension, with great characters, that is truly a compulsive read. You can always rely on the Nicci French writers for fabulous crime reads, this standalone is another great addition to their canon. Many thanks to Simon and Schuster for an ARC.
December 23, 2019
The Lying Room by Nicci French is a 2019 William Morrow Paperbacks publication.
Superb, thought-provoking thriller!
This is the first book released after the popular Frieda Klein series. Shaking off the haze of bittersweet feelings at having to say goodbye to those characters, I’m now ready to tackle a new stand- alone effort by this dynamic writing duo.
Neve’s marriage is in a rut, her family and social life is routine and predictable, although the problems with her daughter are still at the forefront of her mind. However, when she and her boss, Saul Stevenson, begin spending time together, it leads to an affair, one that quickens Neve, making her feel alive and desired for the first time in a long while. It’s all thrilling and exciting, until she receives a text message from her lover instructing her to meet up with him. When she arrives at his place, she finds Saul dead- having been beaten to death with a hammer.
With no time for proper mourning, Neve, immediately jumps into action, cleaning the place up from top to bottom hoping to wipe away any trace of her affair with Saul. She must protect her family, especially her troubled daughter, at all costs.
However, once the investigation into Saul’s death begins, Neve discovers more about her dead lover than she ever wanted to know. Not only that, Saul’s widow has reached out to her, announcing she is positive Saul was having an affair with someone at the office, asking Neve to help her find out who it was.
All of this has Neve’s nerves at a breaking point. But, when the detective working the case latches on to Neve, showing up at the most inopportune moments to ask her more questions, Neve’s lies build into a precarious house of cards.
Shocking revelations come to light about her friends, colleagues, her own family, and maybe even about Neve herself as the mystery of who killed Saul deepens. Yet the one thing Neve never considered in her all- consuming obsession to keep her affair hidden from her family and the police, is that she too might be in danger…
This is a dark, twisty thriller which takes so many little curves and travels down so many different avenues, I could never figure out who killed Saul or what direction the story would take me. The first part of the book is almost darkly humorous as Neve is constantly trying to keep her cool as nearly everyone comes to her with their confessions. She becomes so paranoid and on edge, she begins to suspect anyone and everyone in her orbit of having a motive to kill Saul- or out to get her, as well.
However, as the story approached the last quarter of the book, a much darker tone emerges, one that makes the reader very nervous on Neve’s behalf.
The atmosphere and the suspense are so taut, I was practically squirming in my chair from start to finish. However, I also found the book to be very thought provoking. How well do we really know those closest to us? The story could also serve as a type of character study, as Neve, a person who is basically honest, a person so dependable, people feel comfortable confiding in her, takes one selfish misstep, which leads to another and another. Her actions reap repercussions and regrets she never could have anticipated, which is nearly always how these things turn out- murder or no. I couldn’t help but think of the old maxim about tangled webs and deception.
There is one small weakness in the story, as I found the motive a bit tepid, but in the long run, perhaps the strength of the motive didn’t matter so much, as the psychology behind Neve’s responses to her circumstances are at the forefront of the novel.
The moral to the story is strong and pointed- one everyone should keep in mind if temptation ever comes knocking on your door!
4 stars
Superb, thought-provoking thriller!
This is the first book released after the popular Frieda Klein series. Shaking off the haze of bittersweet feelings at having to say goodbye to those characters, I’m now ready to tackle a new stand- alone effort by this dynamic writing duo.
Neve’s marriage is in a rut, her family and social life is routine and predictable, although the problems with her daughter are still at the forefront of her mind. However, when she and her boss, Saul Stevenson, begin spending time together, it leads to an affair, one that quickens Neve, making her feel alive and desired for the first time in a long while. It’s all thrilling and exciting, until she receives a text message from her lover instructing her to meet up with him. When she arrives at his place, she finds Saul dead- having been beaten to death with a hammer.
With no time for proper mourning, Neve, immediately jumps into action, cleaning the place up from top to bottom hoping to wipe away any trace of her affair with Saul. She must protect her family, especially her troubled daughter, at all costs.
However, once the investigation into Saul’s death begins, Neve discovers more about her dead lover than she ever wanted to know. Not only that, Saul’s widow has reached out to her, announcing she is positive Saul was having an affair with someone at the office, asking Neve to help her find out who it was.
All of this has Neve’s nerves at a breaking point. But, when the detective working the case latches on to Neve, showing up at the most inopportune moments to ask her more questions, Neve’s lies build into a precarious house of cards.
Shocking revelations come to light about her friends, colleagues, her own family, and maybe even about Neve herself as the mystery of who killed Saul deepens. Yet the one thing Neve never considered in her all- consuming obsession to keep her affair hidden from her family and the police, is that she too might be in danger…
This is a dark, twisty thriller which takes so many little curves and travels down so many different avenues, I could never figure out who killed Saul or what direction the story would take me. The first part of the book is almost darkly humorous as Neve is constantly trying to keep her cool as nearly everyone comes to her with their confessions. She becomes so paranoid and on edge, she begins to suspect anyone and everyone in her orbit of having a motive to kill Saul- or out to get her, as well.
However, as the story approached the last quarter of the book, a much darker tone emerges, one that makes the reader very nervous on Neve’s behalf.
The atmosphere and the suspense are so taut, I was practically squirming in my chair from start to finish. However, I also found the book to be very thought provoking. How well do we really know those closest to us? The story could also serve as a type of character study, as Neve, a person who is basically honest, a person so dependable, people feel comfortable confiding in her, takes one selfish misstep, which leads to another and another. Her actions reap repercussions and regrets she never could have anticipated, which is nearly always how these things turn out- murder or no. I couldn’t help but think of the old maxim about tangled webs and deception.
There is one small weakness in the story, as I found the motive a bit tepid, but in the long run, perhaps the strength of the motive didn’t matter so much, as the psychology behind Neve’s responses to her circumstances are at the forefront of the novel.
The moral to the story is strong and pointed- one everyone should keep in mind if temptation ever comes knocking on your door!
4 stars
December 23, 2022
Digital designer, cyclist, allotment gardener and married mum of three Neve, turns up to her secret lover's flat only to find him dead with a bloody hammer lying next to his fresh corpse! Thinking about what the news of the affair will do to her family and life, she meticulously removes every trace of her existence from the flat and leaves... only when she gets home she realises she's left her bracelet at the murder scene, she returns to not only find the bracelet missing, but also the bloody hammer!! Give me a Hell yeah!
The relentless battle of wills between Neve and the real killer, the police, the victim's wife and just bad luck goes on like a steam train, there are no down times; halfway through the book we're told that Neve has not eaten in days, and reading this book I felt the same. Neve has to take lying to an all-new level to protect herself and her family. The husband and wife team that makes up Nicci French once again have produced a masterclass in thriller-suspense writing with this story. Some of the fab touches that made this read so great were the sub arcs on the mother-daughter relationship and on the domestication of marriages with children. I honestly believe French are one of the most consistently good UK writers of this genre. 8.5 out of 12, Four Star read.
201 read
The relentless battle of wills between Neve and the real killer, the police, the victim's wife and just bad luck goes on like a steam train, there are no down times; halfway through the book we're told that Neve has not eaten in days, and reading this book I felt the same. Neve has to take lying to an all-new level to protect herself and her family. The husband and wife team that makes up Nicci French once again have produced a masterclass in thriller-suspense writing with this story. Some of the fab touches that made this read so great were the sub arcs on the mother-daughter relationship and on the domestication of marriages with children. I honestly believe French are one of the most consistently good UK writers of this genre. 8.5 out of 12, Four Star read.
201 read
August 29, 2019
Subversion
The Lying Room is a compelling thriller full of suspense and clever complicity to keep you guessing who the killer is and how the main suspect, although innocent, navigates her own guilty situation. Neve Connolly is in her forties, a wife and mother with three children. The last number of years have been a strain, with various family problems and a depressed husband. When events forged the prospect for Neve to embark on an affair with her new boss Saul Stevenson, she took the step and sought some pleasure for herself. An affair that was exhilarating, passionate and reckless, was played out mainly in his apartment in the city, for which she held a key. After having spent an evening together, Saul texts Neve early the next morning asking for one more moment together before he goes off on a business trip.
In the short time, between the phone call and Neve arriving at the apartment, Saul has been murdered, and as she looks at the dead body with the murder weapon beside him, she realises there are traces of her all over the flat. The dilemma is tantalisingly balanced – should she report the murder to the police and explain her involvement with Saul and deal with all the family repercussions that will inevitably flow. Or clean the flat to remove all traces of her and pretend she was never there or involved with him. What had started as an affair had become death and she was at the centre of it, along with an unknown killer, who may or may not know her involvement with Saul.
The plot is fabulously drawn with an intricately woven web of lies that spiral into deeper and deeper complexity which excel in this thriller. The mental rollercoaster of Neve, trying to remember what she had said previously, how she should respond to questions from her colleagues, friends and family, how she should act, and how to protect herself when information could be validated from other sources.
