Lie Beside Me

DCI Jonah Sheens #3

by Gytha Lodge

The man lying beside you is not your husband. And he's not breathing . . . THE GRIPPING NEW THRILLER FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

'Full of corkscrew twists' Daily Mail
'Brilliantly done' Harriet Tyce
'Gripped me from the first page' Erin Kelly
'Absolutely brilliant' Claire Douglas
_______

Louise wakes up. Her head aches, her mouth is dry, her memory's fuzzy. But she knows she's done something bad.

She rolls over towards her husband, Niall. The man who, until recently, made her feel loved.

But it's not Niall lying beside her. In fact, she's never seen this man before.

And he's not breathing . . .

As the police's prime suspect, Louise desperately needs to piece her memories back together.

Because she's not the only one hiding something worth killing for . . .
_______

'Fast-paced but never rushed, with clues and twists to keep you absolutely hooked from the first page to the last' Jane Casey

'Clever, pacy, well-written and utterly gripping' C.L. Taylor

'A killer premise, razor-sharp writing, and twists to die for . . . Easily her best yet' Chris Whitaker

Praise for Gytha Lodge:

'A novel that literally makes you hold your breath then gasp out loud' VAL MCDERMID

'What a marvel! A corkscrew-twisty, knife-sharp thriller' A.J. FINN, bestselling author of The Woman in the Window

'An engaging tale of lust, rivalry and murder' Sunday Times

'Brilliantly formed characters and a twisty, clever plot had me turning pages well past my bedtime' HEIDI PERKS, bestselling author of Now You See Her

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

ebook

First published February 18, 2021

About the author

Gytha Lodge is a multi-award-winning playwright, novelist and writer for video games and screen. She is also a single parent who blogs about the ridiculousness of bringing up a mega-nerd small boy.

She has a profound addiction to tea, crosswords and awful puns. When not writing, she heads up a copywriting team at a global translation firm, where she generally tries to keep all the video-game writing to herself.

She studied English at Cambridge, where she became known quite quickly for her brand of twisty, dark yet entertaining drama. She later took the Creative Writing MA at UEA.

She has signed with Penguin Random House worldwide for the first three books in her crime series featuring DCI Jonah Sheens. She Lies in Wait will be released in January 2019 and can be preordered in the US and the UK here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/She-Lies-Wai...

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/198...

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Reviews

[MarilynW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lie Beside Me (DCI Jonah Sheens #3) by Gytha Lodge

I love this series and now I'll have to wait a year to read the next book. I have to go with the assumption there will be more because I want to see this team for a long time in the future. DCI Jonah Sheens and his team take on a very perplexing crime. The reader knows that a woman wakes up in bed with a bloody, dead stranger. The team arrives on the scene but what they find is a bloody, dead man in the front yard of the house. Right off the bat the woman, Louise, is hiding so very much and not just hiding it but actively covering up the truth. 

This series is one of my favorite police procedurals. We get to watch the tediousness of the paper/computer work, combing through hours or days worth of leads or scraps of threads. Putting in the miles driving from one point to another. There are hours of surveillance although Domnall O'Malley doesn't mind much because this is a great time to indulge in junk food (not that he doesn't do so the rest of the time). Juliette Hanson is still haunted by her abusive, stalking ex and her troubles just add to the compassion she can show to suspects and victims. Ben Lightman, good looking and stone faced, is both a workhorse at tracking down elusive information and at giving suspects a blank wall as he questions them. The team of four works well, whether together or following their separate areas of investigation. 

Scattered throughout the book are chapters by Louise, where she tells her story, wrestles with her memory losses, and allows us to watch as parts of her memory come back to her. As the team investigates the murder, coming against so much evasiveness from those they question and finding trails that go in so many directions, the picture gets fuzzier and fuzzier. The more they know the more perplexing the entire situation becomes. I really couldn't figure out much, there was just so much to think about. All three books have taken us along winding, tangled paths that make the hunt for answers so intriguing. 

Pub June 22, 2021

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Random House and NetGalley for this ARC.

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first rodeo with Jonah Sheens and my first encounter with the works of the author!

You may easily catch up Jonah’s backstory, his new relationship and past drama with his ex which don’t directly affect the story’s progression! Because in my opinion this gripping, riveting, definitely unputdownable journey’s one and only star is Louise Reakes!

She’s struggling alcoholic, drinking her sorrows, insecurities, her flaws, her husband’s disloyalty with his ex! She keeps hanging with April who is bestie/ confidante/ protective sister/ manipulator, drinking more to bring out the best version of herself!

We read her POV via her letters written for her husband Niall! She just pour out her feelings to those letter with too much honesty which hurt your heart. The outgoing mystery and whodunnit premise of the book may deserve four stars but the POV of Louise definitely earned ten stars from me! Especially the last chapter may be read as heart wrenching epilogue which I truly enjoy! I like complex, wounded, flawed, struggling characters because most of them are the most honest characters who mercilessly criticize themselves, peeling out all the layers they wear to disguise their true identities! I always feel closer to those characters.
Let’s take a close look to the plot line! Because the premise of this book truly interesting to capture your full attention!

