Lie Beside Me by Gytha Lodge

Published : 18th February 2021

Publisher : PenguinMichaelJoseph

Format : Kindle, Audio, Hardback

Genre : Crime

Review #19/2021

{ 𝐚𝐝: 𝐩𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 / 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐜 }

* All words highlighted in Grey are affiliate links to either purchase from a range of sellers or links to the authors sites. Where ever possible I will try and provide different versions of the book on all purchase sites.

Synopsis

You wake up.

You can't remember what happened.

The man lying next to you is not your husband.

And he's not breathing . . .

Louise wakes up. Her head aches, her mouth is dry, her memory is fuzzy. But she suspects she's done something bad.

She rolls over towards her husband, Niall. The man who, until recently, made her feel loved.

But it's not Niall who's lying beside her. In fact, she's never seen this man before.

And he's dead . . .

As Louise desperately struggles to piece her memories back together, it's clear to Detective Jonah Sheens and his team that she is their prime suspect - though they soon find she's not the only one with something to hide.

Did she do it? And, if not, can they catch the real killer before they strike again?

Thank you Ella @PenguinMichaelJoseph for this advanced copy

My Review

Told from multiple narratives, the story opens with Louise. She wakes after a girlie night in with her best friend and plenty of wine to discover a strange man, covered in blood lying where her husband should be. Unfortunately she has also woken up with a hangover so has no clue what happened the night before.

In a blur Louise moves the body to the front lawn and clears up the mess, then calls the police.

Louise and her husband Niall's seemingly perfect lifestyle is not entirely the case. She accuses him of being controlling and manipulative whilst the neighbours, when questioned about the dead body next door are quick to say they don't know how he puts up with her.

You are left constantly wondering who is telling the truth, What is Niall hiding and is Louise innocent.

Thrown into the plot is April, Louise's best friend. She was with her the night before and is clearly involved but its unclear whether she knows all of what's happened or if she has just been caught up in it all trying to protect her best friend. A strange letter that Louise receives certainly makes things more mysterious.

We also hear from detective Juliette Hanson, she has been assigned to the case but as well as trying to save this complicated murder she also has to deal with her own issues with her controlling ex.

"Somewhere along the line, I began to imagine I really was a new person.

A bubblier, sexier, better Louise.I started to feel like I was watching this better person interact, and the loss of control wasn't terrifying, like I'd expected. It was liberating."

The best part of this story was the flashbacks to Louise when she was younger, how she moulded herself to become who she is. I found that a little relatable and very intriguing.

This is the third one in this series, I haven't read the first two but did not find that this impacted my reading in any way.

Why I Loved It

I loved how I never could work out who was telling the truth between Louise ands Niall, there marriage clearly wasn't the facade they was putting on but it was like collecting bread crumbs to lead me to the final conclusion. I also loved how the life of the detective was woven throughout, added to that controlling relationship vibe that I felt Louise was caught up in, but couldnt quite decide for sure.

If you love a suspense read then this is most definitely for you.

Rating

★★★★★

Buy from

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Meet the author

Gytha Lodge is a multi-award-winning playwright, novelist and writer for video games and screen. She is also a single parent who blogs about the ridiculousness of bringing up a mega-nerd small boy.

She has a profound addiction to tea, crosswords and awful puns. She studied English at Cambridge, where she became known quite quickly for her brand of twisty, dark yet entertaining drama. She later took the Creative Writing MA at UEA.

Her debut crime novel, She Lies in Wait, has been published by Penguin Random House in the US and UK, and has also been translated into 12 other languages. It became an international bestseller in 2019, and was a Richard and Judy book club pick, as well as a Sunday Times and New York Times crime pick.

Lie Beside Me, is her third novel.