A Suitable Lie by Michael Malone – Blog Tour Review.

About the Book

Andy Boyd thinks he is the luckiest man alive. Widowed with a young child, after his wife dies in childbirth, he is certain that he will never again experience true love. Then he meets Anna. Feisty, fun and beautiful, she’s his perfect match… And she loves his son, too. When Andy ends up in the hospital on his wedding night, he receives his first clue that Anna is not all that she seems. He ignores it; a dangerous mistake that could cost him everything. A brave, deeply moving psychological thriller which marks a stunning departure for one of Scotland’s top crime writers.

My Review

Well, another book that I have read this year that is incredibly hard hitting. Andy was left devastated by the death of his first wife and was over the moon when he met Anna and she agreed to become his wife and a mother to his young son. The joy was very short lived though and he soon realized how little he knew her.
The abuse that he received from his wife was horrific and at times I found it very difficult to read. I fluctuated between wanting to carry on reading to see what happened next and needing to put it down to relax. But alongside the abuse was the love shown to him by his family and friends. The relationship with his sons was something special to read. I didn’t find anything likeable about Anna, even before the abuse started there was something about her that made me uneasy.
It is difficult to accept that domestic abuse against a man was not taken seriously. Even though the book is set a few years ago I found myself questioning whether attitudes have changed. It’s a fascinating book to read, chilling, difficult to put down and at times difficult to read.
With thanks to Karen Sullivan for the copy received.