Kieran Deveney is the co-owner of a sports centre on Liar’s Island. His father is on the board of trustees for the island and more or less determines what happens there. When Kieran’s body is discovered on the island the question is who killed him. The island only has a tiny population and when two of them individually confess to having murdered Kieran singlehandedly, the police are facing a stand-off as far as their investigation is concerned.

CSI Ally Dymond and a junior colleague are sent to Liar’s Island to uncover evidence that will prove or disprove either of the confessions. Before they can return to the mainland with what little potential evidence they have found, a storm descends on the island, and they find themselves stranded in close proximity to a murderer.

The story is told in the first person from Ally Dymond’s perspective. However, interspersed throughout the story are CSI reports for each of the island’s inhabitants as well as passages printed in cursive that describe relevant details about those inhabitants’ pasts. I’m not sure how I felt about those cursive parts. On the one hand, they allowed the reader to join the dots and be part of the solving of the puzzle. On the other hand, those sections weren’t the result of the on-the-page investigation so it created the weird situation where the reader knows more than Ally Dymond did. One thing they made perfectly clear though, is that everybody on the island had a motive for killing Kieran.

Liar’s Island is an atmospheric story with the placenames creating the atmosphere. For example, Kieran Deveney is found in a bay known as Devil’s Cauldron on Liar’s Island. This is also a rather slow-moving story and a relatively large section of it deals with Ally Dymond’s private life. This book is very well written and easy to read but it also felt a bit flat. Despite the atmosphere, the location, the murders, and the storm there wasn’t any real tension or urgency in the story.

This is the third book in the Ally Dymond series by this author. I didn’t read the previous two books, and I don’t think it is necessary to have done so in order to enjoy this title. Having said that, if you think this series sounds like something you might enjoy, I advise you to start with book one (Breakneck Point). I may be wrong, but I think Liar’s Island contains at least one spoiler for the previous stories.

Overall I enjoyed Liar’s Island and I’d call it a well-plotted and easy-to-read mystery that for me personally could have done with a little more tension and a little less personal backstory.

This is book 3 of CSI Ally Dymond. The setting is North Devon and the author describes the location so well that I could imagine myself there! The story begins with a body of Kieran Deveney is found on Liar's Island (Drogan Island), where he is part owner of a watersport's business. Ally has links to this island through her Dad, a harbourmaster in Bidemouth. We learn the inhabitants are from all walks of life but how are they are connected and what do they know. Ally along with Jake are stranded due to a violent storm and what follows next is like a scene from a horror film. It is a cleverly plotted story full of twists and turns with a few red herrings to throw us into thinking the person responsible is someone else!! I was glued to my seat with this page turning and engrossing book. I never predicted how the story would end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

Liars Island by T. Orr Munro has an intriguing premise, but it ultimately falls short - a wealthy, secluded island with dark secrets and a determined investigator—but it doesn’t quite deliver the punch you’d expect. The pacing is slow, building tension too gradually and missing the urgency needed to drive the mystery forward. While the isolated island setting adds an atmospheric touch, the plot doesn’t fully capitalise on it, leaving the suspense somewhat flat. Readers who enjoy a deliberate, character-driven mystery might still appreciate Liars Island, but it may disappoint those looking for a gripping thriller with unexpected twists and dynamic characters.

I love this series by T. Orr Munro and jumped at the chance to read the next in the series (I have been waiting patiently!) Rejoining CSI Ally Dymond in the latest crime / mystery was a real pleasure too.

This time the case involved a death on Devil’s Rock, connected to Ally in her mind by an aspect of her personal life way back in the past.

As the story gathers pace, so does the list of suspects, chapter by chapter, as more intrigue and events come to light, throwing every theory I had to the wind.

What I particularly enjoy about this series (and this can be read as a standalone) is that, although the crime is the main plot line, the book is also interwoven with family problems, relationships and work issues, the full package!

