Book Review: The Lie Maker by Linwood Barclay

My Review: 3.5⭐

Jack Givins, a thirty-four-year-old author, is offered a lucrative opportunity with the U.S. Marshals Service to create false histories for those being placed in WITSEC. Though he has had moderate success with his first two books, there seem to be no takers for his third, according to his agent. So when his agents present this offer, not only does Jack see this as an opportunity to earn some money and improve his financial situation but also establish connections to help him trace his father, who was placed in witness protection when was nine years old, leaving him with his mother who refused to enter WITSEC with her husband. Jack who didn't know much about his father’s criminal ties or circumstances that resulted in his father being forced to leave his family, hopes to convince his new contacts into sharing the details of his father’s file and his current whereabouts.

Jack’s new assignment requires he maintain secrecy and not discuss his work with anyone . His girlfriend Lana, who is a reporter, is curious and tries to uncover details of Jack’s new assignment. Seemingly unrelated, Lana is also busy looking into two separate incidents of the disappearance and subsequent deaths of a retired judge and a surgeon of a local hospital, initially presumed to be suicides but the circumstances of their deaths indicate otherwise. As the narrative progresses, it becomes evident there are people from Jack’s father’s past who are still looking for him and will leave no stone unturned in an effort to find him, placing Jack and everyone close to him in danger.

The Lie Maker by Linwood Barclay is a suspenseful thriller with an intriguing premise that kept me engaged till the very end. Plenty of red herrings and twists made for an interesting read. I did like the main characters, the pacing (medium-paced), and the plot structure. I can’t call the plot particularly complex or completely unpredictable, but I did enjoy the build–up and felt the final reveal was well-executed. This is my second Linwood Barclay novel and while I can’t say that I liked this one as much as Take Your Breath Away , it was an enjoyable read.