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Writer's pictureGemma

The Liar in the Library by Simon Brett

Updated: Sep 5, 2019

★★★

SYNOPSIS

When an author event at the local library ends in murder, Jude finds herself a suspect in the waspishly witty new Fethering mystery.

Having been booked to give a talk at Fethering Library, successful author Burton St Clair invites his old friend Jude to come along. Although they haven?t met for twenty years, Jude is not surprised to find that St Clair hasn?t changed, with his towering ego and somewhat shaky relationship with the truth. What Jude hadn?t been suspecting however was that the evening would end in sudden, violent death.

More worrying, from Jude's point of view, is the fact that the investigating police officers seem to be convinced that she herself was responsible for the crime. With the evidence stacking up against her, Jude enlists the help of her neighbour Carole not just to solve the murder but to prevent herself from being arrested for committing it.


(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

 

My Thoughts:

Although this was book number 18 in the series this book can be read as a stand alone.


This was an easy read about a small village in Fetherington and two elderly sleuths who find themselves trying to solve a murder. The characters were all quite endearing and I could picture them in their cosy homes trying to piece together the witness statements in order to try and clear one of their names from the list of prime suspects.


Reading this book was likened, in my opinion, to watching an episode of 'Midsomer Murders'. It was a pleasant read, humorous in places and one you didn't have to think too hard about.



Things I loved about the book:

  • The Characters: All the characters in this book with the exception of a couple are all over the age of 50 and I loved this. It is quite rare to find a book where the characters are of the older generation. For me this added to my enjoyment of the book. I instantly warmed to the characters and could see why this is book number 18. I would be tempted to read another book in this series just to read about Jude and Carole again.

  • Easy Read: It took no time at all for me to fully immerse myself into this novel and feel at home with the writing style, plot development and characterisation. The chapters were short and precise and allowed me to sail through this book quickly.

  • Murder Mystery: I love a good thriller or mystery book so for me this added to my enjoyment. Although this wasn't the usual book in this genre that I would lean towards I found it entertaining, kept me guessing and was wrapped up quickly. There is nothing worse than being dragged along and having to wait for the final resolution.

  • Imagery: Although I didn't think this book was over descriptive I definitely got a good feel of the setting and characters. Like I mentioned above it was like watching a TV programme in my mind as I read through the chapters, this was something I really enjoyed.


I would definitely recommend this book to all those who love watching murder mystery series on television and anyone after a quick read. I will be keeping my eyes peeled for more Simon Brett books.


Thank you to Netgalley and Black Thorn publishers for my copy of The Liar in the Library.


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