Meanwhile, there is still the real killer out there who may be getting away with murder (literally) if Neve continues to be the main suspect and if the killer can add more compelling evidence to her lies and cover-ups, then they are clear. I really appreciated that Neve never lost focus on the real potential of going to prison and kept her guard up, even though it wasn't a perfect story she was telling, but the evidence was what the police really needed. The drama circulating the evidence was very well plotted and the tension between Neve and the police, and Neve and the killer were excellent.
While the writing has a wonderful descriptive quality it could have been cut down quite a bit to ensure a tighter momentum, as I was regularly tempted to start rushing through particular sections to keep the pace high. My only complaint!
I loved the concept of this novel and through the characters, the authors unmasked all the worries, deceit and panic that this plot provided. I highly recommend this book and I'd like to thank Simon and Schuster UK and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC version in return for an honest review.
The Lying Room is a compelling thriller full of suspense and clever complicity to keep you guessing who the killer is and how the main suspect, although innocent, navigates her own guilty situation. Neve Connolly is in her forties, a wife and mother with three children. The last number of years have been a strain, with various family problems and a depressed husband. When events forged the prospect for Neve to embark on an affair with her new boss Saul Stevenson, she took the step and sought some pleasure for herself. An affair that was exhilarating, passionate and reckless, was played out mainly in his apartment in the city, for which she held a key. After having spent an evening together, Saul texts Neve early the next morning asking for one more moment together before he goes off on a business trip.
In the short time, between the phone call and Neve arriving at the apartment, Saul has been murdered, and as she looks at the dead body with the murder weapon beside him, she realises there are traces of her all over the flat. The dilemma is tantalisingly balanced – should she report the murder to the police and explain her involvement with Saul and deal with all the family repercussions that will inevitably flow. Or clean the flat to remove all traces of her and pretend she was never there or involved with him. What had started as an affair had become death and she was at the centre of it, along with an unknown killer, who may or may not know her involvement with Saul.
The plot is fabulously drawn with an intricately woven web of lies that spiral into deeper and deeper complexity which excel in this thriller. The mental rollercoaster of Neve, trying to remember what she had said previously, how she should respond to questions from her colleagues, friends and family, how she should act, and how to protect herself when information could be validated from other sources.
“She had never understood how intricate and delicate the act of communication was, how many clues and contexts there were.”Detective Chief Inspector Alastair Hitching leads the investigation and possesses that searching stare that implies he knows when you’re lying. The engagement with DCI Hitching is one of the clever and enthralling aspects of the story, how he doesn’t forget information and asks those seemingly guiltless questions that wrong foot a liar. It was fascinating to observe the delicate interplay between Neve and him, how she tried to prepare her reactions and responses so they don’t look fabricated.
Meanwhile, there is still the real killer out there who may be getting away with murder (literally) if Neve continues to be the main suspect and if the killer can add more compelling evidence to her lies and cover-ups, then they are clear. I really appreciated that Neve never lost focus on the real potential of going to prison and kept her guard up, even though it wasn't a perfect story she was telling, but the evidence was what the police really needed. The drama circulating the evidence was very well plotted and the tension between Neve and the police, and Neve and the killer were excellent.
While the writing has a wonderful descriptive quality it could have been cut down quite a bit to ensure a tighter momentum, as I was regularly tempted to start rushing through particular sections to keep the pace high. My only complaint!
I loved the concept of this novel and through the characters, the authors unmasked all the worries, deceit and panic that this plot provided. I highly recommend this book and I'd like to thank Simon and Schuster UK and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC version in return for an honest review.
October 19, 2019
3.75*
I’ve long wanted to read a Nicci French book! The timing was just never right! But after I saw the premise of this book, (Okay fine, I peaked!) I knew I had to read it!
Before continuing… is it just me? I assumed Nicci French was a singular author! I had no idea it was a husband and wife writing duo, Nicci Gerard and husband Sean French. Who doesn’t just love that!💖
Neve slipped away from her family one morning to pay visits to her boss Saul. Did I mention she happens to be having an affair with him?! This mornings’ cozy, little visit didn’t go quite as planned…she finds him dead in his flat!
Now in full panic mode she scrambles to cover all her tracks! No one must know about the affair...or that she was ever here in the flat this morning!
For those who love a slow-burn mystery novel this one is a perfect fit! Personally, I wanted the pace to pick up...maybe just a bit!
I am already looking forward to reading Nicci French’s next release “Losing You” presently sitting on my shelf waiting for me!
Thank you to Edelweiss, William Morrow and Nicci French for an ARC to read and review.
I’ve long wanted to read a Nicci French book! The timing was just never right! But after I saw the premise of this book, (Okay fine, I peaked!) I knew I had to read it!
Before continuing… is it just me? I assumed Nicci French was a singular author! I had no idea it was a husband and wife writing duo, Nicci Gerard and husband Sean French. Who doesn’t just love that!💖
Neve slipped away from her family one morning to pay visits to her boss Saul. Did I mention she happens to be having an affair with him?! This mornings’ cozy, little visit didn’t go quite as planned…she finds him dead in his flat!
Now in full panic mode she scrambles to cover all her tracks! No one must know about the affair...or that she was ever here in the flat this morning!
For those who love a slow-burn mystery novel this one is a perfect fit! Personally, I wanted the pace to pick up...maybe just a bit!
I am already looking forward to reading Nicci French’s next release “Losing You” presently sitting on my shelf waiting for me!
Thank you to Edelweiss, William Morrow and Nicci French for an ARC to read and review.
December 8, 2019
I've just spent the most tedious half hour in the company of this book, during which the authors have given me the riveting details of what everyone in Neve's family of five have had for breakfast, including how much salt Neve puts in her son's porridge. Then we get every detail of what Neve chooses to wear. She goes off and finds the dead body of her lover - exciting, eh? Well, it should be, except that it morphs immediately into pages of description of how to clean a house. Why do contemporary writers stuff their books full of boring padding instead of getting on with the story? Do they ever read their books back to themselves and think - is this interesting? What do editors get paid for, exactly?
I have deleted the book from my Kindle, and shall now go and make breakfast. I will put the kettle on, and get out the coffee, and put some slices of bread, brown, in the toaster, while getting out the marmalade jar. I shall use the plate I always use and the mug my sister once gave me at Christmas. Then I shall wash up the dishes, and put them on the rack to dry...
I have deleted the book from my Kindle, and shall now go and make breakfast. I will put the kettle on, and get out the coffee, and put some slices of bread, brown, in the toaster, while getting out the marmalade jar. I shall use the plate I always use and the mug my sister once gave me at Christmas. Then I shall wash up the dishes, and put them on the rack to dry...
September 4, 2019
This stand alone murder mystery from the writing duo Nicci French was an entertaining read. At times darkly funny, sometimes almost farcical, it is the tale of a middle age married woman, Neve Connolly, who is summoned to the London flat of her lover, Saul, by a text, only to find him horribly murdered. To avoid being framed and to save her marriage she tries to cover up her affair but gradually finds herself telling more and more lies to the police, her family, her friends, even Saul's wife. As the web becomes more tangled she realises she needs to work out who killed him and why she was summoned to the flat that morning.
Although Neve is painted as a colorful, friendly woman with a lot of friends and a busy social life, her family seem to be doing less well and she seems to be juggling too many balls in her busy life to pay them enough attention. She seems to spend a lot of time drinking too much with her friends (and there is a lot of drinking during the week this book is set) as well as philandering with Saul, who is her bos at work. Her husband who does freelance work from home is depressed and struggling financially so that the family relies on Neve's salary to get by. Neve's daughter Mabel, who is about to leave home for University, has had past issues that do not seem to be wholly
resolved, although a reason for her current distress is later revealed and there is some reconciliation between mother and daughter before the end of the book.
DCI Hitching who is in charge of the investigation into Saul's murder, seems to think Neve knows more than she's not telling the police. He has a fine nose for deception and I loved the way he kept popping into her office or dropping by her house to ask more questions, trying to catch her off guard. The plot was generally well developed and well written although I wasn't quite convinced by the motive given for the murder.
With thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for a digital ARC to read.
Although Neve is painted as a colorful, friendly woman with a lot of friends and a busy social life, her family seem to be doing less well and she seems to be juggling too many balls in her busy life to pay them enough attention. She seems to spend a lot of time drinking too much with her friends (and there is a lot of drinking during the week this book is set) as well as philandering with Saul, who is her bos at work. Her husband who does freelance work from home is depressed and struggling financially so that the family relies on Neve's salary to get by. Neve's daughter Mabel, who is about to leave home for University, has had past issues that do not seem to be wholly
resolved, although a reason for her current distress is later revealed and there is some reconciliation between mother and daughter before the end of the book.
DCI Hitching who is in charge of the investigation into Saul's murder, seems to think Neve knows more than she's not telling the police. He has a fine nose for deception and I loved the way he kept popping into her office or dropping by her house to ask more questions, trying to catch her off guard. The plot was generally well developed and well written although I wasn't quite convinced by the motive given for the murder.
With thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for a digital ARC to read.
May 7, 2023
The main character, Neve, is fascinating to me. She is the perfect wife and mother. She puts her family and friends first, until she doesn't. One fatal misstep plunges her into an abyss. Neve is a masterwork. Self-effacing and diffident, Neve is liked by everyone and people seek her out for her warmth and kindness.When she has to fight for her life and her family, she becomes a different person, cool and logical and only one step ahead of the police detective who dogs her every move.
I loved the story until the very end which seemed a bit of a reach in its conclusion. Even after the malevolent one is revealed, there are several more explaining chapters, which could have been pared down, I felt.
I loved the story until the very end which seemed a bit of a reach in its conclusion. Even after the malevolent one is revealed, there are several more explaining chapters, which could have been pared down, I felt.
October 12, 2019
EXCERPT: ...he was lying on his back and he was dead. Somehow she'd never even known the meaning of being dead until she saw those open eyes. They weren't staring eyes. They were just things now, open and exposed. His mouth was also gaping open, as if in vast, unending surprise.
His head was framed by a pool of blood, dark red, smooth. His face looked dead, but every bit of his body looked dead as well. His arms and legs were splayed in unnatural positions. His right elbow was caught under his body, which made his hand stick up. It was as if he was half way through the process of turning over. It looked uncomfortable and Neve felt an impulse to make him comfortable, to pull the arm free, like when they had been entangled in bed together, sweating, out of breath and she helped him ease his hand from under her bare back.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: It should have been just a mid-life fling. A guilty indiscretion that Neve Connolly could have weathered. An escape from twenty years of routine marriage to her overworked husband, and from her increasingly distant children. But when Neve pays a morning-after visit to her lover, Saul, and finds him brutally murdered, their pied-à-terre still heady with her perfume, all the lies she has so painstakingly stitched together threaten to unravel.
After scrubbing clean every trace of her existence from Saul’s life—and death—Neve believes she can return to normal, shaken but intact. But she can’t get out of her head the one tormenting question: what was she forgetting?
An investigation into the slaying could provide the answer. It’s brought Detective Chief Inspector Alastair Hitching, and Neve’s worst fears, to her door. But with every new lie, every new misdirection to save herself, Neve descends further into the darkness of her betrayal—and into more danger than she ever imagined. Because Hitching isn’t the only one watching Neve. So is a determined killer who’s about to make the next terrifying move in a deadly affair…
MY THOUGHTS: I loved this book. I loved the characters, and the plot and the fact that I had absolutely no idea who killed Saul, let alone why.
The authors perceptively portray a marriage that is worn around the edges and all the problems that accompany two people who love each other but find the distance between them increasing as all the problems of day to day life seem to take precedence.
Neve is the wife, the mother, the worker, the friend who is always there for everyone. Fletcher is a struggling artist, resentful of his popular successful wife who appears to float through life quite effortlessly. And Saul is the man who sees Neve for who she really is, who sees her struggles and makes her feel alive again.
The Lying Room is about making choices, and the consequences of those choices.
This is a tautly plotted thriller, with plenty of twists, and a palpable air of tension from beginning to end. The characterisation is superb. There is not one predictable moment in this book. I loved it!
#TheLyingRoom #NetGalley
🤩😍🤩😍🤩
THE AUTHORS: Nicci Gerrard was born in June 1958 in Worcestershire. After graduating with a first class honours degree in English Literature from Oxford University, she began her first job, working with emotionally disturbed children in Sheffield. In that same year she married journalist Colin Hughes.
In the early eighties she taught English Literature in Sheffield, London and Los Angeles, but moved into publishing in 1985 with the launch of Women's Review, a magazine for women on art, literature and female issues.
In 1987 Nicci had a son, Edgar, followed by a daughter, Anna, in 1988, but a year later her marriage to Colin Hughes broke down.
In 1989 she became acting literary editor at the New Statesman, before moving to the Observer, where she was deputy literary editor for five years, and then a feature writer and executive editor.
It was while she was at the New Statesman that she met Sean French.
Sean French was born in May 1959 in Bristol, to a British father and Swedish mother. He too studied English Literature at Oxford University at the same time as Nicci, also graduating with a first class degree, but their paths didn't cross until 1990. In 1981 he won Vogue magazine's Writing Talent Contest, and from 1981 to 1986 he was their theatre critic. During that time he also worked at the Sunday Times as deputy literary editor and television critic, and was the film critic for Marie Claire and deputy editor of New Society.
Sean and Nicci were married in Hackney in October 1990. Their daughters, Hadley and Molly, were born in 1991 and 1993.
By the mid-nineties Sean had had two novels published, The Imaginary Monkey and The Dreamer of Dreams, as well as numerous non-fiction books, including biographies of Jane Fonda and Brigitte Bardot.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Simon and Schuster UK via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Lying Room by Nicci French. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
His head was framed by a pool of blood, dark red, smooth. His face looked dead, but every bit of his body looked dead as well. His arms and legs were splayed in unnatural positions. His right elbow was caught under his body, which made his hand stick up. It was as if he was half way through the process of turning over. It looked uncomfortable and Neve felt an impulse to make him comfortable, to pull the arm free, like when they had been entangled in bed together, sweating, out of breath and she helped him ease his hand from under her bare back.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: It should have been just a mid-life fling. A guilty indiscretion that Neve Connolly could have weathered. An escape from twenty years of routine marriage to her overworked husband, and from her increasingly distant children. But when Neve pays a morning-after visit to her lover, Saul, and finds him brutally murdered, their pied-à-terre still heady with her perfume, all the lies she has so painstakingly stitched together threaten to unravel.
After scrubbing clean every trace of her existence from Saul’s life—and death—Neve believes she can return to normal, shaken but intact. But she can’t get out of her head the one tormenting question: what was she forgetting?
An investigation into the slaying could provide the answer. It’s brought Detective Chief Inspector Alastair Hitching, and Neve’s worst fears, to her door. But with every new lie, every new misdirection to save herself, Neve descends further into the darkness of her betrayal—and into more danger than she ever imagined. Because Hitching isn’t the only one watching Neve. So is a determined killer who’s about to make the next terrifying move in a deadly affair…
MY THOUGHTS: I loved this book. I loved the characters, and the plot and the fact that I had absolutely no idea who killed Saul, let alone why.
The authors perceptively portray a marriage that is worn around the edges and all the problems that accompany two people who love each other but find the distance between them increasing as all the problems of day to day life seem to take precedence.
Neve is the wife, the mother, the worker, the friend who is always there for everyone. Fletcher is a struggling artist, resentful of his popular successful wife who appears to float through life quite effortlessly. And Saul is the man who sees Neve for who she really is, who sees her struggles and makes her feel alive again.
The Lying Room is about making choices, and the consequences of those choices.
This is a tautly plotted thriller, with plenty of twists, and a palpable air of tension from beginning to end. The characterisation is superb. There is not one predictable moment in this book. I loved it!
#TheLyingRoom #NetGalley
🤩😍🤩😍🤩
THE AUTHORS: Nicci Gerrard was born in June 1958 in Worcestershire. After graduating with a first class honours degree in English Literature from Oxford University, she began her first job, working with emotionally disturbed children in Sheffield. In that same year she married journalist Colin Hughes.
In the early eighties she taught English Literature in Sheffield, London and Los Angeles, but moved into publishing in 1985 with the launch of Women's Review, a magazine for women on art, literature and female issues.
In 1987 Nicci had a son, Edgar, followed by a daughter, Anna, in 1988, but a year later her marriage to Colin Hughes broke down.
In 1989 she became acting literary editor at the New Statesman, before moving to the Observer, where she was deputy literary editor for five years, and then a feature writer and executive editor.
It was while she was at the New Statesman that she met Sean French.
Sean French was born in May 1959 in Bristol, to a British father and Swedish mother. He too studied English Literature at Oxford University at the same time as Nicci, also graduating with a first class degree, but their paths didn't cross until 1990. In 1981 he won Vogue magazine's Writing Talent Contest, and from 1981 to 1986 he was their theatre critic. During that time he also worked at the Sunday Times as deputy literary editor and television critic, and was the film critic for Marie Claire and deputy editor of New Society.
Sean and Nicci were married in Hackney in October 1990. Their daughters, Hadley and Molly, were born in 1991 and 1993.
By the mid-nineties Sean had had two novels published, The Imaginary Monkey and The Dreamer of Dreams, as well as numerous non-fiction books, including biographies of Jane Fonda and Brigitte Bardot.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Simon and Schuster UK via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Lying Room by Nicci French. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
December 14, 2021
This was my first read by Nicci French & they did not disappoint this stand alone psychological thriller kept me guessing right to the end.
Neve Connolly is a wife, mother, colleague & friend but is she capable of Murder!!
She lives with her husband Fletcher & their two sons Rory & Connor and Mabel.
She goes out secretly in be known to Fletcher she is the perfect wife but will it all come tumbling down…you see she is hiding secret’s secrets she doesn’t want revealed .
