Review by Booklist Review
A fast-paced debut that is as much about decisions (mostly bad) and their consequences as it is about deception. Joe Lynch spots his wife in a hotel car park while she's supposed to be at work. It is, of course, not what he thinks. A fairly standard formula with some good twists at the end, marred by generally unlikable characters and behaviors that are highly improbable, but the writing is strong. The Girl titles seem to have been supplanted by variations of Lie, a pattern that is definitely trending. That, combined with the facts that the novel was a best-seller in the UK and will receive a major marketing campaign here, suggests that libraries should be prepared.--Jane Murphy Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A spur-of-the-moment decision forever changes the life of Joe Lynch, the narrator of British author Logan's gripping first novel. One weekday afternoon, Joe and his four-year-old son, William, are driving in North London when Wills spots his mother Mel's car, which exits off a ramp into a hotel parking lot. Deciding to surprise his wife, Joe drives into the same parking lot, where he catches Mel arguing with Ben Delaney, who's married to one of her closest friends. To spare Wills any upset, Joe doesn't intervene, and Mel drives off without seeing them. A short time later, the suspicious Joe confronts Ben in the parking lot and knocks him unconscious. Mel later admits to an affair, Ben goes missing, and Joe is accused of murder. But Joe knows Ben is alive, because he's communicated with him through social media. As the evidence continues to mount against him, Joe must find Ben to prove his innocence. Uncovering more lies, Joe soon realizes he can trust no one. Full of unexpected twists and turns, this psychological thriller will leave readers eager for Logan's next book. Agent: Camilla Wray, Darley Anderson Literary Agency (U.K.). (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
DEBUT Joe Lynch is a mild-mannered high school teacher, father, and husband living an average life. Then during an evening commute, he makes an innocent move that irrevocably alters his family. Joe's attempt to surprise his wife when his small son spots her in traffic leads him to a hotel where she is with her best friend's husband, Ben. An altercation ensues between the two men and Ben is accidentally knocked unconscious. Soon afterward, Ben is listed as a missing person and Joe becomes the prime suspect. Joe receives cryptic threats via texts and social media that promise to ruin him. As deceits within Joe's marriage escalate, he grapples with mounting criminal evidence pointing directly at him. Obsessing over locating Ben and exonerating himself, he struggles to distinguish the truth from lies before his life spirals completely out of control. VERDICT In a tensely woven eight-day cat-and-mouse chase, Logan's debut races readers through a fast-moving joyride of nerve-wracking suspense and intrigue that will challenge and surprise even the most devout enthusiasts of psychological thrillers. [See Prepub Alert, 3/26/18.]-Mary Todd Chesnut, Northern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Highland Heights © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A spur-of-the-moment detour leads to disaster in this psychological thriller debut.Joseph Lynch and his 4-year-old son, William, are navigating North London traffic when William spots his mother's car exiting the highway. William wants to surprise Melissa, so they follow her to the Premier Inn, where Joe assumes she's meeting a client; instead, they find Mel in the hotel bar, arguing with her best friend's husband, tech millionaire Ben Delaney. Mel flees before Joe can flag her down, so he confronts Ben, who denies having seen Mel. The ensuing scuffle ends with Ben's striking his head on the parking garage floor and losing consciousness. Joe takes William home and then returns to the hotel, but Ben and his vehicle are gone. Also missing is Joe's phone, which he lost in the fray. Later that night, Joe interrogates Mel, who insists that the rendezvous was business-related. Joe initially believes her, but it's not long until he realizes that his wife is lyingand that thanks to her vengeful lover, his marriage isn't the only thing in jeopardy. Logan writes viscerally about the emotional devastation wrought by marital infidelity. Joe's heartbreak and desolation are palpable, the tale cunningly exploits the paranoia that springs from fractured trust, and although Logan fails to fully earn his twisting plot's final turn, the ending still packs a punch.British journalist Logan's first foray into crime fiction is an adrenaline-fueled page-turner that explores the fragility of domestic bliss. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
