User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
The Perfect Lie by Jo Spain
What a beginning and what a puzzler of a story! The book starts with a rushed, sexy morning for Erin Kennedy and her detective husband, Danny. After a knock on their door, Erin answers it to find Danny's co-workers, while Danny walks to their 4th story window and jumps to his death. We then hop between several timelines as we learn that Erin is being tried for the death of her husband. How can that be when we saw her husband jump?
The story hops between several past timelines and the present, which is at Erin's trial, eighteen months after Danny jumped to his death. Two of the timelines involve two college women who are wrestling with the aftermath of the rape of one of the women. Another timeline follows Erin, after Danny's death, as she hits brick walls trying to find out what was going on in Danny's life that would cause him to be under investigation at his job. The more Erin learns about Danny, the more she realizes she did not know her husband. He was keeping secrets from her, and his colleagues, rather than consoling her because of Danny's death, will have nothing to do with her.
But Erin has friends, some of them new friends, that come to her aid after Danny's death. With the alternating timelines things are very confusing although I did figure out a lot of what was going on before the halfway mark. Still, I enjoyed seeing how the story played out and I plan to investigate more of Jo Spain's work.
Publication: January 4th 2022
Thank you to Quercus Books and NetGalley for this ARC.
Rating: really liked it
3.5 ⭐️
This had 5 ⭐️ potential when it started...but at 400 pages, it got long winded and started to drag!
Five years ago, Erin moved from Ireland to N.Y. after a family tragedy, never expecting to fall in love and remain in the U.S. Now living with her detective husband, Danny, she opens the door to his colleagues one morning, and upon seeing them, he walks out of the French doors of their fourth floor apartment and jumps to his death.
HOW CAN ERIN BE IN COURT, CHARGED WITH HER HUSBAND’s MURDER, 18 MONTHS LATER?
The story unfolds in three timelines:
ERIN now-is the court case, present day
ERIN then, returns to the day that Danny jumped and progresses till it merges with the court case.
HARVARD-How do Lauren and Ally tie into this story?
For me, the Harvard chapters were repetitive and if there had been half as many of them, we would have been treated to a shorter book and a faster pace.
I also, could have done without any references to US politics as I never want them in my Fiction unless it’s necessary for the plot-which in this case, it wasn’t. And, that goes regardless of whether or not the characters feel the same way as I do.
Still, I have been wanting to read something by this author who has not been readily available in the U.S. until more recently, and I am glad that I have sampled her work, and look forward to reading more.
Anytime, I find myself tempted to skim, and wanting the book to end, I round down-so, despite the original premise and engaging start-I went with 3.5 ⭐️ rounded down.
Thank you to Quercus Publishing for my gifted copy through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to provide a candid review! Available May 13, 2021!
Rating: really liked it
This novel has one of the most dramatic openings I have ever read. Following the early morning arrival of his police colleagues at his apartment door, Detective Danny Ryan runs to his balcony and jumps to his death in front of his wife. After that compelling scene, I was immediately pulled in to needing to find out why that happened.
Erin Kennedy arrived in New York five years ago after a family tragedy. She was only going to stay for a year, but fell in love with handsome police detective Danny. Now happily married and living the perfect life on Long Island, Erin has no idea of what is about to hit her. In one moment, her life as she knows it will be destroyed, following that fateful act one normal morning, and she will question everything she thought she knew about the man she loved. And eighteen months later she will find herself on trial for murdering her husband.
After the dramatic start, the plot builds gradually to a gripping level of suspense as Jo Spain weaves between the time leading up to that fateful morning and the time that followed, through unexpected twists and shocking revelations. And just when you think you know where the plot is going, she throws in a rapid turn to spin you off track. Also weaving through Danny and Erin’s story is an older thread, involving two female college students and it’s not until later that the significance of this is revealed.
Erin is a great character. She’s so totally in the dark about what’s going on at first, but she’s smart and stronger than she thinks and never gives up trying to find out the truth about her husband. It’s easy to feel sympathy for her having to deal with everything on her own. With Danny’s police colleagues being cold and distant, her family in Ireland and Danny’s mother in Florida, she is very much alone in a country she doesn’t know well. She also doesn’t trust what the police are saying about Danny, but knows there’s something he hasn’t told her.