I enjoyed everything about this book the character of Neve was witty at times & others she was vulnerable it was fast paced well written & funny at times. 3.5 ⭐️
Neve Connolly is a wife, mother, colleague & friend but is she capable of Murder!!
She lives with her husband Fletcher & their two sons Rory & Connor and Mabel.
She goes out secretly in be known to Fletcher she is the perfect wife but will it all come tumbling down…you see she is hiding secret’s secrets she doesn’t want revealed .
I enjoyed everything about this book the character of Neve was witty at times & others she was vulnerable it was fast paced well written & funny at times. 3.5 ⭐️
September 22, 2019
Difficult!
All through the book, which is based on a married woman finding her secret lover murdered when she goes to meet him at his flat and the repercussions of this on her, her family and her lovers family, all I could think was ‘but this is based in Holborn in Central London, the place is riddled with cctv and yet the police haven’t mentioned it and the myriad of people ( for various reasons ) who go to the flat before, during and after the murder are not perturbed by it, in fact never mention it and yet in real life the crime would have been solved in a few hours by checking it.....I know its fiction and we all give and take a bit in books but cctv is such a massive part of life now and so entwined with crime solving it really is remiss to just ignore it, for me it lost all credibility to the story, harsh maybe but there you go
Oh and also a character called Mabel, a girl about to go to University who was as likeable as gone off milk also ruined parts of the book
However that aside the writing was good and flowed well and the other character’s interesting and their interaction good, at times amusing and the story was readable
But basing it on my main gripe am afraid its a
3/10
2 Stars
October 3, 2019
4 - 5 stars
I have read many Nicci French books over the years and always enjoy them and this one is a very twisty, fast paced story. The central character is mother of three Neve who is married to Fletcher and the unfolding plot shows how her life implodes following the murder of her lover and boss Saul Stevenson. I like the way their meeting and ensuing friendship is described as they seem to dazzle each other. Neve is a fantastic character, she’s resourceful, caring, loving,and fiercely protective of her children, in particular the fragile Mabel who has so many issues. Mabel is so different, at times she fizzes with energy, at others she’s malevolent and she can be very caustic. In some ways she’s a typical teenager but one of the facets of her personality that shone through above all others is how much she cares about her family and the lengths she will go to in order to protect them. There is a very moving section towards the end where she acknowledges just how important Neve is in her survival through her most difficult times.
I think this is a fascinating story and one of the key features is how Sauls death shone a spotlight on Neve’s relationships, with her husband, her family, her friends and work colleagues. She seems to gather people around her and at times her house positively resembles a madhouse, in fact, the only sane thing in the house is the guinea pig. I don’t know if I am supposed to find some of the scenes darkly comedic but I did. I think there are occasions where it resembles a chaotic black French farce and I really like this aspect of the book. For example, Sunday morning at Neve’s is bonkers with friends turning up randomly in varying states of inebriation, some start to build a greenhouse, others make gin and tonics, Mabel pierces her friends ear, the guinea pig escapes, and if that isn’t enough the police officer Hitching who is investigating the murder turns up. He’s a brilliant character who you couldn’t help liking and he often added to the humour with his one liners.
Eventually, Neve works out who the perpetrator is and she realises that she is in great danger and some of the scenes towards the end as she fights for her life are very tense and dramatic. . My only negative feelings are about the motivation for the crimes which I felt to be a bit of a stretch however, people kill for real for the most tenuous of reasons.
Overall, a terrific and highly entertaining, well written book from this dynamic crime writing duo. There are some fantastic scenes that are so tense you almost hold your breath and at other times you are smiling at the chaos.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for this ARC
I have read many Nicci French books over the years and always enjoy them and this one is a very twisty, fast paced story. The central character is mother of three Neve who is married to Fletcher and the unfolding plot shows how her life implodes following the murder of her lover and boss Saul Stevenson. I like the way their meeting and ensuing friendship is described as they seem to dazzle each other. Neve is a fantastic character, she’s resourceful, caring, loving,and fiercely protective of her children, in particular the fragile Mabel who has so many issues. Mabel is so different, at times she fizzes with energy, at others she’s malevolent and she can be very caustic. In some ways she’s a typical teenager but one of the facets of her personality that shone through above all others is how much she cares about her family and the lengths she will go to in order to protect them. There is a very moving section towards the end where she acknowledges just how important Neve is in her survival through her most difficult times.
I think this is a fascinating story and one of the key features is how Sauls death shone a spotlight on Neve’s relationships, with her husband, her family, her friends and work colleagues. She seems to gather people around her and at times her house positively resembles a madhouse, in fact, the only sane thing in the house is the guinea pig. I don’t know if I am supposed to find some of the scenes darkly comedic but I did. I think there are occasions where it resembles a chaotic black French farce and I really like this aspect of the book. For example, Sunday morning at Neve’s is bonkers with friends turning up randomly in varying states of inebriation, some start to build a greenhouse, others make gin and tonics, Mabel pierces her friends ear, the guinea pig escapes, and if that isn’t enough the police officer Hitching who is investigating the murder turns up. He’s a brilliant character who you couldn’t help liking and he often added to the humour with his one liners.
Eventually, Neve works out who the perpetrator is and she realises that she is in great danger and some of the scenes towards the end as she fights for her life are very tense and dramatic. . My only negative feelings are about the motivation for the crimes which I felt to be a bit of a stretch however, people kill for real for the most tenuous of reasons.
Overall, a terrific and highly entertaining, well written book from this dynamic crime writing duo. There are some fantastic scenes that are so tense you almost hold your breath and at other times you are smiling at the chaos.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for this ARC
June 11, 2021
3 stars.
A marriage with secrets. An affair with the boss. A daughter who knows more than she says.
This book had a lot going on and it drew me in quickly. I liked all of the characters and how they each had a layer of mystery that had me curious about their involvement in the secrets and lies that filled the pages of this book.
This was my first book by the author duo Nicci French and I liked their writing. This storyline had a bit too much going on and included a lot of unnecessary detail, but the writing did draw me in and kept me invested to the end. Much of what happens falls in unrealistic territory but I was able to go with it and enjoy the ride.
Thank you to Edelweiss and William Morrow for the review copy!
A marriage with secrets. An affair with the boss. A daughter who knows more than she says.
This book had a lot going on and it drew me in quickly. I liked all of the characters and how they each had a layer of mystery that had me curious about their involvement in the secrets and lies that filled the pages of this book.
This was my first book by the author duo Nicci French and I liked their writing. This storyline had a bit too much going on and included a lot of unnecessary detail, but the writing did draw me in and kept me invested to the end. Much of what happens falls in unrealistic territory but I was able to go with it and enjoy the ride.
Thank you to Edelweiss and William Morrow for the review copy!
June 2, 2019
I enjoyed this stand alone novel from duo Nicci French, who also write the successful 'Frieda Klein' series.
The lead character Neve Connolly is a popular person, wife, caring mother and a friend to go to. She feels trapped in her marriage to Fletcher and is experiencing problems with her teenage daughter Mabel. When Neve starts an affair with a married colleague, she feels revitalised and happiness is back in her life. Her life is shattered and thrown into turmoil when on visiting her lover she discovers his dead body. He has been murdered. She now faces choices that will have great consequences on her family. Does she report the murder to the police and come clean about her double life or does she try to hide the truth to protect her family. There are life changing decisions to be made and who killed her lover?
DCI Hitching leads the hunt for the murderer and every lie Neve tells just leads to more complications. The suspects mount and the finger of suspicion is getting closer to home.
Well written with a gripping plot that will make it difficult for you to put the book down.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Simon and Schuster UK for supplying a copy of this novel by co-authors Nicci Gerrard and Sean French in exchange for an honest review.
The lead character Neve Connolly is a popular person, wife, caring mother and a friend to go to. She feels trapped in her marriage to Fletcher and is experiencing problems with her teenage daughter Mabel. When Neve starts an affair with a married colleague, she feels revitalised and happiness is back in her life. Her life is shattered and thrown into turmoil when on visiting her lover she discovers his dead body. He has been murdered. She now faces choices that will have great consequences on her family. Does she report the murder to the police and come clean about her double life or does she try to hide the truth to protect her family. There are life changing decisions to be made and who killed her lover?
DCI Hitching leads the hunt for the murderer and every lie Neve tells just leads to more complications. The suspects mount and the finger of suspicion is getting closer to home.
Well written with a gripping plot that will make it difficult for you to put the book down.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Simon and Schuster UK for supplying a copy of this novel by co-authors Nicci Gerrard and Sean French in exchange for an honest review.
September 30, 2019
Nicci French is a name I have heard and seen many times but never picked up. Until now. The Lying Room is the first book by this writing team for me but certainly will not be my last if this is anything to go by. What a fun, fast story that was. Full of twists and turns I read this in a day, I honestly could not get enough and I was dying to know how it was going to end.
