Web of Lies

Detective Sebastian Clifford #1

by Sally Rigby, Jonathan Keeble (Narrator)

A trail of secrets. A dangerous discovery. A deadly turn.

Ex-police officer, Sebastian Clifford, had never planned to be a private investigator. But when a scandal resulted in his London based special squad being disbanded, he finds himself kicking his heels. That is, until his cousin begs him to prove that her high-profile husband's recent death, following his involvement in the worst Ponzi scheme in recent times, wasn't a suicide.

Clifford isn't sure how he can help, but the more he digs, the more curious he becomes. He has the ability to remember everything he's ever seen, which means he's the perfect person to untangle the layers of deceit.

He meets DC Bird, a bored officer at Market Harborough CID, who insists on being part of the investigation or she won’t give him access to the records he’s requested. Clifford isn't happy. The last time he worked as part of a team it ended his career. But with time running out, he agrees and together they wade through the web of lies, all while hoping they find the truth before it kills them.

Web of Lies is the first in the new Detective Sebastian Clifford series. Perfect for readers of Joy Ellis, Robert Galbraith and Mark Dawson.

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook, Crime, Fiction, Thriller, Detective, Procedural

Audible Audio

First published May 7, 2021

About the author

Sally Rigby was born in Northampton, in the UK. She has always had the travel bug, and after living in both Manchester and London, eventually moved overseas. From 2001 she has lived with her family in New Zealand, which she considers to be the most beautiful place in the world. During this time she also lived for five years in Australia. Sally has always loved crime fiction books, films and TV programmes, and has a particular fascination with the psychology of serial killers.

Reviews

[Fictionophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure what I expected when I began this book, but I ended up being pleasantly surprised. It was a quick read featuring memorable protagonists. All in all a promising start to a new crime series.

The setting was, for the most part, Market Harborough, a real market town in the county of Leicestershire, England.

This crime novel covered themes including blackmail, ponzi schemes, subterfuge and yes, murder.

The main protagonist, Detective Sebastian Clifford put me in mind of Elizabeth George's Inspector Lynley character as they are both from aristocratic families. I found Seb Clifford to be a level headed, intelligent detective and liked him immensely.

The secondary protagonist, DC Lucinda Bird (Birdie), I liked less. Although she was very bright, she showed a dire lack of maturity and had some annoying habits. Clifford had far more patience with her that I ever would have. She did add levity to the narrative.

The writing style was quite compelling, and I found the story to be serious crime fiction with elements of 'cozy' mystery thrown in for good measure. The result was an entertaining, engrossing read.

The denouement of the novel was very satisfactory and worked to set up the series for future novels.

I plan to read the second novel in this series as I am eager to learn more of the evolving working relationship between Clifford and Birdie. An excellent introduction to what I hope will be a long-running series. Recommended.

[Edel Henry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible.
Only purchased because there was an Amazon daily deal of the first three books in the Sebastian Clifford series for 99p. Safe to say I won’t be reading the other two. The high Goodreads rating is utterly baffling to me. It was a slog to read with its horrendous “Garth Marenghi-esque” dialogue, paper thin characters and borderline non-existent mystery. Avoid at all costs

[Lynda Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oooh, a new series by this author, though we did get to meet Sebastian for the first time in the previous Cavendish & Walker story,(Kill Shot). But this time we also got to meet the fabulous Lucinda Bird or 'Birdie' as she prefers, and does suit her best. She's a tremendous addition and we also got to meet Elsa. Now she hadn't been mentioned at all when we first met him, which surprised me !
I did laugh out loud at one point when Birdie was hoping Sebastian hadn't forgotten something.....I made a note that that was hardly likely !! I really liked their easy relationship. She has no airs about her in the least, despite him being a toff and the fact he was her senior at one time. She also has her own back-story which sounds interesting. I do hope she's here to stay and we see her again in book 2 of this series.
The case he's investigating is an intriguing one, seeing as the victim could in all reality have been offed by any number of suspects, as it turns out......but was he ?? As usual I didn't figure out what happened, which is why I'm only a reader....no imagination ! I always get it wrong.
I enjoyed this just as much as her other series and I didn't really mind whether he was in his own separate series or not. I liked his appearance in the story with Whitney and George just as much.
The author kindly sent me an advanced, unproofed copy so any mistakes I'm forwarding on directly.