Just like another usual meeting with her friend April at the bar, Louise drinks a lot but this time she finds herself lying with a dead man she doesn’t recognize in her own bed! Who was the man? Who did kill him? Could she be the one stabbed him? What really happened to her that night?

A simple stabbing incident directs the team to different back streets of drugs, lies, sex predators and too many ugly secrets!

There are so many unexpected, WTH twists truly surprise you! This book is freaking amazing wild ride! I enjoyed to follow ongoing investigation and team members’ own issues, including a stalking ex who is also member of the squad!

The author wrapped up the conclusion smartly. Some parts are unexpected and well played!

Louise’s story truly ached my heart! For so long she was best written, saddest, most realistic character I’ve ever read which pushed me to give 5 full stars to this exciting, intriguing page turner!

I’m planning to read the previous books of the series after realizing the incredible talent of the author!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Louise wakes up with a hangover (again) - she doesn’t remember much about the night before, and once again that’s become the norm. As she slowly gathers her thoughts, she realises that the bedsheets are soaked in blood, and even worse, there’s a dead man lying next to her, and it’s not her husband - in fact, she has no idea who he is.

Not unnaturally, Louise is the prime suspect here, and gradually, she tells us her own backstory, as she wrestles with details of events leading up to that fateful discovery. Day by day, the ordeal goes on within her head, compounded by her inability to remember just what happened, and her desire, AND fear, to uncover who murdered the stranger in her bed.

This was a clever, intense, and gripping page turner. ‘Lie Beside Me’ delves into the background and circumstances of a tense, unnerving murder mystery, where personal relationships come under pressure, and the ground shifts constantly for DCI Jonah Sheens and his team, as they seek a solution to this shocking and mysterious murder.

* Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review *

[megs_bookrack · Rating 4 out of 5]

**4.5-stars**

Lie Beside Me is the third book in the DCI Jonah Sheens series. As with many Adult Mystery series, these books don't necessarily need to be read in order.

Personally though, I would recommend it, mainly due to interesting background information involving the main detectives.

With this being said, any of the books in this series would also make great standalone novels. However, I feel like once you read one, you'll want to read them all!



With her husband away on business, Louise Reakes decides to get together with her best friend, April, for a ladies night. The women tend to hit the sauce pretty hard when they're together, something Louise has been trying to stop.

Upon groggily opening her eyes the following morning, Louise knows she failed in that regard. She's hungover as heck and is surprised to find a male body in the bed with her. Spoiler alert: it's not her husband.



Further inspection reveals the bed is soaked with blood. The man is dead!

Thus begins the confusing and complicated mystery as to who this man is and more importantly, how he ended up dead in Louise's bed.



By the time DCI Jonah Sheens and his team are called to the murder scene, the body is out in the front garden. Louise tells them she stumbled upon the body as she went outside to grab milk from the stoop.

This deception immediately starts the investigation off on the wrong foot.



Told through multiple perspectives, including Louise's epistolary-style recounting of her life with her husband, Niall, up through the night of the horrific crime, was incredibly interesting.

I loved the way Lodge pieced this all together. It felt slow-burn, but in the best way.



It kept me guessing until the very end. I thought it was one thing, then, nope, not that.

Then I really thought it was the other thing and I was sort of mad it was that thing, but nope, not that thing either. Then this other thing and I'm like, okay, okay, okay, this is it. Then it sort of was, sort of wasn't.



It was a ride!

As always, the police procedural aspects were great. I love this team and how well they all work together. Their personalities are so complimentary.



From the conclusion of this one, I am going to guess there will be more to come in this series and I'm so excited for it!

This is my favorite currently running Police Procedural Mystery series. I love how layered Lodge makes her stories; not to mention nail-bitingly disturbing. If you are looking for a new Mystery series to get into, I highly recommend this one.



Thank you so much to the publisher, Random House, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I really appreciate it and cannot wait for the next book!!

[Paromjit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gytha Lodge's latest in the DCI Jonah Sheens and his police team based in Southampton is an intricate, complex, multilayered, character driven psychological thriller that confirms Lodge's reputation as a brilliant crime writer. Musician Louise Reakes wakes up early one cold and snowy morning with no memory of the night before, and lying in her blood drenched bed beside her is a dead man she has never seen before. Horrified, her husband Niall abroad on a conference, expected to return later today, she moves the body to her garden and calls the police. Louise was a timid personality, until the genesis of a new persona on the day she meets her new best friend, wealthy American April Dumont, along with Niall, her husband to be.

She becomes Drunk Louise, a sparkling, confident, sociable and witty woman that people want to know until she begins to lose control, experiencing an increasing number of blackouts where she cannot remember what she did. As her life unravels, we slowly learn of her deteriorating relationship and marriage to Niall, her insecurities and hatred of Dina, Niall's ex-wife, and the nature of her friendship with April, a rock solid support and totally loyal woman, yet contributing to Louise's increasing dependence on drink. The dead man turns out to be fitness instructor, Alex Plaskett, in a same sex marriage with Issa Benhawy. As Louise's memories of that fateful night begin to return in bits and pieces, a clarity descends on her that it is up to her to find out what happened that night and address the mess she has made of her life.

