I loved this book!It had me hooked early on and found myself going to bed early so I could read it.Full of twists and turns.A great read!

Wow what a great read ! Liar by S.L Slater is a superb psychological thriller that had me turning the pages well into the night.Judi is used to being involved with helping her son Ben with his children Noah and Josh after the death of their mum,but when Ben meets Amber she is suddenly frozen out of her grandsons lives but nobody can see what is happening apart from Judi and she gets no help from husband Henry.As the story develops the lives of Judi and Amber start to become clear and both their pasts are revealed,the story keeps you guessing to the very end and the ending wasn't one i saw coming ! A brilliant 5 star read from S.L Slater that kept me gripped to the last page,read this book you will not be disappointed.

This was not my first KL Slater book and it certainly won't be my last. An absolutely brilliant writer that has the ability to keep you guessing and when you think that you have it figured out she will throw another spanner in the works. I just loved the story and really did not like or trust Amber. According to me Ben is a bit spineless but that is just my opinion and Judi.... the jury is still out on her.

I would highly recommend Liar if you are into Psychological thrillers.

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for the copy.

Judi lives a pretty quiet and not very exciting life as she hits the trial of her menopausal years. She has a job at a doctors' office which takes her away for a time from the loveless marriage she's in. But her biggest joy is her son and grandchildren. After losing her first son David many years ago, all her energy has been thrown into the lives of her widowed son Ben and his two boys. Not having any attention at home, she thrives on every part of her life with them. Until Amber.

All of a sudden there's Amber; who has captured the heart of Ben and even Judi's husband seems to be under her spell. But the two women are at odds almost immediately. Amber seems intent on cutting Judi out of Ben's life and controlling Ben and his boys and there seems to be nothing Judi can do about it. Judi is sure there is more than meets the eye with Amber; something just isn't right and it seems the lies are piling up. If only Ben would see it; but try as she might, Ben and Amber's relationship is moving quickly. What does Amber want? What's her purpose in being so mean and spiteful towards Judi?

This is the second book I have read of K L Slater and I enjoyed this one even more than Blink. The storytelling is so engrossing, I didn't want to put the book down, it had me hooked on. The writing is done so well, so detailed, I could feel the emotions and frustration of Judi. I wanted revenge on Amber at the injustice of how she was treating Judi. I felt helpless with how Ben was so clueless and how Henry sided with Ben and treated Judi like she was some hysterical woman he was so annoyed with.

As the reader I went through so many scenarios trying to figure it all out and this thriller had quite the twists! I did not see them all coming and enjoyed the way this book shocked and surprised me. I look forward to reading the other book K L Slater has written.

I received this book free from the publisher and net galley in exchange of an honest review.

This book grabbed my attention immediately and kept me awake through the night. It has many twists and surprises and will keep the reader in suspense
Can't wait for the next one

K.L. Slater's portrayal of the mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship in turmoil was... woah. Judi and Amber... woah.

I found this book to be easily understandable and a quick read. By the end, everything was topsy-turvy - I had an inkling of what was going on... but there was way more to it than I thought and just wow.

For 2 years, after Ben Jukes lost his wife to cancer, his mother Judi had taken very good care of him and his two young boys. She did his laundry, cleaned his house, had them over for lunch every Sunday. She loved being a mother and she mothered them all like nobody's business.

Then Ben meets Amber. It's no secret, right from the beginning that Amber has an ulterior motive... No spoiler there. Throughout the entire book we have NO idea what her motive is. And right from the bat, she rubs Judi the wrong way. To Judi, Amber is simply trying to take her boys away from her and she will have none of that. A torrid, lumpy relationship ensues from there.

I LOVE dysfunctional families with secrets, so this was right up my alley. Amber and Judi try to one-up each other at every turn and Amber comes out looking all sweet and innocent and Judi is beginning to look crazy! To me, neither were very likable characters. That seemed to go with the theme of the book. I just watched Judi and Amber go back and forth in awe while sympathizing with Ben.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book from start to end... BUT... The only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is because (spoiler) I wanted to see a little more resolution... I wanted to see what was going to happen to Judi after Amber's murder... Also, what was her family going to think about what she'd been doing all along? I also liked the Fiona story line and would have liked a little resolution there too. I know that Judi offered to take care of her, but it would have been nice to see her get out of the mess she was in, also.

