Collette McBeth – Steph's Book Blog

About The Book

A new standalone psychological thriller from Colette McBeth, whose dark, twisty and hugely compelling novels are beloved of writers like Paula Hawkins, Clare Mackintosh and Marian Keyes.

You could say it started with vanity. We believed we were special. But the truth is we were simply vulnerable.

Months after landing their dream job, five brilliant young minds are sent on a remote retreat.

But when one of them disappears, they’re forced to question why they were brought there in the first place.

And for the first time in their lives, they realise too much knowledge can be deadly . . .

One of them is lying.
One of them is guilty.
No one is safe.

My Review

With thanks to the publisher for the copy received. Call Me A Liar is a wonderfully twisted novel that really kept me on my toes. Libby, is in relationship with Joe and they have both just graduated from university. She is thrilled, when Joe helps her get a position with a new firm alongside him and three others. One of these is Tess, who Libby has a fractured relationship with straight away. As the pressure increases at work, and Libby struggles with Tess more it isn’t long before things start to fall apart.

And it is here where the twists start. With multiple narrators, particularly in part two, my thoughts changed constantly. I had no idea who, if any, could be trusted. There were times that I wasn’t sure who I liked, had any sympathy for or whether they all deserved everything that was coming to them.

Some of the technology went over my head but I didn’t care. All I needed to know was who was behind everything and would I be at any stage correct in my analysis of the characters. There were some I liked, some I hated as soon as they appeared but I can’t say who. This is a novel where everybody will have a different opinion about each of the characters and I have no doubt that there will be others like me. Who liked, loathed, seethed, and cheered at the finale. Brilliantly done.

About the Book

These are the facts I collect.
My son Gabriel met a woman called Mariela in a bar. She went home with him. They next morning she was found in an allotment.
Mariela is dead.
Gabriel has been asked to report to Camden Police station in six hours for questioning
Linda Moscow loves her son; it’s her biological instinct to keep him safe. But if she’s not sure of his innocence, how can she stand by him? Should she go against everything she believes in to protect him?
She’s done it before, and the guilt nearly killed her.

My Review

I didn’t really know what to expect when starting this book but I certainly didn’t expect it to be as fast paced as it was.
We have a disgraced politician, and her son who is a successful comedian. From the beginning, you are aware that their relationship is fractured. With the narrative switching between them, the reasons become clear. I found it quite difficult to like and understand either of them, its only much further into the novel that you become aware of everything has happened since Gabriel was a child.
Whilst I didn’t warm to either of these two immediately, there were three characters I liked instantly. These were Charlie, whose story was heartbreaking, Emily Lune and her husband Tom. Emily and Tom only appear towards the end but they were a welcome addition to a novel that contains some loathsome characters. The characters who appeared in the novel were fictionalized, but far too often you see the real version on our news.
As I said at the start of my review, the novel is fast paced. The narrative switches between most of the characters over many years. Some of the narration seems to be repeated but is from a different point of view. Especially when it involved Linda and Gabriel so the reader can see how their relationship suffered.
A great book, especially for a holiday. Just a little exhausting.
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received.