Superlative..
The second in the Ben Harper series finds Ben amidst a mystery of complex proportions. A community centre ablaze, a skeleton found in the aftermath and a mysterious runaway -the small town is veritably riddled with rumour and it soon becomes clear to Ben that everyone there has something to hide. A superlative follow on from the first in this series with a host of deftly crafted characters, an engaging narrative cleverly threaded through several timelines and a plot populated with more twists than a twisty thing - all wrapped up with beautifully fluid prose.

Having a copy of the first book in this series on my shelf I read it first to give me the back story to this new series. Like the first book this title is quite a complicated tale with many strands and many characters which eventually comes together. This book can be read as a stand alone, but the first book gives it more context, although repetition of details from the first book are included. Quite a page turner but so many of the characters are flawed.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Robert Gold/LittleBrown Book Club UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

After the events of Twelve Secrets, the last thing Ben Harper needs is another mystery, but when he rescues someone from a burning building the smouldering remains leave behind a body - a body that could be much closer to home than expected.

I read Twelve Secrets when it came out and it was an okay book, but a little bit over-stuffed with twists for my tastes. Sadly, Eleven Liars is more of the same - it's quite slow to begin with, but then it feels like every possible twist was thrown at the story in the last hundred pages or so. A solid 3* book for me.

In Eleven Liars we make a welcome return to the world of journalist Ben Harper and DC Dani Cash – but this time, instead of trying to find out what happened to his mother (and brother) as in Twelve Secrets (which I also absolutely loved!), Ben is trying to uncover who started a fire in a community centre that almost killed a teenager, and whether this could be linked to another death years ago…

I don’t want to give too much away about the plot but prepare yourself for another twisty tale. Here we have a whole array of characters, some deceitful and some trying their best, but everyone seemingly working toward their own agendas, which makes it hard for Ben and Dani to find out what really happened.

The characters in this novel, as with Twelve Secrets, are brilliantly crafted and make you just want to read more and more about them. Small parts of the puzzle slowly come together as we jump forward and backwards in time, switching between Ben’s and Dani’s experiences as well as dipping into the thoughts of some of Haddley’s other residents.

I hope this turns into a very long series as I would happily keep reading about Ben and Dani’s investigations! Their growing closeness, despite Dani’s husband, adds an extra level of interest and we can’t help but root for them to become more than just friends. Added on top of that is a really engaging writing style that is so easy to enjoy. I don’t think you need to have read Twelve Secrets to enjoy this novel, but it will help you better understand some of the references.

Highly recommended!

Thank you to #Netgalley and #Sphere for the copy of #ElevenLiars by #Robertgold
This is the second book to feature Ben Harper and it is just as good as the first.
Full of twists and deceits this book will keep you reading and guessing till the end.
Really enjoyable.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the second book in the series and even though I hadn’t read the first one it didn’t seem to matter too much there was a bit of a recap at the beginning without giving any big details away.
This was an intriguing read, there was a few sub plots going on which could get a little confusing but it also meant there was a lot to be revealed and it all wrapped up rather well.

Ben Harper is on his way home one evening when he spots the local community centre on fire with someone trapped inside. He rushes to help, only for them to scarper before he can find out who they are. This sets his journalistic senses tingling and he can't help but want to know more, and when more secrets are uncovered he is quickly drawn in to the investigation.

I enjoyed the first of this series and was happy to see this follow-up to catch up with Ben after the events of the previous book. Taking place soon after, there is a quick recap for those who haven't read Twelve Secrets at the start (although I definitely recommend it!) and after the initial fiery opening, we are taken on a reasonably slowly unravelling story, reintroducing some other characters from the previous book, as well as some new ones. The plot looks at the past and present from several character perspectives to give a well-rounded, yet complex tale.

This was excellent! So many unexpected twists and turns! Thanks to my NetGalley copy I could have read it in one go, but it was also available via my online bookclub and reading it in staves just added to the tension.

I loved Ben and Dani's friendship, although I'm hoping that at some point it will turn into something more.

I was surprised when it turned out that one of the characters I thought was shady wasn't and it was someone I hadn't suspected at all.

Thank you to NetGalley, Robert Gold and Sphere/Little Brown Book Group for the chance to read this book.

Another great novel by Robert gold and I’m glad the Ben and Dani series is continuing as I love the dynamics between them. Great storyline and twists you don’t see coming.

A very enjoyable, solid police procedural. This book has well developed characters and several plot strands that gradually knit together, going back over 20 years. Looking forward to the next in this series!

Returning home one evening, investigative journalist Ben Harper stumbles across a fire in the derelict community centre attached to the local church. Realising someone is trapped inside Harper quickly goes to their aid but is dismayed when they flee the scene. Harper's curiosity is piqued. Who was inside the building and what were they doing? When a body is discovered in the burnt out foundations Harper begins to investigate and discovers links to drugs, long forgotten missing people, pillars of the community and close friends.

