Imagine going out one night with a friend, getting blind drunk and waking next morning with a dead man in your bed. This is what happens to Louise Reakes. Louise narrates part of the story and the rest is from the perspective of the police investigation led by DCI Jonah Sheens.

Now this is how you do a high quality police procedural! Apart from the fact that it is extremely well written with an excellent plot, one of the greatest strengths of the book is the outstanding characterisation. The police team are interesting, they are all well fleshed out, some have personal issues which makes them feel real and authentic. The character of Louise is especially fascinating as her narration seems honest and reflective about herself and her metamorphosis with the influence of both drink and her friend April. Her relationship with husband Niall takes the reader into interesting and unexpected directions. There’s fear at the root of much that is going on but it’s so multilayered that it keeps you gripped throughout. The tension ramps up well and there are some clever plot twists that keep spinning until the end. All my guesses were wrong and I love that! I did have my suspicions about one character from the start as there is an off tone so at least one aspect is right!

Overall, this is an excellent crime thriller which has depth in the storytelling. I can’t wait to read more by this author.

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for the much appreciated arc for an honest review.

A very very strange and confusing storyline, kept me guessing right to the very end and was completely surprised to the very end ! A brilliant storyline, well recommended, great read.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my copy of Lie Beside Me. This is the third in the series but still works just as well as a standalone novel.

If you enjoy police drama murder thrillers that hook you in from the outset, and keep you guessing right up until the end, with well rounded characters and the ocassional sub plot you will absolutely love this book.

Highly recommended as one of those books you try to read slowly because you don't want it to finish.

This was a great psychological thriller featuring DI Jonah Sheens and his team. I believe it’s the 3rd in the series - I’ve read and enjoyed one of the earlier novels so was pleased to receive this review copy.
When Louise wakes up in bed one morning, instead of her husband, Niall, she finds the blood soaked dead body of a complete stranger. Unfortunately she has woken up with a hangover and can remember little of what happened the night before.
As well as the investigation told from the point of view of the police, the book also alternates chapters with a letter from Louise to her husband explaining how she believes that she has ended up in this difficult situation as well as accusing him of being controlling and evasive in their marriage. But who is telling the truth? Is Louise innocent or guilty and what has Niall got to hide?
As the enquiry continues the reader tries to work out what is going on and who the really killer is but with many twists and turns along the way as well as Louise’s strange letter this proves very difficult.
There is also April, Louise’s best friend, who is obviously involved but what is not clear is how much she knows about the murder or whether she is just an innocent bystander looking out for her friend?
A sub plot involving Juliette Hansen, one of Sheen’s team was also compelling as it involved her abusive ex who is stalking her, adding to the theme of men controlling women in an unhealthy way.
I thoroughly enjoyed this excellent thriller and whizzed through it in a few days, very keen to work out how the body ended up in Louise’s bed. It’s definitely five stars from me and highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

Edge of your seat thriller
This is book 3 in the series and is not disappointing
Gytha Lodge grabs your attention from the start
there are so many twists and turns to keep you guessing

But will you guess right

I don't think so...........

Thank you netgalley, Gytha Lodge and Michael Joseph for allowing me to read and review this book.

Oh my word what a book, what a treat for the reader this is. I was hooked and immersed in the book from the very start. The haunted voice of Louise that we heard throughout the book as she tried to explain herself to her husband was the icing on top of a very intricate and delicious cake. The tension that builds up from Louise finding a man not her husband in her bed. How he got there and who he his unfolds as you inhale the book. The terror that Louise feels on discovering the body just oozes off the pages. As the plot gains traction it does not let up and the characters that are revealed along the way not only add to the book but also to the confusion surrounding the incident. Will Louise ever ind out what happened that night and just as importantly does she want to face the truth . A book that will entice the reader with its premise and leave them astounded as they find the truth . Bloody brilliant

Do you ever read a book and it’s just so good that you don’t want to finish it because then it would be over? This sums up exactly how I feel about all of Gytha Lodge’s books and this latest offering, ‘Lie Beside Me’ is no exception.

The third book in the DCI Sheens series tells the story of Louise, who wakes up with a man in her bed. A man who is not her husband. A man who is dead. Louise is not sure how she found herself in this position and soon finds herself the prime suspect in the murder case. Everything points in her direction that it had to be her who killed this stranger but did she do it?...

