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The Liars
From the bestselling author of Six Minutes and The Good Teacher comes a compelling family drama of marital secrets and family tensions set within an investigation of sinister unsolved killings.What if your search for the truth puts your family at risk?The close-knit community of Kinton Bay is shocked when fifteen-year-old Siena Britton makes a grisly discovery in the national park. She believes it's a skull from the town's violent colonial past and posts a video which hits the news headlines.Her parents, Meri and Rollo, aren't so sure. In 1998, their classmate went missing after a party in the Killing Cave. They're horrified to discover the destructive teenage parties are still happening, and Siena was there last weekend.While Meri is trying to keep her daughter out of trouble, she doesn't realise her son, Taj, has his own problems. And none of them foresees the danger that Siena's actions will create for the whole family.As more secrets are exposed, the police investigate whether multiple murders have been committed. If so, by whom? And is the killer still living in Kinton Bay?The Liars is a heart-stopping cocktail of family secrets, sinister unsolved killings and a community at war with itself.A wife burning with resentment. A husband hiding the past. Their teenage daughter crusading for the truth. Who can we trust?'One of my favourite Australian writers! Petronella McGovern consistently delivers smart, twisty page-turners guaranteed to keep her readers coming back for more!' Liane Moriarty'Compelling, contemporary crime fiction at its best. McGovern fully captures the soul of an Australian small town overdue a reckoning.' RWR McDonald, author of the bestselling Nancy Business
407 pages, Paperback
Published August 30, 2022
37 people are currently reading
1055 people want to read
About the author
Petronella McGovern
4 books225 followersPetronella McGovern writes psychological thrillers focusing on everyday characters and contemporary issues.
Petronella is fascinated by what makes us tick, the lies we tell, and the secrets we keep. She is the best-selling author of Six Minutes, The Good Teacher, The Liars and The Last Trace. Her books have been nominated in the Ned Kelly Awards, the Davitt Awards and the Australian Independent Bookseller Awards. The Liars was selected in the Top 100 Big W/Better Reading list for 2023.
Petronella grew up in a large family on a farm in New South Wales. Australian landscapes and the bush feature strongly in her stories. Among other adventures, she has worked on a summer camp in America and travelled in eastern Africa which inspired parts of her fourth novel, The Last Trace.
She has also co-written two non-fiction books - a travelogue of the 1960s, For Love and a Beetle with Ivan Hodge; and an Olympic memoir, Trailblazers: Australia's First Olympic Equestrians with Wyatt Thompson.
Follow Petronella on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PetronellaMc... or Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petronellam...
Petronella is fascinated by what makes us tick, the lies we tell, and the secrets we keep. She is the best-selling author of Six Minutes, The Good Teacher, The Liars and The Last Trace. Her books have been nominated in the Ned Kelly Awards, the Davitt Awards and the Australian Independent Bookseller Awards. The Liars was selected in the Top 100 Big W/Better Reading list for 2023.
Petronella grew up in a large family on a farm in New South Wales. Australian landscapes and the bush feature strongly in her stories. Among other adventures, she has worked on a summer camp in America and travelled in eastern Africa which inspired parts of her fourth novel, The Last Trace.
She has also co-written two non-fiction books - a travelogue of the 1960s, For Love and a Beetle with Ivan Hodge; and an Olympic memoir, Trailblazers: Australia's First Olympic Equestrians with Wyatt Thompson.
Follow Petronella on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PetronellaMc... or Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/petronellam...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
August 22, 2022
In 1998 when Meri was fifteen, she mixed with the in crowd, going to the Killing Cave on the weekends for the parties that were always the in thing. Some of the boys though, were cruel and sadistic, thinking themselves gods-gift. Now Meri's own daughter was fifteen and Meri was paranoid about her safety, and that of Siena's twin Taj. Little did Meri know, Siena was going to the same cave where her mother had gone twenty years prior...
When Siena and her good friend Kyle were out in the forest after the recent storms, searching for the entrance to the elusive Killing Cave, she discovered a human skull. While she and Kyle waited for the police, Siena took a video of the site and loaded it online. It wasn't long before trouble hit the small town of Kinton Bay. The disappearance of three young men from the town - did the skull belong to any of them? Or was it from a long ago massacre of Aboriginal people that Aunty Bim was trying to get the local police to listen about?
Family secrets, disappearing teenagers, searches for the truth - all feature in The Liars by Aussie author Petronella McGovern. The men who thought they could do no wrong, the corruption and lies - the local policeman, DCI Doug Poole, had his job cut out. He was a great character, determined to do better than the corrupt cops he'd outed in the past. Meri was a strong, passionate about her cause, character, as was her daughter Siena. I've enjoyed Ms McGovern's past releases and this one is another exceptional crime thriller novel. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Allen & Unwin for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
When Siena and her good friend Kyle were out in the forest after the recent storms, searching for the entrance to the elusive Killing Cave, she discovered a human skull. While she and Kyle waited for the police, Siena took a video of the site and loaded it online. It wasn't long before trouble hit the small town of Kinton Bay. The disappearance of three young men from the town - did the skull belong to any of them? Or was it from a long ago massacre of Aboriginal people that Aunty Bim was trying to get the local police to listen about?
Family secrets, disappearing teenagers, searches for the truth - all feature in The Liars by Aussie author Petronella McGovern. The men who thought they could do no wrong, the corruption and lies - the local policeman, DCI Doug Poole, had his job cut out. He was a great character, determined to do better than the corrupt cops he'd outed in the past. Meri was a strong, passionate about her cause, character, as was her daughter Siena. I've enjoyed Ms McGovern's past releases and this one is another exceptional crime thriller novel. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Allen & Unwin for my ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
September 3, 2022
What a fantastic Aussie crime book! I have read and enjoyed Petronella McGovern's previous books and enjoyed them. I think The Liars might be my new favourite of hers. It was a long books at over 400 pages, but it was so enjoyable that it didn't feel it.
Set in a coastal NSW town, 4 hours from Sydney, The Liars has so much happening at any one time. Kinton Bay is just starting to recover from COVID Lockdowns and the tourists are coming back. The whales are back and businesses are starting to make money again. So when 15 year old Sienna Britton and her friend Kyle find a human skull at the caves in Wrecking Point, nobody is very pleased. Especially as she posted a video on her You Tube channel and it starts to go viral. She believes it is from the towns colonial past, but the adults know that it is more likely to be one of the people that have gone missing from the town over the last 20 years. Her parents are worried that their pasts are going to be exposed, secrets that they have kept, even from each other, for 20 years.
But Sienna will not give up. She believes that their town was founded by a man who attacked and killed Aboriginal men and women and he should not be seen as a hero. the more she investigates, the more danger her family are in. Her mother, the reporter, discovers that the cases of these missing people have not been investigated as thoroughly as they should have been.
It is a small town murder mystery that will have you hooked. Told from multiple points of view and time periods, the story of Kinton Bay is a toxic and dark one, full of secrets and lies. You don't want to miss it.
A big thank you to Allen and Unwin for sending me an advanced copy of this book to read. Publishes in Australia, August 30th. Add it to your TBR now.
Set in a coastal NSW town, 4 hours from Sydney, The Liars has so much happening at any one time. Kinton Bay is just starting to recover from COVID Lockdowns and the tourists are coming back. The whales are back and businesses are starting to make money again. So when 15 year old Sienna Britton and her friend Kyle find a human skull at the caves in Wrecking Point, nobody is very pleased. Especially as she posted a video on her You Tube channel and it starts to go viral. She believes it is from the towns colonial past, but the adults know that it is more likely to be one of the people that have gone missing from the town over the last 20 years. Her parents are worried that their pasts are going to be exposed, secrets that they have kept, even from each other, for 20 years.
But Sienna will not give up. She believes that their town was founded by a man who attacked and killed Aboriginal men and women and he should not be seen as a hero. the more she investigates, the more danger her family are in. Her mother, the reporter, discovers that the cases of these missing people have not been investigated as thoroughly as they should have been.
It is a small town murder mystery that will have you hooked. Told from multiple points of view and time periods, the story of Kinton Bay is a toxic and dark one, full of secrets and lies. You don't want to miss it.
A big thank you to Allen and Unwin for sending me an advanced copy of this book to read. Publishes in Australia, August 30th. Add it to your TBR now.
October 31, 2022
3★
“ ‘Did you got to the cave when you were a teenager, Mum?’
Mum shook her head, got up and left the room without saying another word.
Siena lay back on her bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to believe that her school assignment had become national news.
And that her mother had just lied to her, outright. Hypocrite.”
