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The Good Liar
This is a life told back to front. This is a man who has lied all his life.
Roy is a conman living in a small English town, about to pull off his final con. He is going to meet and woo a beautiful woman and slip away with her life savings. But who is the man behind the con? What has he had to do to survive a life of lies? And who has had to pay the price?
When Roy meets a wealthy widow online, he can hardly believe his luck. Just like Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley, Roy is a man who lives to deceive—and everything about Betty suggests she’s an easy mark. He’s confident that his scheme to swindle her will be a success. After all, he’s done this before.
Sure enough, Betty soon lets Roy move into her beautiful home, seemingly blind to the web of lies he’s woven around her. But who is Roy, really? Spanning almost a century, this stunning and suspenseful feat of storytelling interweaves the present with the past. As the clock turns back and the years fall away, long-hidden secrets are forced into the light. Some things can never be forgotten. Or forgiven.
Roy is a conman living in a small English town, about to pull off his final con. He is going to meet and woo a beautiful woman and slip away with her life savings. But who is the man behind the con? What has he had to do to survive a life of lies? And who has had to pay the price?
When Roy meets a wealthy widow online, he can hardly believe his luck. Just like Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley, Roy is a man who lives to deceive—and everything about Betty suggests she’s an easy mark. He’s confident that his scheme to swindle her will be a success. After all, he’s done this before.
Sure enough, Betty soon lets Roy move into her beautiful home, seemingly blind to the web of lies he’s woven around her. But who is Roy, really? Spanning almost a century, this stunning and suspenseful feat of storytelling interweaves the present with the past. As the clock turns back and the years fall away, long-hidden secrets are forced into the light. Some things can never be forgotten. Or forgiven.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published February 2, 2016
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October 5, 2025
As aging con-man Roy goes after his possible final long-con target, aging vulnerable Betty; the book goes back over his previous cons in detail from the recent through to the earliest, each story is separated by current developments between Roy and Betty. Roy's past shows that this lying filth has so many bad deed long-cons in his past, including possible corpses. The book also depicts how the aging Roy struggles to pursue his current con due to failing physical and mental capacities. And this was one very fine gem of a read.
This book is very much a sum of its parts. The back story long-cons are as interesting as they ae horrendous to the human targets. The ongoing current long-con on Betty is both brutal in intent and sad in execution with Roy now an old man. The pay off is a beauty. When I first picked up this book I was more than pleasantly surprised with the subject matter, and highly accessible writing, but most of all the plot is splendid. This is an understated gem of a read.
2025 read
This book is very much a sum of its parts. The back story long-cons are as interesting as they ae horrendous to the human targets. The ongoing current long-con on Betty is both brutal in intent and sad in execution with Roy now an old man. The pay off is a beauty. When I first picked up this book I was more than pleasantly surprised with the subject matter, and highly accessible writing, but most of all the plot is splendid. This is an understated gem of a read.
2025 read
October 1, 2019
I recently saw the movie trailer based on this book, and so was interested in reading it. The movie is due this winter with Ian McLellan and Hellen Mirren in the leading roles and definitely want to see it.
The book, unfortunately, did not engage me. Roy is a dapper, well dressed and spoken long-time conman. He is now in his 80s and is a misogynist, a selfish, psychopathic schemer. He meets Betty online where he looks for lonely wealthy women with whom to establish a relationship and then abscond with all their money. He has lead a life of clever criminal deception, and his recent financial fraud with a group of older men I found boring.
Betty seems like an easy target, like so many women he has defrauded but is she? We go back in time and learn some things which contributed to Roy's character. I did not find him a compelling character, and found the writing rather dull, flat and moved at a slow pace. Betty was the more interesting character, but we didn’t learn much about her background and personality until later in the narrative.
The plot should have kept me enthralled and in suspense, but I regret to say I skimmed parts. I realize I am in the minority, as many critics and readers had high regards for the story and writing style. There was a very good and twisted plot in there, but the manner in which it was presented didn’t work for me. I will await the movie.
The book, unfortunately, did not engage me. Roy is a dapper, well dressed and spoken long-time conman. He is now in his 80s and is a misogynist, a selfish, psychopathic schemer. He meets Betty online where he looks for lonely wealthy women with whom to establish a relationship and then abscond with all their money. He has lead a life of clever criminal deception, and his recent financial fraud with a group of older men I found boring.
Betty seems like an easy target, like so many women he has defrauded but is she? We go back in time and learn some things which contributed to Roy's character. I did not find him a compelling character, and found the writing rather dull, flat and moved at a slow pace. Betty was the more interesting character, but we didn’t learn much about her background and personality until later in the narrative.
The plot should have kept me enthralled and in suspense, but I regret to say I skimmed parts. I realize I am in the minority, as many critics and readers had high regards for the story and writing style. There was a very good and twisted plot in there, but the manner in which it was presented didn’t work for me. I will await the movie.
January 26, 2016
It seems from other reviews, both by readers and professional critics, that most people have enjoyed Nicholas Searle's first novel, The Good Liar. That puts me in a minority: while I felt The Good Liar was a confident debut, I found much of the story rather flat and even dull. I'd be hard-pushed to find much wrong with Searle's actual prose - his sentences are well-crafted and his descriptive details well-observed and well-chosen - but I found it impossible to really immerse myself in this book right up until the last quarter of it, when the plot takes an abrupt and surprising turn. Frustratingly, that last quarter did give some real glimpses of how good the novel could have been.
The book begins with Roy, an eighty-something man, meeting Betty, a woman perhaps five or so years younger but still full of zest for life, for a pub meal arranged through an internet dating site. We're told almost immediately that Roy is a con-man, and looking for a well-off widow whose money he can make off with, and after that there are alternating chunks of narrative dealing with the relationship between Roy and Betty after he has moved into her home, and flashbacks to incidents from Roy's past. Where the present-day sections become interesting is the point at which we start to realise that Betty might know more about Roy than he thinks. How does Betty know Roy is a serial fraudster, and which of the pair will win their battle of deception?
This strand of the plot is, for me, the most successful. Betty is a smart, wily woman, yet there is something insidiously manipulative and sinister about Roy that almost makes him seem like an elderly Tom Ripley at times.
Unfortunately, the flashbacks to Roy's earlier years are, for the most part, infinitely less engaging. Beginning with one of his most recent scams and working backwards to earlier and earlier snapshots of his criminal life, they simply didn't hold my interest. The detailed mechanics of how Roy cheated a bunch of other tedious middle-aged men in a shady investment scam were utterly dull, as were his brief relationship with a woman in the 1970s whose bank account he empties, the Soho sex shop he tries to open with a non-existent loan and even the incident in the 1960s in which he assumes another man's identity altogether. Clearly these episodes are intended to build a picture of the type of man Roy is - callous, misogynist, cunning, wholly selfish and disdainful of others - and in this regard they succeed, but we could have learned these things about Roy in half the time, and indeed could simply have guessed most of them. The fact that Roy is a manipulative psychopath is obvious very early on, but this alone is not enough to make him an interesting character, and frankly that's all there is to him for most of the book. Only when we get right back to Roy's early twenties and finally his teens in the 1940s do we learn anything genuinely revealing about him, and even then, we only learn what he was as a youth, rather than why.
Betty, whose past is also addressed in this final quarter of the book, is infinitely more fascinating than Roy, and it's a great pity her character plays second fiddle to his for most of the story. I was more gripped by Betty's part in the story than Roy's, more interested in what made her the woman she became. As I finally reached the last couple of chapters, I had high hopes for a confrontation to end all confrontations, but even after the one truly gripping section of the story, the actual ending left me with a distinct sense of anticlimax.
I wanted so much to like this book, as the premise of it is fascinating and I enjoyed seeing two older characters leading a novel in this way - particularly Betty; there are frankly not enough heroines in their eighties. But while it did show some promise, I had to force myself to keep reading and was, overall, left dissatisfied. Not a book for me, sadly.
Do read some other reviews, though, as I'm far outnumbered by people who loved this book, and it's perfectly possible that you will too.
Many thanks to the publisher for providing me with advance copy of The Good Liar via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The book begins with Roy, an eighty-something man, meeting Betty, a woman perhaps five or so years younger but still full of zest for life, for a pub meal arranged through an internet dating site. We're told almost immediately that Roy is a con-man, and looking for a well-off widow whose money he can make off with, and after that there are alternating chunks of narrative dealing with the relationship between Roy and Betty after he has moved into her home, and flashbacks to incidents from Roy's past. Where the present-day sections become interesting is the point at which we start to realise that Betty might know more about Roy than he thinks. How does Betty know Roy is a serial fraudster, and which of the pair will win their battle of deception?
This strand of the plot is, for me, the most successful. Betty is a smart, wily woman, yet there is something insidiously manipulative and sinister about Roy that almost makes him seem like an elderly Tom Ripley at times.
