The Good Liar audiobook

Loved The Good Liar. A clever and winding tale looked at all the wrong way round and upside down but so brilliantly addictive with a dry yet compelling style.We start with Roy meeting Betty for the first time on a "blind" date. I was immediately hooked due to the way this was presented by the author and I knew right there that this was going to be one that would engage me. Saying anything else on the plot, bar the fact that it moves backwards in time in our learning curve about Roy, whilst moving forward on how their relationship develops, would necessarily spoil things so lets just leave that there.The Good Liar managed to often surprise me. My main reason for liking it so much is how Nicholas Searle blurs the lines, so whilst he doesn't hide anything you really have no clue what is going to happen until it happens. A really excellent construction, something that not many can do well, this is assured plotting and compelling stuff.It is not perfect - it does ramble on occasion, sometimes you would like things to just get on - but overall this was a terrific debut, one that messsed with my head and gave me pause for thought. Character wise it is just simply terrific. Excellent job. Really really interested to see what this author comes up with next.

A Lifetime of Deceit Quick inspection. Immaculate white shirt: yes. Creases of grey flannels: perfect. Spit-shined shoes: gleaming. Regimental stripe tie: well knotted. Hair: combed neatly. Blue blazer off hangar, and on. Fits like a glove. Glance in the mirror: he'd pass for seventy, sixty at a pinch. In fact, Roy Courtnay is eighty, but meeting an online date for the first time, he must make a good impression. Establish a persona, in fact. There is something a little slick in everything he does, as slightly false as his British old buffer diction. But he knows it will work; it always has.Clearly, this is no romantic date, but a con. And the woman he goes to meet, Betty, seems the perfect dupe: an attractive widow, perhaps once intelligent, now sweetly fluttery, driven to the rendezvous by an attentive grandson. She is touchingly grateful for the attention of a personable gentleman of her own generation. Both have used false names of course, but both confess this early, thus bonding their relationship. Only a dozen pages in, and the date is going perfectly.Too perfectly? Well, yes. Because it soon becomes clear that this is a game that two can play. The chapters in the present begin to alternate with flashbacks to Roy's earlier schemes, going back a year or more each time. He is indeed an inveterate liar, living on his wits. But the person who began to interest me most is Betty. Searle tells us nothing about her former life, but clearly there is more to it than the sweet old lady will admit. We find ourselves reading more and more eagerly, looking for clues. I will not say more, except that, from the midpoint on, I was hooked, waking up in the middle of the night in order to finish it.Without giving away the plot, I find it hard to explain why my rating is four stars rather than five. Searle manages a stunning reversal at the climax of the book, which has already happened before you realize you have been had. Five stars at that point, and then some. But after that, the texture changes. Instead of watching Roy in action, as we had been up to now, we move to a long section of delayed exposition, in which the remaining back-stories are filled in—told, rather than shown. Searle is very adept in switching sympathies from Roy to Betty, who turns out to be a truly interesting character. But there is enough material in those last chapters about her to have made a full novel on their own. I was sorry not to have been able to live through them more fully, especially in comparison to the facile Roy. All the same, Searle is an insightful writer with an inventive feel for plot. This is a brilliant start that promises even more for the future.

20 August 2015 - included in my 'catching up' blog postReviews of this are supposed to be embargoed until close to the release date, so I'll be publishing a more detailed write-up later. For now, I'll just say that I'm not surprised this is being talked about as one of Penguin's big debuts of 2016 - it's got that 'unputdownable' quality in spades. It starts as the story of Roy, an ageing conman who, after a series of dispiriting dates in gastropubs, appears to have found his perfect mark - Betty, elegant, widowed and, most importantly, wealthy. We know Roy has nefarious intentions from page one; things get more interesting when it becomes apparent that Betty has a hidden agenda too. But what is it? The Good Liar will keep you guessing as it slowly unpacks Roy's character and tells his life story in reverse, taking several surprising turns along the way. This is a thriller in an old-fashioned sense (comparisons have been made to Patricia Highsmith), a book I think will appeal to readers of historical fiction, classic suspense and crime.

