I loved the Paddy Meehan books but that series stopped with the third book. I always have hoped one day they would continue.
This author is a great writer, well drawn characters, great plots and dialogue. The Good Liar is as much a look at wealth and privilege as it is a murder mystery. Prof Claudia Atkins O’Sheil, is a forensic Scientist and a specialist in blood splatter patterns. Her most famous case is the murder of two people in a well to do area of London. The book starts with her about to give a speech that will blow her world apart, affect her children, her colleagues and her mentor Philip.
The story splits into two time lines. We go back a year and find that Claudia is still reeling from the death of her husband James, in a car accident. He has left a huge amount of debt. She is living with her two sons and drug addled sister in a modest flat on a housing estate. It’s is then she is called to the scene of what will become her most famous case. The death of two people in an elite part of London. The police soon have a suspect in custody but Claudia is sure he is innocent. Then someone confronts Claudia about flaws in her blood splatter theory and Claudia can see that this person is right which means innocent people have been convicted in previous cases, including the latest suspect in the double homicide..
It’s a truly great read, it will have you thinking about the probability of mistakes in trials, and miscarriages of justice.

#TheGoodLiar. #NetGalley

A good read

What would you do if you knew something wasn't right?

Our main character has morals and her family's best at heart. So what if you have to choose only one!

A gruesome murder and a cut and dried arrest and charge?

Denise Mina's The Good Liar is a cut-throat thriller that poses one of the most chilling ethical questions: what would you do if you learned that you were to blame for a miscarriage of justice?

The novel tracks Dr. Claudia O'Sheil, a celebrated blood-spatter analyst whose courtroom evidence put a man behind bars for murder. Years on, on the cusp of delivering a speech that could make her career, Claudia discovers a terrible fact: her proof was false. The "killer" she assisted in convicting is innocent. She now must make an impossible decision; save her career and allow an innocent man to spend the rest of his life in prison, or own up, knowing the truth may not only ruin her career but her life.

The writer maintains the life-or-death tension of a thriller with a richly human investigation of guilt, responsibility, and ethical backbone. Claudia is a compelling heroine; brilliant, vulnerable, and heartbreakingly human. The book is taut and evocative, with each chapter leaving the reader wondering how far they would be prepared to go to defend themselves, and whether honesty is worth the price of destruction.

Blisteringly intelligent and morally nuanced, The Good Liar solidifies Denise Mina as one of the most captivating voices in modern crime writing.

This wasn't for me
I should have DNF'd this book as I really like the author as a person but was very disappointed by this book
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I enjoyed this tale, though I found myself challenging too many of the decisions taken by our main character - the renowned forensic scientist Claudia O'Sheil - as it unfolded...too often I was thinking "I wouldn't I have done that"...or "why not just..."...but I don't like to give away spoilers so have a read and see if you agree with me because in the end it was an enjoyable though maybe unbelievable piece of fiction.

It challenges professional and personal standards, questions how to deal with decision making in the workplace, with family, with friends, with those we only know peripherally...some of the supporting cast were not particularly well drawn, and of those that were, not particularly likeable...

In the end its a "will she/won't she" unveiled over two distinct timelines of events that occur on the final night in question, and those that took place in the year before it...and we don't actually know which way she'll jump until the closing pages - I knew what I wanted to happen, and I know this was challenged midway through the final chapter...in the end I found myself thinking "good for you", but suspect I might have said that whichever way Denise Mina chose to end her characters narrative - is that the mark of a good read? I thought so

Denis Mina is probably my favourite author of all time, and not just for her books. Whenever she is appearing at a festival I make sure I have tickets, because I am always learning someting.

The Good Liar was another excellent book, and Denise Mina will be one of those authors who goes down in history as one of the great Scottish authors of our time.

It took me a while to comment on The Good Liar. I love Denise Mina's writing and her moxy to try her hand at something new every few years. It would have been so easy to get stuck in a rut with a series that clearly works and sells, such as the Garnethill or Alex Morrow series. But the chameleon that Mina is, she completely tries a different angle and writes a series about a podcaster and musician. Or she rewrites her own version of The Bonfire of the Vanities or pens a historical crime novel on the murder of David Rizzo, Mary Queen of Scots' advisor and close friend.

Subsequently I never hesitate to read one of her books. I wanted to like The Good Liar more, and the fact that I didn't irks me tremendously. I missed the signature Mina dark humour, the snarky descriptions, and the "hard-boiledness". At least there was a glimmer of it in Charlie Taunton's character. But I wanted more. I felt somehow adrift, as if the story couldn't quite grab me and the characters left me cold. Of course, characters aren't always supposed to be likeable, but Claudia O’Sheil felt so ... grey? Maybe in the end the pacing was just too slow.