Neve has a secret. She is married to Fletcher and has 3 kids of varying ages. She has a great job that she has recently gone part time in and her life should be great. Only she feels that something is missing. An affair with her married boss helps to fill that gap. But one morning she arrives at his London flat to meet him only to find that he has been brutally murdered. She has to make a choice - does she call the police and come clean about the affair and risk losing everything or does she erase every trace of herself in the flat? Her decision leads to more and more lies and ha the police sniffing around trying to get the story straight. Can she go back to a normal life with this hanging over her?
Thanks to Simon and Schuster Australia and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
Neve has a secret. She is married to Fletcher and has 3 kids of varying ages. She has a great job that she has recently gone part time in and her life should be great. Only she feels that something is missing. An affair with her married boss helps to fill that gap. But one morning she arrives at his London flat to meet him only to find that he has been brutally murdered. She has to make a choice - does she call the police and come clean about the affair and risk losing everything or does she erase every trace of herself in the flat? Her decision leads to more and more lies and ha the police sniffing around trying to get the story straight. Can she go back to a normal life with this hanging over her?
Thanks to Simon and Schuster Australia and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
November 13, 2019
Karma is a bitch! Nicci French The husband and wife writing duo has delivered a twisty, compulsive, and complex thriller. Neve has been married for 20 years, is the mother of three and tired of her “boring“ life. Well Neve... be careful what you wish for! Bored with life and looking for a little excitement Neve starts an affair with her boss Sul. It was just supposed to be a fling, a little indiscretion to spice up her life, but then she got the text. An urgent text that Neve needed to get to Sul’s stat. When she gets there what she finds is his dead body and blood, so much blood. Scared of being discovered Neve starts collecting any evidence of her ever being there and in doing so also erases any evidence of the killer. What follows is a dangerous game of lies and deceit. Cat and mouse. Because somebody knows about Neve, and it might be the killer.
This was a highly addictive slow burn. Neve really got herself into a pickle. And the more she tried to cover things up, the more she lied, the deeper she got in. And not only is the killer wise to her, but also a very tenacious detective. This book completely hooked me I was so on edge throughout the entire book. The pacing might be a bit slow for some people and the writing a bit too descriptive, but it all worked for me. Although I kept thinking throughout this entire book... if Neve just left her husband rather than having an affair, none of this would have happened! I mean I get it sometimes life can be a bit monotonous but girl this could’ve been avoided. However then we would’ve have this great book! I loved how this book took the day to day,, the ordinary, and made it a little interesting, a little sinister. Tense and addictive, absolutely recommend.
This book in emojis 🔨 😖 😰 😨 😱
*** Big thanks to William Morrow for my copy of this book ***
This was a highly addictive slow burn. Neve really got herself into a pickle. And the more she tried to cover things up, the more she lied, the deeper she got in. And not only is the killer wise to her, but also a very tenacious detective. This book completely hooked me I was so on edge throughout the entire book. The pacing might be a bit slow for some people and the writing a bit too descriptive, but it all worked for me. Although I kept thinking throughout this entire book... if Neve just left her husband rather than having an affair, none of this would have happened! I mean I get it sometimes life can be a bit monotonous but girl this could’ve been avoided. However then we would’ve have this great book! I loved how this book took the day to day,, the ordinary, and made it a little interesting, a little sinister. Tense and addictive, absolutely recommend.
This book in emojis 🔨 😖 😰 😨 😱
*** Big thanks to William Morrow for my copy of this book ***
October 24, 2019
Don't 'cha think lies have too many caretakers?
Neve Connolly has found that out the hard way. Bored and seeking middle-age affirmation, she engages in an out-of-character affair with her new boss. Saul has an out of the way flat in the city that is perfect for these last minute meet-ups. No one is even suspicious. No one even knows.
The Lying Room takes us into the Lying Life of Neve. She's been married to Fletcher for almost twenty years with three very different children. Neve seems to be the oil in this wheel that keeps everything moving in the right direction. She's been the "go to" person within all of her friendships and her house is constantly filled with friend and stranger. But all that is about to change.
Neve receives a text to meet Saul at his flat. She travels everywhere on her bicycle. Nearly out of breath, she runs up the stairs and unlocks his door. But what meets her eyes will stay with her for a lifetime. Saul is found lifeless on the bed with blood everywhere. A hammer has been tossed carelessly to the floor by someone who had gained entrance into the apartment before her arrival.
I guess we would call this a bit of Darwin's Survival of the Fittest. Neve can't call the police or there'd be a lot of Ricky Ricardo 'splainin' to do, Lucy. Neve goes into overdrive and cleans everything in sight that may have her prints on it. She fills a bag with her things and feels satisfied that she's in the clear. Neve locks the door and leaves said lover perfectly in place. So much for the sentimentality of this affair.
But someone knows what Neve has done. And Neve, unfortunately, has left behind a little bauble that will definitely drag her back into this crime scene.
The Lying Room is great fun as the reader observes the little sweat beads forming on Neve's top lip from all the stress. This is one tangled up read with the irritating character of DCI Alastair Hitching who seems to show up along with the dust bunnies under the bed. The writing duo of Nicci French has a slick style of propelling this story along. Yes, it becomes detailed in some areas, but on the whole it carries itself along nicely. So many suspects.....so many bicycle rides to the crazy ending.
Neve Connolly has found that out the hard way. Bored and seeking middle-age affirmation, she engages in an out-of-character affair with her new boss. Saul has an out of the way flat in the city that is perfect for these last minute meet-ups. No one is even suspicious. No one even knows.
The Lying Room takes us into the Lying Life of Neve. She's been married to Fletcher for almost twenty years with three very different children. Neve seems to be the oil in this wheel that keeps everything moving in the right direction. She's been the "go to" person within all of her friendships and her house is constantly filled with friend and stranger. But all that is about to change.
Neve receives a text to meet Saul at his flat. She travels everywhere on her bicycle. Nearly out of breath, she runs up the stairs and unlocks his door. But what meets her eyes will stay with her for a lifetime. Saul is found lifeless on the bed with blood everywhere. A hammer has been tossed carelessly to the floor by someone who had gained entrance into the apartment before her arrival.
I guess we would call this a bit of Darwin's Survival of the Fittest. Neve can't call the police or there'd be a lot of Ricky Ricardo 'splainin' to do, Lucy. Neve goes into overdrive and cleans everything in sight that may have her prints on it. She fills a bag with her things and feels satisfied that she's in the clear. Neve locks the door and leaves said lover perfectly in place. So much for the sentimentality of this affair.
But someone knows what Neve has done. And Neve, unfortunately, has left behind a little bauble that will definitely drag her back into this crime scene.
The Lying Room is great fun as the reader observes the little sweat beads forming on Neve's top lip from all the stress. This is one tangled up read with the irritating character of DCI Alastair Hitching who seems to show up along with the dust bunnies under the bed. The writing duo of Nicci French has a slick style of propelling this story along. Yes, it becomes detailed in some areas, but on the whole it carries itself along nicely. So many suspects.....so many bicycle rides to the crazy ending.
September 27, 2019
Never has been married to Fletcher for twenty years. But she's also been having an affair with her boss. She gets a text message to meet him at his Covent Garden flat, but when she gets there, hes dead. His heads been caven in. In a blind panic, she scrubbed a the flat clean to erase any trace of her being there. Going out of her mind with worry, Neve decides to try and find out herself who had murdered Saul.
The Lying Room is a cleverly written psychological thriller. Everything in the book is perfectly described; characters, work place, home etc. The story draws you in from the beginning and doesn't let you go. Oh how Neve maddened me, cleaning the flat of all the evidence that she had been there, instead of calling the police. She was also cleaning away the murderers DNA as well. This is a twist filled and gripping read. I did guess all the way through to who might have been the killer, and I did guess right. My only criticism is that I would have liked more information about Mabel's past. It was referred to often but never fully explained.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Simon and Schuster and the author Nicci French for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Lying Room is a cleverly written psychological thriller. Everything in the book is perfectly described; characters, work place, home etc. The story draws you in from the beginning and doesn't let you go. Oh how Neve maddened me, cleaning the flat of all the evidence that she had been there, instead of calling the police. She was also cleaning away the murderers DNA as well. This is a twist filled and gripping read. I did guess all the way through to who might have been the killer, and I did guess right. My only criticism is that I would have liked more information about Mabel's past. It was referred to often but never fully explained.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Simon and Schuster and the author Nicci French for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 1, 2019
I’ve read several books by successful husband & wife writing duo Nicci French, and enjoyed some more than others, but am coming to the conclusion that while they write clever twisty tension-filled mysteries, I don’t enjoy the characters they create and I probably won’t seek out any more. I’ve read a bit too much in this genre in the last year which doesn’t help either.
