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45th out of 82 books
—
7 voters
The Perfect Liar (Last Stand #5)
by
Brenda Novak (Goodreads Author)
When air force captain Luke Trussell opens his door one Sunday morning, he's shocked to find the police--and even more shocked when they charge him with rape. He knows he made a mistake in judgment the night before, but he certainly didn't force his attentions on the woman who's been stalking him for months.
Problem is...Karina Harter has the bruises--and the DNA evidence-...more
ebook, 448 pages
Published
September 1st 2009
by Mira Books
(first published January 1st 2009)
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Novak writes a good creepy story, but I keep feeling like she doesn't think things through enough. This was almost a wallbanger for me, because I was so infuriated by the hero: the dude is falsely accused of rape, yet persists in acting in an utterly sleezy, potentially threatening manner to the heroine Ava, who is representing the supposed rape victim. Ava, being Too Stupid To Live, doesn't seem to notice how scary he is and even tells him where she lives before she can be entirely sure he's in...more
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She did it again. I am so loving Brenda Novak!!! I didn't think it possible she could create a more despicable villain then Collin who appeared in THe Perfect Neigbor (see my review), but she did. BIG TIME! And she did an amazing job with Luke and Ava, the two poor smucks at the mercy of the deranged Kalyna aka The Perfect liar.
My God she - Kalyna - is so twisted, so sick, so...unnatural. She is scary on so many levels! If you like a book with tunnel vision i.e. so damn good you can't turn away...more
My God she - Kalyna - is so twisted, so sick, so...unnatural. She is scary on so many levels! If you like a book with tunnel vision i.e. so damn good you can't turn away...more
Good story, reminds me of when people say, "What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive". That fits perfectly, and I was reminded of that phrase from the spiderweb on the cover.
Luke is falsely accused of rape by a woman who is infatuated with him. Obsessed to the point that she relays her story to anyone who will listen, including Ava Bixby of The Last Stand victims charity. Many people soon realize that Kalyna may not be the victim, but is actually the tormentor. Ava soon swi...more
Luke is falsely accused of rape by a woman who is infatuated with him. Obsessed to the point that she relays her story to anyone who will listen, including Ava Bixby of The Last Stand victims charity. Many people soon realize that Kalyna may not be the victim, but is actually the tormentor. Ava soon swi...more
I admit to being a Brenda Novak fan. In fact, I've read almost all her books. In this latest series set in Sacramento, three women, victims themselves, have banded together to form a victims charity defense for women facing similar situations.
Book two, The Perfect Liar, is edgy and well written. As in the first book, the reader is aware who the antagonist is. Novak has a knack for keeping up the suspense and for showing the evil that lurks beneath the surface of her villains.
Ava Bixby takes on t...more
Book two, The Perfect Liar, is edgy and well written. As in the first book, the reader is aware who the antagonist is. Novak has a knack for keeping up the suspense and for showing the evil that lurks beneath the surface of her villains.
Ava Bixby takes on t...more
Aug 24, 2009
Manda Collins
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
romantic-suspense,
contemporary
This is the fifth book in Brenda Novak's Last Stand series, but could easily be read without having read the previous books. The story is chilling because it's pretty easy to see how a manipulator like the villain could convince the police and DA's office that she'd actually been raped. And nearly ruin her victim's life in the process.
The romance, though the hero and heroine didn't meet until a third of the way through the book, was more intense and romantic than in THE PERFECT COUPLE (#4). And...more
The romance, though the hero and heroine didn't meet until a third of the way through the book, was more intense and romantic than in THE PERFECT COUPLE (#4). And...more
I loved this book because it examines a rarely discussed problem created with the fight against mistreating women and children. Now that women feel less shame connected with a rape, some unscrupulous women are 'crying rape' just to cause problems for someone else. Though rarely happens, it does happen. Luke Trussell is the victim of just such an instance. Kalyna Harter is upset because Luke does not fall in love with her. Ava Bixby of The Last Stand, a victim's charity, Comes to the aid of Kalyn...more
Wow it was awesome from start to finish.
Another winer is what i say.
It was like a tingle web leves you saying wow and oh no and how weard and i can't beleave she did that.
But the ending leves you saying oh man wow and ya and all kinds of outjer stuff.
I say this each time if you have never tead A Brenda Novak book you are missing out on some great reading here her books are great.
Each book is a difrent story each book foces on that person not the ones before.
They ate great reads and keep you...more
Another winer is what i say.
It was like a tingle web leves you saying wow and oh no and how weard and i can't beleave she did that.
But the ending leves you saying oh man wow and ya and all kinds of outjer stuff.
I say this each time if you have never tead A Brenda Novak book you are missing out on some great reading here her books are great.
Each book is a difrent story each book foces on that person not the ones before.
