The Good Liars is a gothic tinged historical mystery in the classic style by Anita Frank. Released 17th Aug 2023 by HarperCollins on their HQ imprint, it's 400 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook format. Paperback due out in Oct 2024 from the same publisher. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is an atmospheric novel with a family trying to come to grips with their experiences and trauma from the first world war. A child disappearance cold case from 1914 forces the family and staff to confront each other and their own secrets.

The twists are heavily foreshadowed and the big reveals won't likely be shockers for most readers, however, the author is very adept at atmosphere and characterization and if the book isn't strictly a mystery, it's definitely worthwhile for the descriptions and creepy supernatural tinged elements.

Although not derivative at all, there are flashes of Flannery O'Connor and Shirley Jackson in the "vibe" of the work.

Four stars. Brooding and odd.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

what a read!!! i could not put it down, i immensely enjoyed this read!!!
definitley will look for more from this author

I don’t tend to read a lot of historical fiction but Anita Frank's writing is good and I have read a couple of her older books - this was enjoyable, quite enchanting yet eerie. I felt like I was alongside the characters throughout reading this

The Good Liars is the second book I have read by this author. The setting is Gloucestershire two years after the end of the First World War. Living at Darkacre, a manor house belonging to the Stilwell family, are Maurice, his wife Ida, his brother Leonard, and family friend Victor Monroe. This is not a happy home. Right from the start, there is a tense atmosphere hinting at secrets and unspoken resentments. A police officer calls at the house asking about a young man who disappeared in the summer of 1914, as new evidence has come to light. This sets everyone on edge, and into this atmosphere comes Sarah, a trained nurse, to fill the position of housekeeper, and to help care for Leonard who is in a wheelchair having lost both legs and one arm in the war.
None of the characters are particularly likeable, Ida and Victor the worst by far, but they are all entirely believable. As the title suggests, none of them can be trusted to tell the truth. So many times I thought I had worked out what was going on, only for the author to turn it all on its head. She paints a horrific picture of the war, and its effects on those who survived. Although I did not see it coming, the ending makes perfect sense. While the artwork on the cover is eye-catching, it does not quite match the mood of the story. The Good Liars is an atmospheric and thought-provoking novel that leaves a lasting impression. I definitely plan to read the next book by this author. I received a free copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I’m not usually a big historical fiction fan but the description intrigued me on this and I’m so glad I read it. There were a couple of twists that didn’t surprise me much, although I wasn’t sure how it was going to be brought together, and a couple of twists that I was not expecting. It also taught me a lot about world war 1 that I didn’t know and had some really intense war scenes. I’d recommend this to anyone, I really enjoyed it!

Such a tense book! An addictive novel with unpleasant characters and dark secrets that don’t want to be uncovered. With a nod to the supernatural and clever plot twists that I didn’t see coming, this was a delicious read!

The overall concept of this book really appealed to me, but in the end I found it difficult to feel hooked by the story. I believe this is probably a personal problem and think this book has a lot of potential for other readers!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

"‘Come on, Sergeant, let’s get to it. It seems this is a good day for finding bodies.’"

𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿
when i first saw this cover, i was curious as to what the book was about. it looked mysterious and ive read Anita Frank's books before, they are historical, so i was quite intrigued! Also love the green!!

𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀
early 1920s
murder
ghosts
betrayal

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀
There are 5 main characters in this book and each one of them is so interesting!! i loved their strengths and weaknesses, and i found myself changing my opinions of them all bar one, all the way through.

𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
its historical fiction, so its written like a period piece. its third person BUT SO GOOD. it works better as third. i was hooked pretty quickly. especially because i dont read blurbs so i had no idea what the book was about, but i was gasping in shock after the first half, right to the end!

𝗔𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗱?
hmmmmmm no. i didnt dislike anything!

𝗙𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲
"I warned you all. No good ever comes from meddling with the dead."

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

A compelling, well plotted and gripping historical mystery that kept me hooked and guessing.
Excellent storytelling and character development, a solid mystery, vivid historical background.
Entertaining and engrossing.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I've loved all three of Anita Frank's novels but this was my favourite one yet. A great cast of characters and an intriguing plot which reminded me of An Inspector Calls - another of my favourites!