With its idyllic lifestyle, Long Island is a great location for this mystery. Although Erin loves the relaxed atmosphere and vacation lifestyle, the shadowy undertones of class and privilege will ensure that an outsider like her will never feel welcome.
This highly addictive page turner is another excellent psychological thriller from Jo Spain. One that will keep you guessing right up to the suspenseful ending.
With thanks to Quercus and Netgalley for a copy to read. Publication expected 13th May 2021.
This review was first published in Mystery and Suspense Magazine https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/th...
Rating: really liked it
Erin Kennedy moves to America from Ireland following a family tragedy. She meets and subsequently marries Danny who is a policeman and that’s all I’m going to say as it’s much better to dive in blindly with this one! The story is told in varying timelines.
Well, Jo Spain sure knows how to grab a readers attention! That start! I think my eyes nearly shot out of my head and my jaw certainly thuds south towards the deck! Suffice it to say that’s not the only moment where there are jaw droppers and it’s just possible the odd naughty little expletive may have been uttered too 🤭. The plot line is so intriguing and to a certain extent confusing, although eventually you catch on! There are twists that are absolute doozies with one in particular! It’s full of mystery and you can’t see how the threads connect but they sure do! It’s chilling in places, there’s betrayal, growing anger, threats, obtuse warnings and some very big fat lies and liars. When the truth eventually emerges it’s extremely shocking and I love how the author fools the reader several times - kudos! The characterisation is very good, Erin is very likeable, she’s brave with plenty of spirit and she is dogged in pursuing the truth despite the possible consequences. All the female characters are strong, the male characters are good although not all likeable. The premise is good, it’s well written, the plot is clever and it builds with suspense and intensity. The end seems a bit hurried and I think my expectations are that given the escalation it could have been a bit more powerful. However, it does fit and it’s certainly realistic.
Overall, I love Jo Spain’s books and this one is no exception. It’s very gripping, hard to put down, keeps you guessing and you certainly don’t want anyone to interrupt you while you are so engrossed!!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Quercus Books for the arc for an honest review.
Rating: really liked it
EXCERPT: 'I'm afraid I have bad news.'
The day your life changes can begin in the most ordinary way. I've experienced it once before. Just like this, the knock on the door.
I wait for it, my stomach tight, the battle response of a war weary soldier.
Who's dead?
ABOUT 'THE PERFECT LIE': He jumped to his death in front of witnesses. Now his wife is charged with murder.
Five years ago, Erin Kennedy moved to New York following a family tragedy. She now lives happily with her detective husband in the scenic seaside town of Newport, Long Island. When Erin answers the door to Danny's police colleagues one morning, it's the start of an ordinary day. But behind her, Danny walks to the window of their fourth-floor apartment and jumps to his death.
Eighteen months later, Erin is in court, charged with her husband's murder. Over that year and a half, Erin has learned things about Danny she could never have imagined. She thought he was perfect. She thought their life was perfect.
But it was all built on the perfect lie.
MY THOUGHTS: Where do I start? All the time I was reading, frantically flipping pages, I was puzzling: her husband jumped, there were witnesses - Police, no less - so, mystery #1, how could Erin possibly be charged with murdering her husband?
About 75% through, and I had an inkling. Yes, I was right, but did that impact my enjoyment of this intriguing and riveting thriller? Hell, no! That was one wild, mind-bending read.
The story is split over three timelines:
Erin, then (July 2019) - starts with the day of husband Danny's death and moves forward to merge with
Erin, now (December 2020)- current day dealing with Erin on trial some seventeen months after Danny's death; and
Harvard (December 2016) with Lauren and Ally.
So mystery #2 is what do Lauren and Ally have to do with Erin? Not telling, but it is important. I did feel that these sections were a little long winded and repetitive in places, hence the 'only just short of the full five stars' rating.
If you can imagine a rollercoaster ride through a hall of mirrors, that was my experience reading The Perfect Lie by Jo Spain. I always read this author on a day I have cleared of everything else, because once I start, there's no separating me from her latest.