The characters are very relatable and in my mind become ‘people’ I feel I know and care about. The settings are superbly depicted, with the bleakness of Devil’s Rock mirroring the feelings stirred by the tension.

Another great read I would recommend to those who enjoy great police procedurals with a CSI twist.

Liars Island is book three in a series, which I didn’t realise when requesting. However I found it could be easily read as a stand alone, the author gives enough details from previous stories that you need to enjoy this one.

I love the cover and find that, and the story name both grip you.
There’s lots of different things going on, someone’s found deceased, but was this an accident or a murder? To help work this out our main character has to deal with her own demons to be able to investigate. I really enjoyed the balance between the investigation and the main characters personal story.

There’s lots of twists and turns, just who can you trust, especially when stuck on a small island, perhaps even with a murderer?!

The author pays lots of attention to detail, I could certainly imagine the island, the buildings, the storm raging around them. I will be looking out the earlier books in this series and any future ones.

Definitely worth a read.

This is the third novel in the series that I’ve read and whilst the first were really gripping, I was a bit disappointed by this one. It was nowhere near as suspenseful as the others and at times I had to force myself to continue reading. The characters were familiar and the story picked up from where the other one ended. I’m not sure why this was such hard going and I was relieved to finish. Thanks go to the publisher and netgalley for a proof copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have been following Ally Dymond through the previous two books, so was delighted to read the third. Novels with CSIs
are not that usual and I enjoyed that aspect. Basically this is like a locked room mystery; two CSIs marooned on a remote, sparsely inhabited Island in the Bristol Channel during a storm that prevents them from being taken off. They are there to retrieve further evidence from a murder. Two people have confessed which cancel each other out. The few locals have secrets aplenty and are potential suspects. It is a well crafted story with lots of surprises and twists and yet manages to flesh out the characters. There is a distinct feeling of menace. Excellent!

This is the third book featuring Ally Dymond. I found her character and the plot to be well written. I haven't yet read the other two books but that didn't affect this book at all. Overall i really enjoyed it.

I was very happy to receive an arc copy of this book as I enjoyed the first two in the series. I like the character of Ally Dymond, although she seems to get herself into hot water regularly.
In this story she has ever more than usual to deal with as the memories of her father's death are stirred up when his ship returns to north Devon, and she is stranded on an island in the Bristol Channel with another CSI, Jake, as a storm comes in and prevents them leaving. The island is the setting for a recent murder and two suspects have confessed to the crime so Ally and Jake are sent to collect more evidence from the property of one of the killers.
Whilst they are on the island, waiting for the storm to abate so the police helicopter can return and pick them up, they learn a great deal about the (few) people who live there, but it is enough to determine that anyone of them could be the murderer and the suspects the police have in custody should not be viewed as reliable.
The plot is quite involved and I found the finale was a little far fetched which rather spoiled the rest of the book. I enjoyed the relationship between Ally and Jake and I think the back and fro between Ally and her daughter is well done too. The setting is great, although if the tides around the island are all they are made out to be maybe a watersports' centre is the best thing to have built there!
With thanks to Netgalley and HQ stories for the arc copy in return for an honest review.

The third in the CSI Ally Dymond series is set on a tiny island in the Bristol channel and follows the investigation into a young man's death. I enjoyed the first two novels in the series but although this is a competent crime mystery and I love the North Devon setting, the pace was slow and I struggle to like Ally as a person. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Set on a remote island off the North Devon coast, Liar's Island introduces us to a community with a dark past of smuggling and shipwrecks, but until now, there has never been a murder. When Kieran Deveney's body is discovered, two islanders confess to the crime, each claiming they acted alone. The twist? Neither can be convicted while the other maintains their story.

CSI Ally Dymond is brought in to unravel the truth and uncover the evidence needed to crack the case. What she discovers is a tight-knit community rife with secrets. As she begins her investigation, a fierce storm strikes the island, leaving everyone trapped and raising the stakes. While the weather poses a threat, it's the people around Ally that truly concern her.

