Erin Kennedy moves to America from Ireland following a family tragedy. She meets and subsequently marries Danny who is a policeman and that’s all I’m going to say as it’s much better to dive in blindly with this one! The story is told in varying timelines.

Well, Jo Spain sure knows how to grab a readers attention! That start! I think my eyes nearly shot out of my head and my jaw certainly thuds south towards the deck! Suffice it to say that’s not the only moment where there are jaw droppers and it’s just possible the odd naughty little expletive may have been uttered too 🤭. The plot line is so intriguing and to a certain extent confusing, although eventually you catch on! There are twists that are absolute doozies with one in particular! It’s full of mystery and you can’t see how the threads connect but they sure do! It’s chilling in places, there’s betrayal, growing anger, threats, obtuse warnings and some very big fat lies and liars. When the truth eventually emerges it’s extremely shocking and I love how the author fools the reader several times - kudos! The characterisation is very good, Erin is very likeable, she’s brave with plenty of spirit and she is dogged in pursuing the truth despite the possible consequences. All the female characters are strong, the male characters are good although not all likeable. The premise is good, it’s well written, the plot is clever and it builds with suspense and intensity. The end seems a bit hurried and I think my expectations are that given the escalation it could have been a bit more powerful. However, it does fit and it’s certainly realistic.

Overall, I love Jo Spain’s books and this one is no exception. It’s very gripping, hard to put down, keeps you guessing and you certainly don’t want anyone to interrupt you while you are so engrossed!!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Quercus Books for the arc for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Quercus books for an eARc of "The Perfect Lie" by Jo Spain in return for an honest review.

What an utterly brilliant book !! If you love fast paced psychological thrillers, you are in for a real treat!

Erin Kennedy is an Irish immigrant in the US. She is married to Danny, a policeman. One morning when police officers call to their door, Danny, without warning, commits suicide by jumping out of their apartment window. In a cruel twist of fate Erin finds her self charged with the murder of her husband.

The plot is superbly planned down to every detail. Just when you think you have figured it out, it twists and turns, this way and that, leaving you dizzy with suspense, frantically turning the pages to discover what happens next....

It is hard to say any more about it without spoiling the plot. A stonking good read !!! 5 Stars !

#ThePerfectLie #NetGalley

Wow, a thriller that has got it all!

Erin wakes up one morning, next to her adored husband. The doorbells rings, her husband’s police colleagues walk in, and from that moment forward Erin’s life is changed forever. A psychological thriller with a dramatic opening, plenty of surprises throughout, and a “race to finish the book” ending.
Erin sets out to discover exactly what happened, and why, on that eventful day, discovering secrets and mysteries about her husband she could never have imagined. Set in Long Island, east of New York City, this thriller contains romance, mystery, courtroom drama, the suggestion of police corruption and plenty of twists.
The timeline moves between Then and Now, and there was a point where I struggled with this, but I am so glad I carried on, as from about halfway through the mystery massively increases and the twists come flying off the page.
5*s from me for another great stand alone thriller from Jo Spain. Even though I struggled with the two timelines for a little while, the plot with the ingenious twists, and the pace from about half way, well made up for a slow burn a little way into the book. Quite amazing!

Muy entretenida novela, primera que leo de Jo Spain. No será la última.
La historia comienza con el suicidio de un policía, que se tira desde el balcón de su casa justo cuando la policía (su compañero) va a detenerlo.
A partir de ahí, la prota, la irlandesa Erin Ryan inicia una investigación para averiguar qué ocurrió exactamente, y por qué se suicidó su marido.
Y, como las cosas no siempre son lo que parecen, los personajes empiezan a tener comportamientos que no casan demasiado con lo que se espera de ellos...
Como digo, muy entretenida.

#ThePerfectLie #NetGalley
An excellent psychological thriller.
Erin Kennedy is in court for the murder of her husband Danny who jumped from his house in front of everyone when that morning two officers came at his house.
Was Danny Guilty? If he was then of what?
Really this was a dark psychological thriller. It pinned me to my seat until I've read it's final twist.
I loved all the characters and narration of the story.
Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for giving me an advanced copy of this psychological thriller.

Erin Kennedy is living in America, where she went after a tragedy at home. She is living happily with her police officer husband Danny until the morning his work colleagues arrive at the door and he jumps out the window to his death. Why did he take his life? What were his colleagues doing there? What secrets was he keeping from her? Soon after she is in court on trial for killing her husband. What has happened?
Jo Spain has given us another cracker. Full of mystery and suspense. It is told over 3 timelines, the present, the past after Dannys suicide and 2 years previous to that where we see the story of a young student in Harvard. It is a great story and the 3 timelines come together brilliantly
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and Jo Spain for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review

The Perfect Lie gripped me from the very start. That’s not unusual but what doesn’t happen a lot is that it kept me enthralled until the very end. I read a lot of books so I’ve seen quite a few tricks by now. It takes a lot for a book to keep me guessing but The Perfect Lie did just that. While I had my suspicions regarding where the story was going, I was often taken down another path or a spanner was thrown in the works and changed my outlook. The good thing was that, despite many twists and turns, they all felt natural and slotted in perfectly to the overarching story.