Neve Connolly is a married graphic designer in her forties, who has injected some unexpected excitement into her stressful life by having an affair with her boss, the suave and sophisticated Saul. When he summons her to his Covent Garden flat on an ordinary weekday morning, she rushes over, only to find him dead on the floor from a brutal attack with a hammer. Fearful that the police investigation will reveal her infidelity to her family, she scrubs the flat clean to eliminate all evidence of her presence, then endures the anxiety of wondering whether she has got away with it as she struggles to keep her lies from her close-knit circle of friend-colleagues, not to mention her depressed husband, addict daughter and emotionally neglected young sons. (She spends more time with their guinea pig than she does with them!) Unfortunately, the Killer is still out there...
The start of the book paints an effective picture of the drudgery of Neve’s domestic life, and thus elicited some sympathy for her situation - I thought this was quite clever of the authors, so that her discovery of Saul’s body and the rush to avoid discovery provided some thrills, but unfortunately we rapidly return to monotonously detailed descriptions of every detail of her life, in fairly flat third person past style, which continue throughout the book. Neve is supposed to be a warm friendly inclusive person that everyone is drawn to, but her lack of remorse was actually rather chilling - she justifies her actions as being to protect her dreadful teenage daughter (mind you if you call a child Mabel you only have yourself to blame for how she turns out...)
Neve’s friends were equally unlikeable although the portrayal of a group of formerly fun-loving artistic idealists ground down by the vicissitudes (hurrah for autocorrect!) of middle-aged life and commercial realities was an interesting and convincing backdrop to the plot. They all drink too much, make excuses for one another and conceal their true feelings, as over the course of a fraught week for Neve, further devastating secrets are revealed.
What I did not find convincing was the police investigation - Detective Hitchings popping up at Neve’s office and home like a sinister admirer, his gut knows she’s lying but no one thinks to check CCTV and phone location services in Central London? Sorry but that felt ridiculous.
I didn’t predict the outcome of the plot, so kudos for that, although once it was revealed the ending was predictable and disappointing. There was an unnecessary flashback which I assume was to bolster the killer’s motive, but that for me added nothing. And in case you’re worried, Whiskey the guinea pig survives!
Overall, I think established fans of these authors will still enjoy this - and it has plenty of 4 and 5 star reviews already, but I expected more so am giving this 2.5, rounded down for the terrible quality review copy I received - capital letters missing all over the place! While I appreciate that these will have been corrected for publication, these are best-selling authors who should be able to employ a proofreader before releasing ARCS - I’ve had about 175 books from NetGalley now, and this was one of the worst formatted.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, which allowed me to give an honest review; I’m sorry I can’t be more enthusiastic, but do recommend other readers try it out for themselves.
Neve Connolly is a married graphic designer in her forties, who has injected some unexpected excitement into her stressful life by having an affair with her boss, the suave and sophisticated Saul. When he summons her to his Covent Garden flat on an ordinary weekday morning, she rushes over, only to find him dead on the floor from a brutal attack with a hammer. Fearful that the police investigation will reveal her infidelity to her family, she scrubs the flat clean to eliminate all evidence of her presence, then endures the anxiety of wondering whether she has got away with it as she struggles to keep her lies from her close-knit circle of friend-colleagues, not to mention her depressed husband, addict daughter and emotionally neglected young sons. (She spends more time with their guinea pig than she does with them!) Unfortunately, the Killer is still out there...
The start of the book paints an effective picture of the drudgery of Neve’s domestic life, and thus elicited some sympathy for her situation - I thought this was quite clever of the authors, so that her discovery of Saul’s body and the rush to avoid discovery provided some thrills, but unfortunately we rapidly return to monotonously detailed descriptions of every detail of her life, in fairly flat third person past style, which continue throughout the book. Neve is supposed to be a warm friendly inclusive person that everyone is drawn to, but her lack of remorse was actually rather chilling - she justifies her actions as being to protect her dreadful teenage daughter (mind you if you call a child Mabel you only have yourself to blame for how she turns out...)
Neve’s friends were equally unlikeable although the portrayal of a group of formerly fun-loving artistic idealists ground down by the vicissitudes (hurrah for autocorrect!) of middle-aged life and commercial realities was an interesting and convincing backdrop to the plot. They all drink too much, make excuses for one another and conceal their true feelings, as over the course of a fraught week for Neve, further devastating secrets are revealed.
What I did not find convincing was the police investigation - Detective Hitchings popping up at Neve’s office and home like a sinister admirer, his gut knows she’s lying but no one thinks to check CCTV and phone location services in Central London? Sorry but that felt ridiculous.
I didn’t predict the outcome of the plot, so kudos for that, although once it was revealed the ending was predictable and disappointing. There was an unnecessary flashback which I assume was to bolster the killer’s motive, but that for me added nothing. And in case you’re worried, Whiskey the guinea pig survives!
Overall, I think established fans of these authors will still enjoy this - and it has plenty of 4 and 5 star reviews already, but I expected more so am giving this 2.5, rounded down for the terrible quality review copy I received - capital letters missing all over the place! While I appreciate that these will have been corrected for publication, these are best-selling authors who should be able to employ a proofreader before releasing ARCS - I’ve had about 175 books from NetGalley now, and this was one of the worst formatted.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, which allowed me to give an honest review; I’m sorry I can’t be more enthusiastic, but do recommend other readers try it out for themselves.
April 24, 2020
It’s hard to find the truth when EVERYONE is lying...
PLOT SUMMARY:
Neve is having an affair - is it a mid life crisis? Or is she truly in love with this new man, Saul? I guess we’ll never know because the man ends up murdered in the first chapter! Rather than risk having her affair discovered, Neve (who found the body) desperately cleans the crime scene, removing any evidence of her presence but also removing any evidence the killer may have left behind. Who killed Saul? And why? Will Neve’s actions be discovered? Or will she live the rest of her life looking over her shoulder?
PROS and CONS:
There is one thing I have absolutely no patience for in books...and that is when characters make silly, ill-advised decisions again and again. It just annoys me so much. The Lying Room starts off with the stupidest mistake anyone can make, and then it just grows from there.
Having said that, Neve’s actions did set the scene for the entire book, so I guess they were necessary. Otherwise, the whole mess would have been cleared up very quickly.
I also had a few problems with the ending, I’m afraid there was one plot hole in particular that made it difficult for me to get on board with how it all wrapped up. It was definitely fast paced, and with many characters featured it wasn’t evident who the killer was. Aside from my frustration with Neve, I did enjoy the overall story.
YES or NO:
This one is a MAYBE - I know I become easily frustrated when characters don’t make reasonable decisions...so this one was just not for me. But...it could be just the one for you! There are definitely lots of twists and turns along the way!
3 Stars
PLOT SUMMARY:
Neve is having an affair - is it a mid life crisis? Or is she truly in love with this new man, Saul? I guess we’ll never know because the man ends up murdered in the first chapter! Rather than risk having her affair discovered, Neve (who found the body) desperately cleans the crime scene, removing any evidence of her presence but also removing any evidence the killer may have left behind. Who killed Saul? And why? Will Neve’s actions be discovered? Or will she live the rest of her life looking over her shoulder?
PROS and CONS:
There is one thing I have absolutely no patience for in books...and that is when characters make silly, ill-advised decisions again and again. It just annoys me so much. The Lying Room starts off with the stupidest mistake anyone can make, and then it just grows from there.
Having said that, Neve’s actions did set the scene for the entire book, so I guess they were necessary. Otherwise, the whole mess would have been cleared up very quickly.
I also had a few problems with the ending, I’m afraid there was one plot hole in particular that made it difficult for me to get on board with how it all wrapped up. It was definitely fast paced, and with many characters featured it wasn’t evident who the killer was. Aside from my frustration with Neve, I did enjoy the overall story.
YES or NO:
This one is a MAYBE - I know I become easily frustrated when characters don’t make reasonable decisions...so this one was just not for me. But...it could be just the one for you! There are definitely lots of twists and turns along the way!
3 Stars
October 7, 2020
"Whoever I see, they keep saying, talk to Neve Connolly, she’ll know. She’s the one people talk to, she’s the one people confide in."
Sigh.
This book was:
55% Neve's grocery shopping list.
(what are we having for dinner? F***ed if I know, Neve, but can't wait for you to spend the next four paragraphs describing the food in your fridge to me in absolute minute detail.)
20% Neve cleaning like the professional psychotic cleaner she is.
(and don't forget to feed the guinea pig, Neve... Neve, the guinea pig? Neve, YOU NEED TO FEED THE GUINEA PIG -- I really thought there was going to be a vital clue hiding in the guinea pig hutch but nope, just feeding the guinea pig, nothing to see here, thankunext.)
15% people dropping by Neve's house unannounced.
(why is no one concerned/suspicious at how often Detective Hitching is seen talking to Neve one-on-one?! If I saw that I'd be like "yep, she did it guys, she be murdering.")
10% murder.
(really.)
And the actual whodunnit mystery: thanks for picking the most uninspired choice of killer from this whole cast of headache-inducing characters. Literally any other character being the killer would've been way more interesting than what was given.
Le sigh.