I also enjoyed the author's little humourous asides, they produced quite a few chuckles. Thanks for a brilliant read Jo Spain!
⭐⭐⭐⭐.8
#ThePerfectLie #NetGalley
I: @jospainauthor @quercusbooks
T: @SpainJoanne @QuercusBooks
#contemporaryfiction #crime #mystery #psychologicalthriller #suspense #thriller
THE AUTHOR: Jo Spain is the author of the bestselling Inspector Tom Reynolds series and several international No. 1 bestselling standalone novels. Her first book, With Our Blessing, was a finalist in the 2015 Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller.
Jo, a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, writes TV screenplays full-time. Her first crime series was broadcast on RTE in 2018 and she's currently involved in a number of TV developments including adaptations of her own novels. In 2021, she co-wrote Harry Wild, starring Jane Seymour, with the Emmy award-winning David Logan (airing 2022).
Jo lives in Dublin with her husband and four young children. In her spare time (she has four children, there is no spare time really) she likes to read. Her favourite authors include Pierre Lemaitre, Jo Nesbo, Liane Moriarty, Fred Vargas and Jodi Picoult. She also watches TV obsessively.
Jo thinks up her plots on long runs in the woods. Her husband sleeps with one eye open. (I can see why!)
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Quercus Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Perfect Lie by Jo Spain for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage. https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
Rating: really liked it
The Perfect Life Can Hide The Perfect Lie!3.5.The novel juggled three equally intriguing and compelling timelines:
THEN: July 2019 – Two years ago Erin Kennedy met the love of her life, Detective Danny Ryan, and the pair married six months later. It’s an ordinary morning in their household, as they get ready for work, and they’re both in high spirits, looking forward to their upcoming planned weekend away. Then a knock on the door changes everything. Erin opens it to Danny’s partner Ben, and two other police officers. Sensing her husband behind her, Erin turns, and then watches in frozen disbelief as he steps through the French windows onto the balcony of their fourth floor apartment, and jumps.
NOW: December 2020 – Sees Erin on trial for the murder of her husband!?
December 2016 – Ally Summers, a proctor at Harvard University is worried about Freshman student, Lauren Gregory. She hasn’t been to class in a few days.
Hands down one of the most baffling and unsettling domestic noir premises I’ve ever come across, and the first few pages more than lived up to the book blurb. Subsequent chapters saw me trying and failing to work out how Erin was being charged with a murder that was clearly a suicide? She’d been on the other side of the room, in full view of three witnesses, so couldn’t have pushed him. I was utterly bewildered, and I loved it. I had no clue how the Ally and Lauren storyline related to the main plot either.
The characters were believable, captivating, relatable, and overall likeable, especially Erin’s palpable grief which definitely tugged at my heartstrings. Having read Jo Spain before, this novel was written in her usual clear, concise, and enthralling style.
Unfortunately, the fact that it was overly long and drawn out was its ultimate downfall, because several characters continuing evasiveness sadly gave me too much time to dwell on why, so by the 60% I knew what was coming. Figuring out the main twists in a mystery thriller is never a good thing, so I’ve had to rate it accordingly.
I’d like to thank Netgalley, Quercus Books, and Jo Spain for the e-ARC.
Rating: really liked it
Jo Spain books are the kind that you want to settle down with a cuppa and devour in one sitting. I really wish I could have done this with The Perfect Lie, but all the same it was a fantastic and I couldn't getr enough. Her books are always so twisty and shocking and this one was no different. With a story told through the past and present and from multiple points of view that all come together in the end, this is a book that will leave you wanting more.
Erin Kennedy thought she was living the perfect life. After a family tragedy she moved to New York from Ireland and married police officer Danny. They were happy and things were great. Until the day that he throws himself over their 4th story balcony to his death. So why, 18 months later, is she in court for the murder of her husband?
Erin realises that she didn't really know Danny at all. What she learns about him after his death makes her question everything. The police are not talking and she feels like she is losing her mind. She has no other family in the US and very few friends. She doesn't believe him to capable of what he is being accused and sets out to find the truth.
Jo Spain is a go to author for me and I can't recommend her books more. Easily a 5 star read for me, with an ending that you will not see coming.
