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Jo Beckett #3
The Liar's Lullaby
From award-winning author Meg Gardiner, co-author of Michael Mann’s Heat 2-- When a controversial female singer is murdered during a concert, forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett fears the act was political.
The polarizing pop star was also the President's ex-wife, with secrets to die for. Now, Jo finds herself in a race to extinguish the conspiracy rumor mill-before it incites a level of violence that reaches America's highest corridors of power.
The polarizing pop star was also the President's ex-wife, with secrets to die for. Now, Jo finds herself in a race to extinguish the conspiracy rumor mill-before it incites a level of violence that reaches America's highest corridors of power.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
88 people are currently reading
1061 people want to read
About the author
Meg Gardiner
35 books2,246 followersMeg Gardiner is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of seventeen thrillers. Shadowheart, her latest novel, is part of the UNSUB series featuring FBI agent Caitlin Hendrix. The Real Book Spy calls it “A mind-trip of a story.” Booklist says, “As always, the writing is exquisite and the story is perfectly crafted.” UNSUB, the first novel in the series, won the 2018 Barry Award for Best Thriller. The Dark Corners of the Night was bought by Amazon Studios for development as an hour-long television drama.
Heat 2 is a prequel/sequel to the film Heat, co-authored with the film’s writer/director, Michael Mann. Booklist’s starred review calls it “Riveting… the fully fleshed human stories support and even transcend the often-breathtaking action.” The Associated Press says, “Slick as a Neil McCauley heist and as intense as a Vincent Hanna chase, ‘Heat 2’ is just dynamite.” It debuted at #1 on the NYT best seller list.
Meg is the author of the Evan Delaney series, the Jo Beckett novels, and several stand alones. China Lake won the 2009 Edgar award for Best Paperback Original. The Nightmare Thief won the 2012 Audie Award for Thriller/Suspense audiobook of the year. Phantom Instinct was one of O, the Oprah magazine's "Best Books of Summer."
Meg was born in Oklahoma and raised in Santa Barbara, California. A graduate of Stanford Law School, she practiced law in Los Angeles and taught writing at the University of California Santa Barbara. She's also a three-time Jeopardy! champion. She lives in Austin, Texas.
Find Meg on Facebook: Facebook.com/MegGardinerBooks Twitter: @MegGardiner1 and Instagram: @Meggardiner1.
Series:
* UNSUB
* Evan Delaney
* Jo Beckett
Heat 2 is a prequel/sequel to the film Heat, co-authored with the film’s writer/director, Michael Mann. Booklist’s starred review calls it “Riveting… the fully fleshed human stories support and even transcend the often-breathtaking action.” The Associated Press says, “Slick as a Neil McCauley heist and as intense as a Vincent Hanna chase, ‘Heat 2’ is just dynamite.” It debuted at #1 on the NYT best seller list.
Meg is the author of the Evan Delaney series, the Jo Beckett novels, and several stand alones. China Lake won the 2009 Edgar award for Best Paperback Original. The Nightmare Thief won the 2012 Audie Award for Thriller/Suspense audiobook of the year. Phantom Instinct was one of O, the Oprah magazine's "Best Books of Summer."
Meg was born in Oklahoma and raised in Santa Barbara, California. A graduate of Stanford Law School, she practiced law in Los Angeles and taught writing at the University of California Santa Barbara. She's also a three-time Jeopardy! champion. She lives in Austin, Texas.
Find Meg on Facebook: Facebook.com/MegGardinerBooks Twitter: @MegGardiner1 and Instagram: @Meggardiner1.
Series:
* UNSUB
* Evan Delaney
* Jo Beckett
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews
April 29, 2011
OK, now WHO recommended this? Oh, right, Stephen King. I blame you, uncle Stevie. No, this did not have "three" edge-of-your-seat suspense set pieces. If it had any, I don't remember them. One of the main "suspense" themes involved a pop starlet -- it was so lame, made no sense--those lyrics with the hidden meaning? Really?? -- most children's publishers woulda said, "no way."
Main character, pyschiatrist Jo Beckett did not engage me, tho am willing to hear from other readers. You get some points for hunky b'f and his relationship to his daughter.
Bottom line: would not recommend.
Main character, pyschiatrist Jo Beckett did not engage me, tho am willing to hear from other readers. You get some points for hunky b'f and his relationship to his daughter.
Bottom line: would not recommend.
September 28, 2024
While this third book of the 4-book series did not engage me the same way as the first two books, maybe because it centered around politics, and I am pretty much burned out on the real-life politics of the past 8 years, it was still a good story with a wild finish. Now, on to the last book in this series…
May 23, 2017
This is a series I started years ago when I only read mysteries and sub genres of it.
