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Published Feb 2016
352 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
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.
"Engrossing... An elegantly structured long con. The pace is almost maddeningly deliberate, with details about the characters and their schemes doled out like a controlled substance, but patient readers will be rewarded with devastating third-act twists and a satisfying denouement." - Publishers Weekly
"A gut-clenching cat-and-mouse game… This debut novel is a well-crafted, complex tale that will appeal to fans of psychological thrillers." - Booklist
"The truth is interesting and unexpected, but it takes too long to unravel." - Kirkus
"[A] fantastically assured debut…. The Good Liar makes you want to experience Nicholas Searle's next trick." - The Guardian (UK)
"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." - Daily Mail (UK)
"One of 2016's most intriguing debut novels." - The Independent (UK)
"[A] compelling premise.... Elegant writing." - The Times(UK)
"The Good Liar is a taut, compulsive thriller with a dark, intriguing heart. A Mr Ripley for our time." - Jonathan Freedland, author of The 3rd Woman
"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." - Nina Stibbe, author of Love, Nina
"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." - Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author of In a Dark, Dark Wood
This information about The Good Liar was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Nicholas Searle grew up in the southwest of England and studied languages at the University of Bath. He spent more years than he cares to remember in public service before deciding in 2011 to leave and begin writing fiction. The Good Liar is his first novel. Nicholas lives in the north of England.
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