This has all the elements of a good mystery: teens partying with drink and drugs (years past and now); disappearances/deaths? (old and new); murders (old and new); rapes (old and new. Oh, and gay-hate bullying and crimes. Add to that, small town rumours and suspicions and the continuing struggle for contemporary Australia to deal with its colonial past, and there's not much left.
Detective Chief Inspector Poole tries to remind his people to show some respect for the dead.
“Respect seemed to be sorely lacking everywhere. Poole had raised this at the last regional meeting. ‘It’s bloody Gen Z,’ one of the superintendents said. ‘They should be called Generation Me – they think they’re so important.’ But Poole knew it wasn’t that simple. The younger generations were inheriting a crumbling world; they didn’t respect the older generations, they blamed them.”
Siena and her twin brother Taj are born and bred Kinton Bay kids, the offspring of a couple from the previous “KB” generation, Meri and Rollo. Siena and her Aboriginal almost-boyfriend, Kyle, are visiting the so-called Killing Cave in the national park bushland, ostensibly for her assignment, when Kyle stumbles on a skull that seems to have washed downhill.
Kyle is understandably nervous because they are trespassing on an aboriginal site without approval of the Elders, but Siena’s real purpose is to try to find evidence of the colonial massacre of the local aborigines which Aunty Bim and the Elders talk about regularly.
This might be the proof she seeks, so she is excitedly filming for her YouTube channel.
“All that rain must’ve uncovered their bones. The past is talking to us and we have to listen. This is such a significant moment. Oh my god! I’m shaking. Sorry if the picture is shaking too. I can’t believe this.
But I’m going to post this right now, from here – unedited. And I’m sending it to all the media across Australia. We need to make a change.
Kinton Bay has to listen now.”
And do they ever listen! Her mother, Meri, is a journalist, and could have used a good scoop, so her editor is not pleased.
Awkward. Kinton Bay is named for the founder who killed and raped aborigines in colonial times, and there are lots of Kinton relatives around the place. This takes place in a fictional town on the NSW Mid North Coast, where massacre sites have been identified and acknowledged, and many landmarks are being renamed with local indigenous names.
Siena is passionate about the environment (collecting members for her koala club) and indigenous rights, so in her chapters, McGovern adds the conservation and reconciliation messages. They are also where Siena compares her own and her mother’s traumatic experiences in the Killing Cave (with partying, drug-fueled teen boys).
[Incidentally, the national news tonight had a similar story of teen boys attacking girls at parties. Nothing to do with this book, but...]
McGovern writes chapters from different points of view, and I was pleased to see each character’s name at the top. Top marks for that! The entries for Taj were in the form of short reports he is writing for his whaling project at school, giving the history and current state of the local whale population. Short entries of a few paragraphs.
The mysterious first-person has their own, unnamed (of course) chapters and is just that – mysterious. We don’t know who or where this person is, but it’s pretty obvious it’s someone who knows exactly what has happened to some or all of these old and new cases and is watching the news reports.
“Every news update repeats the same line over and over, ‘we have to wait for forensics to make an identification.’
I haven’t slept since the skull was found.”
There are a lot of red herrings and a lot of teaching opportunities, which I’m sorry to say generally leave me cold, but I’m sure many readers appreciate them. I think it’s a very real story of the activities and conversations that are taking place up and down the east coast of Australia right now.
I won’t discuss the ending other than to say I don’t find it plausible for a couple of reasons. I don’t even want to put them into a spoiler because I’m sure some readers who would enjoy this will peek anyway and ruin the surprise. (We readers are not to be trusted! I understand some people even read the last page first. ACK! But you can message me about this one if you’ve read it and want to chat about it.)
Thanks to Allen & Unwin for the copy for review. Incidentally, I’m often not a fan of anonymous women on covers, but this one shows the perfect age of a vulnerable mix of still-childish features on what looks like a teen to me. Excellent!
“ ‘Did you got to the cave when you were a teenager, Mum?’
Mum shook her head, got up and left the room without saying another word.
Siena lay back on her bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to believe that her school assignment had become national news.
And that her mother had just lied to her, outright. Hypocrite.”
This has all the elements of a good mystery: teens partying with drink and drugs (years past and now); disappearances/deaths? (old and new); murders (old and new); rapes (old and new. Oh, and gay-hate bullying and crimes. Add to that, small town rumours and suspicions and the continuing struggle for contemporary Australia to deal with its colonial past, and there's not much left.
Detective Chief Inspector Poole tries to remind his people to show some respect for the dead.
“Respect seemed to be sorely lacking everywhere. Poole had raised this at the last regional meeting. ‘It’s bloody Gen Z,’ one of the superintendents said. ‘They should be called Generation Me – they think they’re so important.’ But Poole knew it wasn’t that simple. The younger generations were inheriting a crumbling world; they didn’t respect the older generations, they blamed them.”
Siena and her twin brother Taj are born and bred Kinton Bay kids, the offspring of a couple from the previous “KB” generation, Meri and Rollo. Siena and her Aboriginal almost-boyfriend, Kyle, are visiting the so-called Killing Cave in the national park bushland, ostensibly for her assignment, when Kyle stumbles on a skull that seems to have washed downhill.
Kyle is understandably nervous because they are trespassing on an aboriginal site without approval of the Elders, but Siena’s real purpose is to try to find evidence of the colonial massacre of the local aborigines which Aunty Bim and the Elders talk about regularly.
This might be the proof she seeks, so she is excitedly filming for her YouTube channel.
“All that rain must’ve uncovered their bones. The past is talking to us and we have to listen. This is such a significant moment. Oh my god! I’m shaking. Sorry if the picture is shaking too. I can’t believe this.
But I’m going to post this right now, from here – unedited. And I’m sending it to all the media across Australia. We need to make a change.
Kinton Bay has to listen now.”
And do they ever listen! Her mother, Meri, is a journalist, and could have used a good scoop, so her editor is not pleased.
Awkward. Kinton Bay is named for the founder who killed and raped aborigines in colonial times, and there are lots of Kinton relatives around the place. This takes place in a fictional town on the NSW Mid North Coast, where massacre sites have been identified and acknowledged, and many landmarks are being renamed with local indigenous names.
Siena is passionate about the environment (collecting members for her koala club) and indigenous rights, so in her chapters, McGovern adds the conservation and reconciliation messages. They are also where Siena compares her own and her mother’s traumatic experiences in the Killing Cave (with partying, drug-fueled teen boys).
[Incidentally, the national news tonight had a similar story of teen boys attacking girls at parties. Nothing to do with this book, but...]
McGovern writes chapters from different points of view, and I was pleased to see each character’s name at the top. Top marks for that! The entries for Taj were in the form of short reports he is writing for his whaling project at school, giving the history and current state of the local whale population. Short entries of a few paragraphs.
The mysterious first-person has their own, unnamed (of course) chapters and is just that – mysterious. We don’t know who or where this person is, but it’s pretty obvious it’s someone who knows exactly what has happened to some or all of these old and new cases and is watching the news reports.
“Every news update repeats the same line over and over, ‘we have to wait for forensics to make an identification.’
I haven’t slept since the skull was found.”
There are a lot of red herrings and a lot of teaching opportunities, which I’m sorry to say generally leave me cold, but I’m sure many readers appreciate them. I think it’s a very real story of the activities and conversations that are taking place up and down the east coast of Australia right now.
I won’t discuss the ending other than to say I don’t find it plausible for a couple of reasons. I don’t even want to put them into a spoiler because I’m sure some readers who would enjoy this will peek anyway and ruin the surprise. (We readers are not to be trusted! I understand some people even read the last page first. ACK! But you can message me about this one if you’ve read it and want to chat about it.)
Thanks to Allen & Unwin for the copy for review. Incidentally, I’m often not a fan of anonymous women on covers, but this one shows the perfect age of a vulnerable mix of still-childish features on what looks like a teen to me. Excellent!
September 16, 2022
3.5 stars.
I love the cover of this one. So many secrets, so many liars. I found this quite busy, and this is what stood in the way of this being a good read, versus an excellent one, for me.
This is a story of a tight, coastal community, where many of the older generation don’t move away to the city, and past tensions and wrongs are always simmering, close to the surface, worsening and threatening to erupt. Corruption and greed are themes here, as is common in this genre.
Told in many voices via the many characters, each chapter labelled. I found this necessary as there were so many.
Meri is a local journalist, fighting to get quality articles out there. Her boss only wants to put happy articles in, reluctant to push for more meaty articles. He’s definitely a sneaky one and surely receiving kickbacks or benefits.
Toxic men are here as well, watching each other’s backs without a care in the world.
This book contains Indigenous themes, environmental issues, and LGTBQ issues amongst this small town, and a lot of intolerance.
