This is the second Spain book I’ve read and I must admit I’ve become a bit of an instant fan.

The Perfect Lie opens with Danny jumping to his death in what everyone assumes is a suicide. Spain then flashes forward to a ‘now’ scene where Erin is in court, on trial for the murder of her husband. This opening is very effective and leads the reader to come up with all sorts of explanations including whether or not Danny is truly dead after the jump, given that Erin wasn’t allowed to view his body.

Obviously Spain keeps switching between the timelines, drip feeding us the details, until they link up and the twists are revealed. I said with the other Spain book that she displayed impeccable timing when it came to switching from the past to present and I believe she again managed to do this really well. There were no awkward transitions and she keeps the mystery plot tracking along well before tying all the strings together seamlessly in the end.

The setting is an upmarket beach area on Long Island, New York. There’s also a back story set at Harvard College. I enjoyed the US setting even though I thought it was an odd choice at first (as I read on, I discovered there were several plot points which relied on the overseas setting, however). Spain didn’t disappoint me with the Irish connection completely though, with Erin and her family heralding from there and one of her regular haunts being an Irish pub (albeit one without too much authenticity).

Spain’s style flows easily and this was a quick read. Usually I say books of this size (just over 400 pages long) often need editing and their word count cut as they seem to drag in places but I never felt this way with The Perfect Lie.

With the hefty word count comes an obvious hefty cast of characters with many likely suspects and red herrings and potential victims but Spain’s characterisation was good enough to cause no confusion with who was who. Erin was a likeable leading lady and I couldn’t help but cheer her on. Karla, her lawyer, was a standout from the supporting characters and I wouldn’t be surprised if she turned up in another of Spain’s books one day.

If there was a hiccup or critique, it was that most of the story is told from Erin’s first person point of view except for a few chapters which are told from the point of view of another female character, Ally. Ally’s boyfriend’s identity needs to be kept secret from the reader for quite a while so as not to give too much away leading to Ally constantly referring to ‘my boyfriend’ ending up a little clunky. Maybe Spain could have simply said ‘he’ now and then to break up the weirdness of this part.

For the most, however, Spain’s writing is really good and I’m looking forward to exploring more of her titles. 4 ½ out of 5

Erin lives in New York with her husband who is a police officer. One day his colleagues show up and he jumps to his death out of their window - why is Erin now being charged with his murder?

I absolutely loved this book! I was completely gripped from the beginning, I’ve never read anything by Jo Spain before I will definitely in the future!

I didn’t see the twists and turns coming and I spent a lot of time trying to guess and piece together what happened. The book is told over three time periods which I love in a suspense - you’re drip-fed information throughout!

Definitely pick this up if you like twists and turns and a shocker of an ending!

Excitement aside, there were character mistakes and mishaps. Not really into it because of the character mistakes. When I read I want to be able to follow the plot, not figure out what character is in error.

I really wanted to love this one as I've heard amazing things about Jo Spain's novels.

This one started off so good and for a while I found myself unable to put it down but then it just sort of dragged for me and I ended up not enjoying it as much.

Maybe it's my frame of mind at the moment that didnt allow me to enjoy it, I'm on the verge of a reading slump and that sometimes hinders my experience.

I might try and pick up another Spain book soon.

I am a huge Jo Spain fan and have loved each and every book. This one had me scratching my head until about 3/4 of the way through.
It is ful of twists and turns with well developed characters and the whole plot sucks you in.
So many times I thought I knew what was happening, only to be proven wrong, it's very cleverly written.
Well done Jo Spain
Thanks to Netgalley for my copy

Another great book.
Has you guessing all the way through .
Plenty of twists.
Will have you hooked.
Thanks NetGalley

The Perfect Lie by Jo Spain is a well written domestic thriller. It follows the story of Erin and her husband Danny. A happy life until Danny jumped to his death. Leaving Erin absolutely devastated and with so many questions left unanswered. Who can she really trust and why is she arrested for murder?

My first Jo Spain book and it did not disappoint. I found the story fast paced with the chapters going from then and now. The book is full of twists and turns - one I did not see coming. I don't want to give away too much. You need to go on to this book blind.

Thank you Netgalley and Quercus Books for the advanced copy for an honest review.

Danny is a police officer who is happily married to Erin. Until one day his colleagues come to arrest him so he jumps from the window to his death, leaving Erin grief stricken and confused. Danny has left behind a trail of secrets but fortunately, Erin has the help of her sister and her new found friends Cal, Karla and Bud to help her. But who is Ally and how does she link to Danny’s death? And how on earth does Erin end up being arrested for murdeing her husband? So many brilliant twists in this novel that I could not put it down. A fantastic read!

Loved this book!
It had a sense of mystery throughout that I absolutely loved.

Great read for thriller/mystery buffs.

I am sorry but I was unable to finish this book I just didn't like the main characters and the story seemed a little slow

I was very keen to read Jo Spain's latest novel, The Perfect Lie having previously read both 'Dirty Little Secrets' and 'Six Wicked Reasons'.