[Gwen Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Between the bad grammar and bad story line, I just could not finish this book. I am shocked at the positive reviews?? Are they real??

[Les · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book in a new series featuring quirky DC Bird aka Birdie and her new partner Sebastion (Seb) Cliffonrd. Seb has left the Met under a cloud and is at loose ends when his cousin's husband commits suicide and is revealed to be the Bernie Madoff of the midlands

His cousin, Sarah, convinces Seb to investigate the suicide. He pals around DC Bird and solves the mystery.

I found DC Bird to be a bit much at times but the book was good and full of surprises

[Jane MacDonald · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this but mainly because it is set in Market Harborough ! The two detectives are interesting characters but the plot itself is a bit dull and the narrative repetitive. The suspects questioned are all asked the same or similar questions and I lost track of the number of times Clifford explained that he was no longer a serving police officer and why he was investigating the case, both necessary in real life but boring to read. Having said all that, I loved the Market Harborough setting and the discovery of the murder victim at Foxton Locks and it is a very easy, quick read so I will probably pick up the next book in the series at some point!

[Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot was intense, powerful and thrilling and held me captive all the way through! The characters fairly leaped off the page, and the tension was palpable. If you like absolutely unpredictable, twisted suspense as much as I do, you can't go wrong with this book!

*I received a complimentary ARC of this book in order to read and provide a voluntary, unbiased and honest review, should I choose to do so.

[HornFan2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free advance arc copy from the author, but due to a problem with the Kindle App on Apple's MacBook Air, ended up purchasing it on amazon.com and delayed my start on this one.

This has been a tough read for me, really it's Birdie that's kept me reading as she took over 'Web of Lies' for me and seems like Birdie/Twiggy series would have been better verse Seb Clifford.

Just find him too dry, till Birdie he's on his own with no support, the way it's written he doesn't have the personality to pull it off and maybe if he was more personality like Whitney he could do it.

Web of Lies does take off once the investigation gets going, it's multiple layered story line, with red herrings, although due too an assault, she does kinda give it away, as to whodunnit and will keep reading the series.

[Mahasweta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book while going through some difficult time in my life. And for a few hours, this book managed to disconnect me from reality and enthrall me in an interesting mystery. I felt attached to the characters Seb and Birdie so much that it made me sad when the book ended.

I really enjoyed this book a lot. The book kept me captivated from the first chapter till the end. The way the book starts is simply brilliant.

The plot is intriguing, twisty, and somewhat unpredictable. I liked the easy, simple, lucid narrative and how it made me (the reader) feel part of the investigation as the third partner of Seb and Birdie. I felt like I was at Market Harborough running through the clues and questioning along with them.

I also enjoyed the character development of both Seb and Birdie. Loved how Rigby did not waste pages after pages to boring back stories but instead wove them in bits and pieces throughout. The banter between the two is an absolute delight to read.

I am looking forward to more of Seb & Birdie and want to see how Rigby develops their character and camaraderie further.

[Kevin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a bit meh!!! That's about it really. Good for Sally Rigby for knocking out as many books as she does but this spin-off from the Whitney and Cavendish books was really bland.

[Fantastiškų KŽL · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
nėr super ypatingas, biškį užkliuvo kelios vietos, bet klausyt faina.
https://knyguziurkes.com/2026/01/01/w...

[frausarahsarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Komplett ok. Hat mich gut unterhalten. Genau das, was ich in dem Moment wollte. :)

[Andy Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Robotic

The author fingers a decent plot and this could have been a very enjoyable read. What they fail to do, however, is to bring any life of warmth into the characters. The dialogues stilted and clunky and really effects the rhythm of the book. It's not a very original set up, rich guy going against his family, wrongly hounded out of the force etc. meets perky young DC who is a bit feisty. To pull this off, the writing needs to improve greatly. I will give the second book a try, but I'm not holding out much hope.