A young crusader, following in mum’s footsteps, Meri’s daughter finds a skull in the area surrounding the caves, while avoiding the drinking and drugging that goes on there, just as it did in her parent’s times. She is determined to bring to light the wrong doings of the town, which date back to the early times of the founders. She is falling for Kyle, an indigenous boy related to the town’s elders, she is passionate for past wrongs to be bought to light.
The next generation are doing the same thing in the caves, which Meri does not realise. Drinking, drugging and generally boys behaving badly while taking advantage of young women.
I was left unsure about the ending, but I realise I am an outlier with this book. Most readers enjoyed this one more than I. I just read Six Minutes from this author, which I enjoyed more.
With many thank to Allen & Unwin for my physical uncorrected proof copy to read and review.
I love the cover of this one. So many secrets, so many liars. I found this quite busy, and this is what stood in the way of this being a good read, versus an excellent one, for me.
This is a story of a tight, coastal community, where many of the older generation don’t move away to the city, and past tensions and wrongs are always simmering, close to the surface, worsening and threatening to erupt. Corruption and greed are themes here, as is common in this genre.
Told in many voices via the many characters, each chapter labelled. I found this necessary as there were so many.
Meri is a local journalist, fighting to get quality articles out there. Her boss only wants to put happy articles in, reluctant to push for more meaty articles. He’s definitely a sneaky one and surely receiving kickbacks or benefits.
Toxic men are here as well, watching each other’s backs without a care in the world.
This book contains Indigenous themes, environmental issues, and LGTBQ issues amongst this small town, and a lot of intolerance.
A young crusader, following in mum’s footsteps, Meri’s daughter finds a skull in the area surrounding the caves, while avoiding the drinking and drugging that goes on there, just as it did in her parent’s times. She is determined to bring to light the wrong doings of the town, which date back to the early times of the founders. She is falling for Kyle, an indigenous boy related to the town’s elders, she is passionate for past wrongs to be bought to light.
The next generation are doing the same thing in the caves, which Meri does not realise. Drinking, drugging and generally boys behaving badly while taking advantage of young women.
I was left unsure about the ending, but I realise I am an outlier with this book. Most readers enjoyed this one more than I. I just read Six Minutes from this author, which I enjoyed more.
With many thank to Allen & Unwin for my physical uncorrected proof copy to read and review.
October 15, 2022
I was hard pressed to put this one down once I picked it up, it is compelling reading, in the small seaside town of Kinton Bay on the coast of New South Wales there have been secrets kept for many years, there has been cover ups, three people missing from 1998 these men have never been found were their cases investigated enough and can It all be happening again?
Meri and Rollo Britton have lived all of their lives in Kinton Bay, they have twins Siena and Taj, Meri is paranoid about the safety of her children and has an app on their phone so she can keep tabs on them and she has her reasons for this considering things that happened in her past, but are her two kids doing things they shouldn’t be?
When fifteen year old Siena Britton discovers a skull in the national park while researching past colonial history, Siena posts the video on YouTube and it goes viral this opens up a can of worms, her mother is not happy at all Meri is a journalist on the local paper and has lived in Kinton Bay all of her life, will her past now come back to haunt her and her husband Rollo?
Who does the skull belong to? Will it be one of the men who went missing years before and will further investigation cause problems for the Britton family and others in the small community, will the truth finally come out about the things that happened in the killing cave all those years ago, are they still happening now? So many questions so many twists and turns that me thinking and changing my mind.
This is a brilliant story, so well written it has fabulous characters Detective Poole investigated so well his wife Caroline a criminologist was great and Siena and Taj had me cheering them on and of course Meri and Rollo what they had been through and still they were strong and did what they should. MS McGovern has taken on issues that are in the news and done it so well with care and honesty. This is one that I would highly recommend, a captivating and gripping read.
My thanks to Allen & Unwin for my copy to read and review.
Meri and Rollo Britton have lived all of their lives in Kinton Bay, they have twins Siena and Taj, Meri is paranoid about the safety of her children and has an app on their phone so she can keep tabs on them and she has her reasons for this considering things that happened in her past, but are her two kids doing things they shouldn’t be?
When fifteen year old Siena Britton discovers a skull in the national park while researching past colonial history, Siena posts the video on YouTube and it goes viral this opens up a can of worms, her mother is not happy at all Meri is a journalist on the local paper and has lived in Kinton Bay all of her life, will her past now come back to haunt her and her husband Rollo?
Who does the skull belong to? Will it be one of the men who went missing years before and will further investigation cause problems for the Britton family and others in the small community, will the truth finally come out about the things that happened in the killing cave all those years ago, are they still happening now? So many questions so many twists and turns that me thinking and changing my mind.
This is a brilliant story, so well written it has fabulous characters Detective Poole investigated so well his wife Caroline a criminologist was great and Siena and Taj had me cheering them on and of course Meri and Rollo what they had been through and still they were strong and did what they should. MS McGovern has taken on issues that are in the news and done it so well with care and honesty. This is one that I would highly recommend, a captivating and gripping read.
My thanks to Allen & Unwin for my copy to read and review.
September 8, 2022
I admit I hesitated about entering to win a copy of this book as I wasn’t sure how I would go with it. But sometimes you just have to step out of your comfort zone. A comfortable read this is not. It is an all realistic read that deals with explosive issues too often swept under the carpet.
The story is told from the point of view of Meri. Her experiences back in 1998 as a 15 year old of the Killing Cave as it is called. Another main voice is her 15 year old daughter Siena. But also there are some chapters by inspector Poole and Rollo, Meri’s husband. Then there is the unnamed voice of one who has killed more than once and gone undetected for years. Secrets and lies start to be uncovered when Siena and her indigenous friend Kyle find a skull. Thinking it is a skull from Kinton Bay’s violent colonial past and the atrocities that happened then, Siena posts a video that hits news headlines. No one anticipates exactly the trouble that will be unleashed as a result of Siena’s actions. Meanwhile Siena’s twin, Taj has his own issues. The killer when revealed and why could be a surprise to many?
The northern coastal town of Kinton Bay, which relies heavily on a tourism and whale cruises and the like, has more than a few liars Or those who hide the truth for reasons of their own.
Unlike many others who found this book unputdownable, I was the opposite. I absolutely had to put it down at times because I found it hard to deal with the rape, drugs, sexual violence, language, attitudes and facts being presented. That’s more my problem than the book that I didn’t find it unputdownable. Sadly, this is a too real tale of females not being believed and males getting away with despicable sexual behaviour under the guise of 'boys will be boys' and the like. It is described in the book as 'toxic masculinity.'
As well as revealing the treatment handed out to our indigenous people it also highlights the choices and consequences of reckless decisions made in teenage years that can end up producing events which can affect a lifetime,
Did I enjoy it? No. But I do thank Allen and Unwin for my ARC to read and review. It is an interesting, and compelling read that is gritty and all too real. These are topics that need to be exposed and this book does it well with characters and setting that are entirely believable. A lot of information about whales is also included and adds another interesting aspect to this novel. Definitely worth reading.
The story is told from the point of view of Meri. Her experiences back in 1998 as a 15 year old of the Killing Cave as it is called. Another main voice is her 15 year old daughter Siena. But also there are some chapters by inspector Poole and Rollo, Meri’s husband. Then there is the unnamed voice of one who has killed more than once and gone undetected for years. Secrets and lies start to be uncovered when Siena and her indigenous friend Kyle find a skull. Thinking it is a skull from Kinton Bay’s violent colonial past and the atrocities that happened then, Siena posts a video that hits news headlines. No one anticipates exactly the trouble that will be unleashed as a result of Siena’s actions. Meanwhile Siena’s twin, Taj has his own issues. The killer when revealed and why could be a surprise to many?
The northern coastal town of Kinton Bay, which relies heavily on a tourism and whale cruises and the like, has more than a few liars Or those who hide the truth for reasons of their own.
Unlike many others who found this book unputdownable, I was the opposite. I absolutely had to put it down at times because I found it hard to deal with the rape, drugs, sexual violence, language, attitudes and facts being presented. That’s more my problem than the book that I didn’t find it unputdownable. Sadly, this is a too real tale of females not being believed and males getting away with despicable sexual behaviour under the guise of 'boys will be boys' and the like. It is described in the book as 'toxic masculinity.'
As well as revealing the treatment handed out to our indigenous people it also highlights the choices and consequences of reckless decisions made in teenage years that can end up producing events which can affect a lifetime,
Did I enjoy it? No. But I do thank Allen and Unwin for my ARC to read and review. It is an interesting, and compelling read that is gritty and all too real. These are topics that need to be exposed and this book does it well with characters and setting that are entirely believable. A lot of information about whales is also included and adds another interesting aspect to this novel. Definitely worth reading.
