The Liar's Lullaby

Jo Beckett, Book 3

By: Meg Gardiner

Narrated by: Susan Ericksen

Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

Tasia McFarland is a washed-up country-pop singer desperate for the break that will get her back atop the charts. She’s also the ex-wife of the president of the United States. So when Tasia writes a song with politically charged lyrics, people take note and her star begins to rise anew. In the spectacle-driven opener of her comeback tour, she is lowered from a helicopter, hundreds of feet above her adoring fans, while firing a prop Colt .45 at the fireworks-filled stage. Tasia is riding high....Until she’s killed by a bullet to the neck, before a shocked crowd of 30,000.

When video can’t prove the shot came from Tasia’s Colt .45 and the ballistics report comes up empty, the authorities call in forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett to do a psychological autopsy and help avert a political disaster. But as Jo sifts through the facts, she only finds more questions: Did Tasia kill herself in one last cry for attention? Were those lyrics the ranting of a paranoid woman losing her grip? Or warnings from a woman afraid and in danger? And most disturbing of all: Just what does Tasia’s death mean for a president – and in fact a nation – teetering on the brink of catastrophe?

©2010 Meg Gardiner (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Breathless suspense, slick plotting, and a cast of compelling characters make this a solid addition to Edgar winner Gardiner’s dossier of superlative thrillers with appeal both for pure suspense fans and those who favor well-delineated characters." ( Booklist)

Gardiner continues to display her skills

I like that Jo Beckett is a true heroine as is Amy and Gabe. I need characters that I can root for, and I can certainly root for all three. The characters I look forward to listening to each day are not perfect, but they are morally and ethically strong, with their
share of quirks. Gardiner upped the drama with a pulse-pounding scene that I've never before read in a thriller dominated by a woman. Bravo!

Hard to follow

I loved the first two books in this series, but found this one confusing at times. I’m looking forward to the next one. Susan Erickson was great as usual.

Poor narration

The narrator ruined a perfectly good story with her unrealistic narration. It was like listening to a poor rendition of a fairytale that was a murder mystery.