The Perfect Lie jumps between the past ad the present and also includes the side story of Ally and Lauren, set in Harvard in 2016. This means that you do have to read more carefully in order not to get the characters and events confused. If you read very closely you will see some well-placed clues that will help you unravel the truth. I personally thought the various timelines and POVs were slotted together very well but I know some readers don’t like this in a book so here is a head’s up.

Finally, we have the characters. I know I keep swooning over this book but I loved all of the characters. The character development for each, no matter how big a role they played in the story, was spot on. I especially loved that the characters weren’t separated into black and white. Instead, most sat in the grey zone where their flaws were slowly unveiled but the reader can’t fully commit to liking or hating them. The most “perfect” character is Erin but even she might shock you along the way…

I’m not sure I really have to wrap up my opinion here; it’s quite obvious but I loved The Perfect Lie. I’m relatively new to Jo Spain so now I have to go and binge everything else she has written.

What a gripping thriller.

This was a very intense and good read.

Thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish and could not get enough of.

This is a must read for anyone who enjoys a good thriller!!
Absolutely loved the characters, the plot, the tension -  impossible to put it down.
Certainly recommended!

Thanks netgalley

Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus Books for the arc of The Perfect Lie written by Jo Spain.


4 star read- this follows a family tragedy which happened half a decade ago and Erin ends up moving to New York in USA. She moved to have a fresh start in which she now lives with her husband whom is a detective and they live in Newport in Long Island. One morning there is a knock at the door in which it is Danny's Colleagues from work and then behind her Danny is actually walking towards the window of their 4th floor department and jumps to his death from the fourth floor, Erin is then charged with his death. 18 months later... Over that time period she has managed to find out things about her husband she did not know... she thought they had a aperfect marriage and life but it was all based on lies...

Such a thrilling gripping read which had me on the edge of my seat wanting more this was an amazing read and recommend to all!

4 STARS⭐⭐⭐⭐

Clever. Very very cleverly written. That's all I can really say about it - just read it! Characters you care about, characters who are very real. Nothing is whitewashed out here, they are all flawed people but towards the end perhaps they have more understanding about each other? Excellent read.

'The Perfect Lie has all the hallmarks of a superb thriller: an interesting, glamorous setting (Long Island and, in a later plotline, glimpses of the elite university environment of Harvard), a well-drawn character in a moment of crisis who is overtaken by further events (Erin) and the slow and painful unravelling of previous events in domestic and courtroom settings. What happens after Erin’s husband Danny, who is moments away from being arrested for corruption, commits suicide, is a real rollercoaster, told in three separate timelines that come together magnificently at the end in a final chapter that even the most imaginative and investigative reader could not possibly have imagined. This is a stand-out thriller in a market that’s starting to get crowded – make sure you read it as you will not be disappointed. I have no idea why I had not heard of this Dublin-based author before – she has had several top-selling books in the last half-decade, after all – but I will definitely now seek out her earlier works. Thank you to the publishers (Quercus) and to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for this honest and unbiased review that was a joy to write.

A perfect thriller! I was hooked from the start, a woman’s husband jumps from a window in front of her and several policemen and yet she is accused of murder. How? Why? This story builds and builds to a fantastic climax, I couldn’t put it down!

I absolutely loved this book, the latest standalone by a writer who rarely disappoints me. Firstly the premise is first-rate, a woman watches her husband inexplicably jump to his death right in front of her, fast-forward 18 months later when said woman is on trial for the murder of... her husband!! Wait!! What?!?! Yep, that's the premise and somehow Jo Spain pulls this off with an intelligent plot with plenty of intrigue, great character development and obligatory twists in all the right places, amounting to quite the page turner. The dual time-line approach allows perfect pacing where the mystery of why Erin's husband jumped to his death is slowly revealed.

One of my favourite things about Jo Spain is that her books, her characters and her scenarios are firmly rooted in reality and situations and interactions are totally plausible (you just have to give your brain a little rest rather than leaving it at the door as is the case with a lot of books in this genre.) My only criticism is that the ending felt a little rushed, after enjoying the slow build-up to the reveal it was all wrapped up a little too quickly and a little too neatly for my liking. I would have liked a dramatic ending "scene" to the trial rather than the half page alluding to what happened but this did not hamper my enjoyment of this book and I will continue to recommend her books to anyone who will listen.

