It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst with these sort of books you generally know what you're getting this one just fell really flat with me which is kinda sad.

Wow, wow, wowsers!

Blown away doesn't come close to how I felt reading this one. What a superb book. Seriously, Beautiful Liars is phenomenal!

Utterly brilliant.

From start to finish I was captivated and I could barely put it down, it's a complete sleep stealer so don't start it if you can't read it all in one sitting.

Martha is a TV personality with a past, eighteen years ago her best friend, Juliet, disappeared without a trace and now Martha is using her celebrity to investigate the circumstances around her disappearance.

As she starts delving into the past, her old life is uncovered, a past she has tried hard to hide. She's making contact with people who she used to be close with, but they have changed beyond all recognition. Can she get to the bottom of her friends disappearance or is there danger lurking closer than she could ever imagine?

Told in chapters that switch between the characters, the story unfolds in a kind of past/present format, which I love. When done right, which Ashdown nails, this is my favourite style for a psychological thriller, working to build up the history and the mystery of the characters' pasts to see how it ties in with the present. I love it! The plot flows perfectly, with the subplots intertwining flawlessly.

I cannot sing the praises of this one loud enough, it's sublime.

I had so many jaw dropping moments I lost count. Beautiful Liars is gritty, deep, dark, and twisted. Seriously twisted and it's fanbloodytastic!

I quite simply adored the writer's writing style, her characters, her plot, and the way she had me completely enthralled from the first page to the last. The pace doesn't let up at all, Ashdown takes you on a rollercoaster that you will not want to get off of!

Eighteen years ago Martha said goodbye to best friend Juliet on a moonlit London towpath. The next morning Juliet's bike was found abandoned at the waterside and she was never seen again. Now, Martha is a TV celebrity, preparing to host a new crime show, the first case will be that of missing student Juliet Sherman. After all these years Martha must reach out to old friends and try to piece together the final moments of Juliet's life. 

I enjoyed this enthralling, twisting read immensely. It is quite long for a thriller but Ashdown does a good job at padding out the plot and I never once felt like the plot was dull and I never got bored. The beginning is slow but I found it slow in a way where you know there is danger round the corner so I enjoyed the build-up to an intense situation. Then when the plot gets going I was gripped by the intensity and the whirlpool of secrets and lies that Ashdown has created. This is a very complex plot, with lots of different elements to it and I enjoyed having something to get stuck into and unpick the investigation with the characters.

This is told from the perspective of Martha and Casey. I immediately liked Martha, I found her likeable, easy to get to know and she developed into someone I enjoyed getting to know. Martha has a lot of torment in her past and we slowly discover this as the book progresses. Casey on the other hand is not as likeable, I realise this is for the purpose of the plot but it was hard to sympathise with her and I struggled to connect with her, as a result I was not behind her as a character as much and I did enjoy her chapters less.

I say stick with 'Beautiful Liars', there is a slow beginning but there is a web for you to untangle right afterwards. There are so many revelations in this that will keep you entertained for hours and the shocks just keep coming.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for an advance copy.

Juliet has been missing for 20 years when her best friend Matha decides to re investigate the case in her new TV show, she has never believed the polices official verdict that she ran away with an older man.

During the investigation Martha reconnects with Olivia, which brings about some interesting revelations.

A good page turner of a book, I really enjoyed Beautiful Liars full of twists and turns with a good ending.

This is a story of a friendship, formed at school, between three girls Martha,Juliet and Olivia. When they were seventeen everything changed when Juliet disappeared without trace whilst riding home along the canal towpath.
With her abandoned bike being found and only circumstantial evidence suggesting either she had run away with a married man, who disappeared at the same time or that she was killed by him or persons unknown the mystery remained unsolved.
Now eighteen years later Martha is an investigative journalist and with the opportunity to become involved in a tv true crime show on cold cases she puts forward Juliet`s disappearance for the first in the series.
The story is told from Marthas recollections of the time and as the investigation moves forward that of Casey a woman who purchased Olivia old home. Secrets ,jealousy, obsession, lies and deception all play their part in Juliets disappearance and the disintergration of a group of friends.
This book is full of strong interesting characters, an excellent plot and enough twists to keep you guessing as slowly but surely the truth surrounding Juliet`s disappearance is revealed.
I found it a truly gripping read and would definitely recommend it.
Thanks to Netgalley and Orion for the chance to read this as an ARC.

An enjoyable read. I had heard a lot about Isabel Ashdown and how well she writes and it was nice to finally be able to read a book written by her.
I read this in one day, that is how gripping it was. A lot of twists and a lot of secrets. A past/present story. The plot moves quite fast and the tension ramps up. The twist surprised me. Ashdown has written a page turner that should satisfy most psychological thriller fans. Intense and dark, Beautiful Liars will stay with me for a long time. I look forward to reading more from Ashdown!