Rating: really liked it
A very clever compelling thriller
Although have to say the synopsis and blurb are misleading
The opening chapter is about as intense as a book gets and then via 3 time lines we get to the reason for the opening chapter, having ‘past past’,
‘past’ and ‘now’ in alternating chapters does keep you rapt to the detail but still a couple of times I had to focus and get the characters rightly placed and in the right time zone
Talking of characters as is expected with a Jo Spain novel they are perfect for the story and range from likeable to loathsome
Because of the nature of the story you are constantly wanting to know what really happened and who is to blame and like any good drama it is tempting to guess all the way through, all I will say is I guessed wrong
Enjoyable
8/10
4 Stars
Rating: really liked it
A book written by Jo Spain is always a good idea to read!
https://elinevandm.wordpress.com/2022...
Rating: really liked it
3.75 StarsThe first half was awesome. I absolutely had no idea what the hell was happening. But then, around the middle I figured it all out. It dragged a little after that but it was still okay.
Definitely better than other books by this author.
Rating: really liked it
Review published in: https://diagnosisbookaholic.blogspot....
Don’t you just love when you come into a book with no expectations at all and it blows your mind away? That’s exactly what happened to me with The perfect lie. I’ve had some Jo Spain’s books sitting on my kindle for years but never got to them. This was my first and now I can say I’m a fan and need to read her previous work pronto!
The perfect lie takes off with a very shocking scene when Erin’s husband Danny jumps to his death from their 4th floor apartment in front of her when his police colleagues come knocking on their door one morning. But, if they all saw him jump why is she accused of her husband’s murder 18 months later?
Told in three different time lines, I guarantee that you will not be bored for a minute. It was absolutely unputdownable and it has “one sitting reading” written all over it, cause you’ll need to make sense of how both lines tie together. I won’t say much because of spoilers, just pay attention to the details. I did and I guessed some of the twists and oh, Ms. Spain…that was clever!
I loved the characters. Erin was quite likeable in her crusade against the police to find the truth. Karla, her lawyer, was such a pleasure to read and her courtroom scenes were some of my favorites.
The resolution may not have been as tight as I would have liked but, in books as in life, there are loose ends sometimes.
Terrific domestic noir with a fantastic premise developing into a story full of suspense and with some clever twists that will make you not want to stop reading until you’ve reached the end.
Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: really liked it
The Perfect Lie started off with a bang. Holy hell, I quite frankly had to put my kindle down for about ten minutes so I could catch my breath. Its been a long time since an opening chapter has absolutely blew my mind. I love impactful openings, and this really did kick it up a notch. Erin moved to the US from Ireland after the death of her sister. She didn’t expect to fall in love with her perfect match, Danny. They marry and everything is fairytale perfect until that fateful day that she won’t ever forget.
Danny is a detective in Homicide in New York City. He’s been working extra hard lately and both he and Erin are looking forward to getting away for a while. A knock on their door changes both their lives forever. His partner, Ben Mitchell arrives with some bad news. There’s no discussion and no explanations. Danny walks straight over to their balcony and jumps straight off it. The shock wasn’t just reserved for Erin – I was completely gob smacked. Jo Spain has a talent hitting her readers over the head…making them sit up and pay attention. I felt Erin’s hurt and shock…Never have I wanted to reach in and give a character a hug.
So how on earth is Erin in court for murdering her husband?
The Perfect Lie is told in three different POV’s. Erin Now, Erin Then and Harvard. Now this is where my thoughts on this novel start becoming a little conflicted. The Harvard chapters don’t really feel necessary, and they are just clunky and take up too many pages. I don’t feel that it really added any insight or understanding to the overall narrative. The story moved along fine without it.
Erin thought she knew everything about her husband and their life together, but it was The Perfect Lie. I was really looking forward to reading this one, but it fell a little short. It dragged a lot in the middle and I ended up skim reading a lot of it. I was still intrigued with how it would all end. It was still a good book with excellent writing, but it was definitely a 5-star book at the start then slowly kept dropping as I progressed through. Thank you to Quercus and Netgalley for the opportunity to review.