Unfortunately, the flashbacks to Roy's earlier years are, for the most part, infinitely less engaging. Beginning with one of his most recent scams and working backwards to earlier and earlier snapshots of his criminal life, they simply didn't hold my interest. The detailed mechanics of how Roy cheated a bunch of other tedious middle-aged men in a shady investment scam were utterly dull, as were his brief relationship with a woman in the 1970s whose bank account he empties, the Soho sex shop he tries to open with a non-existent loan and even the incident in the 1960s in which he assumes another man's identity altogether. Clearly these episodes are intended to build a picture of the type of man Roy is - callous, misogynist, cunning, wholly selfish and disdainful of others - and in this regard they succeed, but we could have learned these things about Roy in half the time, and indeed could simply have guessed most of them. The fact that Roy is a manipulative psychopath is obvious very early on, but this alone is not enough to make him an interesting character, and frankly that's all there is to him for most of the book. Only when we get right back to Roy's early twenties and finally his teens in the 1940s do we learn anything genuinely revealing about him, and even then, we only learn what he was as a youth, rather than why.
Betty, whose past is also addressed in this final quarter of the book, is infinitely more fascinating than Roy, and it's a great pity her character plays second fiddle to his for most of the story. I was more gripped by Betty's part in the story than Roy's, more interested in what made her the woman she became. As I finally reached the last couple of chapters, I had high hopes for a confrontation to end all confrontations, but even after the one truly gripping section of the story, the actual ending left me with a distinct sense of anticlimax.
I wanted so much to like this book, as the premise of it is fascinating and I enjoyed seeing two older characters leading a novel in this way - particularly Betty; there are frankly not enough heroines in their eighties. But while it did show some promise, I had to force myself to keep reading and was, overall, left dissatisfied. Not a book for me, sadly.
Do read some other reviews, though, as I'm far outnumbered by people who loved this book, and it's perfectly possible that you will too.
Many thanks to the publisher for providing me with advance copy of The Good Liar via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 28, 2015
This is a very good debut novel by Nicholas Searle, who I am sure we will hear a lot more of.
I enjoyed this story of an elderly con man who is planning his last money making scheme only things aren't what they seem to be. The book goes backwards and forwards in time as his life story unfolds and gives the reader plenty of food for thought to the real Roy.
There were large periods in this book when I was completely absorbed in the story and found it very difficult to put it down. But overall I felt it was slightly let down by the slow build up and otherwise would have rated it higher. The novel becomes a lot clearer approximately half way through the book and builds up slowly to the climax.
I really enjoyed this book and will look out for further books by this new author in the future.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Penguin books for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
I enjoyed this story of an elderly con man who is planning his last money making scheme only things aren't what they seem to be. The book goes backwards and forwards in time as his life story unfolds and gives the reader plenty of food for thought to the real Roy.
There were large periods in this book when I was completely absorbed in the story and found it very difficult to put it down. But overall I felt it was slightly let down by the slow build up and otherwise would have rated it higher. The novel becomes a lot clearer approximately half way through the book and builds up slowly to the climax.
I really enjoyed this book and will look out for further books by this new author in the future.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Penguin books for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.
January 13, 2016
Loved The Good Liar. A clever and winding tale looked at all the wrong way round and upside down but so brilliantly addictive with a dry yet compelling style.
We start with Roy meeting Betty for the first time on a "blind" date. I was immediately hooked due to the way this was presented by the author and I knew right there that this was going to be one that would engage me. Saying anything else on the plot, bar the fact that it moves backwards in time in our learning curve about Roy, whilst moving forward on how their relationship develops, would necessarily spoil things so lets just leave that there.
The Good Liar managed to often surprise me. My main reason for liking it so much is how Nicholas Searle blurs the lines, so whilst he doesn't hide anything you really have no clue what is going to happen until it happens. A really excellent construction, something that not many can do well, this is assured plotting and compelling stuff.
It is not perfect - it does ramble on occasion, sometimes you would like things to just get on - but overall this was a terrific debut, one that messsed with my head and gave me pause for thought. Character wise it is just simply terrific. Excellent job. Really really interested to see what this author comes up with next.
We start with Roy meeting Betty for the first time on a "blind" date. I was immediately hooked due to the way this was presented by the author and I knew right there that this was going to be one that would engage me. Saying anything else on the plot, bar the fact that it moves backwards in time in our learning curve about Roy, whilst moving forward on how their relationship develops, would necessarily spoil things so lets just leave that there.
The Good Liar managed to often surprise me. My main reason for liking it so much is how Nicholas Searle blurs the lines, so whilst he doesn't hide anything you really have no clue what is going to happen until it happens. A really excellent construction, something that not many can do well, this is assured plotting and compelling stuff.
It is not perfect - it does ramble on occasion, sometimes you would like things to just get on - but overall this was a terrific debut, one that messsed with my head and gave me pause for thought. Character wise it is just simply terrific. Excellent job. Really really interested to see what this author comes up with next.
December 10, 2015
This is a very interesting, and assured, debut novel. In a way though, it is a little difficult to review without giving away the plot and I have no wish to do that.
The story begins with Roy, who is an elderly con man, who has a blind date with Betty. As the novel unfolds, we gradually learn more about Roy’s past and his string of escapades, which have left him financially comfortable. Still, he cannot resist the opportunity to pull off one last con and intends to rob Betty of her life savings. This is something we are aware of from the very beginning of the book, so that is certainly not a plot spoiler.
As we read the flashbacks of Roy’s life, we also gradually learn that Betty is not necessarily the easy target that Roy has assumed. Before long, he has moved in – much to the disapproval of her grandson Stephen – and is dispensing Betty with advice about how she should invest her money. However, all is not what it seems and there is a real twist to this story which sets the book off in a different direction.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It is clever, amusing and I really liked the characters of the smart, assured Betty, protective Stephen and the seedy Roy. The build up though is quite slow, so you need to bear with it and let the characters unfold. I feel this would be a good choice for a reading group, as there is so much to discuss. I really was impressed by this and, once I got into the book, I was invested in the storyline and characters; but it did take a while to grab me. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
The story begins with Roy, who is an elderly con man, who has a blind date with Betty. As the novel unfolds, we gradually learn more about Roy’s past and his string of escapades, which have left him financially comfortable. Still, he cannot resist the opportunity to pull off one last con and intends to rob Betty of her life savings. This is something we are aware of from the very beginning of the book, so that is certainly not a plot spoiler.
As we read the flashbacks of Roy’s life, we also gradually learn that Betty is not necessarily the easy target that Roy has assumed. Before long, he has moved in – much to the disapproval of her grandson Stephen – and is dispensing Betty with advice about how she should invest her money. However, all is not what it seems and there is a real twist to this story which sets the book off in a different direction.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It is clever, amusing and I really liked the characters of the smart, assured Betty, protective Stephen and the seedy Roy. The build up though is quite slow, so you need to bear with it and let the characters unfold. I feel this would be a good choice for a reading group, as there is so much to discuss. I really was impressed by this and, once I got into the book, I was invested in the storyline and characters; but it did take a while to grab me. Lastly, I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
February 5, 2016
The Good Liar is a debut novel that involves lies, lies and more lies. The story goes back and forth between the past and the present. In the present, 80 something Roy is looking for his last big con. He hopes to find it with Betty. She seems to have her own motives as well. The rest of the book takes you back through Roy's past in reverse order in which you find out more about him and his life as a con man.
I'm not sure this book really worked for me. I wanted to like it more than I did. For me, the writing was a bit flat and not engaging enough to hold my interest for long periods of time. I found myself skimming parts of the book. I had a hard time connecting with the characters, because none of them were very likable. The ending did have an interesting twist, but it just took too long to get there. The story itself was kind of depressing. I'm just going to have to chalk it up to not being for me.
I'm not sure this book really worked for me. I wanted to like it more than I did. For me, the writing was a bit flat and not engaging enough to hold my interest for long periods of time. I found myself skimming parts of the book. I had a hard time connecting with the characters, because none of them were very likable. The ending did have an interesting twist, but it just took too long to get there. The story itself was kind of depressing. I'm just going to have to chalk it up to not being for me.
June 14, 2020
I wasn't sure what to think of this at first. Was quite intrigued by the con artist and his prey, but then the timeline kept changing to his past transgressions to make us aware what a truly bad man he was. A real creep. Those parts were not as interesting to me as current times so my mind may have wandered. But lo and behold those boring parts all came together for a rather perfect ending, making me sooo glad I stuck with it.
Now I know whether I'm interested in seeing the film and the answer is yes! Rather amazing that this is a debut. The audio is quite good too.
Update June 13, 2020:. I just watched the movie on HBO and it, in my opinion, was ten times better than the book! Much less confusing because of the way the plot was laid out. And such excellent actors.
Now I know whether I'm interested in seeing the film and the answer is yes! Rather amazing that this is a debut. The audio is quite good too.
Update June 13, 2020:. I just watched the movie on HBO and it, in my opinion, was ten times better than the book! Much less confusing because of the way the plot was laid out. And such excellent actors.
June 21, 2017
A Lifetime of Deceit
Clearly, this is no romantic date, but a con. And the woman he goes to meet, Betty, seems the perfect dupe: an attractive widow, perhaps once intelligent, now sweetly fluttery, driven to the rendezvous by an attentive grandson. She is touchingly grateful for the attention of a personable gentleman of her own generation. Both have used false names of course, but both confess this early, thus bonding their relationship. Only a dozen pages in, and the date is going perfectly.
