This was heavier than I expected and I was thrilled.

Dr O’Sheil is top of her game, a blood spatter expert who has been crucial in so many sentences. Unfortunately along the line, mistakes have been made.

The characterisation in this novel is sublime, you’ll be rooting for people. I love how much this book made me think about the situation and it stayed with me after I finished.

If you want a sharp read with themes of corruption and class or you want a read that’s going to excite you and keep you up, this is for you.

I’m a huge fan of Denise Mina but I’m afraid I was disappointed by this book.

The main character Dr Claudia O’Sheil felt underwritten and lacked credibility in her actions and character. I was neither convinced nor engaged by her.

Glasgow is her true metier and I did not think that London worked as well as a setting.

The Good Liar is a tightly-plotted, intelligent suspense story that unravels the high-stakes world of forensic science, media narratives, and moral compromise. Denise Mina crafts a dual-timeline thriller that asks: what happens when the truth threatens everything?

Dr Claudia O’Sheil is about to give a career-defining speech at a glamorous fundraiser celebrating her forensic achievements—most notably, the conviction of William Stewart for the brutal double murder at Chester Terrace. The nation reveres her. But behind her polished success lies a devastating truth: the evidence was flawed, her methods discredited, and an innocent man is behind bars.

Told through two timelines—one following the night of the murders and the investigation, the other unfolding in the present as Claudia prepares to speak—the story slowly peels back layers of power, pressure, and deceit. Mina handles the tension beautifully, balancing the thrill of a murder mystery with the slow burn of a woman wrestling with guilt, fear, and a system built to protect itself.

Claudia is a brilliant, flawed protagonist, torn between her professional legacy and her conscience. The stakes feel incredibly real: her reputation, her family’s security, and the fabric of a nation’s belief in forensic science all hang in the balance.

Mina never lets you feel quite settled. The writing is smart and clear, with just enough ambiguity to keep you questioning everyone’s motives. What really happened at Chester Terrace? Who was protecting whom? And will Claudia dare to speak the truth when it matters most?

The Good Liar is a gripping, morally complex thriller that offers both page-turning suspense and timely commentary on justice, science, and the cost of silence. Highly recommended for fans of intelligent crime fiction with depth and heart.

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The Good Liar didn't grab me in the way that most of Denise Mina's books do. It felt not so much a thriller as an expose of upper class London life. Many of the characters are very difficult to relate to and while protagonist Claudia O'Shiel is relatable, very few others illicit any sympathy.

The novel is well written, beginning with Claudia about to make a speech a year after a grizzly double murder, then going back to the events themselves. The twin track works well, leaving suspense around what she will actually say, which we eventually learn at the end of the novel.

A really well written thriller about class, family, and personal trauma against a murder mystery and deception.
My first Denise Mina novel and found it engaging with strong characters and an engaging plot.
Will definitely recommend.

I couldn’t put down The Good Liar by Denise Mina. It was a thrilling roller coaster ride, and right up to the last chapter I didn’t know what was going to happen.

The book centres on Doctor Claudia O’Sheil, a blood spatter expert, working in forensics in London. She’s hugely successful in her field, but is juggling bringing up two boys, taking care of her sister and dealing with the recent death of her husband. You wonder just how much bandwidth Claudia has left to deal with other things.

Jonty and his fiancee Francesca are found brutally murdered in their million pound home on Chester Terrace near Regents Park in London. Claudia is called out to the crime scene. William, Jonty’s son, is taken to Paddington Green Police Station for questioning. The Metropolitan Police are concerned that they must do things by the book and not let this be a repeat of the Lord Lucan debacle. However despite trying to be transparent, Claudia notices that basic procedures at the crime scene are not being followed, which concerns her.

The story moves at a good pace with two timelines. It begins one year after the murders on the first anniversary of the opening of a forensic’s institute with Claudia preparing to make a speech about the forensic investigation of the Chester Terrace murders. The second timeline starts one year earlier at the grand opening of the forensic’s institute in London, which is cut short as Claudia has to leave and investigate the murders at Chester Terrace. This timeline continues over the year as Claudia’s investigations into the Chester Terrace murders continue and it becomes evident that there is a greater conspiracy.

I loved this book. I really got behind Claudia. She’s a successful woman juggling her career and her family as a new widow. She didn’t have the greatest start in life in Glasgow, but despite that worked hard and had a successful career. She now works with the elite, but is always made to feel an outsider and she should be grateful.

The book is steeped in class, elitism, absolute power, corruption, conspiracy. The elite believe they are above the law and can bend the law to their benefit. How long can they remain unaccountable. It was interesting following Claudia and her journey to keep her family safe and to see whether she could change the status quo and bring about true justice.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Random House UK, Vintage, for making this e-ARC available to me in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is a crime procedural with a twist that the key protagonist /investigator is a blood splatter expert- Claudia O'Sheil.

Following the murder of an aristocrat and his fiancee , suspicion falls on the son. Claudia is convinced that the son is innocent despite the fact evidence appears to condemn him.

This is. story about corruption, a race against time and the Establishment- the rich , the greedy and the powerful trying to stop the truth being revealed.

As the book progresses, Claudia realises that she is caught in a trap- does she reveal the truth or get pulled into the web of lies.

This is a fascinating read and the science/procedures behind demonstrating/providing criminal evidence is really intriguing.

The 'fly in the ointment' are the characters - the wealthy and the elite are a self absorbed and obnoxious group - seemingly displaying their wealth with ease and entitlement alongside-building up any sympathy towards them is limited and this does impact slightly on the story. Claudia is on the periphery and escapes their clutches- just!

A unique crime novel that may well divide readers....but it's the "will she..won't she " element that keeps you gripped.

Ultimately, this story shines a light on the incestuous nature of the rich maintaining the status quo for themselves by weaselling their way into all areas of the judiciary and politics.

I'm a big fan of Denise Mina and this was really enjoyable.

Claudia is an expert in blood spatter and has developed a blood spatter test used in many criminal trials to convict multiple offenders.

However, Claudia discovers that he test may in fact be flawed leading to a number of potential miscarriages of justices. On the night of a big speech, Claudia plans to let her audience know about the tests flaws, however this was eradicate her life's work and the opulent lifestyle she has built for herself. When the time comes, will she be willing to reveal the truth.....

I raced through this relatively short novel and thoroughly enjoyed it. The dual timeline works really well as we learn how Claudia comes to understand the challenges of her test, alongside the present day when she is planning to reveal all in her keynote speech. But will she do it.....?

Read to find out!