The characters are well-developed, bringing a vividness to the narrative that draws readers in. The dual confessions add a compelling layer of complexity, allowing for a deeper understanding of the suspects. I particularly enjoyed the camaraderie between Ally and Jake, and I look forward to seeing more of their dynamic in future books. Overall, Liar's Island is a gripping read that keeps you guessing until the very end.

3.5/5.

Read more at The Secret Bookreview.

Liars island is found in the Bristol channel and island life can be ideal if your not enforced to stay there whilst battling demons from your past, constant storm weather alerts, poor technology, an unhappy teenager, totally cut off, oh and not to mention a killer is on the lose, the location and it's atmosphere really added drama to the story.

The characters were developed well and brought to life on the page and the confession element of the story brought understanding to the suspects, I particularly liked the camaraderie between Ally and Jake and look forward to more of them working together.

An engaging read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC.

Not having read any other of the books that feature CSI Ally Dymond, I struggled with some of the references and links that were made. Therefore, I went with three stars as I couldn't make everything makes sense.

However, the main plot to this was decent though and I enjoyed the mystery. There were twists and surprises that I wasn't expecting and I enjoyed the dual confessions/who did it aspect. I also liked how the storm made the island unreachable and thought this added to the atmosphere successfully - especially as you think that Dymond may be in danger.

I recommend reading the full CSI series of Ally Dymond first and will be reading more myself.

This was such a great read, set on an island in the Bristol Channel. There are a group of characters who live on the island, e@ch having a potential motive, but some with an alibi. Set against raging, storms and red herrings, the storyline kept you engrossed to the end. There is a back story that was interesting to follow but does impact on the storyline for the new reader. Well written and kept you guessing to the end.

This book started with a CSI and a dead whale, before then throwing Ally (CSI) into a murder investigation. The investigation sends her back to an island from her childhood and into memories of her father. Everyone on the island seems to have a motive for the murder. Stuck on the island with the suspects Ally tries to find out who might be dangerous. I'm trying not to leave spoilers. I haven't read the other books in this series but I still enjoyed this one and have added the others to my wish list

This was ok. Didnt grip me but was an easy to read book
Thanks for the opportunity to review

Not a favourite read this year I am afraid

CSI Ally Dymond has a history with Liars Island - her father disappeared from there when she was a child, and she has not been back since. But when a body washes up there - that of local resident Kieran Deveney, she is forced to confront her demons to get the evidence needed to convict one of the two people who admitted to the murder. However, trapped on an island full of liars, it may not be as simple as it seems.

This is another very good instalment in the series - one I have thoroughly enjoyed over the past few years. It's a solid 4* book.

CSI Ally Dymond is part of the North Devon Police. In a previous life she was CSI for the murder investigations team, but now has to accept that that role is out of reach until her reinstatement is announced. That doesn’t stop DI Harriet Moore leaning on Ally, as she trusts and relies on Ally’s knowledge of the area. When a body is found on Liars Island, Harriet has no hesitation in calling Ally to help out, but it’s a no go as it’s the last place Ally saw her father, missing, presumed drowned, twenty years ago. Needless to say Ally overcomes her reluctance and becomes knee deep in mystery, intrigue and mayhem, with the odd storm thrown in.

This is the third book in this series, and the reader really does need some background for the plot to flow. I read the first book, Breakneck Point, though not the second, Slaughter House Farm, and struggled as even though there was a lot of explaining done it wasn’t easy to get to grips with who’s who.

Apart from this, the story is good, but very convoluted! Once again, as in the first book, the ending is so far fetched and unrealistic that it did spoil an otherwise well thought out plot. Sometimes less is more, and that is definitely so in this case. Again Ally takes actions that she would report others for, so not really in keeping with her ever so professional attitude.

A decent enough read that was enjoyable up until the end.

The main point is read the books in order!

Thank you NetGalley and HQ.