Download Audio Books from Audible.

Customer reviews

5 star		49%
4 star		27%
3 star		15%
2 star		5%
1 star		4%

How are ratings calculated?

Review this product

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

DIANE PATTERSON

ACCOUNTS FOR EVERY NANOSECOND OF NEVE'S LIFE

Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2019

Verified Purchase

Neve & Fletcher are married with children. BUT, Neve is having an affair with Saul. AND, Fletcher is having an affair with Sarah.

Neve enters Saul's apartment & finds him dead. He's been bludgeoned to death with a hammer. She attempts to remove every single trace of herself from his apartment. Did she leave something vital behind? What if someone saw her leaving the apartment? Are there CCTV cameras filming her comings & goings?

The police question her about her relationship with the deceased; when she last saw him, whether she noticed anything odd about his behavior, had she ever been to his apartment? Neve conceals her involvement with Saul. She lies to the police. She lies to her husband. She lies to her friends. Every word a fabrication.

How strange it is that his widow wants to speak to Neve the morning after her husband has been found murdered. Her dead lover's wife informs Neve that she suspected that Saul had been having an affair. Did he really need an apartment, when he could get home in less than an hour? She knew from the start what it was really for.

It turns out that whoever killed Saul had intended to kill Neve. Saul had died because of her. Someone had meant to kill her. Saul was just collateral damage. He had stumbled into a trap that was meant for her. Who might have wanted to kill HER?

There's SOOOOOO much minutiae. I don't care what items she bought at the grocery store. Or what she served for dinner. Or the MANY times she has to feed their Guinea pig. Or the MANY times she reminds her boys "to clean their teeth". Or the endless cups of tea she drinks.

Good Plot!

Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2019

Verified Purchase

The plot of this book is what attracted me - woman goes to lover's home, and finds him dead. What does she do?

There's a cat and mouse dynamic in this book which makes it a page-turner. The dynamic is between Neve - the woman who finds her lover dead and has to cover it up - and Detective Chief Inspector Alastair Hitching who comes across very friendly and low-key. But he's always showing up inconveniently. Does he suspect Neve? Or is he just trying to find out what she knows about the victim to help him find the real killer?

It was a lively read - my main issue with the book is there was some unnecessary filler. The protagonist - a mother - is always cooking, making lunches for her kids, and seeing that their teeth is brushed. It felt like this was mentioned every 5-10 pages and you got weary of it. It was like a writing tic.

If we need to fill some pages, let's have her wipe down the counters, cook something and check on her kids getting ready for bed and ensure they brushed their teeth. One mention would be enough, but it got a bit tiring and made you feel the plot was better than the writing.

It was the only element which kept me from giving this 5 stars as it dragged the pacing down. I enjoyed the book immensely otherwise.

Diana H. Maine

Psychological Thriller

Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2019

Verified Purchase

THE LYING ROOM by Nicci French.
Nicci French is the pseudonym for the writing team of Nicci Gerrard and Sean French. The married couple have 21 books to their credit.
I was first introduced to ‘Nicci French’ when their Frieda Klein series was recommended to me. I still refer to those books as some of the best psychological thrillers I have ever read.
THE LYING ROOM is a psychological thriller, also. It is tense, riveting and very unique. it includes complex characters and a plot with very interwoven threads.
For me, there is a very deep sense of place - of neighborhoods, of back yards, of guinea pig hutches, of walking, of cycling, of traversing city streets. There is a sense of water - of rivers and towpaths (very reminiscent of the Frieda Klein books). There is much personal introspection.
Neve Connolly has a very agreeable ‘outside’ facade with very troubling secrets hidden away ‘inside’.
She plays an elaborate chess game with the police. It could go either way.
A true thriller.

Rosh

Entirely unbelievable

Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2020

Verified Purchase

This book was boring with far too many unnecessary details thrown in. The plot is absurd and it’s ridiculous that Neve is able to outwit the detectives.