What a clever plot! Lots of twists and turns and this book definitely deserves to be in the genre of psychological thrillers! Will look out for more of Ashdowns work

Once again Isabel Ashdown weaves an atmospheric, gripping, and character driven psychological thriller that upturns your expectations again and again. Nearly 20 years ago, Martha, Olivia and Juliet were friends. One night, Martha bids her best friend, Juliet Sherman, goodbye on a London towpath. The following morning, Juliet's bike is discovered abandoned and she is never to be seen again. In the present, Martha is a famous TV celebrity, about to present a new crime show, and the cold case of Juliet is to be the subject of the first investigation. Martha must now reach back into her past to connect with old friends and others, in order to put together the pieces of the jigsaw that lie behind Juliet's disappearance. The story is narrated by Martha and Casey, uncovering what lies behind friendships that disintegrate after traumatic events occur, and of obsession, secrets, deception, jealousy and lies.

Martha writes to Liv, but Liv's home was purchased by the weird and strange Casey, who reads the letter meant for Liv. Having taken on the persona of Liv, Casey communicates with Martha, the reasons for this deception become clearer later on. Martha trawls for evidence and suspects as long ago memories return. She finds herself looking into Juliet's work with a homeless charity and more. Martha has her own secrets as we wonder if we can rely on her. We learn of her less than happy family life and her often less than perfect behaviour. Ashdown writes a disturbing, complex novel of the nature of relationships, with unexpected twists that come out of the blue, to slowly reveal the truth behind what happened to Juliet all those years ago. The pace begins to pick up fast after the slow start to this entertaining book, and I soon find myself immersed and fascinated by the characters. Another great read from the author! Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.

I loved Beautiful Liars. This is a chilling read filled with secrets of the past, the dark side of teenage friendships, distorted memories and ultimate betrayal.

The narrative alternates between Martha and Casey. Martha, TV host of a new true crime show, is looking into the disappearance of her childhood friend, Juliet. She has a compelling voice - most of her story is in the present day, but it's dotted with memories containing snippets of the past - revealing that there's a lot bubbling under the surface as the story develops. Casey also has a very distinctive voice. She's sad and lonely, renting the house of Martha & Juliet's other friend, Liv. When she reads a letter from Martha to Liv about the search for Juliet, she's determined to help - or maybe hinder - the investigation.

Beautiful Liars made me gasp in several places, as it's cleverly plotted and suitably twisty, and its tangled web of lies certainly played with my mind. The strong distinctive characters felt very real - all were unreliable and well-drawn - and the setting was very well described.

This unpredictable read left me with a chilling sensation and saying 'ooh' under my breath. Highly recommended for psychological thriller fans.

Beautiful Liars by Isabel Ashdown is an original, well-written and thoroughly compelling mystery thriller.

The book is brilliantly plotted and takes off in directions I really didn’t expect. Although you might think that the premise sounds familiar, there is nothing predictable or run-of-the-mill about this story: Martha being a true crime journalist gives the plot a fresh edge, plus Casey’s surprising narrative adds something unique and different to the ‘missing girl mystery’ and, although I guessed one or two minor plot points, there are definitely some massive twists to shock even the savviest of readers.

As the pace ramps up, there is a building sense of tension and menace, the revelations keep coming and the ending is a masterstroke! This is highly recommended and I’m already looking forward to seeing what Isabel Ashdown does next.

With thanks to NetGalley and Trapeze / Orion for the ARC of Beautiful Liars and to Tracy Fenton and Sam Eades for my spot on the Blog Tour.

I really did struggle to get into this book at first because the storyline veered off in so many different directions, trying to join them all together to make sense was rather tricky. Thankfully though, at around the halfway point, I became so engrossed in 'Beautiful Liars', I'm surprised my dog didn't end up crossing his paws because I didn't let him out into the garden!

Martha is determined to get to the bottom of what happened to one of her best friends, Juliet, many years ago. Could she really have disappeared off the face of the Earth? Could she still be alive and refuses to get in contact with her two best friends? Or has something a lot sinister gone on? So many questions with not many answers, of course I came to my own conclusion! It's safe to say that I was very, very wrong, but at least I tried!

As Martha attempts to piece together what happened that night, a lot of skeletons jump out of the closet in her face, with some causing Martha a lot more problems than she bargained for.

It's safe to say that 'Beautiful Liars' is an incredibly chilling and complex novel which is guaranteed to tie you up in knots until the very end. With a group of such colourful and questionable characters, it was difficult to distinguish between who was telling the truth, and who was lying. It seemed as though every characters cards were marked in their own individual ways. But why? Do they know what happened to Juliet? Or have they had to keep their own secrets hidden for all of these years, even though they're irrelevant to Juliet's case?