November 3, 2022
Petronella McGovern covers a number of big ticket social issues in The Liars in what is, effectively, a murder mystery in a small town setting. This is a novel that digs deeply into the psyche of a small town and uncovers an alarming history of disturbing secrets and crimes. All of it hidden by, as the title suggests, lies.
The complex mystery centres around the New South Wales coastal town of Kinton Bay and the lifelong residents Meri Britton and her 15 year old daughter Siena. Playing smaller but no less integral roles are husband Rollo and Siena’s twin brother, Taj.
Siena is an aspiring journalist who focuses on environmental issues as well as indigenous rights. It’s this final passion that finds her partying with local teens at Killing Cave, a long-time destination that has deep cultural relevance but is frequently desecrated by the locals. Her aim is to highlight what goes on there to bring a dark 200 year old atrocity to light.
But while she’s there she inadvertently unearths evidence of more recent murders when she stumbles upon a human skull. Immediately posting the video she takes on Youtube and then notifying a number of media outlets, she puts a spotlight on Kinton Bay and many of the locals are not happy about the instant notoriety it brings.
The story is told in alternating chapters from the perspectives of Meri, Siena, Rollo and Taj as well as from local police chief inspector Douglas Poole. Through each we are given a brief history of their experiences that include incidents of rape, sexual abuse, underage drinking and drug taking as well as bullying and intimidation. It’s a sordid history that throws up a veritable rogues gallery of potential suspects when it comes to who may be responsible for the aforementioned murder case, which actually turns out to be a series of murders.
Besides the murder investigation, which largely takes place in the background, The Liars reads more as a commentary on the deplorable treatment of girls and women by boys and men. The fact that the same treatment is handed out to women across two generations stands as a poignant reminder that, regardless of the lip service, nothing has changed.
For all of her naivete, 15 year old Siena is a remarkably strong character and is to be admired for her determination and bravery. She easily carries the story’s lead well.
The book does its job in calling out all of The Liars out there: those who have white-washed our colonial history, subtly altered news stories to suit their own agenda, victim-shamed sexual abuse victims and excused the behaviour of bullies and fraudsters. I found this to be a thought provoking story that touched on a wide variety of important issues.
The complex mystery centres around the New South Wales coastal town of Kinton Bay and the lifelong residents Meri Britton and her 15 year old daughter Siena. Playing smaller but no less integral roles are husband Rollo and Siena’s twin brother, Taj.
Siena is an aspiring journalist who focuses on environmental issues as well as indigenous rights. It’s this final passion that finds her partying with local teens at Killing Cave, a long-time destination that has deep cultural relevance but is frequently desecrated by the locals. Her aim is to highlight what goes on there to bring a dark 200 year old atrocity to light.
But while she’s there she inadvertently unearths evidence of more recent murders when she stumbles upon a human skull. Immediately posting the video she takes on Youtube and then notifying a number of media outlets, she puts a spotlight on Kinton Bay and many of the locals are not happy about the instant notoriety it brings.
The story is told in alternating chapters from the perspectives of Meri, Siena, Rollo and Taj as well as from local police chief inspector Douglas Poole. Through each we are given a brief history of their experiences that include incidents of rape, sexual abuse, underage drinking and drug taking as well as bullying and intimidation. It’s a sordid history that throws up a veritable rogues gallery of potential suspects when it comes to who may be responsible for the aforementioned murder case, which actually turns out to be a series of murders.
Besides the murder investigation, which largely takes place in the background, The Liars reads more as a commentary on the deplorable treatment of girls and women by boys and men. The fact that the same treatment is handed out to women across two generations stands as a poignant reminder that, regardless of the lip service, nothing has changed.
For all of her naivete, 15 year old Siena is a remarkably strong character and is to be admired for her determination and bravery. She easily carries the story’s lead well.
The book does its job in calling out all of The Liars out there: those who have white-washed our colonial history, subtly altered news stories to suit their own agenda, victim-shamed sexual abuse victims and excused the behaviour of bullies and fraudsters. I found this to be a thought provoking story that touched on a wide variety of important issues.
December 8, 2023
4 Stars
Mare, her husband, and two teenage children live in a small Australian coastal town.
This is told in the past and present.
In the past, Mare and her now husband went to parties at what is called The killing cave.
On a few occasions, there were disappearances that were never solved.
Years later, Mares daughter visits the killing cave and finds a human skull.
Mare gets concerned when she finds out her daughter has reported her findings and put it on social media.
As the police uncover the missing persons, Mare is doing her own investigation.
The povs are Mare in the past and present. Her husband Rolo,
Mares daughter and the killer who remains anonymous.
I liked this fast-paced story that had a good twist at the end. It also includes a lot of information on whales that might be disturbing to some.
Mare, her husband, and two teenage children live in a small Australian coastal town.
This is told in the past and present.
In the past, Mare and her now husband went to parties at what is called The killing cave.
On a few occasions, there were disappearances that were never solved.
Years later, Mares daughter visits the killing cave and finds a human skull.
Mare gets concerned when she finds out her daughter has reported her findings and put it on social media.
As the police uncover the missing persons, Mare is doing her own investigation.
The povs are Mare in the past and present. Her husband Rolo,
Mares daughter and the killer who remains anonymous.
I liked this fast-paced story that had a good twist at the end. It also includes a lot of information on whales that might be disturbing to some.
October 9, 2022
The Liars is the third novel by Australian author, Petronella McGovern. The audio version is narrated by Casey Withoos. When fifteen-year-old Sienna Britton and her indigenous friend Kyle Cooper find a skull near a cave in Wrecking Point National Park, the nearby resort town of Kinton Bay speculates: it can’t be the toolie who disappeared the other day; might the skull belong to a local teen missing for over two decades? One of various other persons gone missing over the years: a Swiss backpacker, a Brisbane nurse? A local businessman who received threats? But the teens are convinced that the skull belongs to one of the victims of a nineteenth century massacre of indigenous families carried out by the town’s founder, Geoffrey Kinton.
Needless to say, Kinton Bay’s business people, those reliant on the tourist trade, would be very reluctant to draw attention to the town’s dark history. But instead of taking the information to her mother, Meri, a journalist at the Coastal Chronicle, Siena posts it on her YouTube channel, making it a moot point: soon the whole country knows, and not everyone is willing to accept the adverse publicity with equanimity. Some have long-held secrets they don’t want exposed. Then, more bones are uncovered…
The story is carried by five narrators, one of whom is initially anonymous, observing what is happening in Kinton Bay and having a more intimate knowledge of the fate of those missing than anyone else. Flashbacks to 1998 gradually reveal a town in the grip of toxic masculinity, homophobia, sexism and racism.
DCI Doug Poole is determined not to sweep allegations under the carpet as an apparently corrupt predecessor had done. His investigations and interviews with residents also expose not-exactly-innocent victims, false leads and shameful secrets, guilt over trust betrayed and long-held resentments.
With popular culture references and evocative descriptive prose, McGovern conveys her setting and era with consummate ease. Her characters feel familiar, exactly the sort of people you run into in a town of this type, all the more credible for their very human flaws. Her journalist frustrated by her editor’s unethical stance, the tourism dollar taking priority over honest reporting, will likely strike a chord with residents of resort towns.
The story also touches on bullying, plagiarism, the conservation of whale species, and the recognition of the mistreatment of indigenous peoples by colonisers. The final chapter offers a delicious irony that will leave the reader wondering how a certain character of integrity will handle the dilemma about to land in their lap. Atmospheric and topical, this is a gripping page-turner.
Needless to say, Kinton Bay’s business people, those reliant on the tourist trade, would be very reluctant to draw attention to the town’s dark history. But instead of taking the information to her mother, Meri, a journalist at the Coastal Chronicle, Siena posts it on her YouTube channel, making it a moot point: soon the whole country knows, and not everyone is willing to accept the adverse publicity with equanimity. Some have long-held secrets they don’t want exposed. Then, more bones are uncovered…
The story is carried by five narrators, one of whom is initially anonymous, observing what is happening in Kinton Bay and having a more intimate knowledge of the fate of those missing than anyone else. Flashbacks to 1998 gradually reveal a town in the grip of toxic masculinity, homophobia, sexism and racism.
DCI Doug Poole is determined not to sweep allegations under the carpet as an apparently corrupt predecessor had done. His investigations and interviews with residents also expose not-exactly-innocent victims, false leads and shameful secrets, guilt over trust betrayed and long-held resentments.
With popular culture references and evocative descriptive prose, McGovern conveys her setting and era with consummate ease. Her characters feel familiar, exactly the sort of people you run into in a town of this type, all the more credible for their very human flaws. Her journalist frustrated by her editor’s unethical stance, the tourism dollar taking priority over honest reporting, will likely strike a chord with residents of resort towns.