Too perfectly? Well, yes. Because it soon becomes clear that this is a game that two can play. The chapters in the present begin to alternate with flashbacks to Roy's earlier schemes, going back a year or more each time. He is indeed an inveterate liar, living on his wits. But the person who began to interest me most is Betty. Searle tells us nothing about her former life, but clearly there is more to it than the sweet old lady will admit. We find ourselves reading more and more eagerly, looking for clues. I will not say more, except that, from the midpoint on, I was hooked, waking up in the middle of the night in order to finish it.
Without giving away the plot, I find it hard to explain why my rating is four stars rather than five. Searle manages a stunning reversal at the climax of the book, which has already happened before you realize you have been had. Five stars at that point, and then some. But after that, the texture changes. Instead of watching Roy in action, as we had been up to now, we move to a long section of delayed exposition, in which the remaining back-stories are filled in—told, rather than shown. Searle is very adept in switching sympathies from Roy to Betty, who turns out to be a truly interesting character. But there is enough material in those last chapters about her to have made a full novel on their own. I was sorry not to have been able to live through them more fully, especially in comparison to the facile Roy. All the same, Searle is an insightful writer with an inventive feel for plot. This is a brilliant start that promises even more for the future.
Quick inspection. Immaculate white shirt: yes. Creases of grey flannels: perfect. Spit-shined shoes: gleaming. Regimental stripe tie: well knotted. Hair: combed neatly. Blue blazer off hangar, and on. Fits like a glove. Glance in the mirror: he'd pass for seventy, sixty at a pinch.In fact, Roy Courtnay is eighty, but meeting an online date for the first time, he must make a good impression. Establish a persona, in fact. There is something a little slick in everything he does, as slightly false as his British old buffer diction. But he knows it will work; it always has.
Clearly, this is no romantic date, but a con. And the woman he goes to meet, Betty, seems the perfect dupe: an attractive widow, perhaps once intelligent, now sweetly fluttery, driven to the rendezvous by an attentive grandson. She is touchingly grateful for the attention of a personable gentleman of her own generation. Both have used false names of course, but both confess this early, thus bonding their relationship. Only a dozen pages in, and the date is going perfectly.
Too perfectly? Well, yes. Because it soon becomes clear that this is a game that two can play. The chapters in the present begin to alternate with flashbacks to Roy's earlier schemes, going back a year or more each time. He is indeed an inveterate liar, living on his wits. But the person who began to interest me most is Betty. Searle tells us nothing about her former life, but clearly there is more to it than the sweet old lady will admit. We find ourselves reading more and more eagerly, looking for clues. I will not say more, except that, from the midpoint on, I was hooked, waking up in the middle of the night in order to finish it.
Without giving away the plot, I find it hard to explain why my rating is four stars rather than five. Searle manages a stunning reversal at the climax of the book, which has already happened before you realize you have been had. Five stars at that point, and then some. But after that, the texture changes. Instead of watching Roy in action, as we had been up to now, we move to a long section of delayed exposition, in which the remaining back-stories are filled in—told, rather than shown. Searle is very adept in switching sympathies from Roy to Betty, who turns out to be a truly interesting character. But there is enough material in those last chapters about her to have made a full novel on their own. I was sorry not to have been able to live through them more fully, especially in comparison to the facile Roy. All the same, Searle is an insightful writer with an inventive feel for plot. This is a brilliant start that promises even more for the future.
August 21, 2015
20 August 2015 - included in my 'catching up' blog post
Reviews of this are supposed to be embargoed until close to the release date, so I'll be publishing a more detailed write-up later. For now, I'll just say that I'm not surprised this is being talked about as one of Penguin's big debuts of 2016 - it's got that 'unputdownable' quality in spades. It starts as the story of Roy, an ageing conman who, after a series of dispiriting dates in gastropubs, appears to have found his perfect mark - Betty, elegant, widowed and, most importantly, wealthy. We know Roy has nefarious intentions from page one; things get more interesting when it becomes apparent that Betty has a hidden agenda too. But what is it? The Good Liar will keep you guessing as it slowly unpacks Roy's character and tells his life story in reverse, taking several surprising turns along the way. This is a thriller in an old-fashioned sense (comparisons have been made to Patricia Highsmith), a book I think will appeal to readers of historical fiction, classic suspense and crime.
Reviews of this are supposed to be embargoed until close to the release date, so I'll be publishing a more detailed write-up later. For now, I'll just say that I'm not surprised this is being talked about as one of Penguin's big debuts of 2016 - it's got that 'unputdownable' quality in spades. It starts as the story of Roy, an ageing conman who, after a series of dispiriting dates in gastropubs, appears to have found his perfect mark - Betty, elegant, widowed and, most importantly, wealthy. We know Roy has nefarious intentions from page one; things get more interesting when it becomes apparent that Betty has a hidden agenda too. But what is it? The Good Liar will keep you guessing as it slowly unpacks Roy's character and tells his life story in reverse, taking several surprising turns along the way. This is a thriller in an old-fashioned sense (comparisons have been made to Patricia Highsmith), a book I think will appeal to readers of historical fiction, classic suspense and crime.
October 28, 2015
Penguin(UK) VikingDescription: This is a life told back to front.
This is a man who has lied all his life.
Roy is a conman living in a small English town, about to pull off his final con. He is going to meet and woo a beautiful woman and slip away with her life savings. But who is the man behind the con?
What has he had to do to survive a life of lies?
And who has had to pay the price?
Opening: It is, Roy thinks, perfect. Kismet, serendipity, destiny, happenstance; call it what you will. All of these things rolled into one.
John Graham, 1st Viscount of Dundee (1648-1689) Scott's Poem
The Corries sing it
Charlottenburg, nr Berlin
Given that this book is not due to be published until January 2016, I feel it premature to dissect the story line, however, does anyone here remember Juke Box Jury? I predict this book will be a HIT on the high street, yet a certain issue will give rise to heated debate, and it is that issue that keeps this under the 4* threshold for me.I do look forward to reading everyone's review next year.
September 9, 2019
The Good Liar is a relatively good debut work, the plot was fairly twisty and the characters were interesting. I had a hard time deciding how much I liked it for a few reasons and even after letting it "percolate" for a day, I am not sure if 3 stars is a best descriptor of my feelings so instead I will assign stars on the basis of the strengths and weaknesses as I see them.
I liked the story. On the whole, I liked how we come to understand the motivations of the various characters and of course, they are not what they appear at the onset. The story is told in multiple parts, and while I can understand why the author chose to tell it in this manner, its execution was at times was rough in patches causing a confusing and disjointed storyline. There were quite a few occasions that I had to reread a passage or go back several pages to understand where we were at present moment and how we got there. It needed a good editor obviously it didn't have one...
The story-telling could have used more revision. The author tries very hard to impress with obscure language and odd sentence structure throughout the story, which often disrupts the flow of sentence and paragraph. Thus, when you are reading you pause to make sure you didn't miss something because, people don't talk like that! I have lived and worked with some very erudite people and they don't talk like that unless they are presenting a lecturer among their peer group! The characters with one exception are not intellectuals nor educated (that exception, is pretending to be unsophisticated) so this is truly unnecessary to the story. I want to be entertained when reading not annoyed. I give the storytelling 2 stars.
The plot is interesting and its execution is clever though not quite original. While I don't want to give away the plot but here is a hint . I think the plot deserved 3.5 stars.
Characters in the story are not from high society nor even moral for that matter (though I am not implying that those in high society are paragons of morality). Roy is a master of disguise and a master manipulator. He has survived by fast thinking during critical times in his life. He isn't personable except when he wishes to be seen as such. He is a narcissist and a fraud. He profits off others, sometimes they are good people and sometimes not, regardless it doesn't matter to him. He has no criteria on who he works his schemes except that the people helping him are persuasive and talented in their role for the scam. He justifies his fraud by saying that someone else would scam them, so why not him? One of the people, he is intending to defraud is a widow with money, Betty, who is gentle and naive, a perfect mark. Or at least that is what Roy believes. I liked the unreliable narrator aspect of the story. It was what compelled me to read further. So, I award the main character's profiles, a respectable 4 stars.
I would consider reading future works by Searle based on the commentary of other reviewers of similar tastes and standards. I encourage others to give Searle a chance. I think he has potential.
I liked the story. On the whole, I liked how we come to understand the motivations of the various characters and of course, they are not what they appear at the onset. The story is told in multiple parts, and while I can understand why the author chose to tell it in this manner, its execution was at times was rough in patches causing a confusing and disjointed storyline. There were quite a few occasions that I had to reread a passage or go back several pages to understand where we were at present moment and how we got there. It needed a good editor obviously it didn't have one...