Meg is a forensic psychiartist who helps the police determine the stste of mind of the victim.
This time Tasia McFarland is the victim. She is a famous
singer who pulls of an elaborate stunt into a staduim.Something goes wrong and she is dead.Was it suicide murder or accident?
Meg is a forensic psychiartist who helps the police determine the stste of mind of the victim.
This time Tasia McFarland is the victim. She is a famous
singer who pulls of an elaborate stunt into a staduim.Something goes wrong and she is dead.Was it suicide murder or accident?
February 2, 2019
This was a good read. 3rd in the series. I read the 1st two some time ago and just happened to grab this one off the library shelf. I’d more or less forgotten the characters background. I admit I got a little bored in the 1st half. But it certainly heats up. Quite a few layers of mystery. Just when I thought it was wrapped up towards the end, more is revealed. I see there is a 4th and will have to check it out.
July 28, 2010
After a disappointing second installment in the Jo Beckett series, Meg Gardiner bounces back with "The Liar's Lullaby."
Singer Tasia McFarland is killed during her show in San Francisco. Normally the death of a country music star wouldn't be front page news, except that she's the ex-wife of the President of the United States and she's paranoid that someone is out to get her.
Beckett happens to be at the concert and is called in on the case to determine if the death was suicide or if Tasia was killed. Before you know it, Beckett is caught up in a web of intrigue as she finds out Tasia had stalkers and that the gun apparently used belonged to the President. She also met with the President privately before her death, something that has gone unreported.
As with other entries in this series, "Lullaby" is a fast paced with twists coming every couple of chapters. Gardiner keeps the chapters short and sweet, rarely allowing Jo or the reader to catch their breath. That's a good thing because this is a novel that probably wouldn't hold up well if you had time to stop and think about what's happening. It's a popcorn read, perfect for a bit of escape or some light summer reading.
Singer Tasia McFarland is killed during her show in San Francisco. Normally the death of a country music star wouldn't be front page news, except that she's the ex-wife of the President of the United States and she's paranoid that someone is out to get her.
Beckett happens to be at the concert and is called in on the case to determine if the death was suicide or if Tasia was killed. Before you know it, Beckett is caught up in a web of intrigue as she finds out Tasia had stalkers and that the gun apparently used belonged to the President. She also met with the President privately before her death, something that has gone unreported.
As with other entries in this series, "Lullaby" is a fast paced with twists coming every couple of chapters. Gardiner keeps the chapters short and sweet, rarely allowing Jo or the reader to catch their breath. That's a good thing because this is a novel that probably wouldn't hold up well if you had time to stop and think about what's happening. It's a popcorn read, perfect for a bit of escape or some light summer reading.
January 13, 2016
3.5
This is the second book I've read recently of Gardiner's, and she has a wonderful way of putting women front and centre of her high-action thrillers. Not 'woman', not a hard-ass lone wolf who only bonds with the love interest, but women plural. Her women are strong in a variety of ways, not just physically. It's probably a sad indictment of the rest of the genre fiction I usually read that this still seems novel and fabulous.
This is the second book I've read recently of Gardiner's, and she has a wonderful way of putting women front and centre of her high-action thrillers. Not 'woman', not a hard-ass lone wolf who only bonds with the love interest, but women plural. Her women are strong in a variety of ways, not just physically. It's probably a sad indictment of the rest of the genre fiction I usually read that this still seems novel and fabulous.
August 26, 2010
Ridiculous third entry in Jo Becket series. It is mildly diverting, but too many twists and too much action takes place after the fact. This is a real dissapointment for me. I loved Gardiner's first series and thought she ws poised for super-stardom, but her last two books have dilluted all promise of that. And her dialogue is laughable and overstuffed with opo culture references.
August 26, 2010
The plot was absurd, Jo's love life was too mushy and we were forced to watch a TV reporter make up her stories on the spot just like they do on Fox News. This author may have made my DNR (do not read) list.
December 12, 2016
This book if very hard to like and I didn't finish it. The plot is weird and nothing about this book feels particularly realistic. The actions of the many characters are stupid and annoying. The narrator really was terrible and rubbed me the wrong way.
November 28, 2023
We got this story at a sale at the library, and listened to it on CD on a long drive.
I thoroughly enjoyed it (4 stars), including the concept of a forensic psychologist, trying to determine after-the-fact whether someone was suicidal or whether the death was from a different cause. But I don't usually reread mysteries once I know whodunit. (5 stars.)
One of the other reviewers said that she loved the book because she's bipolar and thought it was an accurate description of bipolar disease.
