An adolescent goes missing at the start of WWI, and is not found.

In 1920, the once rich Stilwells live in their estate home, Darkacre Hall, unable to care for it properly, and the men suffering the effects of the war. They are Maurice and Ida Stilwell, a married couple, Leonard Stilwell, Maurice's brother, badly maimed in the war and confined to a wheelchair, and their friend Victor Monroe, a longtime associate of the brothers. Maurice spent time in Craiglockhart, treated for shellshock after the war before returning home, while Leonard loathes his damaged boy.

Inspector Hume arrives one day, asking about the missing boy, with all claiming no knowledge of his whereabouts.

Not long after, a young woman answers an advertisement from Ida for a housekeeper. Sarah Hove was a nurse during the war, and is not put off by Leonard's many needs, and is hired instantly.

She quickly and competently takes over, and gradually learns more about the frustrations and angers that are both driving the family apart, and the experiences during the War that tie them irreparably together. At the same time, Maurice begins claiming he is hearing and smelling things that no one else can, with the family convinced his shellshock has returned.

A Sergeant Verity shows up to continue to ask questions. He, too, has been maimed during his service, and Victor and Ida, both intolerant of any disability or imperfection, are uncomfortable and increasingly angered by the man's persistence. It becomes clear that perhaps the family knows more about the boy's disappearance than was thought, and the effects of Verity's presence, as well as the phantoms Maurice continues to experience, cause tensions to rise, while even quiet Sarah becomes suspicious to the family.

This was a wonderfully claustrophobic novel, with author Anita Frank showing the family, already shaky and isolated, beginning to crack and turn on each other with the reopening of the 1914 case, and Verity's sinister hints and questions.

The Stilwells and Monroe are uniformly self-absorbed and of varying degrees of unlikeable. It's clear they're keeping secrets, tied to actions taken in 1914 and during the war, but what they are, when revealed, are emblematic of people who feel themselves better than and above others. It's easy to dismiss Sarah's quiet competence as she keeps things going in the background, but she herself seems to be keeping secrets.

Frank does not shy away from showing readers the horrors of the war, and its subsequent trauma, whether from what we now call PTSD, or from depression and suicide.

The atmosphere is heavy and dark, and it's a shock and relief when all the unresolved anger and violence explodes. Frank ably creates a chilling story fraught with lies and unsaid things, and populated well drawn characters. I loved the constant feeling of danger and the great prose, and greatly enjoyed this book.

I also listened to the audiobook, and voice actor Kristin Atherton does a terrific job inhabiting all the characters. Her Maurice is great as he seems initially like a happy puppy, but as events progress he comes apart, with her voice conveying his desperate hold on his sanity. Her Sarah's quiet voice always seems to hint at great emotions, while Victor's dry, sneering tones allowed me to perfectly picture him looking bored and frustrated with everyone around him.

Thank you to Netgalley, HQ, and HarperAudio Adult for these ARCs in exchange for my review.

I adored this cover so just had to pick it up and it did not disappoint!!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

Thank you NetGalley for approving me for this book. I am so glad I was able to read this book as I really enjoyed this and will read more by this author.

After many attempts I have had to DNF this book. While on paper it seemed my cup of tea I found the characters unlikable and the prose at times to use slightly ableist language. I am giving it the benefit of the doubt due to the time it was set in but sometimes even the narration and not the dialogue used some odd language.

In the hot summer of 1914, a boy vanishes, never to be seen again. Fast forward to 1920, and the once esteemed Stilwell family of Darkacre Hall finds their already troubled lives thrown into disarray when new evidence leads to the boy’s case being reopened – and this time, they themselves are under police scrutiny.

The story centers on the Stilwell family: Maurice, his wife Ida, his brother Leonard, and long-time family friend Victor. When a policeman arrives at Darkacre Hall following up new information about the boy’s disappearance, the family (along with new servant Sarah Hove) finds themselves under scrutiny. As events unfold, the meeting becomes more prolonged and intense, leading the family to re-evaluate the past and their relationships.

Initially I found the characters unlikeable, but as learned their backstories I gained understanding. The author uses an omniscient narrator to give subtle insights into each character, with a focus on Sarah, who navigates the complex dynamics at Darkacre Hall along with the reader. The mystery element doesn’t take a back seat; I found myself wanting to read on to find out what happened to the missing boy. The denouement was a total surprise, even though I’d picked up little clues along the way. Recommended.

The Good Liars is a gothic tinged historical mystery in the classic style by Anita Frank. Released 17th Aug 2023 by HarperCollins on their HQ imprint, it's 400 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook format. Paperback due out in Oct 2024 from the same publisher. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is an atmospheric novel with a family trying to come to grips with their experiences and trauma from the first world war. A child disappearance cold case from 1914 forces the family and staff to confront each other and their own secrets.

The twists are heavily foreshadowed and the big reveals won't likely be shockers for most readers, however, the author is very adept at atmosphere and characterization and if the book isn't strictly a mystery, it's definitely worthwhile for the descriptions and creepy supernatural tinged elements.

Although not derivative at all, there are flashes of Flannery O'Connor and Shirley Jackson in the "vibe" of the work.

