Oh, and another present-tense narrative. Sigh. And my opinion hasn't changed. It still does not work. One star knocked off.

This is one of those thrillers where the two main protagonists know what's going on, but the reader doesn't. Which is tedious and tries your patience. That said, it is compelling.

Susanna Fenton is a counsellor and single parent to teenager Emily. She has spent fourteen years with a new identity, but when Adam goes to see her for an 'appointment', it's a consultation like no other. He seems to know an awful lot about her, her past and worse…Emily.

It's quite addictive at first because what does Adam want from Susanna, how does he know her, of her and what is his interest in Emily? But then it gets very overplayed. The reasons for Susanna's dramatic change of life and the reasons for Adam's taunting are underwhelming, if I'm honest. Neither is guilty of anything very much other than being victims of tragedy. I suppose it's a testament to the quality of writing that you are nonetheless enthralled by the unfurling of the past, what Adam wants from Susanna and if Emily is in any danger.

The strangulating present-tense narrative means the past, in order for the present-day events to make any sense, has to be revealed via Susanna's memories and Emily's diary, which is all a bit contrived and clumsy.

Notwithstanding the clunkiness, ghastly present tense, few characters that are actually likeable and the painfully slow reveal, you do find yourself unwittingly caught up in the tension and suspense. ( )

I was fortunate enough to receive an advance copy of The Liar's Room from First to Read, and I really enjoyed the book. This was the 3rd book of Lelic's for me, and while I don't think it was good as the other 2 I've read, it was definitely worth reading and hard to put down. The story takes many twists and turns, and the format of the writing lends itself really well to that. By combining typical writing with diary entries and letters, Lelic is able to tell many stories at the same time and interweave them all perfectly.

I will say it's lacking in the "get under you skin" factor that other books of his have, and for me, that was really the only thing I was disappointed in. The story is good, the writing is great - it just wasn't as disturbing as I hoped it would be. I also wasn't a big fan of the ending - everything seemed too tidy for my liking. But even still, I liked it enough to recommend it. ( )

The Liar's Room by Simon Lelic is a suspenseful mystery with a unique premise.

Susanna Fenton is a counselor with a secret past. Her newest client Adam Geraghty seems to be a little bit familiar to her but she cannot put her finger on why. It also quickly becomes apparent he has some sort of agenda for booking his session with her. Susanna is shocked when he begins revealing details about her former life. She is even more frightened it becomes clear that Adam also knows more than he should about her personal life in the present. How does Adam know so much about Susanna? More importantly, what does Adam want from her and how can Susanna save herself and her daughter, Emily?

Following a very public scandal and personal tragedy eighteen years ago, Susanna walked away from her old life and reinvented herself. She is friends with the dentist with whom she shares office space, but she does not share any information about herself. Susanna does not dwell on what happened in the past, but Adam gives her no choice but to tell him about what happened eighteen years earlier.

The story unfolds over the course of a few hours and takes place in Susanna's office. Susanna's past is revealed through a series of flashbacks and letters. Emily's diary entries in the present show how Adam insinuated himself into their life. Susanna is an unwilling participant in the drama taking place in her office, but her fears for Emily's safety compel her comply with Adam's demands.

Although a little slow paced, The Liar's Room is a very compelling mystery. Susanna's fear and guilt are palpable as she tells Adam what he wants to know. Adam's unpredictable reactions and overall behavior keep Susanna and readers on edge throughout the story. Although some of the plot twists are not a complete surprise, Simon Lelic brings the novel to a somewhat unexpected conclusion. A clever mystery that I enjoyed and recommend to fans of the genre.
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Susanna Fenton has done very well for herself. Fourteen years ago started a new life. She is now a therapist and also has a teenaged daughter, Emily. Reinventing herself was an absolute necessity if she planned on keeping Emily safe. Is it all about to come crashing down?

Adam Geraghty is a man with an agenda. When he meets his new therapist Susanna for the first time he has some bombs to drop. He is certainly not there for a listening ear. Adam has a series of questions that he poses to Susanna. The deeper the questions, the more unnerved Susanna becomes. At first glance, Adam seemed oddly familiar to Susan, although she had never seen him before. As they talk, Susanna's carefully-crafted life apparently falls apart right in front of her very eyes.

The crux of the matter? Eventually Emily's picture and her voice on a cell phone destroy the very fiber of Susanna's being. Susanna doesn't know where Emily is. Adam does. And he is not about to make anything easy for her.

The Liar's Room is a drama-filled story that is slowly unfolded by bringing the past and the present together. All Susanna wants to know is whether or not Emily is safe. She will do anything to do what she can to protect Susan, but she quickly realizes that she must ask Adam precisely the right questions. We learn quite a bit about Susanna, Adam and Emily, and how the latter two met. What is revealed is utterly shocking and extremely disconcerting.

This was a very tense read! Where was Emily??? What would the end result be? Why did Susanna start a life over again, keeping her past a secret? All of this was revealed and I was definitely kept guessing throughout. The conclusion came rather fast and was a bit surprising, if not a bit fantastical. However, the fact that I could not put it all together. What made this book work for me was that not only had Adam completely unnerved Susanna, I was as well. It goes without saying that it ended up being questionable who was the biggest liar, Susanna or Adam.

I am glad to say that I enjoyed this book. I am definitely interested in reading Simon Lelic again in the future.

Many thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and to First to Read for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Please see all of my reviews on my blog at www.robinlovesreading.com. ( )

I personally thought this book went on a bit too long. If it had been edited to remove about 50 pages, I think the book would have been more edgy and better.
The premise is that Susanna is a counselor, with a daughter, Emily. Emily meets Adam, and falls for him. Adam then becomes a patient of Susanna, and makes her recount the story of her son, Jake, who is dead.
Many secrets are revealed during this counseling session, and lies are told and revealed.
The premise of the story is good, I just think it dragged on a bit too long.

#TheLiarsRoom #SimonLelic ( )