Perfect escapism. I flew through it. Gripping with a surprise twist in the end that I certainly didn't see coming. Makes you think of holidays and warm weather although I hope to never encounter an issue like Susanne did when I go abroad.

This holiday should be a great way for Susanne and her two very good friends to reboot. Not only is Susanne's ex getting remarried, her teen son is staying with his father for several weeks. When Susanne and her friends get a chance to head to Tuscany for awhile it just might prove to a the perfect distraction for all three of them. Their main purpose is to spend time with a young man named Harry. His godmother is concerned with him being alone there, and she is also hoping he will learn the Italian language.

Surprisingly, Susanne and Harry enter a romantic relationship, despite their age difference. As far as Susanne is concerned, it is simply a holiday fling and certainly no harm could ensue. However, as the story develops, readers began learning about Harry, his past and his connection to a young woman who eventually joins all of them at the Tuscan villa.

Things might have started out fine for the three friends, but things might just turn deadly. In fact, the path that brings a massive change is rather twisted, filled with lies and secrets that soon spiral out of control. Not only are readers slowly learning more about Harry, they are seeing how the friendship of the three women becomes tested. As a reader, I knew going in that this was not going to be a sweet love story with a happy ending.

While watching things unravel in the then and now way the story was told kept me intrigued. The pacing was a bit off and the ending came fast and definitely was not what I would have imagined. Other than the uneven conclusion, The Perfect Liar was a pretty good story with a nice level of suspense.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

This was my first experience reading Beverley Harvey's work. The Perfect Liar is the perfect novel to take with you on vacation -- especially to Italy. While the plot twist did not come as a shock (as I suspect most seasoned mystery readers will also easily figure this out), it did nothing to impact the pleasure of reading this novel. The strengths of Harvey's novel rests in her beautiful atmospheric descriptions of Tuscany -- the food, ruins, lush countryside, and villas. Having honeymooned in Italy over a decade ago, this story brought all those wonderful memories back -- even with or in spite of the more sinister parts of the narrative. I also liked how the characters were not stereotypical depictions of middle aged, wealthy women. Rather, the author took the time to develop them and enable them (and their relationships) to progress. Overall, an enjoyably fun read.

Three friends staying in a luxury villa in Tuscany.
All they have to do is keep an eye on 24 year old Harry
Harry seems to be the perfect person to share the villa with more so that Susie who is much older than Harry ends up sleeping with him.
Dale is suspicious of Harry their is something not right,
Great twists and turns
Thanks NetGalley

This is a fast-paced story/drama rather than a thriller but with great characters and wonderful descriptions of Italy would make a great holiday read. A book you can relax with.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author for this fabulous ARC. This book started with a spectacular introduction. I really liked the author's narration style, it made the story easy to read and enjoyable. I enjoyed the relationship between the friends, it felt real. I liked these characters so much I wanted to join them in their trip. The scenery in Tuscany was described so good. Good surprises in the story overall. I enjoyed this story more than I expected to and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Great read! Well-developed characters, unexpected moves, and an intriguing plot. Have already purchased for a friend!

This book is described as a thriller but I found it to be more of a slower paced drama. A good story with some lovely descriptions of Italy

Susanne's son has gone to stay with his dad for the summer. Evie is mourning the death of her mother. Dale is strying to escape her ex. Together the women decide to treat themselves to a holiday in Tuscany, staying at a friend's villa and keeping an eye on her godson Harry. But Susanne quickly falls into bed with Harry and her friends are worried. Is he as perfect as he seems?
The three main female characters are all very likeable and all have valid reasons for wanting some fun in the sun. As a mum with children speedily growing up, I could especially understand Susanne's emotional reaction to her son's growing independence.
Harry seems to be a pleasant enough chap but the book blurb makes readers anticipate that he is not the person he seems to be. The truth behind The Perfect Liar develops over the course of the book and I was expecting some of the twists but not all.
I found that some parts of the book duplicated things unnecessaily as we are shown the same scene from different viewpoints but this didn't add much to the plot or character development. I did enjoy seeing things from the male perspective later in the book to gain an understanding of his motives and to contrast with the women's viewpoints.
Overall, The Perfect Liar was an enjoyable read, more drama than thriller.

Whilst I enjoyed reading this book, I dont consider this book as a fast thriller. It was quite slow for me, but enjoyable just the same.

I found this book quite slow, not really a thriller. There was no intrigue in the first half for me as it was pretty easy to guess what was happening. The descriptions of Tuscany were very believable and you could picture it all very clearly in your mind, always the sign of a good writer.
I found the last few chapters a bit more interesting although I am not a fan of cliffhangers
So to summarize, the author is obviously a great descriptive writer because she definitely transported me to Tuscany but the book plot was so, so for me and didn't hold my attention, maybe it would translate better to film..
Thank you Netgalley, Bookouture and Beverley Harvey for giving me the opportunity to read a copy of The Perfect Liar.