Set just after the First World War, with all the emotional and psychological impact that's had, this is a spooky, mysterious, and at times disturbing tale. As with all good gothic thrillers, the house itself is a main character, Darkacre is a brooding and foreboding presence throughout. Most of the human characters are unlikeable but as the story carries on you start to understand why, and cleverly they become more relatable. Its hard to categorise this as gothic / histfic though as its also a clever mystery. Very enjoyable for an autumn read!

I haven’t read a lot of historical fiction this year (a genre I enjoy), so I really liked immersing myself in the brooding world of post-war 1920s in The Good Liars by Anita Frank. This is a story of lies and deceit that centre around one family, the Stilwells. Once held in high esteem, their reputation is tarnished and the consequences of their actions are threatening to catch up with them.

Maurice is the owner of Darkacre Hall. He lives there with his wife, Ida, his younger brother Leonard and family friend, Victor. They need some help to run their home but are having trouble finding anyone due to the aforementioned fall in their fortunes. No-one trusts or likes them. Luckily, Sarah (not from the town) sees their job advert and comes to work for them as both housekeeper and carer for Leonard, as the war left him an amputee in a wheelchair.

The Stilwells situation isn’t helped as the police drop by to inform them that they’ve had a mysterious letter to say that a missing boy, Bobby Higgins, who had links to the property is through to be buried on the grounds of Darkacre…

Terrible storms are raging when Sergeant Verity calls by to discuss the case further. It’s so bad that the river surrounding Darkacre Hall swells and Sergeant Verity finds himself trapped at the property, he has no choice but to stay with the family for a few days, and see for himself exactly what’s been going on in Darkacre Hall…

I really liked the Gothic undertones running through The Good Liars – from the creepy happenings to how to house becomes more and more isolated. Post-war England was such a damaged time for so many people. The war was over but the pain and scars – physical and mental – of it were not healed. Anita Frank captures this perfectly and uses it to drive the pulsing atmosphere of uncertainty and play with perception.

It’s such a clever book title too. You soon see that it could be referring to literally everyone and that’s the beauty of it. The story keeps you guessing and comes to a very satisfying conclusion.

I loved this book, a perfect blend of mystery with dark gothic vibes, a dash of the supernatural and a family full of lies. Intriguing set up of a detached family mansion, difficult to get staff, hints of separation from the villagers and tensions between the assorted family members. Plus Victor, the hanger-on, not family but had fought with Maurice and Leonard in the war and never moved on. Enter Sarah, the capable nurse maid and house maid, then enter the detective, also a war veteran but now a policeman. The spectre of Hugo, eldest brother killed in the war,hangs over them all. Beautifully written, I couldn't put it down and highly recommend.

Having read two of Anita’s books previously, I knew I was in for a fantastic read.
Set just after the First World War, we begin with Sarah walking the long road towards her new place of employment, Darkacre Hall, with a sense of foreboding. She arrives to find the hall in need of a good clean. Since the last member of staff left, the owners have let the housework slip.
She finds the house occupied by a couple, his brother and a friend. And a parrot.
This is an unhappy house, full of secrets.
Then the police arrive to re-investigate the case of a missing young man following a tip off. They intend to dig up the woods surrounding the hall.
The whole story is set in the suffocating surroundings of the hall, other than a few flashbacks to the war and to an event they would rather remain hidden. The terrible weather adds an extra layer to the bleakness of the situation.
Loved it!

A wonderful post World War 1 story involving a young woman, Sarah, arriving at Darkacre Hall to be companion to severely wounded Leonard Stilwell. Leonard's older brother Maurice and his wife Ida, together with lifelong friend
Victor make up the rest of the household. Soon after Sarah's arrival a detective named Verity turns up. He is investigating the mysterious disappearance of a 17 year old boy in 1914.

The Good Liars is a terrific read with echoes of An Inspector Calls. It is a creepy detective story which I thoroughly enjoyed and really didn't guess the twist at the end. Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ for the opportunity to read and review this excellent book.

In 1914, Bobby Higgins, a 17-year old young man with learning difficulties, disappears without a trace.