November 21, 2019
This book was ok, nothing extraordinary about it, yet nothing terrible about it either. I feel like this book would have been a bigger deal about 10 -15 years ago when the thriller market was less saturated, but with how many thrillers there are out there these days and how competitive and twisted some plots are getting, this one just fell a little flat. It had a completely random reveal with no real red herrings to keep you on the edge of your seat, so no real twists, and our main protagonist annoyed me with her stupidity as she could have helped herself by doing the rational normal thing to begin with and avoided this whole mess!
September 20, 2019
Let me begin by saying that I have been a huge Nicci French fan ever since reading THE MEMORY GAME over twenty years ago, and I have read each and every book by this fantastic writer duo as soon as they came out ever since. You can therefore imagine my delight when I received an ARC of their latest novel THE LYING ROOM from Netgalley! And I am even more delighted to say that it was another five star read for me!
To truly appreciate Nicci French novels you must know that these are slow burning, character driven mysteries. Their power lies in the keen observation of the details of ordinary people living their everyday lives. Getting up, eating breakfast, going to work, bathtime with the kids, a silly argument with your spouse, reading in your flannelette pyjamas. Boring, Except that it’s not. Because among those ordinary people usually hides evil. Ordinary person next door or psychopath? Sometimes it seems to be a very fine line. But it’s those small details that bring the characters to life, make them relatable, ratchet up tension. If it can happen to them, it could happen to us. Ordinary lives spiralling out of control through just one small decision, one white lie, one step in the wrong direction. It’s then that the ordinary becomes sinister, terrifying, the stuff of nightmares.
THE LYING ROOM is no different. Here, our main character is Neve, a middle-aged woman and mother living an ordinary existence in London. After twenty or so years of marriage, the relationship has become a bit stale and routine. After a recent merger at work, even her job has lost its excitement, and the colleagues she has known since college are all getting older, too. Her oldest child is on the verge of leaving home, whilst the younger ones are firmly entrenched in a routine of school and homework and hanging out with friends. So is it really so surprising that Neve has a quick guilty fling with her boss, who for a moment or two makes her feel desired, and beautiful, and exciting? It would probably have all taken its course, except that one morning Neve receives a text from her lover to go and see him urgently. When she gets to his flat, she finds him dead on the floor, brutally stabbed to death.
What would you do? Call the police and confess your affair, risking your marriage, your career, the respect of your friends and children? Or leave, hide, pretend this has never happened?
Neve makes her choice, and her life will never be the same again. Like the gentle flutter of butterfly wings, her actions will have consequences and cause an avalanche of extraordinary events in her ordinary life. Slowly but inevitably, the line of dominos is tumbling, faster and faster until everything will come crashing down. It’s this gradual unravelling that creates almost unbearable tension that characterises Nicci French’s books and which always makes me come back for more. That, and the foray into the darker corners of the human psyche that make you look at your neighbours, your colleagues, your friends a bit closer, more suspiciously. Can you really be sure to recognise the psychopath in your midst?
THE LYING ROOM lived up to all my expectations and more. I devoured it. It may be a slow burner, but this small simmering fire soon consumed me and made me read frantically until late into the night. I couldn’t get enough of this book!
All in all, THE LYING ROOM was a clever, multi layered, descriptive domestic noir story that may have simmered slowly but with such tension that it really got under my skin – like only Nicci French can! With everyday details that could have been taken from my life, or yours, or the person next door’s, one decision causes an avalanche of events that will have your reading late into the night – right to its terrifying finale. A masterful psychological thriller I enjoyed immensely!
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
*blog* *facebook* *instagram*
To truly appreciate Nicci French novels you must know that these are slow burning, character driven mysteries. Their power lies in the keen observation of the details of ordinary people living their everyday lives. Getting up, eating breakfast, going to work, bathtime with the kids, a silly argument with your spouse, reading in your flannelette pyjamas. Boring, Except that it’s not. Because among those ordinary people usually hides evil. Ordinary person next door or psychopath? Sometimes it seems to be a very fine line. But it’s those small details that bring the characters to life, make them relatable, ratchet up tension. If it can happen to them, it could happen to us. Ordinary lives spiralling out of control through just one small decision, one white lie, one step in the wrong direction. It’s then that the ordinary becomes sinister, terrifying, the stuff of nightmares.
THE LYING ROOM is no different. Here, our main character is Neve, a middle-aged woman and mother living an ordinary existence in London. After twenty or so years of marriage, the relationship has become a bit stale and routine. After a recent merger at work, even her job has lost its excitement, and the colleagues she has known since college are all getting older, too. Her oldest child is on the verge of leaving home, whilst the younger ones are firmly entrenched in a routine of school and homework and hanging out with friends. So is it really so surprising that Neve has a quick guilty fling with her boss, who for a moment or two makes her feel desired, and beautiful, and exciting? It would probably have all taken its course, except that one morning Neve receives a text from her lover to go and see him urgently. When she gets to his flat, she finds him dead on the floor, brutally stabbed to death.
What would you do? Call the police and confess your affair, risking your marriage, your career, the respect of your friends and children? Or leave, hide, pretend this has never happened?
Neve makes her choice, and her life will never be the same again. Like the gentle flutter of butterfly wings, her actions will have consequences and cause an avalanche of extraordinary events in her ordinary life. Slowly but inevitably, the line of dominos is tumbling, faster and faster until everything will come crashing down. It’s this gradual unravelling that creates almost unbearable tension that characterises Nicci French’s books and which always makes me come back for more. That, and the foray into the darker corners of the human psyche that make you look at your neighbours, your colleagues, your friends a bit closer, more suspiciously. Can you really be sure to recognise the psychopath in your midst?
THE LYING ROOM lived up to all my expectations and more. I devoured it. It may be a slow burner, but this small simmering fire soon consumed me and made me read frantically until late into the night. I couldn’t get enough of this book!
All in all, THE LYING ROOM was a clever, multi layered, descriptive domestic noir story that may have simmered slowly but with such tension that it really got under my skin – like only Nicci French can! With everyday details that could have been taken from my life, or yours, or the person next door’s, one decision causes an avalanche of events that will have your reading late into the night – right to its terrifying finale. A masterful psychological thriller I enjoyed immensely!
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
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October 14, 2019
I'm at a bit of a loss on what I fully think of this novel. As an avid thriller reader and a lover of the domestic subgenre, I did enjoy the quick read and found it entertaining. However, I did have some issues with certain parts.
I needed more background on Mabel and why she was the way she was. If I had acted like that with my mother... uff, I'd hate to think how she would've reacted. I appreciated the realistic marriage in which both parties have become too comfortable and how marriages go through rough patches. What can be forgiven, what can't - the unknowing of how you truly feel over all in a situation that you may not feel stuck in, but you're not also happy in. Solid.
And then there's the murder itself. While I didn't figure out who the killer was until it was revealed, it didn't make a ton of sense to me. Not in how Neve figured it out. Not in the reasoning why. When we do get a little backstory, it still doesn't make more sense. Maybe I needed this elaborated more so that it was a clearer picture in my mind.
Now, aside from all of the above, the authors did keep my interest piqued. I did enjoy the group of friends and the longevity of their relationships. The complications that come as you get older and your lives change from partying college friends to being more responsible in your daily actions.
I think for the readers who don't read a ton of thrillers, this may truly be your cup of tea as it's a fun ride into domestic drama. Suspend some reality. For those of us who read a ton of these books, the ending may be a bit underwhelming and it's not much new from what we've read time and time again.
As my first Nicci French book, I'm glad I found these authors and am curious to read another by them to see how that resonates for me.
I needed more background on Mabel and why she was the way she was. If I had acted like that with my mother... uff, I'd hate to think how she would've reacted. I appreciated the realistic marriage in which both parties have become too comfortable and how marriages go through rough patches. What can be forgiven, what can't - the unknowing of how you truly feel over all in a situation that you may not feel stuck in, but you're not also happy in. Solid.
And then there's the murder itself. While I didn't figure out who the killer was until it was revealed, it didn't make a ton of sense to me. Not in how Neve figured it out. Not in the reasoning why. When we do get a little backstory, it still doesn't make more sense. Maybe I needed this elaborated more so that it was a clearer picture in my mind.
Now, aside from all of the above, the authors did keep my interest piqued. I did enjoy the group of friends and the longevity of their relationships. The complications that come as you get older and your lives change from partying college friends to being more responsible in your daily actions.
I think for the readers who don't read a ton of thrillers, this may truly be your cup of tea as it's a fun ride into domestic drama. Suspend some reality. For those of us who read a ton of these books, the ending may be a bit underwhelming and it's not much new from what we've read time and time again.
As my first Nicci French book, I'm glad I found these authors and am curious to read another by them to see how that resonates for me.
May 15, 2019
A perfectly pitched psychological thriller here from Nicci French, with very strong domestic drama elements and a twisty as you like storyline that is immediately involving.
I read this in one sitting, so caught up in the life of cleverly written main protagonist Neve, who faced with the dead body of her lover tries to extricate herself from a dangerous situation..
An ever more tangled web is woven as Neve tries to protect her family and herself, this is a highly engaging and extraordinarily addictive read, often unexpected and with an intelligent conclusion.
