Cover Image: The Liar in the Library

The Liar in the Library

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Member Reviews

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

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A great whodunnit full of Witt and humour with a great detective story at its Heart

Thank you Netgalley for a copy for an honest review

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My first Brett and I was pretty disappointed. I didn't feel compelled to read it and continue through. The characters lacked substance and it just wasn't interesting to me.

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Ok. I have been picking one book a month off of my not giving feedback list and trying to actually read them.
First I did not know this was book EIGHTEEN when I requested this one. Also, I felt the descriptions to be mighty lengthy.

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In the sleepy, English village of Fethering, an author event at the local library ends in murder and it's up to amateur sleuths Carole and Jude to solve the case.

The Liar in the Library was so much fun to read. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading a great mystery novel.

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Despite being the 18th book in a series, this stands alone. It's a rather cute, though predictable in some ways, cozy mystery. I happen to like those and when it's a library, well... I'm in! It's rather light-hearted, reminding me somewhat of an episode of Murder She Wrote but with new people and characters. The writing style was easy to read, the story fast paced. The fictional author of "Stray Leaves In Autumn" is quite dead. Jude and Carole are going to solve this case, if they can. It's a fun read.

Thanks to NetGalley for my digital copy of this book. A positive review is never required.

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Even though this is book 18 in the series it can be read as a standalone. This was a fascinating story with good characters and well written.

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This seemed like the kind of novel you would pick up in an airport and wish you didn’t. Definitely not recommended.

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When I see a book that’s written about a library, I get excited. But this one was just not a well written book. The fact that it is the 18th in the series surprises me. The characters are not well developed and I can’t believe the author has managed to tweak out 18 books without making them realistic.

The advantage of this book is that it is a quick read…and a mystery. So if you want something you can pick up and read one night while you’re curled up in front of the fireplace, then this would be the perfect book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Créme de la Crime for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

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This book sounded amazing, the premise was fascinating and I was really looking forward to it. I love cozy detective novels, but there has been so much slagging off the Police investigating, that it made me feel like the author either had no clue about how it all works or that they did not bother doing their research. Somewhat it felt like it the plot took the path of least resistance.

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I had no idea this was book #18 in a series!!! Maybe if I read the others I would have liked this more? Overall, this wasn't my cup of tea. I had high hopes for this one based on the synopsis, but I was a bit let down.

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I have enjoyed all the books in this series, this one being no exception, it is a lovely light cozy read and I love following the characters. The story line is good and eagerly await the next in the series.

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This is a fun mystery in the style of the classic parlor mysteries with a dose of modern wit. Jude and Carol are a couple of amateur sleuths in a small English town, and when Jude is a suspect in the murder of an old acquaintance she sets off to clear her name. Jude and Carol travel down parallel paths until once again they team up to question any and all suspects and witnesses. The police are sure Jude is the murderer, and is Carol even beginning to doubt her friend? Author Simon Brett keeps the reader guessing, and smiling through this delightful book. Many thanks to Netgalley and Black Thorn for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

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I loved reading this book from beginning to end. Jude finds herself Suspect Number One in the murder of author Burton St. Clair, who is found murdered after giving a talk at her local library. How can she prove her innocence when both St. Clair and his ex-wife have insisted she's the reason for the breakup of their marriage? A fast-moving mystery with a satisfying ending that will appeal to those who love the Golden Age of Mystery mysteries.

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I just knew I would love this book. It didn't happen....at 40% I gave up.
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.
All opinions are my own.

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Brett has written a cozy, fun mystery to follow, and I would guess that his others are the same. Jude is very likable, and with her friend Carole, make a great sleuthing team. I did not entirely expect the outcome of the story, which makes a mystery more fun. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

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This cute cozy mystery was just ok for me. There were several suspects hence a slight amount of mystery but no real twists. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

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For some reason I just couldn’t get into it, I started skimming words to read faster but sadly it just didn’t gripped me.
Think this could be one I go back to as it sounded so good and right up my street.

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This was an okay read, I perhaps should have read some of the others in the series. It was less about libraries and more about a murder in the community of Fethering, and getting together at the pub to solve said murder.

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I was interested in reading this book after seeing the author Simon Brett do a reading and talk about his writing at Harrogate crime writing festival in England. I enjoyed the tale.

The story focuses on Jude, a woman who lives alone on the south coast of England who attends an author talk (Al Sinclair) in her local library. The author, Al, is the ex husband of her old friend and they meet after the talk to catch up, where he tries to make romantic advances, she refuses him and the next day he is found dead.

The novel plot focuses on the police investigation into the murder, as well as Jude's own attempts to find out who murdered Al Sinclair. The story was interesting, but the reason I gave it three starts is due to the repetition I experienced in the story. At one point Jude's neighbour talks to the librarian Di about whether she saw anything on the night of the murder, Di rants and raves about how her library is underfunded, under used and under staffed and a few days later in the narrative makes nearly the same speech to Jude, which felt frustrating as a reader. I also didn't find the murderer to be believable, especially the motive and felt the sub plot about the Polish uncle didn't add anything to the story.

A nice gentle read.

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