The Good Liar: A Novel

by Nicholas Searle Narrated by Matthew Brenher

Overview

Spinning a page-turning story of literary suspense that begins in the present and unwinds back more than half a century, this unforgettable debut channels the haunting allure of Atonement as its masterfully woven web of lies, secrets, and betrayals unravels to a shocking conclusion.

Veteran con artist Roy spots an obvious easy mark when he meets Betty, a wealthy widow, online. In no time at all, he's moved into Betty's lovely cottage and is preparing to accompany her on a romantic trip to Europe. Betty's grandson disapproves of their blossoming relationship, but Roy is sure this scheme will be a success. He knows what he's doing.

As this remarkable feat of storytelling weaves together Roy's and Betty's futures, it also unwinds their pasts. Dancing across almost a century, decades that encompass unthinkable cruelty, extraordinary resilience, and remarkable kindness, The Good Liar is an epic narrative of sin, salvation, and survival-and for Roy and Betty, there is a reckoning to be made when the endgame of Roy's crooked plot plays out.

Editorial Reviews

The Times (London)

[A] compelling premise.... Elegant writing.

The Independent (London)

Searle paces the twists and turns of the plot admirably well…. Increasingly engaging and poised.

Daily Mail

As the tension mounts, the reader is kept guessing….The final denouement is a real cracker… Added to the fiendishly clever plot, Searle’s writing is both drily amusing and elegantly crafted.

Nina Stibbe

What a clever and menacing novel The Good Liar is. I was gripped and horrified in equal measure and the ending knocked me sideways! I can’t wait for everyone to read the book so I can talk about it.

Jonathan Freedland

The Good Liar is a taut, compulsive thriller with a dark, intriguing heart. A Mr Ripley for our time.

Ruth Ware

I was engrossed…. As deceiver and deceived move towards each other with hypnotic predestination, the plot unfolds to a payoff as inevitable as it is shocking. A superb thriller and a truly engrossing read.

The Guardian

[A] fantastically assured debut…. The Good Liar makes you want to experience Nicholas Searle’s next trick.

Daily Express (London)

An incredibly dark, taut thriller…. Think of Ruth Rendell morphing into John Le Carré.

BookPage.com

If you like Patricia Highsmith’s Mr. Ripley books…this is an excellent debut indeed.

Booklist

A gut-clenching cat-and-mouse game…. This debut novel is a wellcrafted, complex tale that will appeal to fans of psychological thrillers.

New York Times bestselling author of In a Dark

I was engrossed…. As deceiver and deceived move towards each other with hypnotic predestination, the plot unfolds to a payoff as inevitable as it is shocking. A superb thriller and a truly engrossing read.

Kirkus Reviews

2015-11-05
In Searle's debut novel, two elderly people meet on a dating site. Each one has a hidden agenda.... Roy has been a con man for most of his life, and now in his 80s, he's looking for one last score by targeting wealthy women he meets online. On the surface, Betty seems like an easy mark, but oblique references suggest from early on that she may be playing her own game with Roy. As the two circle each other, Searle includes flashbacks to Roy's past, illustrating other cons and, slowly, explaining how he became the manipulator he is. Betty's motives are a bit more shadowy until her true identity is revealed to the reader. The plot twist that leads to this revelation is complex and rooted in World War II. But once we understand the true natures of both characters, their past relationship, and their plans for revenge, the ending is relatively unsurprising. One of the greatest strengths of the novel is how Searle recounts Betty's troubled history with sensitivity, but Roy never advances much beyond what he first appears: a gruff sociopath who, expectedly, will finally get his comeuppance for past sins. Despite the efforts to comment on a time in history when people made unimaginable choices that led to devastating tragedy, the novel mostly fails to resonate. Even with layers, the characters fail to inspire much deep interest or sympathy. The truth is interesting and unexpected, but it takes too long to unravel.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940173488725
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	02/02/2016
Edition description:	Unabridged

Videos