★ 04/26/2021
This excellent standalone from the pseudonymous French (House of Correction ) opens as London furniture restorer Ellie Falkner learns that her husband, Greg Manning, has died in a car crash that also killed his female passenger, married party planner Milena Livingstone, who’s unknown to Ellie and Greg’s friends, family, and colleagues. Others conclude he was having an affair, but Ellie needs to know for sure. When she stops by Milena’s offices hoping to glean more information, Ellie impulsively introduces herself to the firm’s co-owner, Frances Shaw, as a casual acquaintance of Milena’s, Gwen Abbott (actually the name of a friend) and offers to help. Shaw soon trusts “Gwen” to be alone in the office. Though her search of Milena’s papers and emails neither proves nor disproves Greg’s fidelity, it suggests the car crash was no accident. Obsessed, embroiled in deception, and unable to move forward, Ellie may destroy her own life before she understands Greg’s. Taut prose and psychological insight make Ellie’s quest both moving and suspenseful. French, the husband-and-wife team of Nicci Gerrard and Sean French, doesn’t disappoint. Agent: Joy Harris, Joy Harris Literary. (June)
Crisply written, intelligently plotted and has plenty to say about the necessary selfishness of grief.” — The Guardian
"Razor-sharp writing by French expertly amps the tension." — People on The Lying Room
“An ingenious twist on the locked-room mystery. French continues to impress.” — Publishers Weekly on House of Correction
“Attention, fans of Tana French and Ruth Ware: meet your new obsession . . . The Lying Room ranks among French’s very best, a thriller as combustible as gunpowder, as propulsive as a jet engine. Psychological suspense at its brightest and most blazing.” — A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window
“This well-written, psychological thriller has a gripping plot that will satisfy fans of Val McDermid and Sharon J. Bolton.” — Library Journal
“[If you] are drawn to excellent psychological suspense . . . this is a book for your 'must list.'” — Popular Culture Association
"Such an enjoyable ride." — Culteress
"An enthralling and addicting novel . . . Longtime fans of French will find their high expectations rewarded, while newcomers will be motivated to explore the author’s backlist. I envy their discovery." — Book Reporter
[If you] are drawn to excellent psychological suspense . . . this is a book for your 'must list.'
Popular Culture Association
Attention, fans of Tana French and Ruth Ware: meet your new obsession . . . The Lying Room ranks among French’s very best, a thriller as combustible as gunpowder, as propulsive as a jet engine. Psychological suspense at its brightest and most blazing.
"An enthralling and addicting novel . . . Longtime fans of French will find their high expectations rewarded, while newcomers will be motivated to explore the author’s backlist. I envy their discovery."
"Razor-sharp writing by French expertly amps the tension."
"Such an enjoyable ride."
Crisply written, intelligently plotted and has plenty to say about the necessary selfishness of grief.”
"Razor-sharp writing by French expertly amps the tension."
null People on The Lying Room
"Razor-sharp writing by French expertly amps the tension."
Narrator Tania Rodrigues's wistful inflection enhances the sorrow and tumult in French's latest mystery. When Ellie's husband is found dead with another woman in his vehicle, the scandal and grieving process leave her questioning everything about her life and the man she loved. While everyone around her believes it was an affair and a car crash, Ellie is certain that foul play was involved, and she takes increasingly dangerous risks to uncover the truth. Rodrigues's in-depth character portrayals are well matched to a wide cast of characters with conflicting motives to hide their secrets and scandals from Ellie. Gradual pacing teases out tense moments and uncomfortable confrontations, building the stakes to a jarring conclusion. K.S.B. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Narrator Tania Rodrigues's wistful inflection enhances the sorrow and tumult in French's latest mystery. When Ellie's husband is found dead with another woman in his vehicle, the scandal and grieving process leave her questioning everything about her life and the man she loved. While everyone around her believes it was an affair and a car crash, Ellie is certain that foul play was involved, and she takes increasingly dangerous risks to uncover the truth. Rodrigues's in-depth character portrayals are well matched to a wide cast of characters with conflicting motives to hide their secrets and scandals from Ellie. Gradual pacing teases out tense moments and uncomfortable confrontations, building the stakes to a jarring conclusion. K.S.B. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