Sheen remains largely in the background, a strong hand guiding the investigation, whilst the focus is on the rest of the team, the dependable and reliable DS Ben Lightman, Domnall O'Malley and DC Juliette Hansen in particular. Hansen left behind a abusive relationship and partner, Damian, in Birmingham. However, Damian has refused to leave her alone, stalking her, trashing her reputation with work colleagues, intent on destroying any new relationship she might develop, leaving her living in fear and constant paranoia. Just like Louise, Juliette finds herself facing challenges that push her into confronting the issues that look set to destroy her life. This is a riveting and compulsive read, with twists galore, it is tense and suspenseful right up to the end of the novel. I can't wait to read the next in this wonderful series! Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a similar premise to The Flight Attendant. A woman wakes up from a serious drinking episode with a dead man in her bed. But the similarities end there.
The book alternates between Louise, the woman who awakes to the body, and DCI Jonah Sheens and his team, charged with the investigation. Oh, and by the way, by the time Sheens is called, the body is in the front garden. Louise’s chapters are told in the second person, as she traces her relationship with her husband and her descent into alcoholism. She refers to her other self as “Drunk Louise”. Drunk Louise is the fun one, the one willing to take risks. But Drunk Louise is getting out of hand. Now, I can find second person narratives to sometimes be irritating. But this one worked.
There are lots of twists here. Everyone has something to hide. Lately, I’ve become really disappointed with the psychological thrillers I’ve read. This is a combo of police procedural and thriller, but it works on both levels. I was fascinated by Louise’s tale and her ability to observe her own psychological problems. There are loads of red herrings here and an ending I never saw coming. I felt so happy to finally have a thriller work for me after reading so many mediocre ones. Brava to Ms. Lodge.
This is the third in the Jonah Sheens series but it works fine as a standalone. The police procedural part of the equation also works well. We continue to learn more about the team. In fact, Jonah plays a smaller role than his DS and DC do.
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

[Ceecee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine going out one night with a friend, getting blind drunk and waking next morning with a dead man in your bed. This is what happens to Louise Reakes. Louise narrates part of the story and the rest is from the perspective of the police investigation led by DCI Jonah Sheens.

Now this is how you do a high quality police procedural! Apart from the fact that it is extremely well written with an excellent plot, one of the greatest strengths of the book is the outstanding characterisation. The police team are interesting, they are all well fleshed out, some have personal issues which makes them feel real and authentic. The character of Louise is especially fascinating as her narration seems honest and reflective about herself and her metamorphosis with the influence of both drink and her friend April. Her relationship with husband Niall takes the reader into interesting and unexpected directions. There’s fear at the root of much that is going on but it’s so multilayered that it keeps you gripped throughout. The tension ramps up well and there are some clever plot twists that keep spinning until the end. All my guesses were wrong and I love that! I did have my suspicions about one character from the start as there is an off tone so at least one aspect is right!

Overall, this is an excellent crime thriller which has depth in the storytelling. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for the much appreciated arc for an honest review.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lie Beside Me by Gytha Lodge is a 2021 Random House publication.

This series keeps getting better!

Louise’s husband is out of town, giving her the perfect excuse to go out partying with her best friend, April. The trouble starts when Louise, as per usual when she’s out with April, gets rip -roaring drunk, then April leaves her at the bar to run off with a guy she just met…

Louise wakes up with the mother of all hangovers and discovers a man in bed beside her- a dead man…

Panicked, Louise moves the body outside before calling the police…

She has no idea who the man was, and she can’t remember one thing that happened after April left the bar…

Once Jonah and his team are handed the case, they are genuinely flummoxed, but when Juliette makes a stunning discovery, Louise becomes the prime suspect.

Meanwhile, Juliette’s ex is still stalking her- but his interference is escalating, jeopardizing her new romantic relationship…

This book grabbed me from the very first paragraph and kept me riveted all the way to the very end. In fact, I put all other books aside to focus on this one exclusively. Man, this series is good!!

The psychological suspense is super tense, and the plot is well- executed. It’s a layered story with several stunning white-knuckle twists, before cleverly weaving all the threads together for a satisfying conclusion.

The detectives, though, are left with some heavy personal issues to cope with, and it will be interesting to see how all this plays out in the next installment, which I can’t wait to read!!

4.5 stars

[Faith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This police procedural was just ok for me. Louise, who is drunk a lot of the time, wakes up in her own bed next to a a murdered stranger. The rest of the book goes back and forth between the police investigation and Louise’s backstory. Her story is told awkwardly in the form of a letter to her husband Niall. Does he really need to be told how they met? Niall has his own secret issues with his ex-wife Dina. And then there is April, Louise’s best friend and enabler, a flamboyant American. We also meet the victim’s family and friends. There are way too many suspects and red herrings. There are also too many cops with personal dramas of their own. I finished the book, but it wasn’t great.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

[Linzie (suspenseisthrillingme) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waking up with a roaring hangover, Louise Reakes is already regretting how much she had to drink the night before. Realizing she forgot to close the blinds, she leans towards her husband, Niall, but senses that something is off. After all, she can’t hear his gentle breathes or feel his body heat. But before her fuzzy brain manages to make sense out of these facts, she feels something wet on her palms. She snaps on the light and is horrified by what she sees, for lying beside her is not her once loving husband, but a stranger she’s never laid eyes on before. But making an already troublesome picture even worse is the fact that he’s dead, lying in a pool of his own blood.