There were certainly no disappointments here! This stellar thriller focuses on Erin Kennedy who moves to New York for a fresh start with her detective husband, Danny in the town of Newport, Long Island. Answering a knock at her front door one ordinary Tuesday morning and looking forward to a breakfast of pancakes, she finds her husband's colleagues on her doorstep as Danny jumps from their fourth-floor apartment balcony. Eighteen months later, Erin finds herself on trial accused of murder...

The story is narrated over three plot sections - The Lie, The Truth and The Whole Truth, as well as different time periods: Then (2019), Now (2020) and Harvard (2016). The transitions are seamless and each thread combines to create a thoroughly engrossing read. The Perfect Lie is terrific domestic noir that develops into a story rich in suspense and contains some really clever twists. Well-balanced to the very end, the outcome befitted the story with a fulfilling conclusion that I didn’t predict. A supreme novel in every respect, The Perfect Lie is simply unmissable.

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

This is the first Jo Spain book that I have read and it did not disappoint. I was on the edge of my seat the whole way through.

The story was fast paced and went between different points of view through different times in the storyline.

I didnt expect the ending of the book, I don't want to give any spoilers but it didn't go in the direction I was expecting it to.

I cant imagine going through everything that Erin went through. But I did love the friends that she made along the way.

I will definitely be picking up another Jo Spain book in the future.

Erin who was living in New York had moved from Ireland after a family tragedy. She met Danny, a policeman and married him within 6 months. They were in love and she loved her life.

That was until the police arrived at their apartment with his partner to arrest him.

Danny walked past Erin and jumped from the fourth floor window killing him self.

Erins works fell apart. Why did he do this, who was covering things up.

I enjoyed this book and dont want to spoil the twist and turns. Read it in a day. Keeps you turning the pages.

Suspicion is everywhere! The characters were good to. Great read.

The book starts with a bang with the death of Erin's husband right in front of her. Soon, she finds out that he has secrets and he's not the man she thought he was. I really enjoyed the writing and I thought the double timeline creates suspense at first.

However, I found the blurb and synopsis quite misleading. I was not a fan of the misdirection as I was looking forward to finding out about Erin's husband and why she is charged with his murder despite the evidence that suggests otherwise. I also thought Erin is incredibly naive as a protagonist and it was hard to root for her. The book's portrayal of sexual assault victims is heartbreaking but I wish the storyline is treated more seriously because it got really over the top at the end. When the villain seems to know everything without a plausible explanation, it was hard to be convinced by the story. This just missed the mark for me.

I'm afraid this book wasn't for me. I struggled but I couldn't finish it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

A normal morning for a normal couple, having their coffee and looking forward to the next hours of their day. Someone calls at the front door and it takes just a second for everything Erin thought she knew to be turned upside down.

Her husband jumps out of their fourth-floor apartment when his partner in the police department comes in to arrest Dany for a crime that remains unsolved for a good part of the book.

If that got your attention like me, you must read this book. I simply couldn’t stop reading. And just when I thought I had it all predicted and gotten all caught up with what really happened in the past and moreso why, there’s another shocking twist that comes around to destroy everything I thought I knew.

Told in now and then parts, it’s a fast-paced novel with interesting characters and if you enjoy a suspense story with many twists and turns, this book is a brilliant choice.

What a clever, compulsive, twisty domestic thriller!

Erin’s life was thrown into confusion one morning when her husband jumped to his death. Immediately, I had so many questions, why did he jump? Why were his police colleagues at his door that morning? If that wasn’t enough, the author threw in alternate chapters that showed Erin at a murder trial 18 months after her husband’s death. If he jumped in front of witnesses, why does she stand accused of murdering him? Phew, I had so many questions which led to a fun roller-coaster ride in search of answers.

The story is narrated in 3 cleverly interwoven parts - The Lie, The Truth and The Whole Truth. It spans over 3 time periods: Then (July 2019), Now (December 2020) and Harvard (December 2016) and each strand combines to create a thoroughly engrossing and exciting read. Jo Spain has created a tangled web that I was quite happy to be caught up in. The characters are deftly crafted and the plot is filled with intrigue and suspense.

This is the third book that I have read by the author. Dirty Little Secrets and The Confession were definitely enjoyable but The Perfect Lie is the best one yet. If you enjoy well-paced, enthralling, suspenseful thrillers then yes, you do need to read The Perfect Lie by Jo Spain.

This is a well written true psychological thriller. Full of twists and turns. I couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend this one. Thanks to NetGalley for the privilege to read and review this book.

The Perfect Lie by Jo Spain is a suspenseful thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. Erin and Danny are an idyllic married couple living in New York. On any normal day, Danny’s law enforcement partner and others show up at his house and Erin and all in attendance watch as he jumps to his death. Now Erin is charged with murder. Who can Erin believe and trust? Great read.

I felt uncomfortable reading the first few chapters of this book and didn’t complete it. The book jumps straight into a horrific incident and I couldn’t face reading any further.