I read The Apartment in April when I realized I had a paperback of Liar on my shelves that I must have picked up from the local used bookstore. What’s more, I purchased this on Amazon in 2018. So I’ve purchased the book twice, and I must have really wanted to read it. I know it wouldn’t have had the tagline on Amazon when I bought it because whenever I read a book that has a tagline after the title, I find I don’t love it.
The characters drove me nuts. There was no depth to the males in the book; they were pretty much throw away characters. As far as Amber, well yes, she was supposed to be awful, and she was well-written in that regard. Judi’s husband Henry was appalling. I understand Slater wrote him to be blind to what Amber was doing, but he was useless. He was verbally abusive to Judi, always knocking her down, and for some reason, Judi stayed with him. I just didn’t get it.
Even Ben, blind to who Amber is underneath the facade, is rushing through his relationship at breakneck speed. And sure, he’s used to how his mother is. But he hadn’t been with anyone since his long-term wife, so why completely blow off her concerns? Why not take a moment to slow things down? He didn’t think of his children’s wants or needs, and that aspect made him a rubbish parent in my eyes.
I liked the plot. That you really have no say in who your children spend their lives with is probably always in the back of a parent’s mind. As the tagline suggests, this was a thriller and there is a “shocking twist”, and while it was a twist, it definitely wasn’t shocking. The book starts with a murder, which is a fun way to start as you’re about to start the story of how they got to this point. There were some parts I loved and some I didn’t, so I think it will be hit or miss for other readers. Overall, a strong, 3-star read.
Read this review on Amazon, Goodreads, and Bookbub.
Liar is available on Amazon for $3.99
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