The story also touches on bullying, plagiarism, the conservation of whale species, and the recognition of the mistreatment of indigenous peoples by colonisers. The final chapter offers a delicious irony that will leave the reader wondering how a certain character of integrity will handle the dilemma about to land in their lap. Atmospheric and topical, this is a gripping page-turner.
September 21, 2022
⭐️4.5 Stars⭐️
Gripping Aussie fiction!
The Liars by Petronella McGovern is the third fabulous book I have read by this talented Aussie author and I must say this one may be my favourite.
Set in a the fictional town of Kinton Bay on the mid-north coast of NSW, The Liars is a twisty Aussie crime mystery with a lot happening in the close knit town where almost everyone is somehow connected.
The Liars covers a number of relevant issues, including a towns dark history and violent past, teenage activism, family relationships, gay hate crimes, victim blaming and toxic masculinity. The story is told from multiple points of view (including the anonymous killer) and time periods. I especially loved the whale aspect of the story, very relevant and also very fascinating.
When teenager Siena and her friend Kyle find a skull near a cave at Wrecking Point, they unleash havoc on the town due to a massacre over two hundred years ago and past secrets connected to Sienna’s parents who believe the skull may belong to a school mate, a teenage boy who went missing in the 1990’s during one of the ‘secret parties’ held at the cave.
Siena’s mother Meri our protagonist works as a reporter for the town’s Coastal Chronicle newspaper, she still carries a lot of fear and resentment from her past. Siena’s father Rollo has a whale watching business, Meri had never imagined marrying the boy who was once a scruffy stoner.
The plot was clever, beautifully written with a big cast of suspects, a compelling read!
Publication Date 30 August 2022
Publisher Allen & Unwin
Thank you so much Allen & Unwin for a copy of the book
Gripping Aussie fiction!
The Liars by Petronella McGovern is the third fabulous book I have read by this talented Aussie author and I must say this one may be my favourite.
Set in a the fictional town of Kinton Bay on the mid-north coast of NSW, The Liars is a twisty Aussie crime mystery with a lot happening in the close knit town where almost everyone is somehow connected.
The Liars covers a number of relevant issues, including a towns dark history and violent past, teenage activism, family relationships, gay hate crimes, victim blaming and toxic masculinity. The story is told from multiple points of view (including the anonymous killer) and time periods. I especially loved the whale aspect of the story, very relevant and also very fascinating.
When teenager Siena and her friend Kyle find a skull near a cave at Wrecking Point, they unleash havoc on the town due to a massacre over two hundred years ago and past secrets connected to Sienna’s parents who believe the skull may belong to a school mate, a teenage boy who went missing in the 1990’s during one of the ‘secret parties’ held at the cave.
Siena’s mother Meri our protagonist works as a reporter for the town’s Coastal Chronicle newspaper, she still carries a lot of fear and resentment from her past. Siena’s father Rollo has a whale watching business, Meri had never imagined marrying the boy who was once a scruffy stoner.
The plot was clever, beautifully written with a big cast of suspects, a compelling read!
Publication Date 30 August 2022
Publisher Allen & Unwin
Thank you so much Allen & Unwin for a copy of the book
August 31, 2022
Thank you to Allen and Unwin for sending me a copy of this book to review.
Another 5 star book. We are blessed to have so many good books and authors to choose from. I could not fault this book. Loved every minute of it.
This book was full of suspense. It held up right to the very end. I loved the ending - unpredictable . I love any book that has 80's or 90's timelines. Love any book that involves missing people or cold cases. It is told by multiple characters but mainly by Meri and Sienna. It touches on subjects such as racism, sexism, and homophobia. It evoked alot of feelings in me such as sadness, anger, frustration . I really appreciated the Aboriginal discussions as well.
Highly recommend this book.
Another 5 star book. We are blessed to have so many good books and authors to choose from. I could not fault this book. Loved every minute of it.
This book was full of suspense. It held up right to the very end. I loved the ending - unpredictable . I love any book that has 80's or 90's timelines. Love any book that involves missing people or cold cases. It is told by multiple characters but mainly by Meri and Sienna. It touches on subjects such as racism, sexism, and homophobia. It evoked alot of feelings in me such as sadness, anger, frustration . I really appreciated the Aboriginal discussions as well.
Highly recommend this book.
August 8, 2022
The Liars is the third novel by Australian author, Petronella McGovern. When fifteen-year-old Sienna Britton and her indigenous friend Kyle Cooper find a skull near a cave in Wrecking Point National Park, the nearby resort town of Kinton Bay speculates: it can’t be the toolie who disappeared the other day; might the skull belong to a local teen missing for over two decades? One of various other persons gone missing over the years: a Swiss backpacker, a Brisbane nurse? A local businessman who received threats? But the teens are convinced that the skull belongs to one of the victims of a nineteenth century massacre of indigenous families carried out by the town’s founder, Geoffrey Kinton.
Needless to say, Kinton Bay’s business people, those reliant on the tourist trade, would be very reluctant to draw attention to the town’s dark history. But instead of taking the information to her mother, Meri, a journalist at the Coastal Chronicle, Siena posts it on her YouTube channel, making it a moot point: soon the whole country knows, and not everyone is willing to accept the adverse publicity with equanimity. Some have long-held secrets they don’t want exposed. Then, more bones are uncovered…
The story is carried by five narrators, one of whom is initially anonymous, observing what is happening in Kinton Bay and having a more intimate knowledge of the fate of those missing than anyone else. Flashbacks to 1998 gradually reveal a town in the grip of toxic masculinity, homophobia, sexism and racism.
DCI Doug Poole is determined not to sweep allegations under the carpet as an apparently corrupt predecessor had done. His investigations and interviews with residents also expose not-exactly-innocent victims, false leads and shameful secrets, guilt over trust betrayed and long-held resentments.
With popular culture references and evocative descriptive prose, McGovern conveys her setting and era with consummate ease. Her characters feel familiar, exactly the sort of people you run into in a town of this type, all the more credible for their very human flaws. Her journalist frustrated by her editor’s unethical stance, the tourism dollar taking priority over honest reporting, will likely strike a chord with residents of resort towns.
The story also touches on bullying, plagiarism, the conservation of whale species, and the recognition of the mistreatment of indigenous peoples by colonisers. The final chapter offers a delicious irony that will leave the reader wondering how a certain character of integrity will handle the dilemma about to land in their lap. Atmospheric and topical, this is a gripping page-turner.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Better Reading Preview and Allen & Unwin
Needless to say, Kinton Bay’s business people, those reliant on the tourist trade, would be very reluctant to draw attention to the town’s dark history. But instead of taking the information to her mother, Meri, a journalist at the Coastal Chronicle, Siena posts it on her YouTube channel, making it a moot point: soon the whole country knows, and not everyone is willing to accept the adverse publicity with equanimity. Some have long-held secrets they don’t want exposed. Then, more bones are uncovered…
The story is carried by five narrators, one of whom is initially anonymous, observing what is happening in Kinton Bay and having a more intimate knowledge of the fate of those missing than anyone else. Flashbacks to 1998 gradually reveal a town in the grip of toxic masculinity, homophobia, sexism and racism.
DCI Doug Poole is determined not to sweep allegations under the carpet as an apparently corrupt predecessor had done. His investigations and interviews with residents also expose not-exactly-innocent victims, false leads and shameful secrets, guilt over trust betrayed and long-held resentments.
With popular culture references and evocative descriptive prose, McGovern conveys her setting and era with consummate ease. Her characters feel familiar, exactly the sort of people you run into in a town of this type, all the more credible for their very human flaws. Her journalist frustrated by her editor’s unethical stance, the tourism dollar taking priority over honest reporting, will likely strike a chord with residents of resort towns.
The story also touches on bullying, plagiarism, the conservation of whale species, and the recognition of the mistreatment of indigenous peoples by colonisers. The final chapter offers a delicious irony that will leave the reader wondering how a certain character of integrity will handle the dilemma about to land in their lap. Atmospheric and topical, this is a gripping page-turner.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Better Reading Preview and Allen & Unwin
May 8, 2023
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The Liars by Petronella McGovern. (2022).
The close-knit community of Kinton Bay is shocked when 15-year-old Siena makes the grisly discovery of a skull near a cave. She thinks it is from the town's violent colonial past and shares the information in a viral video. But her parents, Meri and Rollo, think the skull is related to their teenage parties in the 'Killing Cave' back in the 1990s. When a teenage boy went missing. None of them foresees the dangers that the discovery will create for their family. The dangers of past deceits, silences and lies that have never been resolved.