Once the story got going, I loved the rollercoaster ride it put me on and, believe it or not, I loved how the author managed to completely funk up my head by the time I had reached the end of the book. Oh em gee....that ending!!! Such a jaw-dropping conclusion to and twister of a storyline - 'Beautiful Liars' kept me glued to my seat the entire way through.

Ooooh, well Ms Ashdown certainly knows how to weave a twisty and dark tale! This is my second book by Isabel and Little Sister went straight into my Top Ten Books of 2017 so I was hopeful and slightly apprehensive that Beautiful Liars could live up to my high expectations.

I really needn’t have worried – Beautiful Liars is absolutely BRILLIANT. With a disturbing but intriguing first chapter the reader is quickly hooked and before you know it, you have totally immersed yourself in Casey and Martha’s world.

The book is narrated by Martha, a successful TV star who has a new reality show investigating cold crimes and haunted by the disappearance of her best friend Juliet 18 years ago. Deciding to investigate this particular case for her pilot show Martha tries to get in contact with her old friend Liv and through a series of events Casey, a lonely and very peculiar woman somehow gets involved in the investigation and tells her alternative version.

Without giving anything away when we are first introduced to Casey, my immediate thoughts were OMG – she’s batshit crazy and then I spent most of the book shaking my head at her behaviour and actions and thinking “No, Casey don’t” or “Why, Why, Why?”. I was utterly riveted by her actions, her behaviour and her quirky and odd ways. She is definitely one of the most interesting characters I’ve met in a long time.

This book is certainly full of excellent twists, a superb plot, fascinating characters and definitely should come with a warning that once you start this book you really won’t want to put it down until the final chapter. ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT.

With thanks to the publisher for the copy received via Netgalley.
Beautiful Liars is the first book that I have read by Isabel Ashdown and after finding this book impossible to put down it won’t be the last.
Apart from a chilling prologue, which had me wondering just how it could be linked, the rest of the novel had two narrators. Martha is a successful TV presenter who is researching a cold case for her new TV show. This cold case is very close to her heart. Juliet was a very close friend when she was a teenager and both her and another friend Liv have always felt guilty over her disappearance. The other narrator is Casey, she bought Liv’s house and when she receives a letter addressed to Liv from Martha she assumes her identity.
Casey was one of the most compelling characters that I have come across. I have never felt a combination of fear, a little revulsion and a lot of sympathy for one character before. I had to look past her actions to understand the reasons why she was behaving the way that she did and gradually the feelings of revulsion faded.
I find cold cases fascinating. The determination of a handful of people, whether they are police or media to solve a murder and bring peace to friends and family is humbling and is shown brilliantly here. Especially with regards to Juliet’s father and the guilt shown by both Martha and Liv. Some of it I guessed correctly, but only a small part. I was duped very convincingly.
Recommended.

Three young girls forge a friendship at school. Close friends Olivia, Martha and Juliet went pretty much everywhere together. They shared their secrets, understood that their family lives were different and complicated but never let that stand in the way of their friendship.

Then one night Juliet goes missing. Her bicycle is found on the towpath by the canal; a dark and lonely place that at once conjures images of bad things happening. At the same time, a teacher disappears and the police form a theory that because they knew each other and Juliet volunteered with the teacher after school, they may have run off together.

Fast forward 18 years, and Martha is trying to reinvent her career, after losing her role as a TV newsreader. Now she is working with an independent production company on a pilot series looking at cold cases. The first cold case chosen for the pilot is the one that haunts her; what happened to Juliet that night when she left her on the towpath?

Beautiful Liars is a story with many interwoven strands. It is a story of friendship, of shared histories, of lies told for the best and the worst of reasons. Narrated in multiple voices, each voice is clear and distinctive and the narrative is therefore easy to follow. These are easily understandable characters, well fleshed out and authentic.

The story begins with deception and takes off from there, utilising many plot twists and mis-directions until the reader is caught up in the flow, needing to know what happens next and how the story can be resolved. This is a clever and carefully constructed novel delivered with flair and precision which kept me on my toes wondering what might happen next.

You know a book is working for you when you feel sympathy for the characters; and Casey was a woman who you could not help but question whilst simultaneously wishing you could reach out to her.

Isabel Ashdown has created a compelling psychological thriller with more than enough to keep the reader on edge right through to the gripping end.

I absolutely loved this book!  Completely gripping from the outset, this is a story of an unsolved murder, secrets, and lies.  I liked the style of writing, and the plot kept me guessing...there was no way I had the ending to this one figured out!  The majority of the story is narrated by two of the main characters, which adds interest and different perspectives.  I found that my feelings towards some of the characters changed as the story unfolded, and in my opinion any characters which create feelings in the reader must be well-written.  The author has suggested some questions at the end of the book for reader groups or book clubs to consider.  I certainly hope to read more from Isabel Ashdown in the future, and would give Beautiful Liars five stars.

