The Good Liar

It's been a year since an explosion rocked a Chicago building killing more than 500 people on Oct 10 at 10 AM. Now, Teo is working on a documentary to bring to light the affect the explosion had on the lives of the family members of the victims. Cecelia lost her husband Tom but barely survived herself. She is trying to do what's best for her family but is thrown into the limelight because of a picture of her taken by Teo on the day of explosion that went viral. She is trying to use this fame to bring positivity to other people's lives and help them get compensation. Kaitlin is trying to build a new life for herself in Canada but is unable to escape the memories of her last. Franny is trying to reconcile finally meeting her biological mom with the fact that she died soon after in the explosion. The story follows these three women in how they are handling the aftermath of the tragedy and slowly, we begin to see the secrets unfold.

None of the three women are your typical heroines. They have their flaws which got on my nerves quite a bit but they also have their redeeming qualities. That's why these women seem quite real. The writing is very fast paced and I almost finished the book in a single setting. It was kinda easy to guess the ending (or the beginning), which I did halfway through the book, but the why of it was very unexpected. I really couldn't believe the events that unfolded in the last third of the book. And what can I say about the epilogue; it was EXPLOSIVE!!!! And then the book was over..... I really longed for a little bit more; just enough to know what happened to the characters next. This is a wonderful mystery for all like-minded readers and I can assure you, it will not disappoint you.

PS – Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

More twists and turns than a daytime Soap Opera!

Cecily has seen her life torn apart twice in the space of less than a year. On the outside she exhibits a strong personality, but inside she is quaking as she hides the secrets of the past couple of years. Fanny is just wanting to help families of the victims, but she seems to be driven by something that no one can really understand, and Kaitlyn just wants to run away from her life and start over somewhere... These three women, their lives pulled together by tragedy. Kaitlyn can't take much more of her “perfect life” and the explosion in her office building gives her the perfect chance to run. Franny seems to have a heart of gold, but under that exterior the cracks are beginning to show and the madness that is trapped within is about to spill over. Cecily just wants to move on, but she is stuck in the persona as the face of the Triple Ten.

As we see the story unfold, each of these women are trying to overcome the hardships of their past lives. They want something better, and they want to just live their lives. But each of them carry a secret so large that one secret alone could sink the Titanic. Kaitlyn has run away to start a new life in Canada, leaving her family to believe that she died in the explosion. She missed her daughters, but she has convinced herself that they were more her husbands daughters anyway.
Cecily knew her husband was cheating, he sent her the texts by mistake. She never knew who he was cheating with, but to find out while shopping for their anniversary trip - it put a damper on the entire weekend. He confessed to the affair, and then asked if their family was ruined. She was so devastated by his betrayal, she never thought about the affect it would have on their children. She keeps the secret, leading their children to believe that everything is fine and normal. But on the day set to make some huge changes - their lives are literally blown to pieces. She has to act as though everything was fine and pick up the bits and pieces the best she can. Her children deserve to have their father remembered in a good way.
Franny wants to help, but her claims of who she really is stumps Cecily. She never knew that her best friend carried a secret with her, she never confided in her about it. But as the pieces of Franny's life begin to unfold in the documentary that is being filmed about the event, questions arise as to her real identity, and what she is truly after.
As the story unfolds, so do the real motives, and the secrets are laid bare for all to see....


Oh my goodness! Get this book and prepare for book hangover central! There are so many twists, plot developments and more! This book kept me engaged from page one, and I had a really hard time putting it down (why does real life have to get in the way??). Catherine McKenzie weaves a masterful story, and keeps you guessing most of the way through! Don't start this book before bed!

What A Ride. Let's put it this way: I finished this 41 chapter book in less than 24 hours. The summary had intrigued me, and the story itself didn't let me down. I was 20% through the book without realizing it and felt like I had barely scratched the surface (and at that point, knowing what I do now, you really have barely scratched the surface). Easily one of the best of the now 25 books I've read in 2018, which is saying quite a bit.