I quite enjoyed this Australian mystery/thriller that was a real page-turner. The storyline explores some very big topics throughout including corruption, substance use and abuse, murder, sexual assault, environmental issues, and some exploration of the 'whitewashing' of Australian history. The narrative includes flashbacks and multiple point of views which worked really well to paint the picture of this small town and its inhabitants. I thought many of the characters were a bit flawed which made them realistic - nobody was perfect, some made silly mistakes/wrong decisions, while others were genuinely horrid people doing terrible things.
Overall: happily recommend this twist-filled entertaining read for any fans of mystery/thriller novels.
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The Liars by Petronella McGovern. (2022).
The close-knit community of Kinton Bay is shocked when 15-year-old Siena makes the grisly discovery of a skull near a cave. She thinks it is from the town's violent colonial past and shares the information in a viral video. But her parents, Meri and Rollo, think the skull is related to their teenage parties in the 'Killing Cave' back in the 1990s. When a teenage boy went missing. None of them foresees the dangers that the discovery will create for their family. The dangers of past deceits, silences and lies that have never been resolved.
I quite enjoyed this Australian mystery/thriller that was a real page-turner. The storyline explores some very big topics throughout including corruption, substance use and abuse, murder, sexual assault, environmental issues, and some exploration of the 'whitewashing' of Australian history. The narrative includes flashbacks and multiple point of views which worked really well to paint the picture of this small town and its inhabitants. I thought many of the characters were a bit flawed which made them realistic - nobody was perfect, some made silly mistakes/wrong decisions, while others were genuinely horrid people doing terrible things.
Overall: happily recommend this twist-filled entertaining read for any fans of mystery/thriller novels.
September 2, 2022
Meri Britton’s life is about to have frightening parallels to her 15 year old daughter Siena’s when the teen discovers a human skull at the Killing Cave in Wreck Point National Park and her YouTube post goes viral . Their sleepy hometown of Kinton Bay, 4 hours north of Sydney and stuck in the ‘70s, is about to undergo upheavals of leviathan proportions similar to the life stages of the humpback whales which pass by on their migrations: birthing, boiling, fighting, hunting and healing.
Meri, a reporter for the ‘Coastal Chronicle’, and her husband Rollo, a whale watching cruise operator, don’t talk about what happened 20 years earlier. No one does. Local gang the Wrecking Crew had a list of virgins, and unlike the hapless girls, they were untouchable – the ringleader’s uncle was the chief of police. Under his watch illicit drugs were regulated, 3 people went missing, the cases still unsolved. A much loved teacher committed suicide, leaving her female charges bereft.
The obscure cave is still used for similar ‘parties’, and studious activist Siena, is determined to locate it and document for her history assignment the bloodshed that occurred in 1847 following a shipwreck, calling for accountability of the town’s founding father. Could the skull belong to one of those massacred? The townsfolk want to keep their secrets, all their secrets, under wraps, the pact unbroken, the lies steadfast. But the troubles have been birthed, tempers are boiling, recriminations and acts of vengeance lead to fighting. More human bones and a rotting backpack are found by the forensic team, another person goes missing, The hunt for the truth becomes deadly.
‘The Liars’, the white-washers of our colonial history; fake news reporters; dodgy property developers; families who keep secrets from spouses, children and parents; and one talented deceiver who will never be exposed is a riveting read. Petronella McGovern adds another Aussie crime thriller to the must read list.
Thanks to Allen & Unwin for an advanced reading copy.
Meri, a reporter for the ‘Coastal Chronicle’, and her husband Rollo, a whale watching cruise operator, don’t talk about what happened 20 years earlier. No one does. Local gang the Wrecking Crew had a list of virgins, and unlike the hapless girls, they were untouchable – the ringleader’s uncle was the chief of police. Under his watch illicit drugs were regulated, 3 people went missing, the cases still unsolved. A much loved teacher committed suicide, leaving her female charges bereft.
The obscure cave is still used for similar ‘parties’, and studious activist Siena, is determined to locate it and document for her history assignment the bloodshed that occurred in 1847 following a shipwreck, calling for accountability of the town’s founding father. Could the skull belong to one of those massacred? The townsfolk want to keep their secrets, all their secrets, under wraps, the pact unbroken, the lies steadfast. But the troubles have been birthed, tempers are boiling, recriminations and acts of vengeance lead to fighting. More human bones and a rotting backpack are found by the forensic team, another person goes missing, The hunt for the truth becomes deadly.
‘The Liars’, the white-washers of our colonial history; fake news reporters; dodgy property developers; families who keep secrets from spouses, children and parents; and one talented deceiver who will never be exposed is a riveting read. Petronella McGovern adds another Aussie crime thriller to the must read list.
Thanks to Allen & Unwin for an advanced reading copy.
June 12, 2023
Everything is over the top in this one:every issue the author could think of is here,as other reviewers have pointed out:rape,abuse,LGBT,bullying, police corruption,Aboriginal massacres and rights,adressing the past,and I´m sure I forget a few. It does not make a cohesive whole,but rather an overblown mess.
Repetition, obvious red herrings: hinting both the male and female leads are guilty of "something",several times,when it´s obvious they really weren´t, because you see the ending coming and it´s-of course- syrupy.
Another author I tried and won´t read again.
Repetition, obvious red herrings: hinting both the male and female leads are guilty of "something",several times,when it´s obvious they really weren´t, because you see the ending coming and it´s-of course- syrupy.
Another author I tried and won´t read again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 2, 2022
“They never talked about the cave in Wreck Point National Park. No-one did.”
From Australian author Petronella McGovern comes her third gripping novel of psychological drama and suspense, The Liars.
On the outskirts of Kinton Bay, hidden in the dense bush of Wreck Point National Park, lies the Killing Cave. In recent decades it’s served as a haven for teenagers looking for somewhere to party but 15 year-old Siena Britton is determined that its history as a site of an unrecorded massacre of First Nations families by shipwrecked colonists who then went on to found the town, be acknowledged and reclaimed. When she and her boy friend Kyle, discover a skull near the cave’s entrance Siena is certain she’s found proof and uploads a video to ensure the tragedy can’t be swept under the carpet, sparking the concern of her parents and the wrath of the town.
Unfolding from the perspectives of Siena, her parents Meri and Rollo, local DCI Douglas Poole, and an anonymous killer, The Liars is a layered novel that explores family secrets and community tensions as a murderer stalks the town.
Siena’s mother, Meri, isn’t sure what upsets her more, the fact that Siena has been to the Killing Cove, the site of her own adolescent regrets, or that her daughter’s activism highlights the compromises she has made in her own journalistic career. Meri is a complex character with unresolved issues from her past that affects many aspects of her present.
Rollo understands when the local business owners complain that Siena’s crusade could affect the tourist trade they rely on, his own whale watching company is struggling to recover after the pandemic, but he is worried that the skull his daughter has found could be a threat to more than just his livelihood.
DCI Poole’s perspective centres the investigation to identify the skull, the subsequent questions it raises about the fate of four missing persons, and the concern that Kinton Bay is home to a serial killer.
I enjoyed the development of the mystery, or more properly mysteries, since there is more than one secret exposed, and more than one murder to be solved. McGovern’s plotting and pacing is well thought out, and distracted by several red herrings, I didn’t guess the identity of the anonymous character for some time.
Exploring themes of regret, resentment and revenge, McGovern raises a number of issues in The Liars including the whitewashing of Australian history, corruption, media bias, homophobia, and violence against women, which the author handles with realism and sensitivity. She also touches on themes of identity, family and friendship, which are also reflected in the information about whales that introduces the five sections of the novel.
With its intriguing mysteries, complex characters and thought provoking contemporary themes, The Liars is a compelling read.
From Australian author Petronella McGovern comes her third gripping novel of psychological drama and suspense, The Liars.
On the outskirts of Kinton Bay, hidden in the dense bush of Wreck Point National Park, lies the Killing Cave. In recent decades it’s served as a haven for teenagers looking for somewhere to party but 15 year-old Siena Britton is determined that its history as a site of an unrecorded massacre of First Nations families by shipwrecked colonists who then went on to found the town, be acknowledged and reclaimed. When she and her boy friend Kyle, discover a skull near the cave’s entrance Siena is certain she’s found proof and uploads a video to ensure the tragedy can’t be swept under the carpet, sparking the concern of her parents and the wrath of the town.
Unfolding from the perspectives of Siena, her parents Meri and Rollo, local DCI Douglas Poole, and an anonymous killer, The Liars is a layered novel that explores family secrets and community tensions as a murderer stalks the town.
Siena’s mother, Meri, isn’t sure what upsets her more, the fact that Siena has been to the Killing Cove, the site of her own adolescent regrets, or that her daughter’s activism highlights the compromises she has made in her own journalistic career. Meri is a complex character with unresolved issues from her past that affects many aspects of her present.