The story-telling could have used more revision. The author tries very hard to impress with obscure language and odd sentence structure throughout the story, which often disrupts the flow of sentence and paragraph. Thus, when you are reading you pause to make sure you didn't miss something because, people don't talk like that! I have lived and worked with some very erudite people and they don't talk like that unless they are presenting a lecturer among their peer group! The characters with one exception are not intellectuals nor educated (that exception, is pretending to be unsophisticated) so this is truly unnecessary to the story. I want to be entertained when reading not annoyed. I give the storytelling 2 stars.
The plot is interesting and its execution is clever though not quite original. While I don't want to give away the plot but here is a hint . I think the plot deserved 3.5 stars.
Characters in the story are not from high society nor even moral for that matter (though I am not implying that those in high society are paragons of morality). Roy is a master of disguise and a master manipulator. He has survived by fast thinking during critical times in his life. He isn't personable except when he wishes to be seen as such. He is a narcissist and a fraud. He profits off others, sometimes they are good people and sometimes not, regardless it doesn't matter to him. He has no criteria on who he works his schemes except that the people helping him are persuasive and talented in their role for the scam. He justifies his fraud by saying that someone else would scam them, so why not him? One of the people, he is intending to defraud is a widow with money, Betty, who is gentle and naive, a perfect mark. Or at least that is what Roy believes. I liked the unreliable narrator aspect of the story. It was what compelled me to read further. So, I award the main character's profiles, a respectable 4 stars.
I would consider reading future works by Searle based on the commentary of other reviewers of similar tastes and standards. I encourage others to give Searle a chance. I think he has potential.
October 8, 2016
Much lauded by the critics and literary press, Nicholas Searle's debut seems to have garnered a more muted reception from readers and has divided opinion. The premise though, is irresistible, with conman Roy Courtnay setting out for one last scam to set him up nicely and ride off into the sunset. Although already comfortably wealthy from his previous escapades and underhand dealings, he sets out with a plan to fleece the unsuspecting woman who he selects via his internet dating account. That woman is Betty McLeish, although it soon becomes clear to readers that Betty is far less naive that Roy is inclined to suspect. In fact it is pretty clear from the outset that Betty has her own motives, but just what they are stay frustratingly out of reach until a significant way through the novel. Both in their eighties, by the second chapter Roy has moved into Betty's home and so begins an octagenarian battle of wits, much of the humour derived from the internal musings of Betty and Roy. Or so I thought..
With very few more mature protagonists in crime fiction I adored the wry wit and humorous observations as Betty and Roy get under each other's feet, clearly testing the patience of both. Contrary to Roy's beliefs, Betty is as sharp as a tack and well prepared for every confidence trick Roy has up his sleeve. Sadly chapter three is the start of Roy's backstory, with every other chapter revealing another episode in his past, starting from 1998 through to the 1930's. These sections recount what has made Roy the man he is today, and paint a picture of a feckless man with very little guilt or thought for those he has defrauded. Friendships seem to mean nothing to Roy, and it is no wonder he is somewhat recalcitrant to share his memories of the past with Betty.
For me, Searle's fundamental mistake was launching into Roy's background far too early in proceedings and before I had even had an opportunity to get to know the character of Roy, much less form a connection. These sections were far less engaging than the glimpses of the present day, where cunning Betty and Roy were a comedy double act. For me, the character of Betty held more interest than Roy and sadly Searle only brings her character into the limelight in the final third of the novel, which by then was far too late to keep me interested. Predictably for a pair of eighty-year-olds the events of the 1930s feature heavily on the final twist and I am a little unwilling to make judgements about a wartime era when citizens were so clearly compromised.
The ending left me unsure if the message that Searle wanted to convey was that the war had left Roy morally bankrupt and led him into a life of tricks and scams, trusting no one, or not. Despite my ambivalence towards this novel, it is clear that Nicholas Searle writes well and can deliver an entertaining story but sadly The Good Liar left me cold.
With very few more mature protagonists in crime fiction I adored the wry wit and humorous observations as Betty and Roy get under each other's feet, clearly testing the patience of both. Contrary to Roy's beliefs, Betty is as sharp as a tack and well prepared for every confidence trick Roy has up his sleeve. Sadly chapter three is the start of Roy's backstory, with every other chapter revealing another episode in his past, starting from 1998 through to the 1930's. These sections recount what has made Roy the man he is today, and paint a picture of a feckless man with very little guilt or thought for those he has defrauded. Friendships seem to mean nothing to Roy, and it is no wonder he is somewhat recalcitrant to share his memories of the past with Betty.
For me, Searle's fundamental mistake was launching into Roy's background far too early in proceedings and before I had even had an opportunity to get to know the character of Roy, much less form a connection. These sections were far less engaging than the glimpses of the present day, where cunning Betty and Roy were a comedy double act. For me, the character of Betty held more interest than Roy and sadly Searle only brings her character into the limelight in the final third of the novel, which by then was far too late to keep me interested. Predictably for a pair of eighty-year-olds the events of the 1930s feature heavily on the final twist and I am a little unwilling to make judgements about a wartime era when citizens were so clearly compromised.
The ending left me unsure if the message that Searle wanted to convey was that the war had left Roy morally bankrupt and led him into a life of tricks and scams, trusting no one, or not. Despite my ambivalence towards this novel, it is clear that Nicholas Searle writes well and can deliver an entertaining story but sadly The Good Liar left me cold.
December 28, 2022
I decided to pick this from the pile due to the movie just being added to the BBCiplayer, so I wanted to read then watch...
What instantly drew me in was the casting of Mirren and McKellen alongside the premise of a conman still trying his luck.
Through the novel, the reader learns just how brutal Roy is, especially as we delve into his past.
Whilst instantly sympathise with Betty as Roy makes his move.
Knowing the casting did inadvertently spoil some of the twists as an actress of the calibre of Mirren was going to add an interesting dynamic than just being a vulnerable victim.
The story does touch on some difficult topics, whilst the payoff didn't have the full impact that the author would have been hopeful for - though I enjoyed it enough to still want to watch the movie.
What instantly drew me in was the casting of Mirren and McKellen alongside the premise of a conman still trying his luck.
Through the novel, the reader learns just how brutal Roy is, especially as we delve into his past.
Whilst instantly sympathise with Betty as Roy makes his move.
Knowing the casting did inadvertently spoil some of the twists as an actress of the calibre of Mirren was going to add an interesting dynamic than just being a vulnerable victim.
The story does touch on some difficult topics, whilst the payoff didn't have the full impact that the author would have been hopeful for - though I enjoyed it enough to still want to watch the movie.
January 19, 2016
The Good Liar – A Great Debut Thriller
Nicholas Searle makes his debut with the much spoken about book The Good Liar a book that will grip you and horrify you in equal measure, but make you smile at the end. This book could also be described as the continuing fight of good versus evil; a good heart verses a dark heart, which makes for an intriguing read and a quite compulsive thriller.
Roy has been a conman for as long as he can remember, his working life since the war has been about grifting, it is something he is good at. He likes the long con, none of this modern internet con with Roy, he likes to pick his mark, set up a team and take the con to its conclusion and a payoff for himself.
Roy is setting up his final con, he has his mark and he is going to meet a beautiful widow, he hopes to woo and then take her life savings while disappearing in to the sunset for the final time. His mark is Betty a widow, and she is pleased to have met Roy, a man in his eighties, a tall smart man, and she is a few years younger than him.
As we see Roy build up Betty for the con, we also get to travel back to see what made Roy become a trickster and how he has managed to get away with things all his life. We see that Roy does not really look back at those who he has fleeced in his quest for money, they are dead to him. What we get are his cons in England and the reader works back to Germany pre-war and sees what makes Roy tick. The book also asks us has Roy really done all his homework on this con, has he really prepared his path to walk away with the money.
There is plenty of dry humour within the book especially as we see that Betty is not quite the easy target that Roy thinks she is. What we find that the aging process has not been kind to Roy or his body and so what he thinks may be a perfect plan may not be as perfect as he thinks. What drives the reader is whether or not Roy will succeed and what will happen to Betty afterwards.
The great thing about this thriller is that Nicolas Searle leaves just enough crumbs in the plot for the reader to have a wow moment as the various strands of the story and flashbacks come together for the final time. What helps draw the reader in is the author’s use of prose and how he uses it to create a brilliant romp across the years. The underlying question of examining good versus evil asks some painful questions, especially when looking back at events from history and one of its darkest periods. What we get is that cruelty and compassion can be strange bedfellows that should never work. But in The Good Liar is works and is magnificent.
Nicolas Searle has written a stunning debut that delivers a wonderful romp across the years, in an entertaining read. I actually read this in one sitting so gripped was I by the story, the thrills and wanting to see how the story ends, and asks are there any real winners. The twist and turns help to make this a truly engrossing read.
Nicholas Searle makes his debut with the much spoken about book The Good Liar a book that will grip you and horrify you in equal measure, but make you smile at the end. This book could also be described as the continuing fight of good versus evil; a good heart verses a dark heart, which makes for an intriguing read and a quite compulsive thriller.
Roy has been a conman for as long as he can remember, his working life since the war has been about grifting, it is something he is good at. He likes the long con, none of this modern internet con with Roy, he likes to pick his mark, set up a team and take the con to its conclusion and a payoff for himself.