When DCI Jonah Sheens arrives on the scene, Louise is desperately trying to work out what transpired the night before. How did she land in this almighty mess? She, for one, doesn’t seem to have a clue as her memories are oddly vacant. For Jonah, it’s clear that she’s suspect number one in what is plainly a rather gruesome murder. At the same time, however, it quickly becomes evident that she’s not the only one with something to hide. Is this stranger’s murder as cut and dry as appearances would have them believe? Or has a clever killer managed to set up the perfect crime?

Hot tamale! The third book in Gytha Lodge’s DCI Jonah Sheens series, Lie Beside Me was easily my favorite… So far, that is. And considering how much I loved both of the preceding books, that’s truly saying something. Honestly, however, I really shouldn’t be surprised as Lodge has been an auto-buy author for me since her very first book.

The plot on this novel was truly unparalleled, in my opinion. Primarily a gripping police procedural, it nevertheless dealt up one altogether epic climax that surprised the heck out of me even though this was the second time I’d read this book. Even better, the twists buried within the storyline took me on a rocketing rollercoaster ride of shock and awe. But on top of the standard crime fiction narrative, the multitude of delicious subplots told through multiple POVs had me racing through the pages, eager to learn the whos, the whats, and the whys.

As with all of Lodge’s novels, the characters at the center of the book were pure dynamite. A compelling illustration of genuine and true-to-life individuals, the police team was comprised of imperfect people who were far from out-and-out heroes, but they nevertheless managed to get the job done. But in this third installation, we were treated to an absolute stellar main character in Louise Reakes. An unreliable narrator who kept me on the edge of my seat concerning her innocence or guilt, her slow unraveling made this book what it was.

Unbelievably clever, with a winding yet deftly engineered plot, this book was quite obviously yet another winner. It kept me guessing right up until the end, where each time I thought I had it figured out, the rug would be pulled out from under me in the best possible way. Even better, the story was layered in a way that is rare to find in not only a police procedural, but crime fiction in general. Like an onion, one mystery was revealed after another, only adding to the perfect complexity along the way. Perhaps that’s why this one felt decidedly more like a shrewd combo of police procedural and thriller. But, ultimately, it wasn’t until I closed the cover that I realized just how brilliant the entire story truly was.

Utterly bingeable, with sharp writing, evocative descriptions, and non-stop suspense, Lodge has most certainly done it again. With heaps of red herrings as well as loads of potential suspects, even the best armchair sleuth is sure to be outwitted. At the same time, however, it didn’t feel even the teeniest bit over-the-top or far-fetched. A feat that surely could not have been easy to attain. So if you’re looking for the ultimate series that can’t possibly disappoint, give this one a try. It’s certainly not one to be missed. Rating of 5 stars.

Trigger warning: fatal stabbing, alcoholism, stalking, gaslighting, OCD, arson, rape, unplanned pregnancy, blackmail, mention of: homophobia, emotional abuse, smuggling

[Luvtoread (Trying to catch up) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Louise wakes up in the middle of the night cold and thirsty from a long night of drinking and curls up against her husband and finds he is all wet so Louise turns the light on and finds not her husband but the dead body of a man she doesn't know covered in blood. Louise panics and knows she has to get the body out of the house before she calls the police and her husband because if her husband finds out there was a man in her their bed it will be the end of their marriage. Unfortunately Louise doesn't have.any memory of any of the events that took place lat night since she was probably in one of her blackouts again after a heavy night of drinking with her best friend April. Louise is a very gentle woman, could she have really killed a large man and not remember any of the events of the evening? How will Louise explain any of this to the police and her husband? Before long the police are knocking at the door and Louise will now be in a fight for her life and her marriage.

This was a twisty and clever police procedural story but the real star was Louise, herself. Louise is struggling with alcoholism denial and a marriage filled with secrets and lies. The police have a hard time believing Louise and her lack of memory especially when she tried to unsuccessfully hide the body and lie about the details of finding a stranger in her bed. This book is one in a series involving Jonah Sheen and his small but terrific team as they work by the book step by step, hand in hand to find the killer (or killers) responsible for brutally taking the life of an innocent man or could this be a case self-defense and the man attacking an innocent woman. There are so many twists and possible suspects in this story that I couldn't wrap my head around who the killer really was and every person involved was keeping big secrets and the lies continued throughout the story. Louise was a wonderful central character who needed help and was all alone trying to find her way out of the darkness that surrounded her a marriage that had fallen apart. I really enjoyed this book and recommend to any reader who enjoys police procedural or just a good mystery with many surprises from beginning to end. This can be read a a stand-alone story even though it is part of a series.