Rollo understands when the local business owners complain that Siena’s crusade could affect the tourist trade they rely on, his own whale watching company is struggling to recover after the pandemic, but he is worried that the skull his daughter has found could be a threat to more than just his livelihood.
DCI Poole’s perspective centres the investigation to identify the skull, the subsequent questions it raises about the fate of four missing persons, and the concern that Kinton Bay is home to a serial killer.
I enjoyed the development of the mystery, or more properly mysteries, since there is more than one secret exposed, and more than one murder to be solved. McGovern’s plotting and pacing is well thought out, and distracted by several red herrings, I didn’t guess the identity of the anonymous character for some time.
Exploring themes of regret, resentment and revenge, McGovern raises a number of issues in The Liars including the whitewashing of Australian history, corruption, media bias, homophobia, and violence against women, which the author handles with realism and sensitivity. She also touches on themes of identity, family and friendship, which are also reflected in the information about whales that introduces the five sections of the novel.
With its intriguing mysteries, complex characters and thought provoking contemporary themes, The Liars is a compelling read.
September 27, 2022
Thank you Allen & Unwin for sending us a copy to read and review.
The third release from superstar bestselling thriller writer Petronella McGovern and I can firmly say my favourite.
The people in a small suburban community are forced together when a teenager makes a tragic discovery, causing the news to sweep the nation.
But the parents of the teenager believe it is a result of their partying from the 1990’s.
Secrets, lies, deception, deceit and the silence they promised each other is about to make it’s dangerous debut.
A clever idea, sneaky characters, a creepy atmosphere, tense moments, a thrilling ride and an ending that floored me.
It’s emotional, entertaining, compelling and penned by a talented writer.
It seems to me that Petronella is in her element when writing a psychological drama as it sparkles though the pages.
Giving her readers a cast, their situations and much melodrama to get the mind working overtime and keeping you guessing until the very end.
Well written, strong, shrewdly portrayed, vivid and one that’s definitely going to be a hit!
A superior release that’s cemented Petronella as one of our brightest stars and a tale that will seduce you.
The third release from superstar bestselling thriller writer Petronella McGovern and I can firmly say my favourite.
The people in a small suburban community are forced together when a teenager makes a tragic discovery, causing the news to sweep the nation.
But the parents of the teenager believe it is a result of their partying from the 1990’s.
Secrets, lies, deception, deceit and the silence they promised each other is about to make it’s dangerous debut.
A clever idea, sneaky characters, a creepy atmosphere, tense moments, a thrilling ride and an ending that floored me.
It’s emotional, entertaining, compelling and penned by a talented writer.
It seems to me that Petronella is in her element when writing a psychological drama as it sparkles though the pages.
Giving her readers a cast, their situations and much melodrama to get the mind working overtime and keeping you guessing until the very end.
Well written, strong, shrewdly portrayed, vivid and one that’s definitely going to be a hit!
A superior release that’s cemented Petronella as one of our brightest stars and a tale that will seduce you.
December 20, 2022
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One of Australia’s favourite authors in the contemporary field returns with her latest top-notch release, The Liars. A viscous tale of family, secrets, lies, murder, suspense and small-town issues, The Liars proved to be an exciting novel that kept me guessing from cover to cover.
The Liars takes the reader to Kinton Bay, a small coastal community that is in shock when a local teenager stumbles across skeletal remains in a cave nestled in a nearby national park. With the town housing plenty of unsolved mysteries and a dark colonial history, the remains found in this local national park could belong to anyone. When the teenager who discovered the bones posts a video about her experience, it goes viral. The unearthing of these bones also sends shock waves through the community of Kinton Bay. An old missing persons case bubbles to the surface – could this body be the remains of a classmate who perished two decades ago? What trouble and issues will arise in the wake of this frightful discovery?
Petronella McGovern has been on the up in the Australian publishing industry since the release of her debut novel Six Minutes. It is great to see McGovern return with a gripping new novel. I think The Liars is McGovern’s best yet.
Format wise, I loved how The Liars is structured. Relayed over five main parts and in a shared narration set, I was utterly magnetised by this one. The overarching theme of whales sings through this novel. I was amazed from the start by the informative interludes containing anecdotes of this majestic creature, it tied in so well to the coastal setting. There is so much to unpack in The Liars, but I never felt overwhelmed. With themes of the past, maritime history, coastal dangers, Indigenous connections, social media, date rape, homophobia, reporting, abuse, extortion and power, The Liars is completely consuming. There are also a number of mysteries linked to the main murder case, which definitely exercised my mind. I loved the unknown narrator component, it certainly added a significant air of intrigue. Relationships of varying sorts underpin The Liars, which range from parental, to marriage, siblings and friendships, which helped me to become deeply invested in the Kinton Bay community. The pace zips along quickly as this psychological tale unfolds and the reader is kept in the dark until the final hour. I was surprised but how much this one affected me, I really did connect with The Liars.
A textured psychological thriller that encompasses voices of truth, lies, deceit, deception and benevolence, The Liars is a first rate read that I mightily recommend.
*Thanks extended to Allen & Unwin for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
One of Australia’s favourite authors in the contemporary field returns with her latest top-notch release, The Liars. A viscous tale of family, secrets, lies, murder, suspense and small-town issues, The Liars proved to be an exciting novel that kept me guessing from cover to cover.
The Liars takes the reader to Kinton Bay, a small coastal community that is in shock when a local teenager stumbles across skeletal remains in a cave nestled in a nearby national park. With the town housing plenty of unsolved mysteries and a dark colonial history, the remains found in this local national park could belong to anyone. When the teenager who discovered the bones posts a video about her experience, it goes viral. The unearthing of these bones also sends shock waves through the community of Kinton Bay. An old missing persons case bubbles to the surface – could this body be the remains of a classmate who perished two decades ago? What trouble and issues will arise in the wake of this frightful discovery?
Petronella McGovern has been on the up in the Australian publishing industry since the release of her debut novel Six Minutes. It is great to see McGovern return with a gripping new novel. I think The Liars is McGovern’s best yet.
Format wise, I loved how The Liars is structured. Relayed over five main parts and in a shared narration set, I was utterly magnetised by this one. The overarching theme of whales sings through this novel. I was amazed from the start by the informative interludes containing anecdotes of this majestic creature, it tied in so well to the coastal setting. There is so much to unpack in The Liars, but I never felt overwhelmed. With themes of the past, maritime history, coastal dangers, Indigenous connections, social media, date rape, homophobia, reporting, abuse, extortion and power, The Liars is completely consuming. There are also a number of mysteries linked to the main murder case, which definitely exercised my mind. I loved the unknown narrator component, it certainly added a significant air of intrigue. Relationships of varying sorts underpin The Liars, which range from parental, to marriage, siblings and friendships, which helped me to become deeply invested in the Kinton Bay community. The pace zips along quickly as this psychological tale unfolds and the reader is kept in the dark until the final hour. I was surprised but how much this one affected me, I really did connect with The Liars.
A textured psychological thriller that encompasses voices of truth, lies, deceit, deception and benevolence, The Liars is a first rate read that I mightily recommend.
*Thanks extended to Allen & Unwin for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.
August 3, 2022
‘They didn’t talk about the cave in Wreck Point National Park. No-one did.’
The small Australian town of Kinton Bay is shocked when fifteen-year-old Siena Britton finds a human skull in the national park. Siena believes that it is a skull from the town’s violent colonial past and wastes no time posting a video which hits the news headlines. Her parents, Meri and Rollo, are less certain. They remember a classmate went missing after a party in 1998. Meri, concerned to protect her children, has a location application on their phones. This gives Meri a sense of security, but it may not protect either Siena or her twin brother Taj.
As the past makes its way into the present, the local police revisit several missing person cases. Further grim discoveries have the town on edge: have multiple murders been committed? And by whom?
Ms McGovern’s latest novel takes us into a community at war with itself over differing views of history and exposes some toxic secrets. Siena’s desire to expose tragic events of the past puts both her and her family in danger.
Contemporary Australian crime fiction with a twist. I could not put it down. Highly recommended. My thanks to Better Reading Preview for an advance reading copy.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
The small Australian town of Kinton Bay is shocked when fifteen-year-old Siena Britton finds a human skull in the national park. Siena believes that it is a skull from the town’s violent colonial past and wastes no time posting a video which hits the news headlines. Her parents, Meri and Rollo, are less certain. They remember a classmate went missing after a party in 1998. Meri, concerned to protect her children, has a location application on their phones. This gives Meri a sense of security, but it may not protect either Siena or her twin brother Taj.