The story kept me on the edge of my seat, and I may have even listened to it in the car for a few moments even when I didn't have to go anywhere.
Some of the other reviewers felt some of the action wasn't realistic, but that didn't detract from the story for me. I have to agree, though. Just how long were those cables? And while, yes, long cables do exist, why were there such long cables just happening to be there? It's okay. That didn't detract from the story to me.
Some people complained that there were too many plot twists in this story. I liked them. It's part of what made it exciting.
I liked that Jo thought through things, including all the evidence, as well as what they implied. I liked that approach. However, her sister pointed out that her analytical side didn't extend into her personal life, which was a point that she conceded was well taken, and well worth thinking through.
That whole scene with the garbage can seemed to be unprofessional of Jo. I almost can't imagine a professional acting like that.
But the scene out the window showed there were multiple sides to Jo than just the analytical professional.
One thing I learned from this story was that those with paranoia often project their own negative feelings onto others, because they feel uncomfortable dealing with them in their own skin. I had never heard of that before, and I looked it up to verify.
It actually makes a lot of sense to me, and can explain something in someone I know, who frequently presupposes that others have negative feelings towards her, no matter how much evidence there is to the contrary. It makes me wonder if she has mild paranoia, and that she's uncomfortable dealing with negative emotions of her own. I don't mean the traveling-across-multiple-states to escape people who aren't chasing you type of paranoia. I've known someone else like that, too. It makes me think that like other things, there can be mild cases, which, for the most part, go unrecognized.
Some reviewers complained that some "clues" were too easy, and while yes, that was true, those tended to be the clues that didn't matter for the deeper layers of what was going on. I did not find the over-all mystery easy to solve, although, yes, there were clues there, too. Just not easy ones.
My nitpick is that as the highest ranking medical professional (a medical dr who has been to medical school) on the scene of some of these emergency situations, she would not have been allowed to turn over a patient to a lesser ranking medical professional. She could not just leave like that. There is a strict protocol for that. Of course, she didn't announce that she was a dr either, but that gets into a fuzzy ethical dilemma.
I thoroughly enjoyed it (4 stars), including the concept of a forensic psychologist, trying to determine after-the-fact whether someone was suicidal or whether the death was from a different cause. But I don't usually reread mysteries once I know whodunit. (5 stars.)
One of the other reviewers said that she loved the book because she's bipolar and thought it was an accurate description of bipolar disease.
The story kept me on the edge of my seat, and I may have even listened to it in the car for a few moments even when I didn't have to go anywhere.
Some of the other reviewers felt some of the action wasn't realistic, but that didn't detract from the story for me. I have to agree, though. Just how long were those cables? And while, yes, long cables do exist, why were there such long cables just happening to be there? It's okay. That didn't detract from the story to me.
Some people complained that there were too many plot twists in this story. I liked them. It's part of what made it exciting.
I liked that Jo thought through things, including all the evidence, as well as what they implied. I liked that approach. However, her sister pointed out that her analytical side didn't extend into her personal life, which was a point that she conceded was well taken, and well worth thinking through.
That whole scene with the garbage can seemed to be unprofessional of Jo. I almost can't imagine a professional acting like that.
But the scene out the window showed there were multiple sides to Jo than just the analytical professional.
One thing I learned from this story was that those with paranoia often project their own negative feelings onto others, because they feel uncomfortable dealing with them in their own skin. I had never heard of that before, and I looked it up to verify.
It actually makes a lot of sense to me, and can explain something in someone I know, who frequently presupposes that others have negative feelings towards her, no matter how much evidence there is to the contrary. It makes me wonder if she has mild paranoia, and that she's uncomfortable dealing with negative emotions of her own. I don't mean the traveling-across-multiple-states to escape people who aren't chasing you type of paranoia. I've known someone else like that, too. It makes me think that like other things, there can be mild cases, which, for the most part, go unrecognized.
Some reviewers complained that some "clues" were too easy, and while yes, that was true, those tended to be the clues that didn't matter for the deeper layers of what was going on. I did not find the over-all mystery easy to solve, although, yes, there were clues there, too. Just not easy ones.
My nitpick is that as the highest ranking medical professional (a medical dr who has been to medical school) on the scene of some of these emergency situations, she would not have been allowed to turn over a patient to a lesser ranking medical professional. She could not just leave like that. There is a strict protocol for that. Of course, she didn't announce that she was a dr either, but that gets into a fuzzy ethical dilemma.
July 24, 2019
I had to start this book twice. I had the audio version, but the narrator really rubbed me the wrong way. She used the same amount of intensity for everything, and it made the book hard to follow. So I ended up getting an ebook and read it that way.