Having absolutely loved Little Sister, I was really looking forward to Beautiful Liars, which is a story of friendship, secrets and lies.

This book’s strength lies in the characters. Yet again, this author has created a good mix of characters that are well developed. I especially liked Casey, who I was very much intrigued by, not knowing what she was going to do next. The characters are believable, and the situation convincing, as if it really could happen. I had my suspicions, but I didn’t solve the case myself, so it was good to get a couple of unexpected surprises, and discover that perhaps I didn’t know some of the characters quite as well as I thought.

I didn’t get on quite as well with the style this book was written in though. It felt a little slow to start and I struggled getting to grips with what was happening at first. It felt like I had to really concentrate, but some of this may be my own fault, as I did start it late one night while really tired, so didn’t read a lot, and when I came to it the next night, I was struggling to remember who was who. I also have a bit of an aversion to police procedural crime novels, and even though this isn’t police procedural, as it is actually a television celebrity who is trying to solve the cold case of a missing teenage friend from her past, it did have a police procedural feel to it, in that she was delving into the past, looking for evidence, circumstances around the time, potential suspects and reasons for the disappearance of her friend.

Although this style of storytelling didn’t float my boat, I know a lot of readers who absolutely love that style of mystery solving, so I think this book will be very much enjoyed by crime fans and those who enjoy cold case television programmes. If you enjoy realistic crime and mystery solving novels with strong characters that will keep you guessing until the end, then I would definitely recommend Beautiful Liars. Also, if you haven’t read Little Sister, I highly recommend you add that to your pile of books to read too.

Secrets Will Out!
Beautiful Liars is the fifth book by Isabel Ashdown and her first fiction novel in the crime genre, but I am sorry to say, that this is the first of her books I have had the pleasure to read. I am over the moon to be given the chance to help kick off the first week of her epic blog tour with this review. 

About the Book
Beautiful Liars is a fabulous character driven mystery. Isabel promises twists and turns wrapped up in a story about secrets and friendship.

18 years ago, Martha, Juliet, and Liv were three best friends living a perfectly happy life. But when Juliet's bike is found abandoned by the edge of a canal, their lives are set never to be the same again.

Almost two decades later, Martha, who now has a successful TV career, has vowed to open the cold case that involves her missing friend, hoping to solve the case once and for all. But opening up that case will lead to secrets being outed and lives being changed forever.

As I mentioned, this was a 'cherry pop' for me and having never read any of Isabel's work, I had no idea what to expect. But having read so many thrillers lately, I was expecting similar themes, dark characters and more twists than a curly wurly. What I wasn't expecting was a steady burner that would creep up on me!

Beautiful Liars is an enthralling book about those secrets we keep so hidden that most of the time we manage to completely forget we are keeping them. A book about the small details we overlook each day when we are turning a blind eye to the real issues in our lives.

The opening chapter of the book hooks you immediately and although I figured out one of the main twists fairly on, Beautiful Liars is one of those books that demands you keep reading to the end to find out if you are right. Despite the fact that I knew what was going on, I couldn't put the book down, instead, I spent most of the time screaming at the book waiting for the characters to wake up and see the truth.

The theme of friendship that is threaded through the book is so relatable. How many of us were involved in a friendship of three when we were at school? What emotions did that bring? Jealousy, secrets ... Ashdown explores these without ever having you question the girls' loyalty to each other.

Isabel managed one aspect of this book particularly well... characterisation. Meeting one of the other characters, Casey early in the book left me feeling uncomfortable from her very first introduction, but her behaviour throughout the book drew me further into the story each time. A character that you instantly dislike, sympathise with and scream 'stupid girl' in equal measure! I won't say much more than that, I would hate to spoil it for anyone, but suffice to say that her character is one that you will love to hate.

Beautiful Liars is a crime novel with a great plot and complex characters. Even if you do work out the twist early, I guarantee you won't be able to put it down until you are proven right. The characters demand that you continue to read, after all.. their story doesn't end until you turn the very last page!

The first couple of chapters were laying the ground work which was going to end up into a fab read at the end. I know that now, but at the time I was really having to concentrate on what I was reading, so don't get interrupted when you first start to read this, it really is an amazing plot.

We have lie, we have deception and most of all we have secrets.

Based around three main characters, all different but all friends. Each come from a different background.

Each person tells their stories in alternating chapters some of the past, the now and the present.

Then another character who steals the show.

Its such a wonderful plot that I loath to give anything away, the twists in this is so awesome you won't guess.

I warmed to each character in their own right because each experience was unique.

A young girl going missing.
A devoted husband who was seen to be to blame.

This is definitely going into my top 2018 shelf.

Highly recommended.