Many thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved #ThePerfectLie by #JoSpain! She's one of my favourite authors and this is very different for her in terms of setting. The opening is really intriguing - why did Danny jump to his death and how on earth can his wife be on trial for his murder? There are various strands and soon they take shape but the reader is left wondering what's really going on. The revelations, when they come, are jaw-dropping.

The characters are well drawn and I found myself wanting to know more about many of them, like Karla and Bud.

It's a really engrossing read with a clever plot and interesting characters - what more could I ask for?! I highly recommend it. Thanks #NetGalley and #QuercusBooks for making my weekend!

This is another excellent thriller from one of my favourite authors Jo Spain. I was a huge fan of the Tom Reynolds series and this is an excellent standalone book. This psychological thriller begins with Erin Kennedy married to police detective Danny. They have not been married long and they are in their honeymoon phase. One day there is a knock at the door and it’s Danny’s work partner and two other officers. Danny then does something unthinkable. The rest of the story is trying to unravel this mystery. There are plenty of twists and turns and the writing really kept me on my toes. I finished this over a couple of days finding I could not put it down! Sometimes it was a little confusing as there is a time hop element in the right but having said that I really did enjoy this book.

This concept is genius! Erin's policeman husband commits suicide by jumping from their 4th floor balcony, and 18 months later she is in court charged with her husband's murder. Surely that's impossible?
Not if you're Jo Spain!
As usual, her characters jump off the page and into your living room and your heart! I loved Erin, even though I thought I wouldn't like her, I was on her side, willing her to win through in the end and allow people to understand the truth. The supporting cast don't disappoint either, and I loved all of the sub-plots and how the story cleverly weaved around the characters in the book.

This is a masterclass in suspense and thriller writing as usual by Jo Spain. She's so clever at weaving a plot and drip feeding information so you just read 'one more chapter.' Her narrative voice is unique and she draws you in so you feel you're there, experiencing the same emotions and experiences as the characters do.

It's a pacy page turner; just what we need in the current environment. I read it in two sittings! This is Jo Spain at her usual best, and if you are a fan of hers, you won't be disappointed. If you've never read any of her books, well you're missing out - her writing is addictive!

Totally recommend this book.
Fully expecting a film of this book, it would be perfect!

This was an excellent read, it started off with a fantastic climax to the end of the first chapter and it continued at that pace throughout. It was so good. Erin was a great lead protagonist. I loved Karla too. Bud was so lovable and Danny too had many endearing qualities despite his flaws. There were so many twist snd turns that ensured each chapter was a thrilling as the last. I just loved this. It was my first Jo Spain and most certainly will now be my last!!

This was so, so good! I don't think my review can possibly do justice to how good this book is, but I will try.

The concept is so clever - Erin's policeman husband Danny jumps to his death from their 4th floor balcony, and 18 months later she is in court charged with her husband's murder. How on earth does that work?!

The characters are brilliant. You really get to know and empathise with Erin, and I was rooting for her the whole way through. Even the side characters are superbly written. I especially liked barman Bud and Danny's brother Mike.

The author drip feeds information at just the right pace to drive the plot forward but still leaving the reader desperate to find out what's going on. I never wanted to put it down.

If I had to say something constructive, the ending did feel a little bit rushed but I just really didn't want it to end. I feel a bit sorry for whichever book I choose to read next as I feel a real book hangover coming on!

Needless to say, I 100% recommend this book.

The Perfect Lie - Jo Spain.

Then - Erin is the Irish Wife of Danny an American cop, the couple live in Newport, Long Island.
In the first chapter, faced with arrest in his own apartment Danny leaps to his death from the fourth storey balcony.

Now - Erin is in court charged with the murder of her husband.

How is this possible? For much of the book that is the big question.

In addition to the Now and Then there is an additional timeframe, three years earlier at Harvard University with another cast of characters.

At around 45% the connections being to be made between the University narrative characters and the Now and Then.

I read (and enjoy) plenty of crime, legal thrillers, psychological thrillers with all kinds of timeframes and structures, but in this case I couldn't really get into it. I felt the use of three timeframes slowed things down too much.

Getting almost halfway through before links were made with the University narrative challenged my ability to stay interested.

While I found the first half rather fragmented, it comes together much more in the latter parts, but by then I had stopped really caring.

Erin (especially in the 'Now' trial scenes and latter parts of the book), Karla (her feisty lawyer) and Gloria (Danny's grieving Mother) were the characters that I did care about and feel some involvement with.

Not really one for me.

Thanks to Netgalley.

Jo Spain always succeeds in keeping me guessing and this book was no different. I think its the best of her stand-alone fiction, and comparable to her wonderful Tom Reynolds series. The pace was kept up as the story unfolded. As soon as I thought I had the plot figured out, along would come a new twist to puzzle me again. I would highly recommend The Perfect Lie, and if you haven't checked out Jo Spains' other novels then rectify that immediately.

With thanks to Quercus Books for this ARC.
#quercusbooks #netgalley #jospain