This was an improvement over the last Meg Gardiner I read (the previous book in this series). She still relies too much on similies, but it’s not as noticeable as it was in that book. I like Jo as a character, even if she does need to lighten up and let herself have some fun sometimes.
As far as the plot goes, I think there was a little too much going on. Mental health issues combined with government conspiracies and domestic terrorism makes quite the smorgasbord.
Gardiner does a good job with ramping up the tension and the action, and that’s enough to keep me interested in her writing. I’m sure I’ll continue with this series, as well as her Evan Delaney series.
This was an improvement over the last Meg Gardiner I read (the previous book in this series). She still relies too much on similies, but it’s not as noticeable as it was in that book. I like Jo as a character, even if she does need to lighten up and let herself have some fun sometimes.
As far as the plot goes, I think there was a little too much going on. Mental health issues combined with government conspiracies and domestic terrorism makes quite the smorgasbord.
Gardiner does a good job with ramping up the tension and the action, and that’s enough to keep me interested in her writing. I’m sure I’ll continue with this series, as well as her Evan Delaney series.
February 27, 2020
Rather tedious build up but it got interesting towards the end with a couple of good twists.
Jo Beckett is at a sports stadium watching the game with her sister. The half term act was a singer, Tasia, who was making a come back. Her rather dramatic entrance to the stage was spoiled when she was killed. The question became, did she shoot herself with the gun she was holding? Was it suicide or accident? Or, possibly, murder?
Amy Tang from the police force is brought in. She sees Jo helping the wounded, and requests her help in this case. It’s rather a hot political potato; Tasia was once married to the current president of the US.
The powers that be need this to go away, quickly. Jo is less sure about the determination of this death. Her investigation turns up some worrying threads; as she pulls on them, things get more complicated.
Jo Beckett is at a sports stadium watching the game with her sister. The half term act was a singer, Tasia, who was making a come back. Her rather dramatic entrance to the stage was spoiled when she was killed. The question became, did she shoot herself with the gun she was holding? Was it suicide or accident? Or, possibly, murder?
Amy Tang from the police force is brought in. She sees Jo helping the wounded, and requests her help in this case. It’s rather a hot political potato; Tasia was once married to the current president of the US.
The powers that be need this to go away, quickly. Jo is less sure about the determination of this death. Her investigation turns up some worrying threads; as she pulls on them, things get more complicated.
November 28, 2017
4.5 stars. Another hard and fast psychological thriller from Author Meg Gardiner. When a hard-charging female rock star dies in a questionable stunt during a concert at the San Francisco Giants' AT&T Park, forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett is quickly brought in to determine exactly what happened. Was it an accident? Suicide? Or murder? The rock star was bipolar with a definite paranoid streak, and as Dr. Beckett probes into her state of mind by going through her songs and questioning her friends, she gradually becomes aware of a conspiracy at the highest level, which means that she herself is in danger. Gardiner also weaves the paranoia of far-right anti-government groups into the story, making this all but unputdownable. Solid entertainment!
November 29, 2019
Book three in the Jo Beckett series. Tbis is. Ire if a medical mystery who do it than a suspense type book in my opinion
Tasia mcFarland is a popular entertainment icon. She was also once married to the current POTUS. Tasia is in San Francisco in concert for her latest tour. She died at the start if the concert. Some say it was suicide others say it was not.
As Jo unwinds Tasia life a plot start to unfold as to who wanted her dead and why.
The story line continues some between Gabe and Jo which is nice to see it progressing. Have the next book in the series waiting for me at the library.
Tasia mcFarland is a popular entertainment icon. She was also once married to the current POTUS. Tasia is in San Francisco in concert for her latest tour. She died at the start if the concert. Some say it was suicide others say it was not.
As Jo unwinds Tasia life a plot start to unfold as to who wanted her dead and why.
The story line continues some between Gabe and Jo which is nice to see it progressing. Have the next book in the series waiting for me at the library.
June 23, 2019
I am thoroughly enjoying the Jo Beckett series. In this book, Beckett's latest case is a country singer who is killed in front of an audience of 40,000. Did she commit suicide or was she murdered? It is Beckett's job to find out which, and the stakes could not be higher. Tasha is the ex-wife of the current president and her latest song is politically-charged. As Beckett tries to decipher the clues left behind by Tasha, she discovers that the plot only runs deeper and the real target might be a political one.
April 4, 2022
This is probably a 3-star story, but I’ll give it a bonus star for a bipolar diagnosis of a character being a central plot element and how current this 12 year old book is on US rightwing extremism. The bipolar symptoms seemed accurate and revealing.