Roy is setting up his final con, he has his mark and he is going to meet a beautiful widow, he hopes to woo and then take her life savings while disappearing in to the sunset for the final time. His mark is Betty a widow, and she is pleased to have met Roy, a man in his eighties, a tall smart man, and she is a few years younger than him.
As we see Roy build up Betty for the con, we also get to travel back to see what made Roy become a trickster and how he has managed to get away with things all his life. We see that Roy does not really look back at those who he has fleeced in his quest for money, they are dead to him. What we get are his cons in England and the reader works back to Germany pre-war and sees what makes Roy tick. The book also asks us has Roy really done all his homework on this con, has he really prepared his path to walk away with the money.
There is plenty of dry humour within the book especially as we see that Betty is not quite the easy target that Roy thinks she is. What we find that the aging process has not been kind to Roy or his body and so what he thinks may be a perfect plan may not be as perfect as he thinks. What drives the reader is whether or not Roy will succeed and what will happen to Betty afterwards.
The great thing about this thriller is that Nicolas Searle leaves just enough crumbs in the plot for the reader to have a wow moment as the various strands of the story and flashbacks come together for the final time. What helps draw the reader in is the author’s use of prose and how he uses it to create a brilliant romp across the years. The underlying question of examining good versus evil asks some painful questions, especially when looking back at events from history and one of its darkest periods. What we get is that cruelty and compassion can be strange bedfellows that should never work. But in The Good Liar is works and is magnificent.
Nicolas Searle has written a stunning debut that delivers a wonderful romp across the years, in an entertaining read. I actually read this in one sitting so gripped was I by the story, the thrills and wanting to see how the story ends, and asks are there any real winners. The twist and turns help to make this a truly engrossing read.
March 10, 2016
A good tale of the escapades of an inveterate con man named Roy. He lies for the joy of it: “it’s a weakness, a compulsion. The painstaking construction of the lie and its intricate underpinnings: they make the adrenaline flow. . . . It’s necessary not to ignore the endgame, but that’s not where the sense of accomplishment lies for Roy. It’s in the execution, the act of deception. (103)”
I’ve known pathological liars and the times I’ve been an unwitting personal witness to blatant lies and fabrications, it’s left me speechless. (Ditto vis-a-vis what is currently happening on the political front.) Why? To what end do they lie when there is nothing to gain? Roy answers these questions for me:
Although Roy is absolutely despicable, it was fun to read a story about this kind of person—quite different from the person who lies out of desperation to survive.
In the beginning of the book, I had trouble following the story. This was due to a combination of me being an American and the book being exceedingly British—in language and references, as well as the book’s self-consciously literary style, which I associate with technical immaturity: it is a first novel by a mature person. Sentences are convoluted, vocabulary is excessive (“‘Well, don’t say anything then,’ he riposted immediately, with intent.”) Also, the use of pronouns is sometimes confusing, but around page 252 the reason for this becomes shockingly clear. I will not give anything away, but the revelation made me reread earlier material and gasp with newfound understanding of the subversive use of pronouns. The story is really good. As other reviewers have said, there is something addictive about the plotting and structure—jumping back and forth from present to the ’30s, ’40s, and ’50s, little by little exposing Roy’s war years history. In fact, the more the story progressed, the more addictive it became. By the end, my comprehension problems had disappeared and I just enjoyed it.
I’ve known pathological liars and the times I’ve been an unwitting personal witness to blatant lies and fabrications, it’s left me speechless. (Ditto vis-a-vis what is currently happening on the political front.) Why? To what end do they lie when there is nothing to gain? Roy answers these questions for me:
Roy [talking to Betty, the woman he is conning] is not concerned about the sense of what he says; it simply fills the gaps. He hardly stops to consider whether his statements are comprehensible, let alone cogent, still less whether he actually believes this garbage. It’s all just part of the game, he thinks, men and women. He bestows on her a look of undiluted venom veiled by a beneficent smile. She is too stupid to see it, he thinks. (136–137)”
Although Roy is absolutely despicable, it was fun to read a story about this kind of person—quite different from the person who lies out of desperation to survive.
In the beginning of the book, I had trouble following the story. This was due to a combination of me being an American and the book being exceedingly British—in language and references, as well as the book’s self-consciously literary style, which I associate with technical immaturity: it is a first novel by a mature person. Sentences are convoluted, vocabulary is excessive (“‘Well, don’t say anything then,’ he riposted immediately, with intent.”) Also, the use of pronouns is sometimes confusing, but around page 252 the reason for this becomes shockingly clear. I will not give anything away, but the revelation made me reread earlier material and gasp with newfound understanding of the subversive use of pronouns. The story is really good. As other reviewers have said, there is something addictive about the plotting and structure—jumping back and forth from present to the ’30s, ’40s, and ’50s, little by little exposing Roy’s war years history. In fact, the more the story progressed, the more addictive it became. By the end, my comprehension problems had disappeared and I just enjoyed it.
June 14, 2016
Roy is a bona fide liar but he’s not at all good. As the layers of his life are peeled away, we experience him at different junctures – starting at the present and going back in time to the late 1930s – and with each revelation, he becomes more and more heinous.
Lying is sport to Roy. “One big lie is all you ever need, he knows through experience, and to feel the joy solely internally is gratifying enough. It’s necessary not to ignore the endgame, but that’s not where the sense of accomplishment lies from Roy. It’s in the execution, the act of deception.”
In the opening pages, we meet Roy at the closing pages of his own life. He’s determined to fleece Betty, an attractive and wealthy widow that he meets online, out of her lifetime savings, just for the fun of it. But almost instantly, we discover that Betty isn’t even a fraction as naïve as Roy suspects she is. There’s a sense that she has her own agenda – but what is it?
This is a cleverly written book that slowly relinquishes its secrets through by moving backward. While I enjoyed it, there were some elements that were just too pat. Betty never quite seemed the kind of “mark” that would have put up with Roy in ordinary circumstances. Nor did I quite buy into Roy’s desire to create one final lie, given his circumstances and failing health. The denouement seemed more than a little contrived. And, I found myself unaccountably wanting to get back to the Roy and Betty story during the flashbacks.
All in all, it’s a fine concept that could have been even more compelling.
Lying is sport to Roy. “One big lie is all you ever need, he knows through experience, and to feel the joy solely internally is gratifying enough. It’s necessary not to ignore the endgame, but that’s not where the sense of accomplishment lies from Roy. It’s in the execution, the act of deception.”
In the opening pages, we meet Roy at the closing pages of his own life. He’s determined to fleece Betty, an attractive and wealthy widow that he meets online, out of her lifetime savings, just for the fun of it. But almost instantly, we discover that Betty isn’t even a fraction as naïve as Roy suspects she is. There’s a sense that she has her own agenda – but what is it?
This is a cleverly written book that slowly relinquishes its secrets through by moving backward. While I enjoyed it, there were some elements that were just too pat. Betty never quite seemed the kind of “mark” that would have put up with Roy in ordinary circumstances. Nor did I quite buy into Roy’s desire to create one final lie, given his circumstances and failing health. The denouement seemed more than a little contrived. And, I found myself unaccountably wanting to get back to the Roy and Betty story during the flashbacks.
All in all, it’s a fine concept that could have been even more compelling.
October 31, 2018
Thank you Harper and Goodreads First Reads for my copy of The Good Liar! :) I am looking forward to reading it!
December 9, 2021
4 A Few Surprises Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free- A Quick Streaming Film Review
This is another cheat review as it is of the film that is available on streaming services. With all of the time, I am having during this global pandemic, I have been doing some streaming along with my regular reading.
The Good Liar piqued my interest due to the idea of how women are targeted with so many scams and bogus relationships. For years, older women are taken by people who are looking for an easy touch. We have read too many news articles about the devastation of lost retirement monies. So with that in mind, I watched the film.
I happen to be a huge fan of Helem Mirren and Ian McKellen. They became the main leads and played them well. It is a Cat and Mouse idea with wondering throughout as to who is the cat and who is the mouse.
The Good Liar
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
* * * * Spoiler Free- A Quick Streaming Film Review
This is another cheat review as it is of the film that is available on streaming services. With all of the time, I am having during this global pandemic, I have been doing some streaming along with my regular reading.
The Good Liar piqued my interest due to the idea of how women are targeted with so many scams and bogus relationships. For years, older women are taken by people who are looking for an easy touch. We have read too many news articles about the devastation of lost retirement monies. So with that in mind, I watched the film.
I happen to be a huge fan of Helem Mirren and Ian McKellen. They became the main leads and played them well. It is a Cat and Mouse idea with wondering throughout as to who is the cat and who is the mouse.
The Good Liarhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
For more Reviews, Free E-books and Giveaways
April 7, 2016
The Good Liar by Nicholas Searle is a 2016 Harper publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I’m still at a loss for words here in regards to this book. Categorized as a mystery thriller, I was ready to dive into a what seemed like a good, complex, and smart novel. All of those elements are here, but I must warn anyone interested in this title, that this book is nothing like the typical suspense thriller. If you are looking for a run of the mill whodunit, or even the usual murder mystery with a psychological thriller element, you will not find that here.
