Liar Liar cover art

Liar Liar

DI Helen Grace 4

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Liar Liar

By: M. J. Arlidge
Narrated by: Elizabeth Bower
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About this listen

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable, audiobook edition of Liar, Liar by M. J Arlidge, read by Elizabeth Bower.

In the dead of night, three raging fires light up the city skies. It's more than a tragic coincidence. For DI Helen Grace the flames announce the arrival of an evil she has never encountered before.

Because this is no firestarter seeking sick thrills, but something more chilling: a series of careful, calculating acts of murder.

But why were the victims chosen? What's driving the killer? And who will be next?

A powder keg of fear, suspicion and dread has been laid. Now all it needs is a spark to set it off...

 Crime Fiction Detective Fiction Mystery Suspense Thriller & Suspense Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Crime

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Critic reviews

This is going to be as big as Jo Nesbo (Judy Finnigan)
Taut, fast-paced, truly excellent
DI Helen Grace is a genuinely fresh heroine ... Arlidge weaves together a tapestry that chills to the bone
M. J. Arlidge has created a genuinely fresh heroine in DI Helen Grace
Chilling stuff
A chilling read
A grisly, gripping thriller
Gruesomely realistic, intriguing and relentless. Arlidge's fledgling army of fans is about to grow
Eeny Meeny debuts one of the best new series detectives, Helen Grace. Determined, tough and damaged, she must unravel a terrifying riddle of a killer kidnapping victims in pairs. Mesmerizing! (Lisa Gardner)
Expertly pulled off. It has a devious premise. DI Helen Grace is fiendishly awesome. It's scary as all hell. And it has a full cast of realistically drawn, interesting characters that make the thing read like a bullet (Will Lavender)
All stars
Most relevant
This one had a few more holes in the plot than previous Helen Grace books, which left me feeling a bit disappointed.

Not the best Helen Grace novel...

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This is the fourth book in the D.I. Helen Grace series and I am yet again impressed. M. J. Arlidge writes in such a jaw dropping, breathtaking way that he never fails to get you sucked into his story within a matter of words! You are missing out if you don't read this series, it is now one of my must-reads and I recommend it to everyone. Moreover, Elizabeth Bower is one of my favourite narrators by far, alongside Stephen Fry; She's a compelling woman to listen to.

Absolutely breathtaking

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Oh my word, how I'm lapping up all of the Helen Grace novels one by one. This particular tome, concerning a spate of arson attacks across Southampton is compelling, yet rather unbelievable at the same time. Wouldn't DI Grace's body have been destroyed by now after she's seriously assaulted by pretty much every one of her suspects? Also, is the sleepy south coast port turning into Midsomer County?

Anyhoo ... I think that I'll give the series a bit of a rest for now.

Liar Liar

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What made the experience of listening to Liar Liar the most enjoyable?

I think the narrator really brings these stories to life. You get a real sense for how the characters are feeling.

What did you like best about this story?

Slightly less gruesome than the earlier DI Grace stories, it's nice to see things taking a slightly different direction.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

None particularly stand out, I enjoyed it all!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

No - the book starts strongly and this continues throughout.

Any additional comments?

Can't wait until the next in the series!

When is the next due?

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Maybe I am just getting a bit tired of this series but I did not find this book as enjoyable as others from the same series.
There is too much "back story" - and I managed to be one step ahead of the narrative which is always a shame.
I find the narration irritating in the extreme - too much emphasis on the wrong word, too much interpretation in the phrasing. Others seems to really like it though so maybe it is just me.
Finally, I hadn't noticed this in the other books but there seem to be a lot of "big words" squeezed into the story for not reason - so much so that they really stood out to me when listening. Think I need a break from these now.........

not the best Helen Grace book

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