Sharon

Worth the wait

Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2019

Verified Purchase

I have read all Nicci French's books, some of them twice, and have looked forward to this new book for a long time. For some reason I didn't get into the Frieda Klein books, and was waiting for one of the old style one-off books. I pre-ordered it, and have devoured and savoured every page. As is always the case with all Nicci French books, it is difficult to stop turning the pages. There is never a dull patch, and you simply want to see what happens next. This one did not disappoint, and was well worth the wait!

Jude

A Nicci French Fix is Always a Good Thing

Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2019

Verified Purchase

I have long been a fan of this dynamic couple writing team and their clever mysteries. Nicci French novels are always very character driven, but the plot twists are amazing, and they have a unique talent for adding multiple twists at the end that you just don't see coming. -- the kind that make you close the finished book with a , "Wow!"

That being said, although I enjoyed this newest creation, I couldn't give it a 5 star rating because I was missing Frieda Klein and her interesting assortment of family and friends (the last 8 novels by this author.) I almost abandoned this one at page 30 because I was having difficulty engaging. I'm glad I didn't. It was worth hanging on. When a woman finds her lover murdered in their getaway apartment and removes all traces of herself in attempt to save her marriage and her family from scandal, she opens herself up to gnawing guilt and then the realization that her own circle of family and friends could include the murderer. Finishes with the usual twist.

Top reviews from other countries

AL

Worth reading, could have done with better editing

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 13, 2019

Verified Purchase

Some good characters and an interesting although somewhat unbelievable plot. Far too much boring description about brushing teeth and eating cornflake and describing every item on the shopping list etc.. Also unrealistic that a part time brochure designer with three kids and an unemployed husband would be able to buy such expensive food.

S. Finch

Great news - a new psychological thriller - but hard to get into.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 19, 2019

Verified Purchase

I was really excited to see a new stand alone psychological thriller by Nicci French. Never took to the Freda Klein ones at all - tried one that was more than enough. So I started this book with high hopes but soon gave up - it seemed very plodding and mundane. I have up somewhere around page 60 & just read the ending.
Hope we'll see a return to the high standard of the early thrillers next time - and no more Freda Klein.

Alexander Bryce

Not their best

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 20, 2019

Verified Purchase

I always look forward to any Niccii Gerard or Nicci French publication. I am an unashamed fan. This one was , although fairly enjoyable, a little disappointing. Difficult to totally believe in the characters and accept the plot. Do teenagers today really talk abusively to their parents using the F word liberally. About 80% of the book speculates on who murdered the boss then out of the blue with no previous reference thereto the perpetrator appears. Enough said for fear of revealing too much.
Finally like so many books I have recently read, it fizzles out to an unimpressive ending.

phj

Cliched

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 15, 2019

Verified Purchase

Seriously? I wonder whether a less "established" pair of writers would garner such rave reviews? I love this writer duo-- and I am such an avid fan of Freda Klein etc but this plot line is risible - or are we expected to ignore the weakness of the "brooding jilted lover" cliche and the fact that London is riddled with CCTV cameras ...both charges that would be levelled against other writers new to the genre.

Pamperchick

Sadly rather underwhelming

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 6, 2019

Verified Purchase

Around 10-15 years ago I was quite a Nicci French fan devouring most of their books in quick succession until the Frida series, so was looking forwards to this- which seems to align itself with the usual (but still great) Gone Girl/Girl on a Train genre. Have to say by the end, was rather bored. Starts promisingly- with an exciting premise. By the end I was sick of hearing about the event in the first chapter which completely takes over the entire book. By a few chapters in we had already placed ourselves there/imagined what we would do but the constant who done it/what if's/going over and over the initial crime scene just became so dull. Very much been there, done that- now move on!!

The pace became slow and characters all also quite boring yet not hugely likeable or appealing either. The daughter is awful and irritated me constantly, no parent in their right mind would allow a teenager to take over/control the family/be so vile to such a degree without ever daring to reprimand her.
I ordered the Hunting Party by Lucy Foley at the same time for a week's holiday and much much preferred this for its edgy pace.

See all reviews