Some of my favourite parts involved Neve versus Inspector Hitching, those portions crackled with tension in a kind of cat and mouse chase with no real indication who might come out on top.
Overall a really great read. One for your October lists not to be missed. Don’t worry. I’ll remind you…
Recommended.
I read this in one sitting, so caught up in the life of cleverly written main protagonist Neve, who faced with the dead body of her lover tries to extricate herself from a dangerous situation..
An ever more tangled web is woven as Neve tries to protect her family and herself, this is a highly engaging and extraordinarily addictive read, often unexpected and with an intelligent conclusion.
Some of my favourite parts involved Neve versus Inspector Hitching, those portions crackled with tension in a kind of cat and mouse chase with no real indication who might come out on top.
Overall a really great read. One for your October lists not to be missed. Don’t worry. I’ll remind you…
Recommended.
September 29, 2019
For my complete review of "The Lying Room" visit: https://fictionophile.com/2019/09/29/...
What a roller coaster of a novel! Fast-paced, the novel depicts a woman on the edge. Neve's panic, tension and stress were palpable. You find yourself reading with a lump in your throat waiting for the axe to fall... Lies, compounded by more lies... so many that she barely remembers what the truth is herself. Unable to sleep, eat, or function, she finds herself trying to act 'normally' with a house full of people who unexpectedly descend upon her home. A home already chaotic, made farcical with the extra people.
"She was hot and sticky, hollow with hunger but nauseous with fear."
Neve, in her mid-forties, married for twenty years, was a character that engendered in me a lot of empathy. Although she did commit adultery, the authors made the reader completely understand the reasons for her actions.
The settings were clearly depicted. Neve, who traveled everywhere by bicycle, was overcome by a life that was careening out of control.
"Her secret was like a monstrous thing, growing bloated in the dark."
The plot was clever, as was the writing. The police in the story were described in such a way that you could feel Neve's heart rate speed up whenever they came in contact.
This is a domestic thriller that truly lives up to the label. Suspenseful, well-written, and very fast-paced, the story has themes of adultery, marriage, friendship, parental love, and of course... secrets and lies.
Highly recommended!
What a roller coaster of a novel! Fast-paced, the novel depicts a woman on the edge. Neve's panic, tension and stress were palpable. You find yourself reading with a lump in your throat waiting for the axe to fall... Lies, compounded by more lies... so many that she barely remembers what the truth is herself. Unable to sleep, eat, or function, she finds herself trying to act 'normally' with a house full of people who unexpectedly descend upon her home. A home already chaotic, made farcical with the extra people.
"She was hot and sticky, hollow with hunger but nauseous with fear."
Neve, in her mid-forties, married for twenty years, was a character that engendered in me a lot of empathy. Although she did commit adultery, the authors made the reader completely understand the reasons for her actions.
The settings were clearly depicted. Neve, who traveled everywhere by bicycle, was overcome by a life that was careening out of control.
"Her secret was like a monstrous thing, growing bloated in the dark."
The plot was clever, as was the writing. The police in the story were described in such a way that you could feel Neve's heart rate speed up whenever they came in contact.
This is a domestic thriller that truly lives up to the label. Suspenseful, well-written, and very fast-paced, the story has themes of adultery, marriage, friendship, parental love, and of course... secrets and lies.
Highly recommended!
September 14, 2020
Anyone else find that the memory cheats when it comes to certain authors?
I first read the writing duo of Nicci Gerrard and Sean French way back in 2007.
I'm sure that I really enjoyed Until It's Over at the time.
Whenever I now pick up books by this duo I inevitably find them to be just fine and end up being disappointed by them.
It ways the same again for their first standalone 'thriller' in 10 years.
The premise is actually quite good as mother of three Neve is engaged in an affair with her boss Saul.
Having received a text from him to meet up for some more fun, Neve heads over to his flat only to find him dead.
She instantly decides that the best course of action is to cover up their relationship and completely scrub the place clean - inadvertently hiding any evidence.
But with any murder enquiry Neve soon finds herself in an awkward position of telling lies once she starts getting questioned.
At this point the plot soon gets more farcical and in a way mirrors the more lies Neve has to construct.
Just like the story itself, the chapters were long and pedestrian.
Maybe the writing style was inventive at the time, but this just felt slow and drab and similar to Neve's own home life which led to the affair...
I first read the writing duo of Nicci Gerrard and Sean French way back in 2007.
I'm sure that I really enjoyed Until It's Over at the time.
Whenever I now pick up books by this duo I inevitably find them to be just fine and end up being disappointed by them.
It ways the same again for their first standalone 'thriller' in 10 years.
The premise is actually quite good as mother of three Neve is engaged in an affair with her boss Saul.
Having received a text from him to meet up for some more fun, Neve heads over to his flat only to find him dead.
She instantly decides that the best course of action is to cover up their relationship and completely scrub the place clean - inadvertently hiding any evidence.
But with any murder enquiry Neve soon finds herself in an awkward position of telling lies once she starts getting questioned.
At this point the plot soon gets more farcical and in a way mirrors the more lies Neve has to construct.
Just like the story itself, the chapters were long and pedestrian.
Maybe the writing style was inventive at the time, but this just felt slow and drab and similar to Neve's own home life which led to the affair...
April 27, 2021
How well do you really know someone?
That is the central question that runs through The Lying Room. Who can you trust? When everyone around you looks like a suspect, who can you turn to? I never knew where this book would lead. Surprises were around every corner. Definitely a must read for psychological suspense lovers.
That is the central question that runs through The Lying Room. Who can you trust? When everyone around you looks like a suspect, who can you turn to? I never knew where this book would lead. Surprises were around every corner. Definitely a must read for psychological suspense lovers.
September 14, 2019
Nicci French books are just reliably great, aren't they? The authors are masters of twists, turns, and hooks, with believable, flawed, human characters and experts in adding enough detail to make every scenario feel totally real.
This book takes the reader on a journey of growing paranoia, fuelled by circumstance and exacerbated by a lack of sleep and vanishing trust. The claustrophobia of having people constantly around and a growing lack of personal space makes it a really engaging story to follow.
As hinted in the book's title, a key theme of the story is lies piling up. Lies creating lies; lies upon lies creating a tower where one lie being discovered would cause the tower to topple.
There is a pivotal dinner party about halfway through the book which felt very Agatha Christie. The build-up scene to it felt a little soap opera at times, which was the only wobbly bit for me. It felt like it was supposed to both be a little light relief in a tense story, but also continue to build up a feeling of claustrophobia, however at times (the window being shattered just as guests arrive, for example), took me out of the realm of total believability.
I have two questions bugging me about one of the climactic scenes at the end:
Hopefully I've missed something that answers those questions, because if not it seems like a bit of a plothole in a crucial scene.
Overall though, another great Nicci French book, and I need to read more of their back catalogue!
This book takes the reader on a journey of growing paranoia, fuelled by circumstance and exacerbated by a lack of sleep and vanishing trust. The claustrophobia of having people constantly around and a growing lack of personal space makes it a really engaging story to follow.
As hinted in the book's title, a key theme of the story is lies piling up. Lies creating lies; lies upon lies creating a tower where one lie being discovered would cause the tower to topple.
There is a pivotal dinner party about halfway through the book which felt very Agatha Christie. The build-up scene to it felt a little soap opera at times, which was the only wobbly bit for me. It felt like it was supposed to both be a little light relief in a tense story, but also continue to build up a feeling of claustrophobia, however at times (the window being shattered just as guests arrive, for example), took me out of the realm of total believability.
I have two questions bugging me about one of the climactic scenes at the end:
Hopefully I've missed something that answers those questions, because if not it seems like a bit of a plothole in a crucial scene.
Overall though, another great Nicci French book, and I need to read more of their back catalogue!
July 19, 2020
How far would you go to keep your affair with your boss a secret? When Neve Connolly finds her lover Saul dead in his flat, she doesn’t call the police but decides to erase all traces of her from the flat so their affair doesn’t come to light. This triggers a spiral of lies that like a snowball makes itself bigger and bigger as Neve goes finding out about all the secrets her family, friends and co-workers are keeping.
“The lying room” is a great work of suspense. I found impressive how Neve was abled to keep track of all her lies, specially when talking to DCI Hitching. I loved the interactions between these two characters and how he used to pop up at her home when she least expected him. I also liked the complicated mother/daughter relationship. The only let down for me was the “villain” as I found the motive for the murder was a bit far fetched, hence the 4 ⭐️
Overall a great read, well plotted and with good characters.
Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster UK for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
“The lying room” is a great work of suspense. I found impressive how Neve was abled to keep track of all her lies, specially when talking to DCI Hitching. I loved the interactions between these two characters and how he used to pop up at her home when she least expected him. I also liked the complicated mother/daughter relationship. The only let down for me was the “villain” as I found the motive for the murder was a bit far fetched, hence the 4 ⭐️
Overall a great read, well plotted and with good characters.
Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster UK for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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