It started off with what is obviously a swindle type set up by an aging con, who calls himself, Roy, looking for enough cash to see him through his final years comfortably.
His target: Betty, a financially comfortable widow he meets online, hoping to rob her of her life savings. The only trouble he foresees is her grandson, who keeps a close eye on her, making his plan a bit risky. But, once he has ensconced himself in Betty’s home, the game moves along quite smoothly for old Roy and so the author gives us a bit of Roy’s history to keep us entertained while Roy sets his plans to rob Betty in motion.
I must admit, I really, really, really struggled with this book all the way up to about the sixty percent mark. Roy’s incredible past, which is repugnant to say the very least, alternates alongside the present day swindles he is cooking up for poor Betty. I knew there had to be a reason for this trip back through history, but it just wasn’t adding up for me. To say this novel is understated is, well, an understatement.
However, once the fog began to thin out, the story flowed much easier and moved along at a slightly faster pace, and as a result it held my attention. Still, the author doesn’t get in any hurry about explaining things or locking in the final pieces to the puzzle. Typically, this ploy works very well when ratcheting up the suspense level, but frankly, that gimmick fizzles here because by the time I got to the really good part, I was already more than a little exasperated at the pacing, so I was tired of playing coy and wanted him to just spit it out, in order to finally be done with it.
Because I was expecting something entirely different when I started this book, I was taken off guard by it, which is what lead to my overall frustration with it, but the concept is not lost on me now that I have completed the book. Despite moving at a snail’s pace, it is a very clever plot, written in such a way that the reader doesn’t guess at the outcome early on, and looking back on it now, I see the genius in writing it this way.
So, now that all is said and done, my feelings are a little conflicted. I understand the slow pacing now, but still think it went on far too long. But, despite having to wade through murky water, the wait was worthwhile.
I can’t lay out the plot, or go into the characterizations in detail because to do so would give too much away. I wasn’t sure what to think about the choices made by some of the characters, but in the end I was pleased with the result.
If you decide to give this book a try, exercise patience, and stick with it all the way to the end, and don’t give up on it. This is certainly a well thought out novel, and one that had me thinking over the details long after I had turned the final page. In hindsight, I have respect for the layout, am impressed with the details, and maybe, someday, now that my attitude towards the book is much improved, I may even attempt to re-read it with a more positive perspective going in.
Overall this one gets 4 stars
I’m still at a loss for words here in regards to this book. Categorized as a mystery thriller, I was ready to dive into a what seemed like a good, complex, and smart novel. All of those elements are here, but I must warn anyone interested in this title, that this book is nothing like the typical suspense thriller. If you are looking for a run of the mill whodunit, or even the usual murder mystery with a psychological thriller element, you will not find that here.
It started off with what is obviously a swindle type set up by an aging con, who calls himself, Roy, looking for enough cash to see him through his final years comfortably.
His target: Betty, a financially comfortable widow he meets online, hoping to rob her of her life savings. The only trouble he foresees is her grandson, who keeps a close eye on her, making his plan a bit risky. But, once he has ensconced himself in Betty’s home, the game moves along quite smoothly for old Roy and so the author gives us a bit of Roy’s history to keep us entertained while Roy sets his plans to rob Betty in motion.
I must admit, I really, really, really struggled with this book all the way up to about the sixty percent mark. Roy’s incredible past, which is repugnant to say the very least, alternates alongside the present day swindles he is cooking up for poor Betty. I knew there had to be a reason for this trip back through history, but it just wasn’t adding up for me. To say this novel is understated is, well, an understatement.
However, once the fog began to thin out, the story flowed much easier and moved along at a slightly faster pace, and as a result it held my attention. Still, the author doesn’t get in any hurry about explaining things or locking in the final pieces to the puzzle. Typically, this ploy works very well when ratcheting up the suspense level, but frankly, that gimmick fizzles here because by the time I got to the really good part, I was already more than a little exasperated at the pacing, so I was tired of playing coy and wanted him to just spit it out, in order to finally be done with it.
Because I was expecting something entirely different when I started this book, I was taken off guard by it, which is what lead to my overall frustration with it, but the concept is not lost on me now that I have completed the book. Despite moving at a snail’s pace, it is a very clever plot, written in such a way that the reader doesn’t guess at the outcome early on, and looking back on it now, I see the genius in writing it this way.
So, now that all is said and done, my feelings are a little conflicted. I understand the slow pacing now, but still think it went on far too long. But, despite having to wade through murky water, the wait was worthwhile.
I can’t lay out the plot, or go into the characterizations in detail because to do so would give too much away. I wasn’t sure what to think about the choices made by some of the characters, but in the end I was pleased with the result.
If you decide to give this book a try, exercise patience, and stick with it all the way to the end, and don’t give up on it. This is certainly a well thought out novel, and one that had me thinking over the details long after I had turned the final page. In hindsight, I have respect for the layout, am impressed with the details, and maybe, someday, now that my attitude towards the book is much improved, I may even attempt to re-read it with a more positive perspective going in.
Overall this one gets 4 stars
January 16, 2016
This is an engrossing page-turner which starts out being one kind of story but ends up being something very different. For a debut novel, it’s quite astonishingly good.
Eighty-something-year-old Roy is a con artist. And he’s not a twinkly-eyed, light-fingered rogue either; Roy, we learn very quickly, is a malevolent, hateful old man. Despite having pulled successful scams for much of his adult life and having the resources to retire in comfort, Roy craves the adrenaline of one final wheeze. Enter Betty, a wealthy pensioner who Roy meets via the internet with the intention of finagling her out of her retirement fund. But Betty isn’t just a frail and lonely old woman, as Roy believes; she’s actually as sharp as a lemon with a brain like a laser - has Roy finally met his match?
That’s the main story of the novel and it’s deeply gripping the whole way through. But this narrative is interspersed with episodes from Roy’s (very eventful) life, which appear in reverse chronology. Personally, I found some of these chapters to be pretty dull. Not all of them were pertinent to the overall story arc, although they did paint a good picture of just how twisted Roy was. However, none of them were particularly long and I can say with confidence that my patience was rewarded spectacularly with the fast-paced and explosive ending. I read the last 30% of the book in a single sitting as it became so unputdownable by around the 70% mark.
I’m going to make a few more comments but hide them, because this is a difficult one to discuss without spoilers.
Overall, I think The Good Liar could well be very popular in the coming year, and deservedly so.
(With thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Books for giving me an ARC in return for an honest review)
Eighty-something-year-old Roy is a con artist. And he’s not a twinkly-eyed, light-fingered rogue either; Roy, we learn very quickly, is a malevolent, hateful old man. Despite having pulled successful scams for much of his adult life and having the resources to retire in comfort, Roy craves the adrenaline of one final wheeze. Enter Betty, a wealthy pensioner who Roy meets via the internet with the intention of finagling her out of her retirement fund. But Betty isn’t just a frail and lonely old woman, as Roy believes; she’s actually as sharp as a lemon with a brain like a laser - has Roy finally met his match?
That’s the main story of the novel and it’s deeply gripping the whole way through. But this narrative is interspersed with episodes from Roy’s (very eventful) life, which appear in reverse chronology. Personally, I found some of these chapters to be pretty dull. Not all of them were pertinent to the overall story arc, although they did paint a good picture of just how twisted Roy was. However, none of them were particularly long and I can say with confidence that my patience was rewarded spectacularly with the fast-paced and explosive ending. I read the last 30% of the book in a single sitting as it became so unputdownable by around the 70% mark.
I’m going to make a few more comments but hide them, because this is a difficult one to discuss without spoilers.
Overall, I think The Good Liar could well be very popular in the coming year, and deservedly so.
(With thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Books for giving me an ARC in return for an honest review)
January 8, 2020
Pentru Roy, un escroc care refuză să își dezvăluie vârsta, minciuna e o slăbiciune și un impuls irezistibil. Arta de a înșela îl ține în viață: secretele, poveștile inventate, chiar și improvizațiile de moment. Pur și simplu nu poate să se abțină: trebuie să mintă și să savureze gustul adrenalinei, să își înfrângă ținta și să o manipuleze până când îi câștigă încrederea.
Din păcate, pe mine nu m-a convins. Nici măcar nu m-a vrăjit. Intențiile lui sunt previzibile și vârsta își spune cuvântul (chiar dacă numărul rămâne un mister). Uită, se încurcă în detalii, iar uneori ai impresia că are personalitate multiplă, atât de oscilant îi este comportamentul. Dacă în primul moment nu înțelegi cum a reușit să farmece o văduvă frumoasă, autorul așteaptă câteva capitole înainte să îți dezvăluie prima parte a planului. Problema? Suspansul e aproape inexistent. Când romanul merge pe structura flashback-uri, iar acțiunea începe în prezent și ajunge cu 50 de ani în urmă, misterul ar trebui să fie aproape palpabil.
Dar nu este.
