Liar by Lesley Pearse

 

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Michael Joseph (25 Jun. 2020)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 024142660X
• ISBN-13: 978-0241426609

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis

In a Shepherd’s Bush bedsit, Amelia White dreams of being a reporter. The closest she’s come is selling advertising in the local paper.

Until the fateful day she stumbles on a truly shocking scoop.

Round the corner from her home, she discovers the body of a murder victim, dumped among the rubbish. When the police and reporters descend, Amelia is horrified at the assumptions made and lies soon to be spread about this poor young woman.

Determined to protect the victim from these smears and help her grieving family, she convinces her paper’s editor to allow her to take up her pen and tell the true story.

But when another body is found and the police investigation stalls, Amelia – uncovering new witnesses and suspects in her search for clues – discovers that she may be the only one with any chance of learning the truth and stopping more killings.

If only she can work out who the liar is . . .

 

Review

Liar is the fabulous twenty eight novel from Lesley Pearse.  It is 1970, and in Shepherds Bush Amelia works for the local paper the West London Weekly, selling advertising, but she dreams of being a journalist.  After finding the body of a young woman on a pile of rubbish on the street, Amelia is given the opportunity to write her first piece for the paper. Horrified at the lies written about the woman, Amelia sets out to write her true story, and look into why she was killed. However, when a further two girls are found, Amelia finds herself in danger as she continues her investigations, and maybe she could be the next victim.

It is always a joy to read Lesley Pearse’s novels, she is a natural storyteller drawing you in with a great plot and wonderful characters. Amelia may only be in her early twenties, but has a lot of life experience behind her and like many other female characters in Lesley Pearse novels, she is strong and confident. Her comapssion for others and the imprtance of the truth to her shine through in Liar, maybe putting her at odds with her editor who goes for the more sensational story. She comes from a troubled backgroung of abuse, bullying and alcholism in her family, but she hasn’t let this define her. I loved her independence, not wanting to rely on anyone else, and her positive spirit.  She may put herself in danger as she seeks the truth, but her conscience propells her forward to get justice for these women, when the police don’t seem to be doing enough. The discovery of the murdered woman also propels her in to the arms of her neighbour Max. Max is smart, charming, good-looking and everything Amelia is looking for. With few friends and no family, Max is steady and there to support her through this dificult time; her knight is shining armour.  But, is he maybe too perfect, and maybe is armour isn’t as shiny as first thought.

One of the things Lesley Pearse is excellent at is capturing the zeitgeist of the period her books are set in. Liar is set in 1970, just out of the ‘flower power’ of the sixties, the era of free love. It is a time when women weren’t equal, where it was insinuated that if a man attacked a woman it was seen as her fault for leading them on, and judgments were made; it is still shocking the think that this was the policy of the police in this period. Lesley Pearse includes the social and cultural aspect of 1970, by including the soundtrack of the music around, the fashion of the day and the  clubs and pubs visited by the characters.  There are some serious subjects raised in this book includng domestic violence, suicide, bullying, sexual assault, and alcholism, and how they were seen at the time.  Families in all their different guises are a large part of the plot, how you were brought up influencing your life, and how even those with loving parents can take the wrong path.

Liar is another stunning and masterful novel from Lesley Pearse. I was gripped from the first page by the intriguing and thrilling plot that opens with the first murder. Amelia is an inspiring heroine, independent and driven in finding the truth behind the murders. Again, the historical detail captures the atmosphere of the period, setting the context for the plot which I love in Lesley Pearse’s writing.There is no doubt Lesley Pearse fans will love this book, and if you haven’t read any of her previous books then I highly recommend them.  Another brilliant read that you won’t be able to put down.

I’d like to thank Penguin Books for my copy of this book in return for my honest review.