#BlogTour A Good Liar by Amanda Brooke

It's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour A Good Liar by Amanda Brooke.

About the Author

Amanda Brooke published her first novel in her mid-forties, having turned to writing as a way of coping with the death of her young son. Her first novel, Yesterday's Sun, was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick, and in the last decade she has continued to write bestselling books with a strong emotional theme and an element of psychological suspense. Follow @AmandaBrookeAB on Twitter, Visit amanda-brooke.com

About the book

When a fire destroys the Empress Theatre, a devastating tragedy unfolds. Amelia’s mother lost her peace of mind forever when she left her daughter alone for a few life-changing moments. The dance school lost their beloved teacher, Hilary, who died saving the lives of her young pupils. Karin lost her memory, and the answers she desperately craves. Claudia lost the one thing that would have made her perfect life complete. 

As local reporter Leanne picks over the embers of that night, what seemed like a straightforward case of negligence becomes something else entirely: somebody is lying – each person has lost something, but one of them has sold their soul…

Review

Leanne has an emotional attachment to the newspaper article she is researching. The first anniversary of a terrible tragedy is quickly approaching and she wants the guilty to be punished. Her editor would rather she concentrate on a mysterious woman who saved a child in the tragedy - was it the last thing she did before being killed?

It's a tightly paced investigative thriller which is seeped in strong emotions. Trauma, guilt, fear and relief are jumbled together for the people involved, and of course in Leanne's case there is also a good portion of anger and frustration. The guilt is divided into survivor's guilt, guilt at perhaps not reacting to the situation in the best way.

I think that aspect of the story is done quite well. None of us know how we will react in an emergency situation, especially in a catastrophe of this magnitude, not until we actually experience it. From a simple traffic accident to a more severe incident, you won't know if you will be the calm collected, the blithering hysteric or the frozen type. There is nothing wrong with any of those reactions, because the body tends to react before the brain has a chance to register. Sometimes you do something instinctively, much like Amelia's stranger in the chaos, and manage to save a life.

I really enjoyed it. Brooke manages to draw from a variety of horror scenarios, extract the multiple layers of human reaction and create a compelling story. It's emotional, honest and a cracking read.

Buy A Good Liar at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Harper Collins; pub date 5th August 2021, Paperback Original, £7.99 - 27th May 2021, Ebook £3.99 and Audio £12.99. Buy at Amazon com.