Four stars. Brooding and odd.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

what a read!!! i could not put it down, i immensely enjoyed this read!!!
definitley will look for more from this author

I don’t tend to read a lot of historical fiction but Anita Frank's writing is good and I have read a couple of her older books - this was enjoyable, quite enchanting yet eerie. I felt like I was alongside the characters throughout reading this

The Good Liars is the second book I have read by this author. The setting is Gloucestershire two years after the end of the First World War. Living at Darkacre, a manor house belonging to the Stilwell family, are Maurice, his wife Ida, his brother Leonard, and family friend Victor Monroe. This is not a happy home. Right from the start, there is a tense atmosphere hinting at secrets and unspoken resentments. A police officer calls at the house asking about a young man who disappeared in the summer of 1914, as new evidence has come to light. This sets everyone on edge, and into this atmosphere comes Sarah, a trained nurse, to fill the position of housekeeper, and to help care for Leonard who is in a wheelchair having lost both legs and one arm in the war.
None of the characters are particularly likeable, Ida and Victor the worst by far, but they are all entirely believable. As the title suggests, none of them can be trusted to tell the truth. So many times I thought I had worked out what was going on, only for the author to turn it all on its head. She paints a horrific picture of the war, and its effects on those who survived. Although I did not see it coming, the ending makes perfect sense. While the artwork on the cover is eye-catching, it does not quite match the mood of the story. The Good Liars is an atmospheric and thought-provoking novel that leaves a lasting impression. I definitely plan to read the next book by this author. I received a free copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I’m not usually a big historical fiction fan but the description intrigued me on this and I’m so glad I read it. There were a couple of twists that didn’t surprise me much, although I wasn’t sure how it was going to be brought together, and a couple of twists that I was not expecting. It also taught me a lot about world war 1 that I didn’t know and had some really intense war scenes. I’d recommend this to anyone, I really enjoyed it!

Such a tense book! An addictive novel with unpleasant characters and dark secrets that don’t want to be uncovered. With a nod to the supernatural and clever plot twists that I didn’t see coming, this was a delicious read!

The overall concept of this book really appealed to me, but in the end I found it difficult to feel hooked by the story. I believe this is probably a personal problem and think this book has a lot of potential for other readers!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

"‘Come on, Sergeant, let’s get to it. It seems this is a good day for finding bodies.’"

𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿
when i first saw this cover, i was curious as to what the book was about. it looked mysterious and ive read Anita Frank's books before, they are historical, so i was quite intrigued! Also love the green!!

𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀
early 1920s
murder
ghosts
betrayal

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀
There are 5 main characters in this book and each one of them is so interesting!! i loved their strengths and weaknesses, and i found myself changing my opinions of them all bar one, all the way through.

𝗪𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
its historical fiction, so its written like a period piece. its third person BUT SO GOOD. it works better as third. i was hooked pretty quickly. especially because i dont read blurbs so i had no idea what the book was about, but i was gasping in shock after the first half, right to the end!

𝗔𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗱?
hmmmmmm no. i didnt dislike anything!

𝗙𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲
"I warned you all. No good ever comes from meddling with the dead."

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

A compelling, well plotted and gripping historical mystery that kept me hooked and guessing.
Excellent storytelling and character development, a solid mystery, vivid historical background.
Entertaining and engrossing.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I've loved all three of Anita Frank's novels but this was my favourite one yet. A great cast of characters and an intriguing plot which reminded me of An Inspector Calls - another of my favourites!

Set just after the First World War, with all the emotional and psychological impact that's had, this is a spooky, mysterious, and at times disturbing tale. As with all good gothic thrillers, the house itself is a main character, Darkacre is a brooding and foreboding presence throughout. Most of the human characters are unlikeable but as the story carries on you start to understand why, and cleverly they become more relatable. Its hard to categorise this as gothic / histfic though as its also a clever mystery. Very enjoyable for an autumn read!

I haven’t read a lot of historical fiction this year (a genre I enjoy), so I really liked immersing myself in the brooding world of post-war 1920s in The Good Liars by Anita Frank. This is a story of lies and deceit that centre around one family, the Stilwells. Once held in high esteem, their reputation is tarnished and the consequences of their actions are threatening to catch up with them.

Maurice is the owner of Darkacre Hall. He lives there with his wife, Ida, his younger brother Leonard and family friend, Victor. They need some help to run their home but are having trouble finding anyone due to the aforementioned fall in their fortunes. No-one trusts or likes them. Luckily, Sarah (not from the town) sees their job advert and comes to work for them as both housekeeper and carer for Leonard, as the war left him an amputee in a wheelchair.

The Stilwells situation isn’t helped as the police drop by to inform them that they’ve had a mysterious letter to say that a missing boy, Bobby Higgins, who had links to the property is through to be buried on the grounds of Darkacre…

Terrible storms are raging when Sergeant Verity calls by to discuss the case further. It’s so bad that the river surrounding Darkacre Hall swells and Sergeant Verity finds himself trapped at the property, he has no choice but to stay with the family for a few days, and see for himself exactly what’s been going on in Darkacre Hall…

I really liked the Gothic undertones running through The Good Liars – from the creepy happenings to how to house becomes more and more isolated. Post-war England was such a damaged time for so many people. The war was over but the pain and scars – physical and mental – of it were not healed. Anita Frank captures this perfectly and uses it to drive the pulsing atmosphere of uncertainty and play with perception.

It’s such a clever book title too. You soon see that it could be referring to literally everyone and that’s the beauty of it. The story keeps you guessing and comes to a very satisfying conclusion.

I loved this book, a perfect blend of mystery with dark gothic vibes, a dash of the supernatural and a family full of lies. Intriguing set up of a detached family mansion, difficult to get staff, hints of separation from the villagers and tensions between the assorted family members. Plus Victor, the hanger-on, not family but had fought with Maurice and Leonard in the war and never moved on. Enter Sarah, the capable nurse maid and house maid, then enter the detective, also a war veteran but now a policeman. The spectre of Hugo, eldest brother killed in the war,hangs over them all. Beautifully written, I couldn't put it down and highly recommend.