This is a very cleverly conceived story. Louise wakes up beside a man she does not know who has a knife in his stomach. Having been seriously drunk, she is unsure how all this happened. She believes she has reliable friends, not least her husband Niall who was away at a conference when all this happened but as the story moves on, perhaps her relationships are not as solid as she believes. Throughout the book, it seems to be obvious how it must end but if you believe you’ve got it, you’ll be proved wrong time and again. There is a well drawn set of police officers who have the standard relationship issues which seem to be normal in books like this. The story is well written and cleverly crafted to its unexpected conclusion. When reading, however, it is important to stay alert because the chapters switch from one part of the story to another without warning. Throughout the book, Louise is mentally writing to her husband Niall but that can come as a surprise mid-chapter. This is murder with a difference. It is an engrossing read and I recommend it.

After a night’s heavy drinking, Louise wakes in her own bed, but there’s a man lying beside her who she doesn’t recognise. And he’s dead - stabbed, in fact. And she has no idea how he got there.

The stuff of nightmares, basically.

We see the story both from Louise’s point of view (her alcohol-induced memory lapses call to mind The Girl on the Train) and via the investigation of DCI Jonah Sheens and his team into Alex Plaskitt’s death. (DC Hanson, meanwhile, is also dealing with her own issues in the shape of her vindictive ex.)

Lie Beside Me is a fantastic police procedural - one of my favourite genres - which kept me guessing throughout, as both the detectives and Louise herself try to piece together what really happened that night.

There’s a running theme throughout about trust and people’s readiness to believe the worst of others, even those they’re supposed to know best....

An excellent read. Many thanks to the author, the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. Having read the previous two books by this author featuring Jonah Sheens I knew this would be a great read, but it surpassed all my expectations. The twists and turns the story took left me gasping at times and also close to tears on a few occasions it was utterly brilliant and I will be recommending it to everyone I know.

Wow! What a roller-coaster read, jam packed and full of twists. Have read the authors previous books so familiar with the characters, I think this is a great book.

#LieBesideMe #NetGalley
Gytha is at the top of her game. This novel is going to be a bestseller in 2021.
Louise wakes up. Her head aches, her mouth is dry, her memory is fuzzy. But she suspects she's done something bad.
She rolls over towards her husband, Niall. The man who, until recently, made her feel loved.
But it's not Niall who's lying beside her. In fact, she's never seen this man before.
And he's dead
I loved Louise and the investigation team. I loved it's various characters like Pamela and Phil neighbours.
The most interesting part of the story is its pace. It's pacey and is able to hold you till the end.
This is my third book by this author and I must say that this is her best till date.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK Michael Joseph for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.