[Sandra R · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very good writing in this English police procedural murder mystery and the author certainly did a lot of detailed plotting. However, I found the story just okay. It was pretty long winded re all the interviews and investigations conducted by our ex detective hero, and the middle really plodded slowly. I finally skipped over to the last chapter after skimming. I had no sympathy for Donald, so I didn't care who killed him and why. I liked Seb though, so will probably read more in this series at some stage. I'm thinking this would be a better book to listen to...

[Pat K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially, these characters didn’t appeal to me as much as the earlier series of Cavendish and Walker books.
Ex-DCI Seb Clifford, is doing a private investigation of a case that has been classified as a suicide. By the end of the book I liked the characters and I’ll definitely read the rest of the books.

PS if you are listening to the audiobook, there is a bonus prequel novella after the main story.

[gottalottie · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was repetitive, we hear the same clues and stories repeated to every side character and the MCs were very flat, the story wasn’t intriguing either but I guess it’s an accessible, quick crime novel for anyone interested in that

[Lisbeth Fittipaldi · Rating 1 out of 5]

slow slow slow

Tedious and improbable plot
The characters are under developed and you can skip pages, paragraphs and chapters and not miss anything

[Dina Helmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story was different; it was interesting, but not as satisfying as I had hoped it would be. I like a book that sets the scene strongly, and I don't think this was that kind of book. I don't think we also got to really know the characters on a deeper level, which is something I value in a book. I guess I always set the bar high for thrillers.

[Elizabeth King · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure about this one. It was ok but I felt the central murder was only uncovered after the investigator was attacked and told to leave off. Talk about bad timing, he’d just decided there was nothing to see there.

[Roo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average, with possibilities. Might read the next in series to see. An easy quick read though.

[Lisa D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. Interesting characters and story and even a nice dog. It’s not the best detective story I’ve ever read but it’s good enough that I wanted to read the next in the series.

[Tekayah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this audiobook. The story was intriguing and the characters kept me entertained. If the other books on the series were free in audible, I would continue to finish it

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I became a fan of Sally’s work after I was invited to take part on the blog tour for one of her books in the bestselling series featuring Cavendish and Walker. I was blown away by how fantastic the story was. Since then I have been catching up with the rest of the series when I have a spare minute. ‘Web Of Lies’ is actually the first book in a new series featuring Detective Sebastian Clifford and what a corker of a read it is too. I absolutely loved ‘Web Of Lies’ but more about that in a bit.
I liked the character of Detective Sebastian Clifford and I warmed to him from the start. Sebastian was a detective in the Metropolitan Police but following a bit of a scandal his team was disbanded and Sebastian left the police force. Sebastian wasn’t at fault. Sebastian’s family is rather well off although they aren’t too happy at the fact that he became a police officer. Sebastian is inquisitive, determined, kind and compassionate.
It took me no time at all to get into ‘Web Of Lies’. The fact that ‘Sally Rigby’ was on the cover of a new book was enough to grab my attention and the story within the book’s covers just sealed the deal as it were. As soon as I started to read the story, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to put the book down for any length of time. My Kindle wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I couldn’t bear to miss a single second of the story. Initially I had only picked up the book intending to read a couple of chapters but I became so wrapped up in the story that I was still sat there reading over two hours later. For me, ‘Web Of Lies’ is an unputdownable gripping page turner of a read, which kept me guessing and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.
‘Web Of Lies’ is superbly written but then that all of Sally’s books are superb. Sally has one of those writing styles which grabs your attention and draws you into what proves to be a compelling read. I loved the way in which Sally makes the reader feel part of the story themselves and at the centre of the action. Reading ‘Web Of Lies’ was a bit like being on a bit of a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way. I look forward to reading many more of Sally’s work in the future.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘Web Of Lies’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Sally’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

[ReadandRated · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars from me

I was so excited to read Web of Lies, which is the first in a new series featuring the charming  Sebastian Clifford, a former MET D.I. who we first met in Kill Shot.