I want to thank the publisher "Random House Publishing Group -Random House" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this terrific book and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given a rating 4 Blackout 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great, complex thriller with many unexpected twists and turns. Louise wakes up to find a man beside her, not her husband, and he's dead. She doesn't even recognize him, has no idea who he is or why he's in her bed. She panics.

What a horrible realization that would be! She goes out partying with her friend, gets very drunk, and then finds herself in this nightmare of a situation with no knowledge of this man beside her. What happened? Did she kill him? Who is he?

There was a rather complicated investigation here with some incorrect conclusions, changing strategy, and surprising revelations going forward. I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Random House through Netgalley for an advance copy.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this police thriller! The detectives were a very small part of the action, for me at least. The victim(s) were clearly center stage...

It was a clever story that was divulged one tiny piece at a time. But it was always intriguing, never strained. I definitely recommend!

**Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the free advanced reader's copy!

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC of Lie Beside Me in return for an honest review. I have noticed that several crime stories have started with a similar concept where a person wakes up and discovers a person, maybe a partner or a one-night stand lying beside them in bed, dead and murdered. Once I saw that its author was Gytha Lodge, the author of two of my favourite 5-star police procedurals, I wanted to read it immediately. The two previous books featuring DCI Jonah Sheens were 'She Lies in Wait' and 'Watching From the Dark.' I found these to be enthralling, compulsive mysteries, but this one can work as a standalone. I regret I did not find this book as compelling, but it was still better than many police procedurals I have read.

Again, Gytha Lodge has written a complex psychological thriller with well-developed, intriguing characters. She shows the cooperative efforts, the numerous interviews, and the drudgery in solving a complicated crime and get to the truth hidden by lies and coverups. I found the characters who had some part in the crime unsympathetic and flawed, and I failed in becoming too involved in the outcome for any of them.

Louise wakes up one morning after a night of drunken revelry urged on by her friend. She had been an introverted person, withdrawn, and with a low self-concept. This was only one of a series of nights becoming drunk in bars. She liked the Drunken Louise. She feels her friend has made her into a better, more sociable, confident, witty person under the influence of alcohol. She flirts with men in the bars, but she never leaves with any of them, unlike her friend. She has begun to lose control of her drinking and has been suffering from memory loss, unsteadiness walking, and blackouts. Still, she relies on liquor to avoid thoughts of her troubled marriage and other problems.

Now, she is in for a horrifying, inexplicable shock. She awakes to find a man stabbed to death in bed beside her. She cannot recall seeing this dead man before and realizes the police will blame her for his murder. She also fears the anger of her husband, who was away on a business trip. He will accuse her of bringing men into their bed after picking them up in bars while drunk. She drags the body into the yard and lies to the police.

Louise narrates part of the story through her befuddled memory. She writes about what little she recalls about the previous night and of her husband's growing indifference towards her. The rest of the story is from the perspective of DCI Sheens and his team of police detectives. They begin an intricate police investigation. Of course, Louise is the main suspect for the murder. As the police dig deeper into the events of the night, they realize there are a large number of possible suspects with motives to wish the man dead or to frame Louise. The murder weapon is an unusual knife and must be traced to an owner.

This well-written, complex plot is full of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. Recommended!

[Erin Clemence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.

Expected publication date: June 22, 2021

Gytha Lodge returns with book three in her Jonah Sheens series, “Lie Beside Me”. A newbie to both Lodge and the Sheens series, I was completely pulled into the premise.

A young woman, Louise, wakes up after a night of drinking and partying, and there is a young man in her bed. What’s bad is the man is NOT her husband, Niall. What’s worse is it appears he has been stabbed to death. With no memory of her night, Louise is prime suspect number one. But Louise would never KILL anyone- especially someone she has never met before. Right? But even Louise’s husband isn’t convinced, and as the investigation builds, Louise finds out that everyone has secrets, especially the people closest to her.

I could tell there was a bit of a backstory already between some of the characters, which had likely been established in the first two novels. However, “Lie Beside Me” can also be a standalone novel, as it was easy to follow along with the characters and plot development, regardless of their previous relationships.

As is commonplace in police procedural novels, there are a lot of characters(both potential suspects and police members), but the main protagonists were likable and I was invested in their outcome. Lodge provides ample twists and turns, grabbing me at page one and not letting up.

Louise struggles with alcohol, which of course is a main component of this plot, but it also has its twinge of sadness and reality. She calls her alcohol-fueled self “Drunk Louise”, and identifies this persona as a separate identity from her own. It is tragic and emotional, but it is also utterly realistic and human. It is heartbreaking to hear Louise talk about the gaps in her memory that occur as a result of her nights of drinking to obliteration, and yet it plays such an important role in the story as well.

The story is told in alternating viewpoints, with chapters narrated by Louise and by various members of the police community (in particular detectives Henson and Sheens). I love police procedurals as they are narrated from the perspectives of the police investigators, and I am able to see how they think, understand their emotional investment, and get a bit of a glimpse into their lives. Lodge is able to give me all of this, and the character development in “Lie Beside Me” is strong.