This was my first book by K.L. Slater and I believe she has two others out that I will be adding to my TBR pile.

Devoting herself to her family has always been the most important thing to Judi. When her son Ben’s wife Louise dies from cancer, she is only too happy to take over the reins and look after her two young grandsons Josh and Noah whenever required, as well as help with Ben’s household chores. Every Sunday, her “boys” gather around Judi’s table to eat the sumptuous feast she cooks for them. This is all Judi has ever wanted – to spoil her loved ones and to feel needed. But life is about to change when Ben falls head over heels in love with Amber, a pretty young childcare worker whose presence is like a thorn in Judi’s side. Not only has Amber installed herself in Ben’s household, but she is also usurping Judi’s rightful place in the family. Sunday gatherings are no longer the carefree affairs Judi has treasured for so long, and she is dismayed to find that her help with the children and the chores is required less and less. Worst of all, Judi has her suspicions that Amber may have an ulterior motive, but both Ben and her husband Henry think she is being paranoid and jealous of the young woman. How can she get her rightful place back in the Jukes household?

The theme that inspired the author, the interesting dynamics of the daughter-in-law / mother-in-law relationship, and the potential to turn this into a riveting mystery saw me requesting this book as soon as it appeared on Netgalley, and I was overjoyed when it was approved. Slater makes it clear right from the outset that in this family, things may not be as they seem on the surface. Judi, the loving grandmother, who is also a bit of a control freak. And Amber ... well, we know very early on that Amber has her own agenda. As tension between the two women grows, I could not help turn the pages, interested to see how this doomed relationship would play out.

My biggest disappointment with the story was that the author gave away too much too early for my liking. I have said it before, and I will say it again, I am fussy with what I call a “psychological thriller”. For me, to qualify for the term, a story must mess with my mind, play me like a yo-yo. I want shades of grey, not obvious black-and-white. I love an unreliable narrator, or one whose motives are so well disguised that I am in a constant dilemma as to whether I can trust them or not. I want the author to manipulate me, make me question all my preconceived ideas, vacillate between doubt and belief and generally addle my brain to an extent where the book stays in my thoughts even when I am not reading it. Unfortunately in this case – and this is not a spoiler, as it is revealed very early on – we know pretty much from the start that Amber has an ulterior motive when she engineers her meeting with Ben, to make him fall in love with her. There is never any doubt that she is a scheming little minx with her very own agenda. The only mystery here is her reasons for this, which, to be honest, was not quite enough for me.

How much better this would have worked had I (as the reader) been able to give her the benefit of doubt, to constantly question myself whether she was innocent or guilty of deceit and whether Judi’s hate and suspicions were justified or not. As it was, I felt forced to root for Judi, who I equally disliked, but with Amber cast as the villain I couldn’t very well stand and cheer in her corner, could I? So, whilst the family dynamics kept me turning the pages, there was no mystery and no suspense, except for a few surprises along the way, which did not make up for the mental manipulation I had hoped for. Looking back, I realise that this was my main gripe with Slater’s previous book, Blink. Seeing that it worked well for other readers, I am conceding that perhaps her writing style just isn’t for me.

In summary, Liar was a fast and somewhat predictable read with moderately interesting family dynamics that kept me turning the pages but didn’t quite capture my imagination enough to make it memorable.