As the next book in the detective series we are exposed to another case that isn’t as simple as it seems. What I loved even more about this book too is the character development of the police team, each character is slowly revealing more and more and their sideline stories to the main case are also a major part of the book, seamlessly slotted in. I also really enjoyed the writing style of the main character, recalling the events of the evening through a written letter to her husband, this worked really well.

I tried to stop myself reading this book so quickly as I enjoyed it so much, I would recommend this and the entire series in a heart beat. The twists keep coming and right up until the end you are kept guessing, I read from chapter to chapter never wanting to stop reading as I needed to know what happened next! Already can’t wait for the next one in the series, after reading the first three books in quite close succession now I know there will unfortunately be a bit of a wait though - gives me time to read these again then! :o)

I really enjoyed this book. I Loved the suspense and the twists which kept me on the edge and guessing. It is definitely a good story for mystery genre.

📖BOOK REVIEW📖⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#liebesideme @gythalodge @penguinbooks @netgalley

Ahhh this book is amazing! It’s just so full of twists and turns that you hardly have chance to get your breath!

The author does such an amazing job of keeping you guessing, casting suspicion on everyone and using red herrings to lead you up the garden path while you journey along with the police and main character Louise, as they piece together what has happened.

It’s such a journey of a book and one of my favourite genres to read (police procedurals) when done well as this one certainly was!

As I said in my earlier post, I’m not one to read out of series order (this is book 3) and that’s my only regret with this one as the characters and team seemed so established that I would personally have enjoyed it more knowing the background but that didn’t take anything away from what was a really great and gripping read!

I will be reading the first two in the series ASAP!

Thank you to author #gythalodge #penguinbooks and #netgalley for allowing me to read this one early!

This book is out February 18th 2021!

-Emily

What a fabulous read ! This is the third book in the DCI Jonah Sheens series and I think the best so far .Imagine waking up and finding a stranger dead beside you in bed ? What a gripping page turner. I honestly couldn't work out what had happened ,such an exciting read .Looking forward to the next book in the series .Many thanks to the Publisher the Author and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review .

Another winner from this author in the DCI Sheens series opening with a married woman waking to find a dead man in bed next to her with no memory of who he is or how he came to be there. DCI Sheens and his team consider her the prime suspect and expect an “open and shut” case but as their investigation progresses other suspects are detected the team begin to doubt their findings. This is a multi-layered gripping novel that grabs you from the beginning with personal stories running alongside the murder investigation. Although this is the third book in this police procedural series it can be read as a stand-alone though I would recommend reading the previous books. Great read.

What a story, I thought I knew what had happened but yet I was so wrong! So many possibilities but where was the truth in it all?

This is the third in the series of DCI Jonah Sheens novels by Gytha Lodge. I read the first one but seemed to have missed the second, something I intend to rectify. It can easily be read as a standalone story.

Louise wakes up with a severe hangover. She discovers a dead body next to her. It is a man she doesn’t recognise and he has been stabbed and there is blood everywhere. She moves the body outside and calls the police.

She had been with her best friend, April. Louise’s husband, Niall, considers April a bad influence in terms of the amount of alcohol the two women consume when they are together.

This is a cleverly plotted storyline which weaves in and out of numerous twists and turns right up until the end. There are issues with the different police characters involved and a real shocker for one of them at the end. No spoiler alerts from me but keep reading and enjoy. I did. Absolutely loved it. I’m always one for the unusual ending with a bit of drama.

Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Michael Joseph UK and Gytha Lodge for my ARC of ‘Lie Beside Me’ in return from my honest review.

Excellent read. Highly recommended.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I really like this author, the style of writing and her great storylines. Fast paced thoroughly enjoyable thriller.

This is the 1st Book that I have read by the author and this book is book 3 of the series of DCI Jonah Sheens.

This book tells the story of Louise who after a heavy night drinking wakes up to a man in her bed who’s she doesn’t know and is dead, what follows is amazing story

I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars, With thanks to Netgalley & Penguin Michael Joseph for the arc of this book in exchange for this honest review.
Sharney Cat Uncategorized

spoiler alert ** This is the third Sheens book,and they've all been pretty darn good.
I felt slightly that he took a bit of a back seat in this one,and let his team mates shine. Juliette especially,who also has her plot of continuing issues with ex boyfriend.

