By: Linwood Barclay
Narrators: Johnathan McClain,
Graham Halstead
Harper Audio
ISBN: 9780063276246
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: 05/16/2023
Format: Hardcover
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
In this twisty, fast-paced thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Find You First and Take Your Breath Away, a man desperately tries to track down his father—who was taken into witness protection years ago—before his enemies can get to him.
Your dad’s not a good person. Your dad killed people, son.
These are some of the last words Jack Givins’ father spoke to him before he was whisked away by witness protection, leaving Jack and his mother to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives as best they could.
Years later, Jack is a grown man with problems of his own. He’s a talented but struggling author, barely scraping by on the royalties from his moderately successful first book. So when the U.S. Marshals approach him with a lucrative opportunity, he’s in no position to turn them down. They’re recruiting writers like Jack to create false histories for people in witness protection—people like Jack’s father.
The coincidence is astonishing to Jack at first, but he soon realizes this may be a chance to find his dad. Only there’s one problem—Jack’s father hasn’t made contact with his handlers recently, and they have no idea where he is. He could be in serious danger, and Jack may be the only one who can find him.
But how will he find a man he’s never truly known? A man who has done terrible things in his lifetime and made some deadly enemies in the process—enemies who wouldn’t think twice about using his own son against him.
Praise
“Barclay (Look Both Ways) nails this riveting standalone thriller about a washed-up writer’s search for his long-lost parent… Barclay expertly knits the strands together and constructs a fully realized everyman in Givins. Crafty plotting and rich characters make this a winner.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Lie Maker
"The latest thriller from Barclay asks the reader to accept a slightly out-there premise but delivers a tightly plotted, surprising novel that winds up explaining why the premise wasn’t really so out-there at all. It’s the kind of thriller Barclay does so well: a story that constantly changes direction and forces readers to reconsider their notions of what the book is actually about. We soon find, when reading Barclay, that it’s better simply to put ourselves in the author’s hands and enjoy the ride, because trying to guess what’s going to happen is a fruitless exercise."
— Booklist
"A twisty tale of skullduggery....[Barclay is] a pro."
— Library Journal on The Lie Maker
My Review
Linwood Barclay returns following, Take Your Breath Away with his latest, THE LIE MAKER —a twisty thriller of a man desperately trying to track down his father, who was taken into witness protection years ago —before his enemies find him.
Jack Givens' father, Michael, was a hitman and left Jack and his mother years ago to go into witness protection after turning on his boss. The mother did not want to join him and the nine-year-old Jack.
Jack has always wanted to find his father.
Presently, Jack, a struggling author, has problems. When the US Marshals present him with a deal—creating false histories for those in witness protection.
Could this be the chance to find his Dad? Could the bad guys use him to get to his dad?
Jack is not the only one looking for this father.
Clever and twisty, as always, Barclay entertains. Crossing moral lines, the novel changes direction and gives readers some thought-provoking moments.
I have been a fan of Linwood Barclay for many years and have read all his adult books. However, I do not recommend the audiobook. Buy the book instead.
I wish his publisher would PLEASE get new narrators for his books. These narrators: Johnathan McClain and Graham Halstead, were like reading from a script, totally emotionless and flat! I could not get through the first couple of chapters and had to return the audiobook. Please go back to the ones you had for Take Your Breath Away.
I had to switch to the e-book.
AUDIOBOOK: 2 stars
BOOK: 4 stars
OVERALL RANKING: 3.5 Stars
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Pub Date: May 16, 2023
May 2023 Must-Read Books
About the Author
Linwood Barclay, a New York Times bestselling author with twenty novels to his credit, spent three decades in newspapers before turning full time to writing thrillers. His books have been translated into more than two dozen languages, sold millions of copies, and he counts Stephen King among his fans. Many of his books have been optioned for film and TV, a series has been made in France, and he wrote the screenplay for the film based on his novel Never Saw it Coming. Born in the US, his parents moved to Canada just as he was turning four, and he’s lived there ever since. He lives near Toronto with his wife, Neetha. They have two grown children. WEBSITE
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