The ending was definitely unexpected, and it seemed that each character had their own individual plot twist. Lodge ended the story completely, while still leaving the interpersonal questions unanswered, to be addressed in further novels. “Lie Beside Me” is police procedural done right, and I look forward to future Jonah Sheens novels (and I also hope to find the time to read the first two novels in this series as well!). Thanks to Lodge for providing me with a new detective to love!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lie Beside Me is another great instalment in Gytha Lodge's DCI Jonah Sheens series. While Sheens takes top billing on the cover, a significant portion of the police procedural narrative is from the perspective of his team member, DC Juliette Hanson.
The book opens with a jarring scene - Southampton-based professional harpist, Louise Reakes, wakes up disoriented after an evening of heavy drinking to discover that she's in bed with a male corpse, and it's not her husband's...
After the death is reported, DCI Sheens and his team arrive to investigate, quickly identifying the dead man as a popular local online fitness personality Alex Plaskitt. Initial inquiries make him seem an unusual victim of brutal murder.
The narrative perspective shifts back and forth throughout the book, from the police procedural element, as Sheens, Hanson and their colleagues track down Plaskitt's movements in the hours before his death, to Louise's perspective, told by way of a letter directed to her husband, Niall. It quickly transpires that Louise knows a lot more than she's initially willing to admit to Sheens and Hanson, but is suffering from apparent alcohol-induced amnesia when it comes to how Plaskitt ended up in her bed. We learn the origin of her relationship with Niall, and of her close friendship with the provocative April. Meanwhile, DC Hanson is again being stalked by her obsessive ex-partner, Damien, who seems intent on ruining any chance she might have of success in her job or personal relationships.
As with previous books in the series, Gytha Lodge builds complex characterisations, integrated into a multi-layered plot, with many unexpected twists and turns before Sheens and his team finally expose the villain.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Lie Beside Me, and would highly recommend the book (and the series) to any reader who appreciates intelligent, well-written character-based crime mysteries.

[Jayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars rounded up.

I was intrigued by this book's premise: a woman ("Drunk Louise") is sleeping, wakes up, and reaches for her husband. The man in her bed is not her husband and he is not breathing. He also has been brutally stabbed.

BUT THERE'S MORE: The police did not find the murder victim's body in Louise's bed. Instead, the dead body was found in Louise's front yard.

DID LOUISE DO IT? If so, how did the body of the murdered man get from Louise's bedroom to her front yard? Louise has no memories of the "night before" and quickly becomes the police's prime suspect in a murder investigation.

Although snippets of the police investigation were interesting, the majority of this book was dull and repetitious. Many times I had to pinch myself to stay awake.

The characters were one-dimensional and very difficult to embrace. "Drunk Louise" was whiny and her complaints and frustrations became very old, very soon.

How did such a compelling premise go completely flat? Not quite sure.

I listened to the audiobook and the two narrators did an outstanding job. Even highly skilled narrators, however, could not save this book.

BESIDES ME, many GR reviewers enjoyed LIE BESIDE ME. Unfortunately, this book was not a winner for me.

[Kathryn in FL · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a world of unreliable narrators, this book is definitely intriguing. I loved the narrator, Louise, who suffers social anxiety to the point that she disassociates from interactions from others. To cope with this discomfort, she began to drink, heavily when amongst others. This has strained her relationship with her husband but enhanced her closest friendship with April, a fun loving woman, who lives in the extremes. One day, Louise wakes with a dead man in her bed and a bloody knife close by, she doesn't have the faintest idea what happened. The police don't believe her and neither does the man's husband.

Things are complicated with the events surrounding the fact that her husband was away on a trip thus unable to provide an alibi. Soon, we learn that he has some secrets, he wishes to hide and his behavior becomes suspicious with the police and soon he is also under suspici0n regarding the murder. There are many extraneous details and a lot of interviews trying to get to the bottom of what took place during that night. I found the police activity interesting and liked how it was incorporated.

Slowly details enter Louise's conscious mind and as she shares bits of what she recalls, other matters surface, leading to multiple shifts in the investigation and details being uncovered. Nice red herrings all around to get you going in different directions. The secrets Louise's husband is keeping plays a part although not the way one anticipates.

We even get glimpses into the lives of several police officers as they put their all into the investigation. I loved the additional pieces of humanity added making the characters less one dimensional. Additionally, Louise doesn't seem sympathetic at all in the beginning and I can see some people maybe putting the book aside but I hope they don't because she is a better person than even she realizes, though I didn't always appreciate some of her choices.

I liked the writing. I liked the multiple connecting threads in the plot. The characterizations were great, too. This is my first Gytha Lodge novel and I appreciate the ARC copy I received through Goodreads by the author and publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.



MODEST SPOILER

I do have one issue with the story.




So seven days after being violently being hunted after leaving a bar and then sexually assaulted, then spending a few days in police custody, Louise decides to go out to a bar a few days later with the same woman, who abandoned her when this happened? Sorry, that isn't realistic. I have experienced similar trauma and I know others from support groups have as well, I assure you hanging out in bars is the furthest idea from our minds as far as having fun. Healing from the event and remaining safe is foremost on your mind, not partying.