It was beyond my brain to work out how a stranger is dead in your bed,with you,and you don't know how or why.
The book did a superb job of throwing a few suspects our way,each with their own motive for murder,but still I couldn't figure out HOW they'd end up in the bed.
There was a "of course!!!" when all was revealed.
Exciting,and full of little twists , this makes you look forward to book 4.

I have read another book (or maybe books!) in this series so it didn't take me too long to recognise the police team. Some police crime/murder books fail to involve you enough in the characters but with this book I certainly became involved with each of them
A superb book and definitely worth reading. You do not need to have read earlier ones to fully understand.
Whilst reading I think I favoured almost every character as the murderer of Alex, including Louise herself but I really didn't guess the actual culprit and why.
Lots of twists and turns - no really big ones though.
My only grouse is I thought there were too many sections about 'drunk' Louise and what was needed to be revealed could have been with far less words.
Other than that - brilliant and I am really looking forward to the next in the series as you are left with a couple of events that should be progressed in the next book,

A Thriller to Thrill

Louise has a few characters that she lives with they all come at various stage of inebriation the more she has the more fun she is the more she leave the sober life behind, you get the picture she is all the characters.

Now what Louise doesn't expect is to wake up with a stiff next to her, as in a dead body! ! ! A dead body who not only is dead but not her husband either in fact she has no idea who he is. Best thing to do is move the body out doors call the police and let them sort it out. Its what anyone would have done obviously. Seems like not everyone agrees and her troubles continued to grow after that unyieldingly to the end. This is a whodunit that keeps you guessing i love that fact that some of the characters change from good to bad to good you never know what is around the corner or who even i love it. I didn't want to put it down so I hardly did hence I'm now re-adjusting back to real life. It was one of those thrillers that fully grabs you that your so engrossed (well i was) that reality just had to take a backseat fortunately I'm able to do that at the moment.

This thriller comes at you from a few angles there is Louise the one who drinks and woke up next to Alex not her husband yes that one. And Hanson one of the CID investigating the crime with a great team of characters, unlike poor Louise who's team is her friends well there's April and hmmm 😒 that's it but she does have a husband whom she met the same day as April at a wedding, but things not going so well with the other half but really well with her BFF April. Let's just hope she sticks around. Louise's loves music and is in a classical group so she does have other friends phew, of she plays the harp.

The ending is one of those that will stick in my memory for a long while it is so well done and unexpected and will only makes sense because i read it all first from page one on till the end, so sorry if your in the habit of jumping to the end first, mind I'm guessing you oppps can't say without giving things away and that just wouldn't be fair so I'll let you read to find out for yourself.

I did get given a free copy of this book for a honest review and so glad I did because its one of those books that should be read and I got to read it early and get to tell you how genuinely great I think it is, I've given it five stars as that's the max I'm allowed to assign to it. "Lie beside me" is definitely one you will want to read in my opinion others may have a different view i would just say that they would be wrong on this occasion.

This is Gytha Lodge's third novel in the DCI Jonah Sheens series and in Lie Beside Me , Sheens and his team are investigating a murder after Louise reports the discovery of a stranger's body in her front garden. This novel alternates between standard police procedural and a more psychological story line focused on Louise's attempts to remember what happened that night. Although I found this latter element the least satisfying part of the novel it is still a strong addition to the series. It was good to be back with Sheens and his team and I found it to be a twisty, gripping read.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC.

I absolutely loved this. I really enjoyed the first two in the series so was very much looking forward to getting hold of this one, and I think this was my favourite of the three.

The premise was instantly intriguing; Louise wakes up with a dead man in her bed and yet she has no idea who he is or how he got there. I loved how everyone connected to Louise and the victim were all suspicious for different reasons and I genuinely had no idea how it was going to play out.

I think the balance between the story and getting to know the detectives was struck perfectly. The investigating team are made to feel like real people that the reader cares for without detracting from the story.

There's nothing negative I can say at all about this, it was, to me, a perfect example of how to do a police procedural well and I really hope there will be a 4th book as the others have just been so good!