Toți își dezvăluie mult prea repede intențiile, stilul este sec și monoton, dialogurile parcă sunt stenograme, emoțiile personajelor sunt aproape inexistente, jocul de-a șoarecele și pisica e static, și întorsăturile spectaculoase de situație sunt plot twist-uri cunoscute sau anunțate cu mult timp înainte.
Flashback-urile au fost capitolele mele preferate și ajută la schițarea unui monstru: nu înțeleg cum a reușit Roy să manipuleze și să păcălească atât de multe persoane. I-am observat gesturile. Reacțiile. Nu e un actor atât de iscusit. E un profitor și un bărbat mârșav, egoist și invidios, care profită de orice situație pentru a obține tot ce își dorește. E diabolic și ambiția lui nu are limite. Îl iubesc pe Sir Ian McKellen, așa că nu sunt foarte nerăbdătoare să îl văd într-o astfel de postură.
Poate că filmul o să îmi placă mai mult, însă „Maestrul minciunii” nu a fost nici pe departe thrillerul la care m-am așteptat.
Din păcate, pe mine nu m-a convins. Nici măcar nu m-a vrăjit. Intențiile lui sunt previzibile și vârsta își spune cuvântul (chiar dacă numărul rămâne un mister). Uită, se încurcă în detalii, iar uneori ai impresia că are personalitate multiplă, atât de oscilant îi este comportamentul. Dacă în primul moment nu înțelegi cum a reușit să farmece o văduvă frumoasă, autorul așteaptă câteva capitole înainte să îți dezvăluie prima parte a planului. Problema? Suspansul e aproape inexistent. Când romanul merge pe structura flashback-uri, iar acțiunea începe în prezent și ajunge cu 50 de ani în urmă, misterul ar trebui să fie aproape palpabil.
Dar nu este.
Toți își dezvăluie mult prea repede intențiile, stilul este sec și monoton, dialogurile parcă sunt stenograme, emoțiile personajelor sunt aproape inexistente, jocul de-a șoarecele și pisica e static, și întorsăturile spectaculoase de situație sunt plot twist-uri cunoscute sau anunțate cu mult timp înainte.
Flashback-urile au fost capitolele mele preferate și ajută la schițarea unui monstru: nu înțeleg cum a reușit Roy să manipuleze și să păcălească atât de multe persoane. I-am observat gesturile. Reacțiile. Nu e un actor atât de iscusit. E un profitor și un bărbat mârșav, egoist și invidios, care profită de orice situație pentru a obține tot ce își dorește. E diabolic și ambiția lui nu are limite. Îl iubesc pe Sir Ian McKellen, așa că nu sunt foarte nerăbdătoare să îl văd într-o astfel de postură.
Poate că filmul o să îmi placă mai mult, însă „Maestrul minciunii” nu a fost nici pe departe thrillerul la care m-am așteptat.
December 31, 2015
I was looking forward to this book as I thought a more mature character was something a little bit different. This is a very intelligent and self assured debut from the author and although it turned out to be not quite up my street, it is certainly a book that will be well received by others.
Roy, an aging conman is on the lookout for his last "Mark" and meets her in the form of Betty. Betty is about to be fleeced of every penny she owns but first we have a few little trips back in time to discover more about Roy.
This was very slow to get going and I found it difficult ultimately to concentrate on what was going on without reading it in large chunks. It did become more interesting the further you read with some good plot twists and turns.
Not for me personally but well written and different enough to do well.
I received a copy of the book via netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
Roy, an aging conman is on the lookout for his last "Mark" and meets her in the form of Betty. Betty is about to be fleeced of every penny she owns but first we have a few little trips back in time to discover more about Roy.
This was very slow to get going and I found it difficult ultimately to concentrate on what was going on without reading it in large chunks. It did become more interesting the further you read with some good plot twists and turns.
Not for me personally but well written and different enough to do well.
I received a copy of the book via netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
November 19, 2019
Fun book with plot twists and engaging dialogue-great first novel
March 4, 2016
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
‘He is not sure he believes in fate, or whether he believes in anything but the very present. Then again, life has treated him well generally.’
Roy is now in his 80s but is set on doing another con, after all it’s what he’s done his entire life. Betty is a widow of a similar age and has agreed to have a drink with a man named Roy whom she met on the Internet. The two develop a quick familiarity with one another and little to no time passes before they’ve agreed to something of a companionship and begin living together. It all seems very easy and Roy is already considering this con to be a slam dunk, however, Betty is more aware of what’s actually going on than he knows.
The story initially splits POV between Roy and Betty and their new life together before diving into the past where bit by bit Roy’s background is revealed. His past details are what make up the majority of this story and is ultimately where The Good Liar left me struggling to stay involved. Every aspect of his past is something that needs knowing for the most part, you just don’t realize it at the time because it’s something you need to know in order to understand the plot twist near the end. But while immersed in his past, it becomes extremely difficult to understand how it’s in any way relevant to the story. Roy is also one of those characters you have a hard time feeling anything for, being a rather unemotional guy himself, this left him somewhat uninteresting for the most part. He was your cardboard cutout con man whose real motivations in life didn’t narrow down to much. Once we’re fully in the know in regards to Roy, the author switches to Betty’s past. Much less time is spent on her background which was a real shame seeing as that portion of the story was its biggest strength. Betty’s troubled past is handled deftly and managed to finally draw me into the story, albeit near the end. The twist managed to be interesting yet still expected once all the facts were revealed.
The Good Liar is being marketed as a crime story yet it should be said its primarily a character study. The pacing of the story is at times exasperating but the author skillfully disperses small nuggets of import to keep you curious throughout. The mystery itself may have taken too long to unravel but this was nonetheless a finely written debut novel.
I received this book for free from TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
‘He is not sure he believes in fate, or whether he believes in anything but the very present. Then again, life has treated him well generally.’
Roy is now in his 80s but is set on doing another con, after all it’s what he’s done his entire life. Betty is a widow of a similar age and has agreed to have a drink with a man named Roy whom she met on the Internet. The two develop a quick familiarity with one another and little to no time passes before they’ve agreed to something of a companionship and begin living together. It all seems very easy and Roy is already considering this con to be a slam dunk, however, Betty is more aware of what’s actually going on than he knows.
The story initially splits POV between Roy and Betty and their new life together before diving into the past where bit by bit Roy’s background is revealed. His past details are what make up the majority of this story and is ultimately where The Good Liar left me struggling to stay involved. Every aspect of his past is something that needs knowing for the most part, you just don’t realize it at the time because it’s something you need to know in order to understand the plot twist near the end. But while immersed in his past, it becomes extremely difficult to understand how it’s in any way relevant to the story. Roy is also one of those characters you have a hard time feeling anything for, being a rather unemotional guy himself, this left him somewhat uninteresting for the most part. He was your cardboard cutout con man whose real motivations in life didn’t narrow down to much. Once we’re fully in the know in regards to Roy, the author switches to Betty’s past. Much less time is spent on her background which was a real shame seeing as that portion of the story was its biggest strength. Betty’s troubled past is handled deftly and managed to finally draw me into the story, albeit near the end. The twist managed to be interesting yet still expected once all the facts were revealed.
The Good Liar is being marketed as a crime story yet it should be said its primarily a character study. The pacing of the story is at times exasperating but the author skillfully disperses small nuggets of import to keep you curious throughout. The mystery itself may have taken too long to unravel but this was nonetheless a finely written debut novel.
I received this book for free from TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
November 27, 2023
I heard this book was going to become a movie, and so I was interested in finding out more.
This is what I read that made me want to pick up this book:
“This is a life told back to front. This is a man who has lied all his life. Roy is a conman living in a small English town, about to pull off his final con. He is going to meet and woo a beautiful woman and slip away with her life savings. But who is the man behind the con? What has he had to do to survive a life of lies? And who has had to pay the price?”
My thoughts were…okay, who is this person?
Why do I want to know his story?
Well, maybe just maybe it will give me an idea as to why they would want to make it into a movie.
The book, unfortunately, did not engage me.
I felt it was slightly a let down by the slow build up.
I found much of the story rather flat and even dull.
I'd be hard-pushed to find much wrong with the author’s actual prose - his sentences are well-crafted and his descriptive details well-observed and well-chosen - but I found it impossible to really immerse myself in this book right up until the last quarter of it, when the plot takes an abrupt and surprising turn.
Frustratingly, that last quarter did give some real glimpses of how good the novel could have been.
I wanted so much to like this book, as the premise of it is fascinating and I enjoyed seeing two older characters leading a novel in this way - particularly Betty; there are frankly not enough heroines in their eighties.
But while it did show some promise, I had to force myself to keep reading and was, overall, left dissatisfied.
Not a book for me, sadly.
But, you may feel differently.
This is what I read that made me want to pick up this book:
“This is a life told back to front. This is a man who has lied all his life. Roy is a conman living in a small English town, about to pull off his final con. He is going to meet and woo a beautiful woman and slip away with her life savings. But who is the man behind the con? What has he had to do to survive a life of lies? And who has had to pay the price?”
My thoughts were…okay, who is this person?
Why do I want to know his story?
Well, maybe just maybe it will give me an idea as to why they would want to make it into a movie.