What to say about this book??? A story about three women who are fortunate enough to get a free stay for the summer at a neighbor's Tuscany villa, except they have to share with the owner's gorgeous godson. Doesn't seem too hard to take, does it? Obviously, all is not what it seems. For the first half of the book, the women do little more than bicker back and forth between themselves, then apologize, then wonder if everything really is all right with their relationships. Dragged on and on. At a little more than halfway through, the mystery starts to unfold, and it is blatant in every aspect. I don't usually try to solve mysteries, I like to just read through and be surprised. But this was so obvious that I had it figured out as soon as it appeared. There were so many things that just did not ring true, especially the relationships at the end of the book. The epilogue makes me wonder if the author is going for a sequel. I did enjoy the descriptions of Italy. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

A very enjoyable read. Three friends all with problems in their lives escape to a luxury Tuscan villa for 5 weeks. Also there is Harry the godson of the owners. He soon starts a relationship with one of the women.
However, are things as they seem. Who will uncover the truth?
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this arc

I had read both of Beverley's previous novels and really enjoyed them as they are set in a fictional village based on where I live; however psychological thrillers are always far more my cup of tea so I couldn't wait to get stcuk into this one and it really didn't disappoint. Beverley's writing is getting better and better with each book and the premise of this one had me gripped from the outset.

Suzanne and her two best friends, Dale and Evie are all looking forward to a month in the sun at a stunning Tuscan villa. All three women have their own reasons for needing a bit of a break from their own realities and when Suzanne is offered the chance to rent a villa from a neighbour they all jump at the opportunity – even if her young nephew will also be staying there.

However when they arrive Harry is charming, polite and devastatingly handsome. Sharing doesn’t look like it will be such a hardship after all! With endless days of sunning themselves by the pool and feasting on Tuscan food and wine ahead of them it’s shaping up to be the perfect summer.

However as Suzanne and Harry grow closer tensions begin to rise as they all begin to vie for her attention and Dale and Evie become increasingly suspicious of Harry and his background.

Who exactly is he and what are his motives for developing a relationship with a woman almost twice his age? As the summer progresses it seems Harry really isn’t who he first appeared to be and their idyllic trip turns into a nightmare.

I read the book in two days. There are so many twists towards the end it is really breath-taking reading and I was totally seduced by the atmospheric descriptions throughout. I could almost feel the sun on my back and smell the prosciutto and olives in the air.

An easy read which distracted me without too much effort. The characters were just ok and whilst there were some good surprises I wouldn’t really say it was the thriller it was advertised to be.

I got about halfway through this book. It was an interesting premise--3 middle-aged friends all need a break and travel to Tuscany to stay at a friend's villa. Also there is the friend's godson, who is clearly a dreamboat, though much younger than them. One of the women is a lesbian, and that was OK with me. But, as the story progressed, it becomes clear that she's in love with her best friend, who is straight. But her best friend is under the spell of the younger man. At that point, it seemed more like a soap opera than a novel I wanted to read. So, unfortunately, I stopped reading.

Another excellent read which had me hooked from the start.
A trio of women end up staying at a friend's villa in Italy in the hope of having a relaxing holiday together. What they get is far from that as a love affair becomes a suspicious entanglement and leads to a terrible truth. In between, events threaten to divide the women and ruin friendships. There is Susie who is missing her fifteen old son Cody, her best friend Dale who is fed up with being stalked by ex-girlfriend Helena, and shy and retiring new addition to the friendship circle, legal secretary Evie.
Evie, reeling from the death of her mother and seriously lacking in confidence is hampered by a terrible sense of shame about her body, but is probably the most likeable character for me, and the most sensible. Dale is very hot-headed and Susie is very privileged.
The book is a psychological thriller which tests the reader's powers of deduction and left me muddled at times with an elaborate plot that stitched me up in knots! There is an unusual ending that also left me gasping and not quite knowing which way was up!
This is also a book about identity and the assumptions we make, in this case, assumptions which lead to devastating consequences and is enough to put anyone off going away on holiday! In fact the book did make me think of TM Logan's book The Holiday at times. Is Harry who he says he is? Does he really love a woman old enough (almost) to be his mother? Who is Star and why is she in a hostel and where on earth does Brandon fit into it all? Has someone gone missing? Has someone had an accident or been killed? And why does any of this happen in the first place?
I have deliberately left you with a glut of questions which cannot be answered unless you read the book. Go on, you know you want to!

This novel is a great read – the pacing is comfortable, it is well-plotted and the story is intriguing.

A month in Tuscany was going to be a much needed, relaxing extended holiday for Susanne and her two friends, Evie and Dale. Charismatic Harry introduces himself, charms Susanne and the two have a holiday fling, but before long Evie and Dale are wondering if Harry is actually the person he presents to the world...

I really enjoyed reading The Perfect Liar and couldn't put it down! With its many twists, I was desperate to reach the end. Even though I struggled to like the characters, especially Susanne who was a bit of an airhead, Beverley Harvey had cast them well and they all contributed to the story. The plot was sound and there were some wonderful descriptions of the Tuscan locale. As the story progressed the suspense levels rose proportionately and the gobsmacking finale was stupendous! All in all The Perfect Liar was a darn good read.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Bookouture via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

I was drawn to the book by the cover which hinted at a mysterious, deceitful character and this definitely sums up the character of Harry in this book!

A dream slowly and surely turns into a nightmare for friends Susanne, Evie and Dale as gorgeous, charming Harry turns out not to be as perfect as he first seems… except being the perfect liar, of course.

This wasn’t as fast paced as my usual read but I was definitely intrigued and a little bit creeped out by the character of Harry and wanted to keep reading to find out the truth about him.

Overall, a twisty and compelling read with a clever and original storyline.

⭐⭐⭐

Sometimes we believe what we want to believe because the truth is too painful, or frightening. Other times we can’t let go, and bitterness and hate dominate our lives. These sentiments hold true in The Perfect Liar. Believing a well crafted lie can lead to a fatal conclusion. Living the lie can lead to murder. This book is full of suspense and will have you wondering who is the real liar, and who is telling the truth. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.