'The Lie Maker' has a very intriguing premise and Barclay certainly delivers with the plot. As we get into the book it becomes evident that things are not going to be how we first thought and then I was thrown into an exhilarating plot from Barclay that left me breathless and keen to know what would happen next.
This book is very hard to put down and I adored all the twists that Barclay throws in. Barclay's characters are good as well and I enjoyed getting to know them and learning about their role in the plot.
'The Lie Maker' is an exciting, thrilling read and I highly recommend this.
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for an advance copy.

An excellent read. As ever, Linwood Barclay writes a good thriller with lots of exciting twists and turns. Many thanks for the early access Netgalley!

This is a really clever, original story where no-one can be trusted and one careless word could cost you your life. There are twists and turns around every corner and it seems to Jack as if he is taking 1 step forward and 2 steps back in the search for his father. There were plenty of shocks in this story which kept the tension soaring so high that you will have to read it in one sitting.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book

This was another great thriller from Linwood Barclay.

I have read most of Barclay's novels and enjoyed most but I think this is his best yet. When Jack was a child, his father went into witness protection. Having worked as a hitman for a criminal mastermind, Jack's father decided to testify against him rather than face serious jail time and was given a new identity and life. Jack's mother decided not to join him meaning Jack grew up without his father.

When Gwen asks Jack, now a small time novelist, to work for witness protection, he decides this is the perfect time to make some money and also try and find out where his dad went all those years ago.

I am fascinated by witness protection so this was a clear must read. I liked the characters of both Jack and Lana (although not sure Jack was the sharpest tool in the shed) and their relationship felt incredibly real. The ending was also incredibly on point which I was pleased but I did think some of the twists were a little predictable.

All in all a very enjoyable read.

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Years ago, when he’s nine years old, Jack Givins father is taken into witness protection before his enemies can kill him. In the present day, Jack is a struggling author and needs a job, especially as he is having a run of really bad luck. Out of the blue and somewhat bizarrely, his agent gives him a burner phone and tells him an offer is coming his way. Even stranger, it’s from the US Marshals Service service who want him to write back stories for those entering the programme and relocating by Witness Security Protection. Is he interested? Well, since he’s down on his uppers and it pays $1000 a day, what do you think?! Also, maybe, just maybe, he can use this opportunity to track down his much loved father.

When I begin a Linwood Barclay novel I always know that he is so reliable in providing his many readers with a well thought out, fast paced plot which keeps you invested throughout and that is definitely the case here. I really like Jack as a central character, his backstory is a very good one and the direction his career takes provides plenty of scope for the progression of very twisty storyline, a few of which are jaw/floor beauties. Jack’s motives are good, he’s perhaps a tad gullible, but nonetheless he’s caught up in something big. Lana, his girlfriend, is also very likeable, she’s a somewhat bloodhound type of journalist but has plenty of gumption and proves to be extraordinarily resourceful when the chips are down.

The various plot strands begin to connect together cleverly, the lies encountered are biggies providing suspenseful moments, there’s plenty of tension and some well thought out plot misdirection and good red herrings. Yes, I dare say some suspension of disbelief is required but it doesn’t really matter much as the journey is an entertaining and fun one. I really enjoy the dramatic ending too.

Overall, another winner from a terrific mystery/thriller writer whose novels I always eagerly anticipate.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HQ for a much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Linwood Barclay was always one of my go to authors when I was looking for a good thriller but recently I have found his writing a bit hit or miss. Thankfully ‘The Lie Maker’ is a hit and is a thrilling and suspenseful novel that had me hooked. An intricate plot, intriguing characters, and clever twists made this one of the best Linwood Barclay novels I have read for some time.

Jack Givins is a struggling author who finds himself entangled in a dangerous web of secrets and lies. When the U.S. Marshals approach him with an unusual writing job involving witness protection, Jack sees an opportunity to uncover the truth about his own father, a man who disappeared years ago after revealing damning information about his criminal boss. Jack’s mission to find his father becomes a race against time as he realises that deadly forces are closing in, willing to use him as a pawn in their twisted game.

The book is full of suspense from the torched car to the vanishing judge, the author expertly keeps readers on their toes, constantly guessing and questioning the true identities and intentions of the characters. Well paced with the twists and turns that many Linwood Barclay readers will be familiar with. Jack Givins is a very good character, determined to find his father despite the risks to his own life. Jack’s girlfriend Lana Wilshire is a reporter and adds depth and complexity to the story as well as suspense.

‘The Lie Maker’ is a thrilling and entertaining novel with an intricate plot, compelling characters, and expert storytelling.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and HQ for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

This is standard Barclay. To me, that's a good thing.
A decent plot, some tension, a few twists and excellent pacing.
He delivers this every time.
Fast paced and thoroughly enjoyable.

A new thriller from Linwood Barclay is a must read ASAP. One of only a handful of authors I've read twenty plus books by, and he can still thrill and catch me by surprise.

The Lie Maker has a brilliantly original premise while capturing the 'everyman in trouble' feel of some of his classics.

Jack Givins is a struggling author, recruited by the authorities to write convincing backstories for those entering witness protection.

The subject of witness protection immediately opens up all kinds of tension, threat and paranoia, and Linwood Barclay sets it up brilliantly. There are characters who don't want to be found, and those who won't stop searching. There's a deeper level of psychological development to the character and combined with the covert secrecy it's very easy to get sucked in.

I loved it! Big on character, atmosphere and paranoid tension, very cleverly structured as characters uncover truths about other characters, the reader sees it all unfolding, up to the big twists you won't see coming.

Fast flowing, twisty with a huge one more chapter factor.

One of Linwood Barclay's best books yet!

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ.

This was an amazing twisty thriller, that I just had to finish as quickly as possible, because I needed to know what would happen next. The story involves the main character, Jack, who is hired by Gwen, to write back stories for the Witness Protection program, and before long, he has to tell his girlfriend Lana, what he is doing since she has an insatiable curiosity. However Jack's father, Michael, was assisted by the Witness Protection Program many years ago, and disappeared, leaving Jack and his mother when Jack was a young child. . I don't want to say any more, or it would spoil the novel, but read it to find out what is next, because you will not be disappointed, in my opinion, if you love a good thriller. Highly recommended.