This is a twisty psychological thriller which has an interesting and compelling plot. It did move a little slower than I would have liked at times but still an enjoyable read.

An ok read but a bit slow paced for me until almost the end of the book. I didn’t hate this book but didn’t totally love it either.

No matter how hard I tried I just could not get into this story and I found it really slow and dull.

I think this book has the bones of a very good story but unfortunately I didn’t engage or particularly like any of the characters. I felt they were all a bit 2 dimensional and this hampered my enjoyment and belief in the story. I’m giving it a 3 star review as it has potential and some other readers may overlook the points I’ve made and enjoy it more than me.

A great story of family dysfunction - well paced. Very much recommended. This is definitely one I will be putting on my reread pile.

Enjoyable, well written. Thank you to both NetGalley and publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book
Great book. Highly recommended

A gripping thriller full of twists and turns, with an explosive ending that leaves one wondering - it can be seen either as the best or the worst of endings for Leslie: has her sister saved her or condemned her? You decide ...

A twisted tale of two estranged sisters and a slow burn of a novel that does quite reach its potential as a psychological thriller.

This was great. Lots of plot twists, none of which, I thought, were the least bit predictable. The ending was a kicker but perhaps a bit rushed which would be my only complaint. I’d say 4.5 if I could use halves!

Leslie ist auf der Suche nach ihrer Schwester Robin, von der sie seit vielen Jahren nichts gesehen und gehört hat. Nur mit ihr zusammen kann sie das so dringend benötigte Erbe ihres Vaters antreten, sonst geht sie leer aus. Allerdings findet sie ihre Schwester tot auf, sie ist gerade an einer Überdosis verstorben. Zufällig stößt sie später auf Mary und kommt auf die Idee, diese als ihre tote Schwester auszugeben. Schon bald tauchen die ersten Lügen und Geheimnisse zwischen Leslie und Mary auf, man weiß nicht welcher der Hauptfiguren man trauen kann. Was ist hier falsch und was ist wahr? Auf welche Seite will man sich als Leser stellen? Die Geschichte wird immer komplexer und verzwickter, eine Frau traut der anderen nicht. Daher fängt Mary an Leslie nachzuschnüffeln und sie zu verfolgen. Aber die Unklarheiten werden zunächst immer nur noch größer. Der Roman ist aus drei Sichten erzählt, was die Erzählung gut vorantreibt. Es gibt jeweils abwechselnde Kapitel von Leslie, Mary und Robin. Wobei Robin als „Geist“ die Geschichte mit Episoden aus der vergangenen gemeinsamen Kindheit und Jugend ergänzt. Diese Abschnitte konnten mich allerdings irgendwie nicht richtig fesseln. Zur Hälfte des Buches hatte ich noch keinen blassen Schimmer, worauf das ganze hinauslaufen würde.
Nach einigen unvorhergesehenen und heftigen Wendungen gegen Ende und einem spannenden Finale stellt sich ein sehr ernster und wichtiger Hintergrund für diesen Roman und Leslies Figur heraus, der durch das Nachwort der Autorin noch betont wird.

Maaaaan if this is what it's like to have a sister then I'm very happy with a brother! This family is so dysfunctional! The book kept me enthralled to the end. A recommended read.

Unfortunately for me I gave up. Like before at some point I will try it again. But it didnt grab me like I hoped. Not saying it's awful, just not for me at the moment

Leslie needs to track down her sister to claim their inheritance, but when she finds her sister dead, she convinces a waitress to stand in for her. Both women are hiding secrets, but who is The Better Liar?
3.5/5⭐ - I enjoyed this book, it was a fast read that puttered along nicely. A handy one to grab if in book limbo and a quick and easy read to finish off February.

The plot idea in this book is intriguing, however for me personally, it didn't grab me enough. The characters are shallow, unlikeable (either for being good people or bad), I read to the end only so I could review the book. The twist is somewhat obvious. I thought the characters could have been explored in more detail and depth and the whole myriad of family connections explored in much more detail.