All this being said, I did not anticipate the ending and the twist!

Professor Claudia O’Sheil is about to walk into an auditorium and give a speech that will blow up her life.

or she may not...

The creator of a world-beating algorithm for analysing crime scenes - an algorithm that has convicted countless suspects - Claudia has made her reputation and her fortune based on her work. In line for an MBE, she's head of the company set up to exploit the technique, and is frequently called to give evidence, as an expert witness, about its results. In a world where the crime scene "streamlined report" is the key evidence, her method is fundamental to modern justice. The comfort and safety of her two sons, and her own reputation and living, depend on this - but now she knows that the test is flawed.

And despite her apparently comfortable life, over the past year, Claudia has been through hell. She is estranged from her drug addict sister, Gina. Her husband is dead, and now others too. Her two sons are growing away from her. And a young man who she considers innocent has gone to prison.

Claudia's spent that year discovering the truth - many truths - and she hasn't liked what she found.

This book is split between two timelines. At the swish reception where Claudia's supposed to cement her position in moneyed society, we get minute slices of action as she inches towards that final betrayal - and debates with herself whether this is really something she can do. Between these are more substantial portions of narrative, setting out what happened over that awful year and sketching the gilded life that beckons Claudia if only she will shut up and lie with the guilt.

Mina's technique is exquisite, playing on our sympathies from moment to moment. I began, knowing little about the story or the character, thinking, yes, go on, burn it all down - because won't that be fun to see?

Then, as I learned more about Claudia and what she's been through - and the stakes at play - I began to dread that moment and wish she'd just play nice. The harm it would cause. The fall from grace. Those slices of story, working towards the end, stave off the final crisis (and the revelation of what Claudia actually does) but they also give us more story and that story is just so absorbing, a window into a fascinating world - several fascinating worlds - and a network of well-realised, relatable charctars. No, I was now thinking as I read, let's not wreck all this, not yet, but give me more about Gina. About Charlie. About Bernie and Sam. Don't tear it all down yet (or at all?)

Claudia's decision is central here. She's not from money, but has scrabbled her way, by talent and luck (and yes, by charm) into a set of the rich and influential - Cayman Islands lawyers, knights of the realm, the academic elite. It's a two-faced set, where scandal can be overlooked if you are the right sort, went to the right school, have the right money, or the right friends. But Claudia O’Sheil, an orphan from Glasgow who has flattened her accent but still has it tucked away, ready to code-switch out, has none of these things. She's on her own.

At the centre of this book isn't so much a murder mystery - though rest assured there is one here and it's a good one - but an ethical mystery. In a year-long exploration of that wealthy London elite, we see up close - as only an outsider like Claudia can - the profound ugliness of money and social sway. It's a scene she partakes of enthusiastically, Claudia's never had much and so the fear of losing it all now is really sharp for her, even before the spiralling situation reveals threats to those she loves.

A compelling, heart-in-the-mouth story which left me racing to see what finally happened while dreading what the answer might be.

Strongly recommended.

What an intriguing and interesting story! It’s full of questions, doubts and suspicions, with the reader not knowing who is on the side of truth and who is leading an altogether different life than it would seem. The character of Claudia is so well written and it’s so easy to sympathise with her as she battles for her integrity, while trying to protect her family.

I thoroughly recommend it.

My thanks to the author, the publisher and to Netgalley for this advanced copy to read and review.

I’ve not read this author before but the description sounded interesting.

The start of the book intrigued me but for me after that the pace slowed and the characters were not very likeable which made it hard to engage with.

Thank you to #NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The synopsis made it sound like a book that would be good to read but sadly there was too much waffle/distraction that meant you started skim reading because it wasn’t capturing your attention/had a storyline that hooked you in from the off. Not a book I’d recommend but I thank the publisher for being able to read it.

Dr Claudia O’Sheele is a forensic scientist whose expert testimony has been used to convict. Now she is receiving an award but she has realised her theory is flawed and has to decide whether to speak up or keep quiet. This sounds like a simple ethical dilemma but there is more at play here. Claudia is at the mercy of powerful people who need to maintain the status quo and will ruin her life if she speaks out. This was full of suspense and conspiracy. I loved the exploration of manipulation and exploitation by the rich and powerful. It included some satisfyingly horrible characters. I thought the difficult relationships between Claudia and her son and her sister were very well written.