A gripping psychological thriller. Loads of twists and turns throughout that are unexpected! Definitely won't be my last book by this author. A must read to keep you gripped. Thank you netgalley.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
“Liar” is the third novel by British novelist K.L Slater. In “Liar”, single dad Ben is raising two children on his own, with the help of his doting mother Judi. When Ben starts dating Amber, Judi begins to doubt her son’s new lover. As Judi’s doubts and paranoia grow, she begins to delve into Amber’s past and slowly, hidden secrets begin to reveal themselves. Judi is now faced with a dilemma- will she risk it all to save her son and grandchildren?
This novel was incredible! Addictive and suspenseful, I couldn’t put it down for a minute. Each short chapter (told from the points of view of Judi and Amber alternating) ended in a cliff hanger, making the novel super easy to read. The ending took me by complete surprise- as a fan of the psychological thriller genre, I normally am able to wager a good guess on who the culprit is but this one was such a shocker! The characters of Judi and Amber were both likable and unlikable, both trying to vie for the readers’ trust and support.
The creativity of this author is second to none, and it’s obvious that she has honed her writing skill to a finely turned art. This novel has everything readers of psychological fiction could want!
“Liar” is about the relationship between a mother and her grown son, and the intricacies that arise when a new partner enters the picture. For anyone who knows a “possessive, slightly crazy Mother-in-law type” this novel will have you double checking your locks at night.
A five-star read from an author I should’ve checked out long before now, and who I will now actively keep an eye out for.

Judi has been doing what any devoted mother would after her son’s wife passed away two years prior, helping raise his two young sons and take care of them all. But when Ben meets a new woman, Amber, and brings her home to introduce her to his parents Judi can’t help but feel there is just something a bit off with Amber and wonder of her intentions.

Ben doesn’t understand why Judi dislikes Amber but feels that it is time for him to move on with his life. Shortly after the meeting though Judi finds herself being pushed out of her son and grandsons lives as Amber moves in and takes over the family. Judi decides she will not be pushed out with only their best interest in mind so she prods into Amber’s life to find out just what is going on.

Liar starts off with a rather interesting prologue that certainly gained my interest in this book rather quickly with someone apparently being killed in the opening pages leaving a reader to wonder who and why it had happened. The book then begins the tale of Amber entering Ben and Judi’s lives by switching the POV between mainly Judi and Amber with Judi telling most of the story but a few chapters with others also telling the story.

Judi is aging and has already lost one son along with a daughter in law that she loved dearly so her over-protectiveness was completely understandable. She’s also suffering from menopausal symptoms and trying to cope with those during these trying times for her so she became a character that was easy to get behind when her family was shutting her out. For those reasons along with learning Amber really did have ulterior motives from her chapters I was easily hooked into wanting to know just how that prologue would tie into the story and what would happen with this book.

With plenty of twists and turns to keep captivated this became a book that I just didn’t want to put down until it was over. And then the ending with this story was completely not what I was expecting to read at all and made the book that much better. Definitely would recommend this one to the fans of psychological thrillers.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Thank you net galley and Bookouture for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Judi worships her son and her two grandsons. After the loss of her other son, her whole life is their happiness. Then her son meets Amber whose mission is to eke Judi out of their life and Judi will not and for it.

Ms Slater again sucked me in with a brilliant book which I thought was better than Blink, her previous one. She weaves a complex story with layers of intrigue. Roll on book 4

This was a great book — from start to finish. Usually, I am pretty good at figuring out the plots and hooks in these types of books, but this one had me fooled and I loved it! This was well-written, well-developed and the characters were deep and deeply flawed. While the story was not unique, I am sure it plays out in many homes around the world, the telling was. The narrative flips from character to character and that was what made the book so deep and complex. Told from the mother-in-law and soon-to-be daughter-in-law's perspective, it is the story of love and loss and how one family deals with it. I highly recommend this book. It is better than Gone Girl and Girl on the Train.

I do not give 5* easily but this deserves every one. I loved it!

Meet Judi and Amber. Judi is an overbearing, loving mother and Grandmother who spoils and smothers her 'boys' - her son and his sons. They lost their wife/mother 2 years ago and she has been helping since. Then arrives Amber who we are told through the singled Ben out and has an agenda. The men are no better in this - weak Ben the mothers boy and the obnoxious Henry who is the epitome of the male chauvinist..... Each character was distinctly unlikeable which adds to the story as they are so well written.

This is a truly fabulous psychological thriller. Great twists and turns spinning your head in all directions.

I will be recommending this book to all I know!