Seb, is asked by his cousin to investigate her husband’s apparent suicide as she has strong reasons for thinking he didn't commit suicide, despite the ruling from the coroner.

In a moment of fluke, yet genius, Seb ends up teaming up with Birdie who is a serving police officer who brings the ying to Seb's yang and offers a handy way for Seb to gain access to key witnesses and contacts.

The storyline around the Ponzi scheme was fascinating, as was Seb's particular memory skill - oh how I would love to have that! I really enjoyed following the way the story was unravelled and was completely engrossed throughout.

As much as I have enjoyed the Cavendish & Walker pairing from previous books, I completely loved this pairing of Clifford and Birdie and I greatly look forward to reading future books in this series.

My thanks to Emma from Damp Pebbles and Sally Rigby for the #WebOfLies Blog Tour @SallyRigby4 #DetectiveSebastianClifford @damppebbles #damppebblesblogtours

[Pen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of dislikes about this book, but my biggest annoyance is about the dog (not an integral part of the story, but I'm invested in the dog). Clearly written by someone who doesn't have a dog, which is evident through all the dog related story. The biggest issue...if their dog was poisoned by intruders, no responsible dog guardian is going to say "meh, I'll just see how this plays out." They would 1. Freak and 2. Immediately take them to the vet.

I found Birdie very annoying. I didnt buy the immediately close relationship between Seb and Birdie. It seemed forced by the author.

Don't think I'll read the next in the series.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Stiff, unrealistic dialogue made me wonder if this author ever witnessed human conversation. Poor character development made the two protagonists utterly unlikable and uninteresting. Instead of showing us who the characters are through their actions, the author just tells us - this one is late, this one has a great memory. Every time Birdie js sarcastic or joking she has to tell us because the dialogues and relationship is so unrealistic and awkward. Seb is only late 30s and he is the most dull, lecturing blowhard. These two clowns couldn’t solve a case if they were handed all of the clues.

[Spacechik · Rating 2 out of 5]

No chemistry

Contrived relationships. Silly dialogue . Characters with no possible meaning to the story. A cop that spills her guts when her mouth should have been shut. Inner dialogues that make no sense to the plot. Plot was shallow and predictable. Seems this story was written by a high schooler for an English class. Protagonist just did not act like an ex cop. Obviously, the author has no clue as to how cops detectives work.

[Sharon Rimmelzwaan · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Web Of Lies' by Sally Rigby is the very first book to feature Detective Sebastian Clifford as the main character. He was introduced in the Walker & Cavendish series and now he is the star player!
Sebastian Clifford never planned on becoming a private investigator. But when a scandal leads to the disbandment of his London based special squad, he finds himself out of a job. That is, until his cousin calls on him to investigate her husband’s high-profile death, and prove that it wasn’t a suicide. Seb really is not keen but the evidence is piling up and with his top notch memory there is no better man for the job.
He meets Detective Constable Bird, an underutilised detective at Market Harborough’s police force, who refuses to give him access to the records he’s requested unless he allows her to help with the investigation. This isn't his favourite move, the last time he worked as part of a team it ended his career. Seb knows the time is slipping away and they have to untangle the web of lies to find the truth before it is their lives on the line.
A new series from Sally Rigby with characters that are both brilliant 'Birdie' as she is known is pretty down to earth and doesn't take any prisoners. I love the fact that just because Seb was previously her superior she does not care one jot! I was proper laughing when she said she hoped Seb hadn't forgotten something! Chance would be a fine thing, I thought immediately. This duo bounce of each other and I think they add a rather light entertaining side to the book. Seb himself is the son of a Viscount and Birdie keeps him in his place, I love that!
The case itself is pretty intriguing one with multiple suspects but did any of them actually commit it act? Well I didn't work it out but I thoroughly enjoyed being by Seb and Birdie's side as they investigate. A series that I feel will be as popular as Cavendish &walker is, if not more so. Sally Rigby has excelled again, with entertaining , well written and even addictive characters that engross you from beginning to end. I highly recommend 'Web Of Lies' if you like your crime thrillers fast, funny and engrossing!
Thanks to Damp Pebbles Blog tours and Sally Rigby for my copy of the book.