The book, unfortunately, did not engage me.
I felt it was slightly a let down by the slow build up.
I found much of the story rather flat and even dull.
I'd be hard-pushed to find much wrong with the author’s actual prose - his sentences are well-crafted and his descriptive details well-observed and well-chosen - but I found it impossible to really immerse myself in this book right up until the last quarter of it, when the plot takes an abrupt and surprising turn.
Frustratingly, that last quarter did give some real glimpses of how good the novel could have been.
I wanted so much to like this book, as the premise of it is fascinating and I enjoyed seeing two older characters leading a novel in this way - particularly Betty; there are frankly not enough heroines in their eighties.
But while it did show some promise, I had to force myself to keep reading and was, overall, left dissatisfied.
Not a book for me, sadly.
But, you may feel differently.
March 18, 2022
"We die of old age from the inside out, rotting gradually as we get older."
Roy, an octogenarian con man is looking to make one final coup. He meets septuagenarian Betty through a dating app and intends to defraud her of he life savings. But is Betty as naïve as she seems?
It is hard to say too much about this book without giving the ending away. Enough to say that the book follows Roy’s attempt to con Betty interspersed with time shifts to his eventful and somewhat nefarious past.
In some respects this a hard book to review. Roy's past is revealed bit by bit in reverse so each turn is fairly well signposted before hand yet I also really engaged with some parts of it. I quite liked the basic idea, some of the techniques used and I liked the ending even if I had worked out many aspects of it beforehand. However, I was expecting something like a Tom Ripley character, charming but ruthless, but frankly Roy just wasn't that likeable and lacked any real menace.
Ultimately I found this an engaging but flawed novel. In the end felt that it read rather more like Tessa de Loo's 'Twins' than Ms Highsmith's renowned novel. However I would still read another book by this author. Now I'm off to see the movie.
Roy, an octogenarian con man is looking to make one final coup. He meets septuagenarian Betty through a dating app and intends to defraud her of he life savings. But is Betty as naïve as she seems?
It is hard to say too much about this book without giving the ending away. Enough to say that the book follows Roy’s attempt to con Betty interspersed with time shifts to his eventful and somewhat nefarious past.
In some respects this a hard book to review. Roy's past is revealed bit by bit in reverse so each turn is fairly well signposted before hand yet I also really engaged with some parts of it. I quite liked the basic idea, some of the techniques used and I liked the ending even if I had worked out many aspects of it beforehand. However, I was expecting something like a Tom Ripley character, charming but ruthless, but frankly Roy just wasn't that likeable and lacked any real menace.
Ultimately I found this an engaging but flawed novel. In the end felt that it read rather more like Tessa de Loo's 'Twins' than Ms Highsmith's renowned novel. However I would still read another book by this author. Now I'm off to see the movie.
June 21, 2020
Meet Roy Courtnay. Better yet, don't. Roy, a master of the very long con, does not want to meet you unless there's something in it for him, particularly if it's at your expense. Before you know it, you may find yourself staring off wondering, What the hell just happened? This debut novel is a lot of fun, but more so, has a lot to say.
Even though he doesn't need the money, Roy has decided on one final coup. He's in his advanced 80's, but he is hardwired to be a scoundrel and will go down smirking. Now, meet Betty, his final mark. We learn early on that Betty also has an agenda, but you have to read the book to discover it. As Roy and Betty's cat and mouse advances, Roy's history is told, backward in alternating chapters. Psychotic, charming, we learn how and why he became who he is, but it is not until the end that as Paul Harvey used to say, we learn the Rest of the Story. Clever and well written, hopefully the first of many more to come from Nicholas Searle.
Even though he doesn't need the money, Roy has decided on one final coup. He's in his advanced 80's, but he is hardwired to be a scoundrel and will go down smirking. Now, meet Betty, his final mark. We learn early on that Betty also has an agenda, but you have to read the book to discover it. As Roy and Betty's cat and mouse advances, Roy's history is told, backward in alternating chapters. Psychotic, charming, we learn how and why he became who he is, but it is not until the end that as Paul Harvey used to say, we learn the Rest of the Story. Clever and well written, hopefully the first of many more to come from Nicholas Searle.
November 13, 2017
Roy Courtney is the good liar. He has a very dodgy past to say the least as he embezzled money from many people including so called friends. Roy met Betty via an online dating service and it appears to go well as he moves in with her. Stephen, Betty's 'grandson' is rightly deeply suspicious of Roy. This very well written story traces Roy's and Betty's life backwards (don't worry UK readers it's not Rellik if anyone watched that 😱😱) through the Second World War and back to Vienna and Berlin. I did work out Betty's motives with Roy but I won't spoil it but just say read it to find out! This is an excellent debut novel and it's so well written. I couldn't put it down. Can't wait to read Nicholas Searle's next book but rather meanly will wait until it's a bit cheaper!! One of the best books I've read recently.
December 21, 2015
It is astonishing that this is a debut novel from British author Nicholas Searle. It is balanced and alluring; the more you read, the more it ropes you in. He has paid careful and loving attention to plot, character, rhythm, structure, pace, tone, and prose, so that the reader stays fully engaged through to the long end game.
The main character, Roy, is an imposing man, and a strident one at times, no matter that he is 80-something years old. We know early on that he is a professional confidence man—a good liar, always sporting for a mark. His latest is Betty, also elderly but a spry and articulate academic, although she often comes across as passive. Yet, she also seems to have an agenda, however innocuous. After all, meeting strange men can cause dangerous consequences.
The story centers on Roy and Betty’s relationship, as well as focusing on who they are as individuals. Roy plans to retire after Betty, his last waltz. But he tells her “one of the things I like intensely is dishonesty.” Betty declares her desire for companionship, which led her to an Internet dating site, which is how they met.
I observed from the start that Searle’s writing was circumspect, holding back information that is released gradually. There are times that the characters know more than the reader, and at intervals we know more than Roy or Betty. I was occasionally impatient, that scratch I wanted to itch because I couldn’t grasp enough. But, I learned to trust the author as the narrative progressed. The story went back and forth in time, and periodically threw me off, as I had to continually reposition myself into whatever rabbit hole or design that Searle was concocting. It kept me guessing, and perhaps some of my hunches were on target. However, I was not prepared for the capstone, which left me breathless.
I am being cautious in my review not to reveal plot points, because the untangling of mondo knots requires discovery. I was impressed by Searle’s ability to incrementally create an ambitious plot, one that organically evolves into something grand yet never grandiose. The writing is light on its feet, the timing is impeccable, and the architecture is fluid and immaculate. I was in the dark initially on whether this is a serious novel or a whimsical one, another mystery that beguiled me. Are Roy’s chameleon talents comical or grave, natural or necessary? This I will tell--when I reached the denouement, I was holding my breath and clenching my fists.
I’ve ladled on the gravy, but for the meat and potatoes, you’ll have to read the book. Around 2/3 of the way in, I was eyes wide open and sitting upright. By the conclusion, I was fully gripped by the story and all its component parts. Even if it doesn’t have you at hello, keep going for a long and satisfying good-bye.
“The wolf lurks, yet his tune is siren-like.”
The main character, Roy, is an imposing man, and a strident one at times, no matter that he is 80-something years old. We know early on that he is a professional confidence man—a good liar, always sporting for a mark. His latest is Betty, also elderly but a spry and articulate academic, although she often comes across as passive. Yet, she also seems to have an agenda, however innocuous. After all, meeting strange men can cause dangerous consequences.
The story centers on Roy and Betty’s relationship, as well as focusing on who they are as individuals. Roy plans to retire after Betty, his last waltz. But he tells her “one of the things I like intensely is dishonesty.” Betty declares her desire for companionship, which led her to an Internet dating site, which is how they met.
I observed from the start that Searle’s writing was circumspect, holding back information that is released gradually. There are times that the characters know more than the reader, and at intervals we know more than Roy or Betty. I was occasionally impatient, that scratch I wanted to itch because I couldn’t grasp enough. But, I learned to trust the author as the narrative progressed. The story went back and forth in time, and periodically threw me off, as I had to continually reposition myself into whatever rabbit hole or design that Searle was concocting. It kept me guessing, and perhaps some of my hunches were on target. However, I was not prepared for the capstone, which left me breathless.
I am being cautious in my review not to reveal plot points, because the untangling of mondo knots requires discovery. I was impressed by Searle’s ability to incrementally create an ambitious plot, one that organically evolves into something grand yet never grandiose. The writing is light on its feet, the timing is impeccable, and the architecture is fluid and immaculate. I was in the dark initially on whether this is a serious novel or a whimsical one, another mystery that beguiled me. Are Roy’s chameleon talents comical or grave, natural or necessary? This I will tell--when I reached the denouement, I was holding my breath and clenching my fists.
I’ve ladled on the gravy, but for the meat and potatoes, you’ll have to read the book. Around 2/3 of the way in, I was eyes wide open and sitting upright. By the conclusion, I was fully gripped by the story and all its component parts. Even if it doesn’t have you at hello, keep going for a long and satisfying good-bye.
“The wolf lurks, yet his tune is siren-like.”
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