They ate great reads and keep you...more
There hasn't been much romance in books 4 and 5 of this series, but the suspense and the mystery are outstanding and her villains are as creepy as they come, because they are everyday people with a few screws loose.
The romance portion, like I said, has been lacking and they aren't as believable as they have been in previous stories. They seem a bit rushed.
Even with the romance lacking, it's still a page turner and hard to set down.
The romance portion, like I said, has been lacking and they aren't as believable as they have been in previous stories. They seem a bit rushed.
Even with the romance lacking, it's still a page turner and hard to set down.
I haven't read the others in this series, but it stood alone quite well. I almost always like reversals in the usual woman is stalked or in danger some how, so I suspected I would like this one, and I did, but I was a little disappointed that it wound up being a woman in danger at the end. Nevertheless, it was a good story. Had a few surprises for me, which was a plus. The hero was rather passive which lost a few points, but all in all a good read
Fast paced, but the romance felt forced (I hate books where the male protagonist starts out by thinking the woman is unattractive), and the craziness of the evil protagonist was a little too much at times. Fun twist ending, but I'm not going to read the rest of the Last Stand books.
This was one of those books that kept me on edge, not just because the story was fast moving, but because the entire story unfolds after a woman falsely accuses a man of raping her, turning his world upside down trying to prove his innocence.
Brenda Novak is a new author to me, and I love her style of writing. The characters come alive in "Perfect Liar" and you don't want to put it down. The plot is fast-paced and essentially what a thriller should be. I highly recommend Novak's books.
Jul 24, 2011
Pam
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
reviewed,
mystery-thriller-suspense-favourite
This was an interesting book which moved at a fast pace. What I love about the villain in this book is that it's a woman. Nice change.
Luke ends up having a one night stand with Kalyna which he totally regrets as she now claims that he raped and physically abused her. He left her in the middle of the night fine and well. But that's the problem. She wants him all night every night and she'll do whatever it takes to get him even if that means destroying his life personally and professionally. If h...more
Luke ends up having a one night stand with Kalyna which he totally regrets as she now claims that he raped and physically abused her. He left her in the middle of the night fine and well. But that's the problem. She wants him all night every night and she'll do whatever it takes to get him even if that means destroying his life personally and professionally. If h...more
Last Stand #5 turned out to be the best of the rest in my opinion. I thought the storyline was provoking with characters that I really liked. A really good romantic suspense that could easily stand alone.
Me encantó!
Kalyna esta completamente chiflada...lo que hace el amor pff!
me gusto por que no es solo la historia de amor Luke & Ava, ¡Tiene Trama! :O y Muy buena, me estaba mordiendo las uñas de la emoción, buen suspense, muy fluido y sencillo pero bien entretenido, me gusto :)
Kalyna esta completamente chiflada...lo que hace el amor pff!
me gusto por que no es solo la historia de amor Luke & Ava, ¡Tiene Trama! :O y Muy buena, me estaba mordiendo las uñas de la emoción, buen suspense, muy fluido y sencillo pero bien entretenido, me gusto :)
perfect crime story and in it there is a perfect love story. i just loved it
in the start i was not captured by the story but towards the end i was hooked
i could never have predicted the ending.
in the start i was not captured by the story but towards the end i was hooked
i could never have predicted the ending.
Another riveting book in Brenda Novak's "Last Stand" series. When you start one, you just can't put it down. This time, Ava, one of the new employees at The Last Stand gets involved with a female stalker who claims she's been raped. Several murders occur before the climax. A good read!
Another interesting tale where the victim isn't really the victim--with plenty of twists along the way including a last-minute twist during the final scene. Face-paced suspense.
Such a wonderful book! I loved how Brenda twisted the plot with an unsuspecting criminal!
Her characters are very distinct and the story kept me reading.
Great read. Novak penned a seriously vile bitch with Kalyna.
Jan 02, 2010
Connie
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery,
romance-graphic
Wow, what a story. Makes you wonder about what people are thinking!
Muy bueno!!! Con una excelente vuelta de tuerca final.
Semi-decent crime story... but nothing to distinguish it.
Good Book, Crazy Biatches out there... Just sayin
Skillfully crafted bone chilling suspense
Awesome book! I was hooked from page 1.
OMG-what a villian!! That's all I can say...
Good read! Another steller book by Brenda Novak
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It was a shocking experience that jump-started Brenda Novak’s bestselling author career.
“I caught my day-care provider drugging my children with cough syrup and Tylenol to get them to sleep while I was away,” Brenda says. “It was then that I decided that I needed to do something from home.”
However, writing was the last profession she expected to undertake. In fact, Brenda swears she didn’t have a...more
More about Brenda Novak...
“I caught my day-care provider drugging my children with cough syrup and Tylenol to get them to sleep while I was away,” Brenda says. “It was then that I decided that I needed to do something from home.”
However, writing was the last profession she expected to undertake. In fact, Brenda swears she didn’t have a...more
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