Oh My, Liar is a complete mind bend, This book By K.L. Slater took me completely by surprise and what I thought I knew was turned topsy-turvy in this totally addictive tale.
From the moment I picked up Liar, I was sold, This story grips you from the start and I found it impossible to rest until I uncovered the mystery that was Amber.
Who is Amber?
What is her purpose?
What does she want?
And why the animosity towards Judy Bens Mother?
The plot thickens and I was rubbing my hands together in glee as this is totally my type of story.
And I can honestly say I so wasn't disappointed, Liar manages to layer the mystique superbly.
Bringing the story to a dramatic unexpected finale that I really didn't see coming at all.
No spoilers here Just the need to convey that this story is totally worth a read.
This is one of them books that you really can't say too much about the plot without giving away what in my opinion is a pure genius conclusion.
So my opinion on the main characters here, We have Ben widowed for two years and ripe for the picking. I found him a loveable mummy's boy and an easy target for Amber's schemes.
Amber herself is an enigma, it's clear she has her own agenda that we the reader are kept totally in the dark about.
Judy Bens mother, well she likes to be completely involved in her sons and grandsons lives she seems a strong determined lady.
Henry Bens dad and Judy's hubby, well he really got on my wick, he needs to get off his butt and help Judy more and as for the other things we discover about him well reading Liar, I'm just going to say it put me right off him.
The two little boys are cute Noah and Josh I would have liked a bit more interaction from these two. I felt we didn't quite get to determine their individual personalities. I think it would have been nice to sit down and get to know the boys properly.
So, in conclusion, this was a very delightful read, Liar was well written and brilliantly constructed.
It was easy to follow and kept my interest till the finish, and as an added bonus it even managed to shock and surprise me, so job well done K.L. Slater.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance reader copy Of Liar By K.L Slater.
This is my own honest opinion.

Wow !!! What another great read from K L Slater , I loved Blink and raced through it so fast , so I was really excited to get a copy of Liar to review . I was instantly hooked from the first chapter and was thrilled at the twist at the end . Ben who was widowed meets Amber and falls for her quickly much to the disappointment and anger of his Mum who has been looking after her son and her grandchildren . As she is pushed out more and more of their lives because of Amber who we know also has her own agenda too she almost spirals out of control , as she starts investigating Ambers past things get really tense and I loved it , I really couldn't put this down , cant wait for the next one . Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this , a really easy book to recommend ....

When Ben meets Amber, everyone is happy except his mom Judi. She is helping him raise his two sons Noah and Josh, but Amber is causing her to become unneeded. The characters of Amber and Judi were very well written and both had issues that were not clearly defined until the end. The suspense was kept going throughout the story and it moved at a good pace. I enjoyed this novel but I would like to have seen justice for the one person at the end that seemed to get a way free and clear. A good read and I recommend it to others.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the different characters and the interacting relationships. I would have been interested to know why Amber's mum disliked her so much but thought the ending, whilst I could see it coming was nonetheless enjoyable.

Absolutely brilliant! I sat and read the book in a day and did not want to put it down!  It was one of those books that I needed to carry on reading as I was desperate to see what happened, I really enjoyed Blink, the last book by K.L. Slater and I did think that would be a hard book to top but this was one was excellent and they have done it again!  I even text my mum when I was half way through telling her it was a book she NEEDED to read!!  I loved the whole build up, the scene setting right from the first few pages and the twist at the end of the book.  It had an excellent pace, was a real psychological thriller, and a real roller-coaster of a ride.  I would highly recommend this to everyone - without a doubt 5 stars - I LOVED it!!!

Excellent book. Great main characters and plot. I would recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I read this book in one evening. It was so brilliant that I literally could not put it down. I cannot believe that I did not know about the author before this.

Ben is a single father with two boys. After the death of his wife, his mother starts caring and looking after the family. Ben meets a woman named Amber and his mother, Judi, feels threatened. What happens next is unbelievable. It kept me hooked from the first page. It is amazing what happens and how it all comes together in the end.

It is a clever book. Really and truly. It was one of the best books I have read in a while. Superb book. Will definitely be reading the author's other books.
1 like