The Good Liar by Nicholas Searle is a 2016 Harper publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I’m still at a loss for words here in regards to this book. Categorized as a mystery thriller, I was ready to dive into a what seemed like a good, complex, and smart novel. All of those elements are here, but I must warn anyone interested in this title, that this book is nothing like the typical suspense thriller. If you are looking for a run of the mill whodunit, or even the usual murder mystery with a psychological thriller element, you will not find that here. It started off with what is obviously a swindle type set up by an aging con, who calls himself, Roy, looking for enough cash to see him through his final years comfortably. His target: Betty, a financially comfortable widow he meets online, hoping to rob her of her life savings. The only trouble he foresees is her grandson, who keeps a close eye on her, making his plan a bit risky. But, once he has ensconced himself in Betty’s home, the game moves along quite smoothly for old Roy and so the author gives us a bit of Roy’s history to keep us entertained while Roy sets his plans to rob Betty in motion. I must admit, I really, really, really struggled with this book all the way up to about the sixty percent mark. Roy’s incredible past, which is repugnant to say the very least, alternates alongside the present day swindles he is cooking up for poor Betty. I knew there had to be a reason for this trip back through history, but it just wasn’t adding up for me. To say this novel is understated is, well, an understatement. However, once the fog began to thin out, the story flowed much easier and moved along at a slightly faster pace, and as a result it held my attention. Still, the author doesn’t get in any hurry about explaining things or locking in the final pieces to the puzzle. Typically, this ploy works very well when ratcheting up the suspense level, but frankly, that gimmick fizzles here because by the time I got to the really good part, I was already more than a little exasperated at the pacing, so I was tired of playing coy and wanted him to just spit it out, in order to finally be done with it. Because I was expecting something entirely different when I started this book, I was taken off guard by it, which is what lead to my overall frustration with it, but the concept is not lost on me now that I have completed the book. Despite moving at a snail’s pace, it is a very clever plot, written in such a way that the reader doesn’t guess at the outcome early on, and looking back on it now, I see the genius in writing it this way. So, now that all is said and done, my feelings are a little conflicted. I understand the slow pacing now, but still think it went on far too long. But, despite having to wade through murky water, the wait was worthwhile. I can’t lay out the plot, or go into the characterizations in detail because to do so would give too much away. I wasn’t sure what to think about the choices made by some of the characters, but in the end I was pleased with the result.If you decide to give this book a try, exercise patience, and stick with it all the way to the end, and don’t give up on it. This is certainly a well thought out novel, and one that had me thinking over the details long after I had turned the final page. In hindsight, I have respect for the layout, am impressed with the details, and maybe, someday, now that my attitude towards the book is much improved, I may even attempt to re-read it with a more positive perspective going in. Overall this one gets 4 stars

Fun book with plot twists and engaging dialogue-great first novel

Meet Roy Courtnay. Better yet, don't. Roy, a master of the very long con, does not want to meet you unless there's something in it for him, particularly if it's at your expense. Before you know it, you may find yourself staring off wondering, What the hell just happened? This debut novel is a lot of fun, but more so, has a lot to say. Even though he doesn't need the money, Roy has decided on one final coup. He's in his advanced 80's, but he is hardwired to be a scoundrel and will go down smirking. Now, meet Betty, his final mark. We learn early on that Betty also has an agenda, but you have to read the book to discover it. As Roy and Betty's cat and mouse advances, Roy's history is told, backward in alternating chapters. Psychotic, charming, we learn how and why he became who he is, but it is not until the end that as Paul Harvey used to say, we learn the Rest of the Story. Clever and well written, hopefully the first of many more to come from Nicholas Searle.

Roy Courtney is the good liar. He has a very dodgy past to say the least as he embezzled money from many people including so called friends. Roy met Betty via an online dating service and it appears to go well as he moves in with her. Stephen, Betty's 'grandson' is rightly deeply suspicious of Roy. This very well written story traces Roy's and Betty's life backwards (don't worry UK readers it's not Rellik if anyone watched that 😱😱) through the Second World War and back to Vienna and Berlin. I did work out Betty's motives with Roy but I won't spoil it but just say read it to find out! This is an excellent debut novel and it's so well written. I couldn't put it down. Can't wait to read Nicholas Searle's next book but rather meanly will wait until it's a bit cheaper!! One of the best books I've read recently.

Clever and slick, great writing with a plot that never falters and keeps you engaged right to the end. The beautiful child of Graham Greene and John le Carre, highly recommend if you like both.