[C.L. Taylor]

I started this book with zero expectations as I'd never read a book by Gytha Lodge before and now I feel as though I've discovered a new favourite author. Part psychological thriller, part police procedural Lie Beside Me hinges on a dead body mystery: how did a dead man end up in Louise's bed after a drunken night out? The pace fairly rattles along, never dipping for a moment and for every 'I think I know what happened' guess I threw at the book Gytha was one step ahead of me. What I found particularly enjoyable about this book is that it's not just Louise who's constantly looking over her shoulder, one of the investigating officers is too. It's important in a police procedural for the cops to have their own issues and I found Hearn's stalker storyline particularly gripping (so much so I now want to read the first book in the series).

I think what worked so well in this book is the balance between a police investigation and the emotion invoked by the crime. Erin Kinsley did it to great effect with Found and Gytha Lodge has nailed that balance with Lie Beside Me.

Clever, pacy, well-written and utterly gripping Lie Beside Me is one of my favourite books so far this year.

[Darinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A woman awakens to discover that the man beside her is not only not her husband, but he’s dead. Though she doesn’t remember what happened, she can’t believe she killed this man. When the police arrive, they find the body in the front yard. The woman is clearly keeping secrets and is a prime suspect.

Lie Beside Me is told using alternating points of view – the suspect, Louise, and the detective, Jonah. Louise is insecure and a struggling alcoholic. Jonah is trying to find a killer. The mystery is well paced and complex.

Lie Beside Me is the third book in the DCI Jonah Sheens series, but it can be read as a standalone. I’ve read the previous two books (She Lies in Wait and Watching from the Dark), and think this series is getting better with each book.

Twisty and intriguing. Lie Beside Me is a straightforward police procedural. A great series for fans of British police procedurals.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, though I wouldn't say I LOVED it. It centers on Louise, who wakes up after a night of drinking to a dead man who she doesn't recognize in her bed. The storyline goes back and forth between Louise's POV and the various police detectives working on the case.

I liked the police procedural part of the book but I did feel that it went back and forth between a lot of perspectives, and spent a little more time on Juliette's personal life than I cared to read. I found it somewhat jarring that Jonah was almost always referred to by his first name while others were almost always referred to by their last names, with some variation here and there; it was just distracting.

Louise's part of the story required me to suspend my disbelief in a couple of occasions and I didn't fully connect with her because she was just so insecure and I wanted her to be stronger. I did see her grow as the book continued though.

I really liked the ending of the book- I could not figure out who the villain was until it was revealed and thought it was really well done. There was some other stuff going on as well and the author did a good job of pulling it all together and tying up the loose ends.

All in all, good book, and I love to be surprised by an ending (which rarely happens these days). Despite the couple of things I called out that I didn't love, I'd recommend it for those who like police procedurals. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting premise (although it´s been done before) that derails mired in unnecessary twists and big plot holes. It seems the author wanted to use everything and it ends up being a bit of a mess. More is definitively less in this case
Drop the drug subplot, drop the "diary" which serves no purpose,drop the silly April reveal and it could have been much better,

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me hooked from the first page until the last. It had me guessing all the wrong people all the way through, I wouldn’t make a good detective as I had the finger pointed at all the wrong people. This book was twisty and lead you up all sorts of wrong turnings . I really enjoyed this book and even though it was the third in the series it read as a stand alone novel. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catching up on this series is quite enjoyable. LIE BESIDE ME is a captivating mystery filled with red herrings and a cast of suspects that kept me guessing until the very end. Louise wakes up after a night of drinking with her best friend, only to find that instead of her husband, Niall, next to her in bed, it's a strange man. Even worse, that man is quite dead. Louise quickly becomes the top suspect in the murder of this man, Alex, and DCI Jonah Sheens and his team focus in on Louise's memory gaps. But the more they dig--and the more Louise remembers--the more dark secrets they all discover.

I enjoyed LIE, as it's great blend of the actual case, delving into Alex's murder, and insight into the private lives of Jonah and his investigative team. For instance, we learn more about Juliette, who is being stalked and harassed by her horribly abusive ex. Lodge explores this topic very thoughtfully and delicately. There are other little side angles and crimes, too, which add depth and dimension to the story.

LIE BESIDE ME is told from Louise's point of view, and we learn bits and pieces as she remembers more and more from the night of Alex's death. We also hear from Sheens and his team. The only part I didn't really enjoy were excerpts where Louise spoke to her husband, explaining her evolution as "Drunk Louise"--these were emotionally focused short chapters where Louise talked about her alcoholism (my word, not hers) and how alcohol affected her life and their relationship. While I appreciated the psychological deep dive, those parts were a bit much, and I much preferred the action and gaining more insight into what went down with Louise and Alex. And, truly, the constant focus on alcohol was a lot; it made me feel uncomfortable at times!

This mystery has plenty of characters--enough to keep you wondering exactly what happened and how Alex wound up dead in Louise's bed. It's twisty and filled with surprises. The plot is intricate and puzzling. I just love a good British police procedural. 4+ stars.