As the past makes its way into the present, the local police revisit several missing person cases. Further grim discoveries have the town on edge: have multiple murders been committed? And by whom?
Ms McGovern’s latest novel takes us into a community at war with itself over differing views of history and exposes some toxic secrets. Siena’s desire to expose tragic events of the past puts both her and her family in danger.
Contemporary Australian crime fiction with a twist. I could not put it down. Highly recommended. My thanks to Better Reading Preview for an advance reading copy.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
November 29, 2022
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars …. I love this author but this wasn’t my favourite book that she had written . There were a lot of issues crammed in .
January 21, 2023
Devoured this in a day!
Because I write in this genre, I can usually pick the twists/villains, but not in this story!
Petronella did a great job of throwing the reader off track so the big reveal is a real shock.
Loved it.
Because I write in this genre, I can usually pick the twists/villains, but not in this story!
Petronella did a great job of throwing the reader off track so the big reveal is a real shock.
Loved it.
December 12, 2022
Oh my goodness what a fabulous read this was. This is a book you won’t want to put down once you start. Having read this authors previous books and loved them I knew this one would not disappoint and I’m happy to say it was fantastic. Highly recommended.
September 17, 2022
A very busy murder mystery set in a small coastal town. There are lots of points of views and plot twists which maintained interest but also made for a convoluted read.
September 26, 2022
This is a book about secrets and lies and the fact that eventually everything comes out in the end.
This book will be called a thriller by many, and while that is true, it is so much more. The author coves topics from racism to rape and everything in between. This book has multiple narrators but fear not you are told who is narrating each chapter.
There is a lot happening in this book but it never feels overwhelming. it is a fast paced book making it a really quick read. I am still not sure how I feel about the ending of the book it was unsatisfying in many ways. I will need to think in that some more.
This book will be called a thriller by many, and while that is true, it is so much more. The author coves topics from racism to rape and everything in between. This book has multiple narrators but fear not you are told who is narrating each chapter.
There is a lot happening in this book but it never feels overwhelming. it is a fast paced book making it a really quick read. I am still not sure how I feel about the ending of the book it was unsatisfying in many ways. I will need to think in that some more.
November 2, 2022
A fabulous mystery with plenty of secrets and twists. I look forward to more by this author.
January 29, 2023
Happy Publication week to this wonderful book.
I have to admit, this is my first book by this author. Now, I am totally hooked and look forward to reading her backlist, as well as wait in anticipation for what she brings out next.
From the bestselling author of Six Minutes and The Good Teacher comes a compelling family drama of marital secrets and family tensions set within an investigation of sinister unsolved killings.
What if your search for the truth puts your family at risk?
Swipe for synopsis
A brilliant, Aussie domestic noir! Set in the fictional town of Kinton Bay on the NSW coast, we follow a community looking for answers, both to an unsolved murder twenty years earlier and to the towns violent colonial past. Highlighting Australian history and the injustice of Colonialism.
There’s just so much to love about this book. So cleverly written, I suspected everyone, only to find out I was so far off base. This author has a way of creating authentic, twisty scenes, with sharp, short chapters, you’re swept along, greedily inhaling all the mystery and drama.
A wonderful added surprise to me, was the undercurrent of a range of contemporary issues. The strength of community comradeship, political corruption, intergenerational trauma, sexual assault, environmental activism, gay hate crimes (particularly in the 80s). All these (and I’m sure there are many I’ve missed) are seamlessly woven into an exceptional psychological thriller.
Out tomorrow! Do yourself a favour and grab yourself a copy!
Many thanks to the wonderful team at @allenandunwin for my advanced reading copy.
I have to admit, this is my first book by this author. Now, I am totally hooked and look forward to reading her backlist, as well as wait in anticipation for what she brings out next.
From the bestselling author of Six Minutes and The Good Teacher comes a compelling family drama of marital secrets and family tensions set within an investigation of sinister unsolved killings.
What if your search for the truth puts your family at risk?
Swipe for synopsis
A brilliant, Aussie domestic noir! Set in the fictional town of Kinton Bay on the NSW coast, we follow a community looking for answers, both to an unsolved murder twenty years earlier and to the towns violent colonial past. Highlighting Australian history and the injustice of Colonialism.
There’s just so much to love about this book. So cleverly written, I suspected everyone, only to find out I was so far off base. This author has a way of creating authentic, twisty scenes, with sharp, short chapters, you’re swept along, greedily inhaling all the mystery and drama.
A wonderful added surprise to me, was the undercurrent of a range of contemporary issues. The strength of community comradeship, political corruption, intergenerational trauma, sexual assault, environmental activism, gay hate crimes (particularly in the 80s). All these (and I’m sure there are many I’ve missed) are seamlessly woven into an exceptional psychological thriller.
Out tomorrow! Do yourself a favour and grab yourself a copy!
Many thanks to the wonderful team at @allenandunwin for my advanced reading copy.
September 4, 2022
A secret cave, a human skull and an idyllic town desperate to keep its past hidden.
When 15 year old Siena Britton discovers a human skull in a secret cave, she's convinced it's evidence of the unrecorded massacre of Aboriginal families by shipwrecked colonists. Hoping to rewrite Kinton Bay's past, she posts a video and makes national headlines. As Siena forges ahead with her search for truth, her parents, Meri and Rollo, are forced to confront their own connections to the cave and its violent past.
As more remains are found, Kinton Bay's community fractures over its past, its present and its future - with many in the town wanting the past left dead and buried, no matter what the cost.
The Liars is a twisty and intricately plotted tale, with many themes deftly woven through it. I'm a person of Aboriginal blood, so I was impressed with the sensitive handling of the Aboriginal culture, history and characters. They felt real with none of the cringeworthy, heavyhanded represention you find in other books.
I liked the fast pace and the multiple points of view. Every character had a secret and at least one lie (and often more) to keep it safe. There were so many red herrings, twists and turns, I honestly had no idea where the story was going and didn't care because I loved the ride. The final twist was something I wasn't expecting, but then I'm not one of those readers who picks the killer in chapter 1.
I couldn't put the book down. This was the very first book by Petronella McGovern I've read. It won't be the last.
Many thanks to Better Reading (Australia), Allen and Unwin and Petronella McGovern for the ARC.
When 15 year old Siena Britton discovers a human skull in a secret cave, she's convinced it's evidence of the unrecorded massacre of Aboriginal families by shipwrecked colonists. Hoping to rewrite Kinton Bay's past, she posts a video and makes national headlines. As Siena forges ahead with her search for truth, her parents, Meri and Rollo, are forced to confront their own connections to the cave and its violent past.
As more remains are found, Kinton Bay's community fractures over its past, its present and its future - with many in the town wanting the past left dead and buried, no matter what the cost.
The Liars is a twisty and intricately plotted tale, with many themes deftly woven through it. I'm a person of Aboriginal blood, so I was impressed with the sensitive handling of the Aboriginal culture, history and characters. They felt real with none of the cringeworthy, heavyhanded represention you find in other books.
I liked the fast pace and the multiple points of view. Every character had a secret and at least one lie (and often more) to keep it safe. There were so many red herrings, twists and turns, I honestly had no idea where the story was going and didn't care because I loved the ride. The final twist was something I wasn't expecting, but then I'm not one of those readers who picks the killer in chapter 1.
I couldn't put the book down. This was the very first book by Petronella McGovern I've read. It won't be the last.
Many thanks to Better Reading (Australia), Allen and Unwin and Petronella McGovern for the ARC.
October 21, 2022
4.5 stars
A daughter who discovers some bones. A son who is constantly sick. A mother trying to do her job reporting, but also trying to keep her past hidden. With family secrets aplenty, everything is bound to come out when the murder investigation begins.
Another great Aussie crime fiction novel that needs to be on your list!
A daughter who discovers some bones. A son who is constantly sick. A mother trying to do her job reporting, but also trying to keep her past hidden. With family secrets aplenty, everything is bound to come out when the murder investigation begins.
Another great Aussie crime fiction novel that needs to be on your list!
Read
June 24, 2022Her best work yet! Full review and author interview to come, many thanks to Allen & Unwin for an early copy.
October 23, 2022
SO clever!!!! SO atmospheric!!!!! SO well done!!!!! I was on the very edge of my seat the whole time!!!! This has got to be Petronella McGoverns’ best thriller yet!!!! Loved Meri and her family!!! Loved the community of Kinton Bay, I know thrillers traditionally do setting really well, but for me this was next level, I could see, smell and feel the town. I also really enjoyed the opportunity to think about the themes of toxic masculinity, victim shamming, the whitewashing of the First Nations experience..this was an fantastic thriller, I can’t recommend it more highly enough
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