[Veronika Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I enjoyed the Whitney and George detective novels, this new one about former police officer Sebastian Clifford is undoubtedly my favourite. Seb is the son of a Viscount, handsome (obviously) and 6ft 6inches tall. The banter between him and PC Lucinda Bird known as Birdie is hilarious. And of course we mustn’t forget Seb’s beloved dog Elsa.

Having quit the police after his squad was disbanded, he goes to stay in Market Harborough for a rest, but his cousin Sarah asks him to help investigate the ‘suicide’ of her husband. He was involved in some very shady financial deals, ending up in a highly illegal Ponzi scheme. Sarah believes he was murdered, but the evidence doesn’t support that idea.

For anyone who doesn’t know what a Ponzi scheme is, it’s basically a fraudulent investing scam which generates returns for earlier investors with money taken from later investors. Famously Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, which likely ran for decades, defrauded thousands of investors out of tens of billions of dollars. Investors put their trust in Madoff because he created a front of respectability, his returns were high but not outlandish, and he claimed to use a legitimate strategy.

In 1992, my husband and I were the victims of a Ponzi scheme, so the subject of Web of Lies immediately peaked my interest. I still blame myself for being so easily taken in – if something is too good to be true it probably is. The perpetrator went to prison, but as in this story, the money is gone. The victims get nothing apart from a feeling that they had been somewhat naive.

But enough about me. I love Seb – he reminds me of Inspector Lynley (love Nathaniel Parker – where is he now?), but I much prefer Birdie to Barbara Havers. Birdie doesn’t have that chip-on-the-shoulder attitude that Havers did. She treats Seb with humour and takes no prisoners. She tells him to wait outside her mum’s house when he picks her up so the neighbours don’t think she’s going out with an ‘old man’ – she’s 26 and he’s 39! I’d want to show him off. Who wouldn’t?

As always with Sally Rigby’s books, it’s a fast-paced, easy read, with plenty of intrigue, twists and excitement. Please make this a TV series. It would be so good if they can find someone tall enough…

Many thanks to @damppebbles for inviting me to be part of #damppebblesblogtours

[Aparna J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding

This is a super excellent thriller by Author Sally Rigby. Every page had me captivated right from the beginning. I love this series and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It's a wonderful thriller and has all the essential features like perfect twists and turns just when you think you have discovered the culprit, or suspect a shady character, element of surprise, intrigue that wants to keep you glued to your seat. The story is set in England.

The book begins with a cute description of the family of Jenny Johnson, her husband Kyle, their sons, Tyler and Lucas on a picnic to Foxton Locks ( England). Tyler stumbles upon a dead body. The victim turns out to be Donald Witherspoon, Sarah's husband. Sarah happens to be the cousin of Sebastian Clifford, a former detective inspector in the City of London Police Fraud Squad. Sebastian belongs to the family of aristocrats. His father is a Viscount Worthington. Since Donald was involved in the Ponzi Scheme, robbing his investors of their money, Sebastian's family sends him as their representative to attend the funeral at Market Harborough. Donald's death has been declared suicide but Sarah feels suspicious because of a note he left behind.

She requests Sebastian to investigate the case. Initially, he is reluctant but out of affection for Sarah, he decides to help her. He requests the case files from DC Lucinda Bird aka Birdie who's intrigued by his revelation. She offers to help him but on the condition that she would be his partner. As they dig deeper into the case, they are shocked by the turn of events. There's a roller coaster ride of danger, excitement and thrill. Is it really suicide or a murder? This is a fascinating fast paced action thriller and a must read for all the mystery and thriller lovers.