Amazon.com: Customer reviews: The Good Liar: A Novel

Top positive review

Reading The Good Liar is watching an artist create a masterpiece

Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2016

Reading The Good Liar is a bit like watching an artist create a masterpiece - at first you wonder how all the colours will work together and then somehow the paint flows together to reveal an amazing image. The story is at first a little complex and you wonder what the relationship is between the characters that Searle develops. As such, the first half of the book was a bit of hard work in bits and the confusion of each character affects the pace. As the story develops however what is revealed is intriguing.

I found myself captivated as layers were removed, dots joined and the truth revealed. Disappointingly once it was over I felt a little hollow and that the ending was a tad weak after the build up to such a phenomenal climax, but all in all I can definitely recommend this book. I'd read Joseph Kanon's "Leaving Berlin" earlier this year, and while different in their approaches, the fact that both draw on WWII Berlin was not the only similarity, each story having strong characters and a compelling conclusion.

4 people found this helpful

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David

Are there no Editors?

Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2020

I do not recall any other novel that requires so much work to read. Skillful editors would have purged about twenty-five percent of this book and eliminated thousands of adjectives. Several chapters still remain a mystery for me, no idea what they were supposed to mean or why they were there. I generally avoid stories about dishonorable characters and I could have lived without ever meeting Roy. Only at the end did Betty's goodness remind me of the necessity of ying and yang. Where there is corruption, there is also goodness. Just about half way through I began to gather the clues and imagine the ending. I am still wondering what the final few paragraphs contribute to the ending. Read it only if you realize that you are taking on a lot of work.

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From the United States

James Howe

Reading The Good Liar is watching an artist create a masterpiece

Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2016

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4 people found this helpful

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nom de plume

Prepare to Stay Up Late Reading This Book

Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2019

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The book kept me reading much too late at night it was so good. I can't wait to see the movie and see how they could make a movie out of a book with such a complex structure.

The 'explanation' at the end of the book was not particularly satisfying, but the lead up to it was terrific. I wondered through every chapter how this was going to come together. No spoilers here, just read the book and be entertained by a very good new writer.

I rarely give a book 5 stars as so many new books merely re-write the same story concept. I'm so tired of the genre's of cleaning out grandpa/grandma's stuff and discovering a hidden secret that drives the rest of the narrative; or a brave woman who secretly fought the Nazis; or the woman who is the unreliable narrator, a drunk, drug addict or some other psychological disability or.... The Good Liar was a new story - actually in an old style. The Spanish Prisoner comes to mind. I was thoroughly entertained.

6 people found this helpful

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J. C. In CT

Nicely Twisty Tale of Good vs Evil

Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2019

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I hesitate to give five estars but don't have a reason other than having been able to see what was coming. Could not put it down! Well written and I loved all the little details about finding people. My sister and I love to HATE Nazis and study WWII as a hobby. Hard to review a book without spoilers so I'll just say one didn't need to be a Nazi or a Jew to experience the inhumanity of evil untethered. A good lesson in the blowback of Nazi thinking. Nothing so satisfying as bad vs good and maybe some revenge! I
I will happily read Mr. Seattle's next one!

17 people found this helpful

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Courtney

Well Written, Suspenseful & Unique Tale

Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2019

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I enjoyed this very much. A very well executed tale with a unique premise. The main character is a man of much coldness and laser focus. A rather frightening individual who has no scruples when it comes to cheating others, even friends, out of their fortunes. This book veers from the past to the present -- going back in time to Nazi-era Germany, and to present day U.K. Very enjoyable with a few tantalizing twists that weren't expected. Not trying to be vague, but I don't want to give anything away. I will seek out more by this author.

20 people found this helpful

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David

Are there no Editors?

Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2020

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One person found this helpful

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PAG

Good Read!

Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2020

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This was well written and characters well developed to the point you knew them. It took me a while to get used to the 'different time, different place' at the start of the next paragraph but it did keep me on my toes. For those who read crime novels regularly, I found myself leaning towards what was going to happen but it was still interesting and enjoyable.

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M.R. Fulton

Good story; surprising twist.

Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2020

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My husband and I saw the movie and greatly enjoyed the plot. We got this book for my elderly mother (who couldn’t get out to see the movie) & she actually read it twice looking for clues she may have missed first time around. Also, the references to WWII Germany were interesting to us because mom spent time there as a member of the Women’s Army Corp. Definitely a good story with a twist.

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Music Man

The Good Liar: A great novel

Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2017

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By the time I was done reading ( 2nd day), I really enjoyed this book. It started a little slow. Those looking for a fast pace thriller may be disappointed.
I would described this book as a historical, psychological novel with twists. For a first novel, I found the plot and development of same to be very sophisticated. More than any page turner I have read recently I find myself reflecting on the manner in which the author developed the 2 main characters, providing insight into the eventual outcome. I almost fell out of my chair when I figured it out ( well before the end ). Wow!
I was never one for English class - but I would love to write the Clifotes version for this.

30 people found this helpful

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Jennifer

So so so so much better than the movie

Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2020

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The headline I chose is almost always true, but this is such a dramatic example of this “rule of thumb.”

I saw the movie first and found the acting brilliant but the characters and story line to be inconsistent and illogical.

The book has so many layers and builds to a crescendo and the characters’ basic personalities remain fundamentally consistent as they develop over time. The denouement, which was baffling in the movie, was gorgeously orchestrated in the book.

Read this book and skip the movie (though picturing Helen Mirren and Ian Kellan in the roles while reading is rather perfect).

The audiobook narrator was very good too.

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Linda Mae Hewitt

Intersecting lives.

Reviewed in the United States on February 29, 2020

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This was an interesting book to read! In the beginning I wasn't sure where it was going but as I got further into the story, all the intersecting lives started to pull together and make more sense. This is a story written in a unique style to tell a tale of how our history makes us what we eventually become.

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