In 1920, his case is reopened again much to the shock and confusion of the Stilwell family.
The Stilwells live in Darkacre Hall, a grand house in the past, but now it’s crumbling and hard to maintain.

The house is occupied by Maurice Stilwell and his wife, Ida. Maurice served in the war but the man that returned home has changed: he is plagued by nightmares and has a constant twitch in his eye. Ida is unhappy as the maintenance of the house falls on her. She is reminiscent of the past, before the war, where things were glamorous.

The other two occupants of the house include Leonard Stilwell, Maurice’s brother, and Victor Monroe, the brothers’ friend.

Both men also served in the war. Leonard returned home physically altered: both of his legs were amputated and he also lost one of his arms. He is wheelchair bound, bitter about his experience, often saying he doesn’t want to live anymore.

Victor Monroe loved the war, he was proud to serve his country. He seems to be the only man not affected about what happened in the trenches.

When an Inspector arrives and tells the family that new evidence has come to light with regards to Bobby Higgins, the Stilwells begin to unravel. It seems that they all have a secret (or two) tucked up their sleeve…

What a fantastic story!

I was hooked straight from the beginning – trying to guess whose son was declined their name on the WWI memorial.
What started off as a simple cold case investigation soon turned into a family drama with a supernatural element.

It affected all occupants of Darkacre Hall. Maurice’s mental health deteriorated, Leonard kept talking about repentance, someone sent a nasty package to Ida…

Victor, who was truly despicable, was the only one trying to view the situation rationally. However, someone or something wanted for them to pay for their sins.

The Good Liars explores the horrors of war and how it affected people afterwards. I felt for poor Leonard, disabled at such a young age. He was the only character that I sympathised with.

This book has also taught me something new about the Order of the White Feather and how women would give out white feathers to men who didn’t enlist to fight.

Overall, it’s such a great story about redemption, revenge and seeking justice.

Thank you to HQ for my review copy and NetGalley widget.

In 1920 Sarah arrives at Darkacre Hall to work as a nurse/companion for the youngest Stilwell brother who was wounded in WWI. Leonard Stilwell lives at the Hall with older brother, Maurice, & Maurice's wife, Ida. Their lifelong friend Victor makes up the strange quartet. Up until now Ida has been taking care of all the household tasks as it has proven remarkably difficult to recruit staff, so Ida is happy for Sarah's arrival. Things seem placid on the surface but there are dark secrets hidden below, strange supernatural occurrences begin & both Maurice & Leonard suffer from night terrors which become worse when a police detective turns up asking questions about the disappearance of a boy from before the war.

I read a previous book from the author based on the aftermath of WWII which I thought was well-written, but this one is even better. There is the perfect mix of possible supernatural occurrences, alongside the sinister figure of Detective Sergeant Verity who is reopening the investigation into what happened to the boy who disappeared. None of the characters are particularly likeable but I thought the plot was excellently done (even though I did guess most of what was happening). I thought the author really showed the horrors of war & the issues that returning soldiers faced after the end of the war (permanent disfigurement, disability, & what we now term PTSD). Verdict: well-written & atmospheric, this historical chiller keeps the attention & delivers an excellent conclusion.

TWs: war injuries including graphic descriptions of facial injuries, suicide attempts, execution.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, HQ, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

In the hot summer of 1914 a boy vanishes, never to be seen again. Now, in 1920, the once esteemed Stilwell family of Darkacre Hall find their already troubles lives thrown into disarray when new evidence leads to the boy's case being re-opened - and this time they themselves are under police scrutiny. As the dead return to haunt the living, old resentments resurface and loyalties are tested, while secrets risk being unearthed that could destroy them all.

One thing I dislike is liars, but I did like this book even though there were some really good liars. We also get murder, mystery and deceit. We learn of some of the horror's soldiers had to face during WWII. We also get a story of revenge, betrayal, secrets, guilt and grief. The story read like a bit of an Agatha Christie novel. The characters are well developed but not all of them are likeable. The plotline has been well sought out. Although this can be quite a dark read, it also has some humour to it. Not everyone is who they appeared to be. The story is told from multiple perspective. It also has the perfect ending.

I would like to thank #Netgalley #HQ and the author #AnitaFrank for my ARC of #TheGoodLiars in exchange for an honest review.