The Good Liar is a fantastic debut about a narcissistic con-man known as Roy. In his old age, he tries his luck in online dating and eventually strikes gold with Betty: a wealthy grandmother. The relationship quickly intensifies,while the novel flashes back to the past, revealing the truth behind Roy's past, and ultimately the woman he grows to know. With an explosive start, a gripping climax and a brilliant twist at the end, The Good Liar is a clever thriller that really plays with your head, and keeps you thinking throughout. It is certainly impossible to put down.

Yowza!

Entertaining, with plenty of twists and turns. The reveals are piece by piece, and the plot is strong enough to keep my attention. I'm looking forward to seeing the movie.

It is astonishing that this is a debut novel from British author Nicholas Searle. It is balanced and alluring; the more you read, the more it ropes you in. He has paid careful and loving attention to plot, character, rhythm, structure, pace, tone, and prose, so that the reader stays fully engaged through to the long end game.The main character, Roy, is an imposing man, and a strident one at times, no matter that he is 80-something years old. We know early on that he is a professional confidence man—a good liar, always sporting for a mark. His latest is Betty, also elderly but a spry and articulate academic, although she often comes across as passive. Yet, she also seems to have an agenda, however innocuous. After all, meeting strange men can cause dangerous consequences.The story centers on Roy and Betty’s relationship, as well as focusing on who they are as individuals. Roy plans to retire after Betty, his last waltz. But he tells her “one of the things I like intensely is dishonesty.” Betty declares her desire for companionship, which led her to an Internet dating site, which is how they met.I observed from the start that Searle’s writing was circumspect, holding back information that is released gradually. There are times that the characters know more than the reader, and at intervals we know more than Roy or Betty. I was occasionally impatient, that scratch I wanted to itch because I couldn’t grasp enough. But, I learned to trust the author as the narrative progressed. The story went back and forth in time, and periodically threw me off, as I had to continually reposition myself into whatever rabbit hole or design that Searle was concocting. It kept me guessing, and perhaps some of my hunches were on target. However, I was not prepared for the capstone, which left me breathless.I am being cautious in my review not to reveal plot points, because the untangling of mondo knots requires discovery. I was impressed by Searle’s ability to incrementally create an ambitious plot, one that organically evolves into something grand yet never grandiose. The writing is light on its feet, the timing is impeccable, and the architecture is fluid and immaculate. I was in the dark initially on whether this is a serious novel or a whimsical one, another mystery that beguiled me. Are Roy’s chameleon talents comical or grave, natural or necessary? This I will tell--when I reached the denouement, I was holding my breath and clenching my fists.I’ve ladled on the gravy, but for the meat and potatoes, you’ll have to read the book. Around 2/3 of the way in, I was eyes wide open and sitting upright. By the conclusion, I was fully gripped by the story and all its component parts. Even if it doesn’t have you at hello, keep going for a long and satisfying good-bye.“The wolf lurks, yet his tune is siren-like.”

4.5 starsStories about conmen always interest me - I love The Sting, Hustle, Paper Moon - but they don't show up often in fiction. I'd heard good things about this from other early reviewers and wanted to try it.At first, it seems simple enough - we have an elderly man scouting for a final 'rich widow' victim, Roy finds Betty on a dating website and easily schmoozes his way into her life. It seems that all we are waiting around to see then is the long con, the eventual wearing down of the widow so her finances are handed over to the physically ailing Roy. But all the way through, something feels slightly ad odds - Betty seems a little TOO willing. Her grandson doesn't like the interloper, especially as he is now living with his grandmother. Is there more to the story than meets the eye?Gradually, a dual perspective emerges - one of Roy today, and then of Roy's past exploits, working its way backward to the Second World War, charting the origins and early days of the conman's rackets and adventures.It feels like a slow-burn, you don't feel that there's going to be fireworks, but the two frames of present-day geriatric conning and the history Roy was caught up in are both very involving - the description of old age I found quite moving, even though I never found I could sympathise with Roy. After all, he's trying to steal an old lady's savings! I had a 'wow' moment as I realised where the stories were heading, and saw the dots connected, and really loved the denouement of the long con. As with the con itself, the story meanders, takes its time, takes false steps and leads you up blind alleys in preparation for a hustle. I thought it was cleverly done.Very much liked the plot, and Roy and Betty grew on me as characters the more I learned about them. It won't be for everyone, I can imagine the slow build may frustrate some, but I think many will find the ending and conclusion a worthwhile reward for their efforts.Review of a Netgalley advance copy.