Eleven Liars is the follow up to Robert Gold's debut novel, Twelve Secrets. Once again the setting is the small town of Haddley and features investigative journalist Ben Harper along with many of the characters we were introduced to in the first book. Eleven Liars take place fairly soon after the events of Twelve Secrets but there is no need to have read the first book in order to enjoy this one. In fact the opening chapter gives a quick recap of Ben's story, almost like the scene setting narration at the start of a film.

This story focuses on PC Dani Cash, one of the main characters from the first book. We gain more of an insight into her background and her current, unhappy, relationship. Many of the events link to Dani and as the story progresses we see that her childhood is littered with false memories.

The novel starts slowly, mainly because we are introduced to a vast range of characters. As I was reading my mind was in a whirl trying to work out how all the different characters and threads fitted together. Some are obvious, some less so. Robert Gold has laid out an intricate plot line which is impossible to guess and this makes many of the revelations shocking to both the characters and the reader.

Sadly DNF this book at 32%.
Not sure if it was because I didn’t read the first book but I just couldn’t get into this book.

What another cracking book by Robert Gold. I loved the first one of his and equally loved this one.
The storyline was good along with the twists along the way. Didn’t see the final twist at the end to be who it was.
Brilliant hope more come out in this series.

Wow ! This book wasn’t just simply a good read it was absolutely brilliant. I read and loved the first book in this series, so when I saw there was a second book due out I jumped at the chance to read it. A brilliant read with plenty of twists and turns. I loved it.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for an advance copy of Eleven Liars, the second novel to feature journalist Ben Harper, set in the fictional London suburb of Haddley.

Ben is returning home when he sees a fire in the local church’s abandoned community centre, and he thinks there is someone trapped inside. He gets the person out, but they immediately run off, so Ben has no idea of who he rescued or why they were there in the first place. Then a skeleton is found in the foundations and its identity is a shock that starts an investigation.

I enjoyed Eleven Liars, which has a plot that spans both the past and present and incorporates several clever twists. I must admit that I struggled to identify the full complement of eleven liars, but concede that there are enough lies to fill more than eleven mouths.

The novel is told from various points of view, some more immediately obvious than others, and it works well in offering a broader perspective on events and introducing characters that will eventually tell the complete story. Of course the author saves that for last, but even so the journey to that point is absorbing. There are some surprising, if not shocking, developments early on that urge the reader to turn the pages in search of an explanation and a steady flow of reveals keep that urge going. The solution, when it comes, requires a certain suspension of disbelief due to the nature and quantity of the reveals involved.

The novel is the story of PC Dani Cash’s life. It revolves around her and her late parents, but it is Ben doing the investigating on her behalf. And yet, both of them are not particularly developed characters as the author prefers to concentrate on the story he wants to tell. I think the balance is right.

Eleven Liars is a good read that I can recommend.

I hadn't read the first book in the series of this book. So I went into it was no preconceptions or any knowledge of the story so far. Which I think is completely fine if you just come across this book. I found the first half of the book. Really slow. But it soon got better, more complex and twisty. Stick with it.

This is a complex thriller which is a follow up book to an earlier one which I had not read. However despite knowing slightly less about the back story of one of the main characters, it did not matter.
Investigative journalist, Ben Harper, is on his way home from work one evening when he decides to take a short cut around the back of the church. As he goes past he sees there is a fire in the disused community centre and then someone in the building! Determined to rescue the unknown person he goes in but the person runs out and disappears.
As the police investigate the fire long buried human remains are discovered which turn out to have a major significance for Ben’s friend, Dani Cash who is a policewoman who has helped Ben on a previous case. Whilst helping Dani to look into the case, Ben discovers some long buried secrets which a number of local Haddley residents have reason to hope will never see the light of day.
I liked the slow build up of the plot with a number of strands which are gradually brought together.
There is definitely a theme of parents and children and the untruths a parent will tell their child in order to protect their innocence and give them a happy childhood.
Haddley seems like a pleasant place to live but there is a lot beneath the surface which reveals it to be a rather unsavoury suburb, particularly with a view to substance abuse and drug dealing. Even the local vicar has something to hide!
This was an enjoyable read with likeable main protagonists and I will certainly look out for the previous book in the series as well as any further books n the future.
Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown for m’y advance copy.

I hadn't read the 1st book so went into this blind. I found it a bit slow to start with but once it picked up then I was absolutely hooked! To say there's a lot going on is an understatement lol. Its a very complex thriller with a lot of sub plots and various characters to keep track of. In saying that, its written in a very clear and concise way so as to make it an easy read and everything does connect very neatly in the end. Its just getting to that point that initially seems a bit all over the place. I enjoyed the characters and their journeys, there are plenty red herrings and twists and turns. I can't wait to go back and read the 1st book

Having read the first book i was excited to read the latest book. It did not disappoint me. Hopefully there will be more books to come following these characters.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest revie.

Another cracking thriller from Gold!

I loved the first book, Twelve Secrets and was delighted to be approved to read the second instalment. This book sees us back in Haddley with the central characters from the first book but this focused more on Dani's backstory, This was a complex mystery with twists right up until the final pages. I could not put this down and can't to see if there will be more!