Rating: really liked it
A new standalone novel from author Jo Spain that certainly starts quickly.
Following a family tragedy five years ago, Erin Kennedy moved to New York for a fresh start where she now lives with her detective husband in the scenic seaside town of Newport, Long Island. One morning Erin answers the door to Danny’s police colleagues and everything appears to be no different to any other day. But behind her, Danny walks to the window of their fourth-floor apartment and jumps to his death. Eighteen months later, Erin is in court, charged with her husband’s murder. Over that year and a half, Erin has learned things about Danny she could never have imagined. She thought he was perfect. She thought their life was perfect, but it was built on a perfect lie.
I was gripped from the very start and eagerly looking forward to a great read but unfortunately for me I didn’t feel the book got any better and dragged. I still enjoyed it but felt let down after such a promising start.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Quercus for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: really liked it
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**3.5 stars**
The Perfect Lie by Jo Spain. (2021).
5 years ago Erin moved to New York after a family tragedy. She now lives happily with her detective husband Danny. One morning Erin answers the door to Danny's police colleagues and Danny responds by jumping out of the window to his death. 18 months later, Erin is in court and charged with her husband's murder. In that 18 months she has learned things about Danny she could never have imagined. She thought he was perfect and their life was perfect. But it was all built on the perfect lie.
If you are looking for a thriller that has many twists and turns, while leaving you in a state of confusion pondering how this newest twist could possibly be, then this might just be the book for you. Trigger warning, this one has some serious themes including suicide, murder, domestic violence and sexual assault. I felt for Erin; she thought life with her husband was going well right until the moment he jumps out of a window in front of her, which would be traumatising to say the least. But then she quickly discovers Danny had some secrets and is led into a dangerous rabbithole. I did enjoy it, but I also felt by the last quarter it had gone into the realm of very unbelievable, and was trying a bit hard with the constant twists. Overall I would recommend it as I think a lot of readers would enjoy it, but I wouldn't personally classify it as great.
Rating: really liked it
This is the second Spain book I’ve read and I must admit I’ve become a bit of an instant fan.
The Perfect Lie opens with Danny jumping to his death in what everyone assumes is a suicide. Spain then flashes forward to a ‘now’ scene where Erin is in court, on trial for the murder of her husband. This opening is very effective and leads the reader to come up with all sorts of explanations including whether or not Danny is truly dead after the jump, given that Erin wasn’t allowed to view his body.
Obviously Spain keeps switching between the timelines, drip feeding us the details, until they link up and the twists are revealed. I said with the other Spain book that she displayed impeccable timing when it came to switching from the past to present and I believe she again managed to do this really well. There were no awkward transitions and she keeps the mystery plot ticking along nicely before tying all the strings together seamlessly in the end.
The setting is an upmarket beach area on Long Island, New York. There’s also a back story set at Harvard College. I enjoyed the US setting even though I thought it was an odd choice at first (as I read on I discovered there were several plot points which relied on the overseas setting, however). Spain didn’t disappoint me with the Irish connection completely though, with Erin and her family heralding from there and one of her regular haunts being an Irish pub (albeit one without too much authenticity).
Spain’s style flows easily and this was a quick read. Usually I say books of this size (just over 400 pages long) often need editing and their word count cut as they seem to drag in places but I never felt this way with The Perfect Lie.
With the hefty word count comes an obvious hefty cast of characters with many likely suspects and red herrings and potential victims but Spain’s characterisation was good enough to cause no confusion with who was who. Erin was a likeable leading lady and I couldn’t help but cheer her on. Karla, her lawyer, was a standout from the supporting characters and I wouldn’t be surprised if she turned up in another of Spain’s books one day.
If there was a hiccup or critique, it was that most of the story is told from Erin’s first person point of view except for a few chapters which are told from the point of view of another female character, Ally. Ally’s boyfriend’s identity needs to be kept secret from the reader for quite a while so as not to give too much away leading to Ally constantly referring to ‘my boyfriend’ ending up a little clunky. Maybe Spain could have simply said ‘he’ now and then to break up the weirdness of this part.
For the most, however, Spain’s writing is really good and I’m looking forward to exploring more of her titles. 4 ½ out of 5