Books that start with a message from a dead person, unless it is a Will or a Diary or similar being read by the protagonist, are tricky because the reader will spend a bit of effort in thinking about ‘how’ rather than ‘why’. It is, of course, a useful device from the author’s point of view, because it allows the deceased to provide information about their own, and others’, backstory. But it can also give away more than was intended. This can spoil the denouement if it helps the reader to work it out too far in advance. In this case the author is fairly successful in keeping up the mystery, partly because the voices of the three main characters are distinct and appropriate and the plot is tight with good tension being maintained. The eventual resolution is satisfying.

The premise for this novel is intriguing. Leslie and Robin are estranged sisters, with Robin portrayed as the black sheep of the family whilst Leslie is left to care for their ailing father. When he passes, his will stipulates that in order to receive their allotted inheritance,the sisters must be present together to sign for their cheques. Despite discovering Robin’s whereabouts, Leslie is too late, her sister is dead.
How will she receive the money now and why is it imperative she does so quickly? What exactly does she need this money for? A chance encounter with a Robin lookalike sets this storyline in motion. Can Mary, an aspiring actress, albeit a complete stranger be persuaded to take on Robin’s identity, providing a perfect answer to Leslie’s dilemma?
Whilst my attention was captured by my desire to find out how events unfold, the pace of the novel is rather slow for my liking. The characters are complex individuals, none of whom are particularly likeable and I didn’t find this an easy read. Some parts are more readable than others with the narrative split between Leslie, Robin and Mary. I couldn’t understand why the relationship between the two sisters was so troubled although further along it does become apparent why this is. At the same time you realise what the underlying theme of this thriller really is, confirmed also at the end of the book if you read the author’s notes.
Unlike some other reviewers who thought the turn of events was entirely predictable, I spent most of this novel baffled but eager to know how the storyline would conclude. It seems like such an audacious stunt that surely would be rumbled so when the twists eventually arrived I was shocked and bemused as to how blinkered I’d been!
Despite finding this a challenging read in places, I did speed through this thriller, enjoying the final pages more once I’d realised what lies beneath all the subterfuge. There’s definitely an unsettling feeling to the writing and I would agree with others that this is more literary than your average thriller. Whilst not completely my cup of tea, the concept for the storyline is intriguing and thought provoking. Exploring themes of sisterly love and rivalry, motherhood and deceit it’s up to you to decide who is ‘The Better Liar’.
My thanks as always to the author and publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read in exchange for an honest review.

I was initially intrigued by this story but, after a good start, it seemed to run out of steam There were a couple of good twists but I was rather disappointed by the ending. Two sisters, Leslie and Robin stand to inherit money in their father's will but in order for this to happen they need to reunite after bring estranged for a long time. Leslie tracks down Robin but unfortunately she has died so she asks Mary, a waitress and would be actress, to pretend to be Robin for a share of the money. The story is told from the points of view of the three women.. Who is the better liar? That would be telling!

A slow start but stay with it as it has a good middle and an even better end. This story is about the complicated relationship between sisters Lesley and Robin and the influence their mother had on them. Who is right and who is wrong, who is good and who is bad but more importantly what is going on. All will be revealed.

I’m not sure what to make of this book. Some parts were alright, the overall premise sounded quite interesting, but I’m on the fence with other areas.

First off, Mary’s true identity was obvious, as was Leslie’s indifference to her baby. So the whole ‘reveal’ scene, revealed only Leslie’s plan and nothing else.

Secondly, there was not one single character that I warmed to, which can make the reading a little sluggish if you don’t like the POV characters.

The ending is really the only thing that gave it another star - that’s where I thought it would go, but all in all, this one just didn’t do it for me, and turned out not quite was I was expecting.

Thank you to Tanen Jones, Random House UK, Vintage Publishing, and NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this twisty ride, as Leslie and Mary's secrets were unpeeled. The two voices were very distinctive and, despite all the secrets that came spooling out of their pasts, sympathetic too. With the turns of a thriller and a clear-eyed take on post-natal depression, this is a clever and engaging read.