I picked up this audio book as I heard this author will be collaborating on a novel sequel to the movie Heat. This is one of the author’s highest rated books.
The computer hacking is comically bad, though there is some OK social engineering. And the mystery was good though suffers from a lot of threads and complexity.
I picked up this audio book as I heard this author will be collaborating on a novel sequel to the movie Heat. This is one of the author’s highest rated books.
The computer hacking is comically bad, though there is some OK social engineering. And the mystery was good though suffers from a lot of threads and complexity.
August 8, 2023
Once again, a Meg Gardiner page turner! Jo Beckett is pulled into the middle of a shocking crime. Country star, Tasia, dies during her performance, but was she killed or was it an accident? She wrote some songs to be released after her death.
She was also the former wife of the now President. Is this the work of a crazy obsessed fan? Or the work of an extremist group? What happened leading up to her death? Who were the people around her? And all in all, who was the intended target? Her? Or the President?
Can Jo find answers around the red tape in this case?
She was also the former wife of the now President. Is this the work of a crazy obsessed fan? Or the work of an extremist group? What happened leading up to her death? Who were the people around her? And all in all, who was the intended target? Her? Or the President?
Can Jo find answers around the red tape in this case?
May 14, 2018
This wasn't a great book, but the story was fun and I found myself following the plot with interest. Sure there were a fair number of various flaws in the plot, but it was one of those situations where I didn't really care. I actually was interested in where the story was going and what happened to the victim, and if a story interests me then there's not much else that matters. Not a book that made me think, but a pretty fun read all the same.
February 6, 2017
Book is actually called The Nightmare Thief - error above - Daddy Reinigergives daughter Autumn a 21st birthday gift of a "dream" urban reality game. Kidnappers trun it into a nightmare --- Dr Jo Beckett amazes herself by making herself a "nightmare Thief" by saving the day! CD in the car - lots of sick/crippled days -- took a long time!
December 4, 2025
I enjoyed reading most of this book, however I’m not a fan of politics being a focal point in any storyline. There were many times I felt like abandoning the read. The saviour was the amount of intrigue and suspense that didn’t let up. A lot of action in the last chapters brought it all together however it was a bit over the top.
February 6, 2018
In a word Terror, followed by conspiracy, power corruption reaching the highest corridors of power. Political jealousy mixed throughout. Wow to this was a maximum thrill ride. Love, Love, Love the Jo Beckett (Gabe, Tang too) series, hope this continues beyond the existing 4 books!!!
April 13, 2019
Probably a 4.5.
Fast-paced, with surprising twists in an original plot. Jo is a Forensic Psychiatrist who works with the police and other law enforcement in San Francisco.
Read the description the publisher supplies. I see no reason to re-write.
Fast-paced, with surprising twists in an original plot. Jo is a Forensic Psychiatrist who works with the police and other law enforcement in San Francisco.
Read the description the publisher supplies. I see no reason to re-write.
December 12, 2019
++This shoot out at the OK Corral is supposedly about Tasia Hicks McFarland who is on the Bulls Eye tour to promote her music, her hit, the movie and herself. A lot of people get killed, but repercussions affect whole families because of chameleon like people that are hungry for power and money and there are always the disenfranchised ready to take up the banner. And when that banner is political and is countered with more deceit, things get very complicated , distressing and dangerous.++
January 4, 2023
My favorite so far
Maybe is because I'm bipolar. Maybe because it was political. Conspiracy theories. Media. It has so many aspects. Out of all the books I have read from Gardiner this one is my favorite.
Maybe is because I'm bipolar. Maybe because it was political. Conspiracy theories. Media. It has so many aspects. Out of all the books I have read from Gardiner this one is my favorite.
March 20, 2023
Whilst I enjoyed the fast paced chase of deranged stalker I found this book was a slow burner. I began to read this in 2022 but had not desire to pick it up; I feel this reading delayed along with the unrealistic political references lead me to conclude the book was not for me.
September 30, 2024
Action-packed is an entirely insufficient adjective for Gardiner's books. Just when we think her hero has reached the resolution of a conspiracy, more spins out in a wash of flame and smoke. And Dr Jo Becket has the most devoted and resourceful friends. Great book
August 27, 2018
The characters are interesting, but the plot's pretty implausible. It's a good read though.
October 2, 2018
I read a lot of mysteries but found this very unlike others. The premise, characters and plot were very fresh. Highly enjoyable. Not an ordinary who dunnit!
December 18, 2018
Good continuation of the series
March 28, 2019
Could not get into. It took me 3 day to read 50 pages.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 142 reviews