[Claire Douglas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant read! Even though this is a series I think it can be read as a standalone too. I've never read any of the other books in this series, but after thoroughly enjoying this one I'll be buying the others. This thriller has such a great hook - imagine waking up after a boozy night out and finding a man lying next to you who isn't your husband. And he's dead! This is what happens to Louise right at the beginning of the story. From the first, exciting page I was gripped. Not only did I enjoy Louise's point of view - which is told in first person through a letter written to her husband - but also the detectives who are working on the case, in particular Juliette. A very gripping, fast-paced and totally addictive read. Highly recommended.

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great case with an outcome that you will never guess. Great series

[Bex (Beckie Bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a police procedural it’s part of a series book three but you could read it as a stand-alone though there is a lot of prior story threads concerning the officers involved so reading in order would probably give you more background and hence increase enjoyment. I’ve actually read the first book but not the second.

It’s told from multiple POV’s and focuses on Louise a woman in a dissatisfying marriage who relies on alcohol as a crutch. After a night out with her friend April, she awakens to find a dead man in her bed her memory of the previous evening a blank.

This had plenty of twists and turns and definitely kept you guessing it was well written and engrossing and I enjoyed it a lot. I also liked how the life’s of the officers investigating were woven into the narrative it brought them alive in my mind. The main character Louise was very imperfect but oh so easy to relate to we’ve all been Louise at some point. I definitely recommend if this is your bag it easily kept my attention till the very last page. I voluntary reviewed a copy of lie beside
me.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com

[Thais • tata.lifepages • · Rating 4 out of 5]

Louise wakes up to a big problem; she is hungover and a dead body is lying beside her on the bed. Such an exciting way for the author to start this book; with a thrilling murder! I found it fascinating, as we dive head first into the thriller.

The main character is very problematic, both with alcohol and marital issues, but still you feel this desire to help her figure it all out. She is presented in a very raw perspective, which makes it easier to relate to her feelings. The other characters, the detectives, are also described in a sensitive and realistic way so we feel compelled to cheer for them. It is more of a investigative reading, with layers of truth being uncovered chapter by chapter.

I loved the way the author brings all the characters together to solve the murder, at the same time she also shows a little bit of everyone's lives, making them more believable and real. Even believing I was a master of detective work and that I would be able to uncover the motive and assassin, I was not able to figure it out until the very end!

[Mary Books and Cookies · Rating 2 out of 5]

held my attention for maybe half the book, but the i got so confused with so many characters and the plot seemed unnecessarily convoluted, up to the point where i just didn't care anymore
and the ending was a twist that just came out of the blue, at least it seemed that way to me *shrug*

[Rachel (not currently receiving notifications) Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

After being unimpressed by Gytha Lodge’s series opener it was good to get reacquainted with this third novel and notice a marked improvement in the plotting and overall quality. The even better news is that this multilayered third novel works well as a standalone and has an excellent psychological component. Lie Beside Me opens with quite possibly the mother of all hooks with married musician, Louise Reakes, waking up from another night that has ended with her blacking out from too much alcohol to find a man she does not recognise lying dead beside her! By the time DCI Jonah Sheens and DC Juliette Hanson arrive the corpse has been relocated to the snow covered front garden, not that hungover and timid Louise tells them that, all adding to the impenetrability of uncovering just what has gone on. But what is clear from the off is that understanding what is going on in the life of Louise Reakes, and with her marriage to Niall and friendship with brash American best friend, Amber, is integral.

The narrative alternates between the police investigation and an open letter from Louise to Niall attempting to make sense of their disintegrating marriage of five years. Louise’s story begins with the night that she met both Niall and Amber and, with the aid of alcohol, discovered Drunk Louise. Encouraged by brassy Amber and helped by a few drinks, Louise becomes more sociable, gains confidence and finds her popularity increasing. With Niall’s manipulative ex-wife, Dina, still hanging around in the background the crutch of alcohol also gives Louise the poise to seemingly rise above it. Louise’s narrative indicates that Niall and even Amber are hiding secrets of their own as Lodge penetrates the trio of toxic relationships. As flawed as prime suspect Louise is, I found myself empathising and vying for her, perhaps because hearing her story and insecurities relayed so directly makes it apparent that where she has ended up is not entirely her own fault.

Initial progress by the team is frustrating slow with nothing seeming to add up and even the identity of the corpse, a gay and married fitness influencer who seems an all-round good guy makes no sense. Whilst a host of discoveries are made in the final ten percent of the novel leading to a slightly overinvolved denouement the story is fascinating. Aside from solving the crime Lodge also does an excellent job of fleshing out the police team with a mixture of backstory and personal goings on, including DC Hanson’s abusive past relationship and current harassment. The detectives under DCI Sheens all feel credible and very much part of a team making a concerted effort, with their individual characterisation having potential for further development. Whilst the novel does lack polish and holds back pertinent details in favour of cramming it into a convoluted ending I was impressed by the psychological insight and Lodge’s understanding of both protagonist Louise and the police team. I will certainly read more of this series going forward and am pleased that I gave it another shot.