This book has a really interesting premise, and while it started off quite slow, it did manage to pick up the pace until about midway when I felt it started to slow again. This being said, I did enjoy it to some degree, even if it did take me a while to read it. I was fascinated by the main characters invention and how it was able to help investigations throughout the book.

3.5

A crime mystery set over two timelines. I struggled with the multiple characters, the slow narrative pace especially at the beginning and I did not finish.

Overall I enjoyed this book - however, I did find it a little slow and felt it was dragged out - but my main gripe was that there were so many characters that I couldn’t remember who they were and what relevance they had to the story. Therefore, not a bad book by any means, but a little confusing. Maybe it’s just me?

Claudia is a blood splatter expert and is about to give a speech at a convention, but moments before she is due to speak, she still hasn’t decided which speech she will give. So far, so hooked!

But that was as good as it got, unfortunately. I found Claudia to be dull and unlikable and much of the book was based around being derogatory towards the wealthy, high class characters that Claudia is involved with. There didn’t seem to be much of a plot and the timelines were extremely confusing. There weren't any characters that I could feel suspicious of, they were just all hugely unlikable. I struggled through to the end, but my final reaction was “was that it?”

Unfortunately not one for me, but I know this has some great reviews, so I hope it will do well.

2 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Still reeling from her husband's death, Forensic expert Claudia finds her work challenged. She is due to give a speech which will cement her place at the top of her field but she knows that her work is flawed. Should she tell the truth or is there a conspiracy to keep her silent.
Mina is a superb writer who has developed from writing straight crime novels to writing books like this - literary fiction with crime twist. There is a difference that propels this into a different sphere. The story draws the reader in slowly, a terrible murder, the forensic evidence and a conviction. Then it develops into a conspiracy theory novel about corruption and privilege. Across all of this is the morality of a decision to be made and whether the truth is more important. It's a multilayered novel that is far deeper than it first appears.

There is nothing more satisfying than stumbling upon an author previously unknown to me who knocks my socks off. Denis Mina is just such an author and I am delighted to have found her with The Good Liar. What a powerful story! Part way in I wondered if I jumped into a series midway as there was such an easy familiarity between the characters but no, this is a standalone so a good place to start for you, too, if you are new to this brilliant author.

Such a deliciously tangled story, I was enthralled by Doctor Claudia O’Sheil (forensic expert well regarded in her field, mother of two boys, recently widowed, sister to an addict who lives with her and her boys). She was a joy to me being full of spirit, crazy busy and rather a mess in her flawed way. Her life is a chaotic one and she struggles to make ends meet after the sudden death of her husband, James. Lucky for her she has friends in high places who can help her keep her feet on solid ground.

In The Good Liar we move with Claudia to the podium at a prestigious event as she is about to give a speech that could make or break her career. Throughout the novel we travel back to key times and cases in the past that brought her to this crucial fork in the road. What will she do given all she has learned and the fact that her eyes are now open to the treachery of those she orbits?

This really was a cracking read as Claudia, and those she holds dear, are skillfully crafted as warts and all people. Not gorgeous people with perfect lives but rather characters with plenty of ugly, painfully raw flaws that make for well rounded characters. Her sister, Gina, is a great example and their relationship illustrates the ups and downs of a bumpy sibling dynamic.

Characters are ace but the story is top notch. I confess I should have paid closer attention at the outset as there are lots of moving parts and bits worth tucking away. Like the layers of an onion, The Good Liar carefully reveals varying levels of treachery and danger as the story unfolds. It's rich, complex, utterly delicious and compelling. I couldn't read this any faster as I wanted to know what Claudia would do.

The structure of ‘The Good Liar’ was a little disconcerting to begin with, but quickly settled into compulsive and intense depictions of unlikeable characters, a loveable and brilliant barrow-boy barrister, sisters with chasms to cross, sons who become pawns in the face of a scientist struggling to find the courage the right thing despite the loss of reputation, status, sponsors, friends, home and family.
Denise Mina’s book is original, sinister and a great read.

This is the first Denise Mina book I've read and it's a great read. Claudia O'Shiel is a top forensic crime scene examiner who has set the standard for examining blood spatter. Called to a major double murder with her boss, she begins to have doubts about its accuracy prompted by fellow scientist Kirsty Parr. Her boss won't hear of it and she worries an innocent man has been convicted of murder. Claudia's husband recently died in an accident and she's soon questioning if this was truly an accident. There are too many coincidences but where is the link? A year later Claudia is due to give a speech about the case and the question is - will she stick to the party line or blow it all out of the water? Suspenseful and good characters. #netgalley #thegoodliar