The Good Liar | Reviews

"In the field of mystery, women are excelling in all branches of the genre, from forensics to private eyes to kick-ass heroines to police procedurals. But we haven't had a top notch female thriller writer. Until now. Laura Caldwell's, The Good Liar is a massive achievement, in one novel, launching a woman right up there with the top thriller writers around... A complicated plot is handled with effortless skill and an adrenaline-drenched narrative never let's up. The story criss-crosses the globe without ever hitting a false note.  Switching from first person to third is one of the most difficult skills to do, but Laura Caldwell does it like a master.  The knowledge of weaponry and pharmaceuticals is astonishing... The final scenes in Rio are worthy of Forsythe at the very top of his game.  And the ending pages in the Dordogne have a poignancy and lyricism rarely encountered in a thriller.  The final line is true beauty. The next time you see the award nominations and the initials L.C,. it may not be Lee Child.  I'm banking it's Laura Caldwell. "
-Ken Bruen, award-winning author of American Skin and Priest

"Laura Caldwell's THE GOOD LIAR strikes like an assassin's bullet: sudden, swift, precise, deadly. Here is a taut international thriller certain to keep readers breathless and awake until the wee hours of the morning. Not to be missed."
-James Rollins, New York Times bestseller of BLACK ORDER and THE JUDAS STRAIN

"Caldwell's taut, enjoyable thriller hits the ground running, crafting a married-to-the-mob scenario that's believable and chilling, then taking the show around the world... Caldwell's plot moves smoothly, juggling a number of perspectives without losing steam."
-Publisher's Weekly

"Caldwell, best known for chick lit, including The Night I Got Lucky, now ventures into thriller territory. When Liza Kingsley set up her best friend, Kate Livingston, with Michael Waller, she never imagined they'd fall in love and marry within a matter of months. Liza and Michael share a secret: they're both members of the Trust, a covert operation founded by Liza's father to protect U.S. interests. Kate happily settles into her new marriage, but she can't help but notice strange things about her husband's life. Why is she forbidden to enter the private meeting rooms at his restaurant? Why is their house bugged? Liza is chasing down a mystery of her own: Who killed her former lover, a Russian journalist who was investigating the Russian mob? Filled with romance and intrigue,this thriller will both please Caldwell's fans and attract new readers."
-Booklist

"Red Hot. Don't let her chick lit beginnings fool you. Laura Caldwell's latest is an international thriller that just may put her in position to compete with the big boys..."I want to be the female James Patterson," Caldwell told me last week before jetting off to San Francisco for New Year's Eve. She's off to a pretty good start. Aside from the seven novels already under her belt -- including the latest, The Good Liar, out in mass market paperback this week -- she's currently working on a series of books centered around a sassy, red-headed, Chicago lawyer. (Write what you know, right?) The Good Liar is a cross between chick lit and spy novel, neither of which is high on my reading list. But I stand pleasantly surprised after reading Caldwell's book. It's a good read, with interesting characters and short, fast-paced chapters that keep the action moving....The action moves back and forth in time and place -- from Chicago, where Kate and Liza are from (they grew up in Evanston) to Miami, Russia, Brazil and Montreal, and all the way back to the Vietnam War, where Michael was an operative in the Phoenix Program, which was an actual top-secret government intelligence operation designed by the CIA in the '60s. Caldwell writes with as much authority in the Vietnam chapters as she does in the Chicago chapters... I wouldn't be surprised if the adventures of that sassy, red-headed, globe-trotting lawyer character started seeping into our consciousness -- like, say, Patterson's Alex Cross."
-Chicago Sun-Times

"Laura Caldwell has climbed the literary ladder right to the top of romantic suspense/thriller writers. She is a master at characterization and the multilevel plot is filled with near unbearable tension as the danger mounts. Nothing is as it seems in this exciting novel that kept me reading most of the night. Armchair Interviews says: You will love the climax of the story that is satisfying and totally unexpected."
-Armchair Interviews

"Laura Caldwell got her start in Chick-Lit, inched toward Romantic Suspense, and although The Good Liar oes revolve around a relationship, she has definitely crossed into the realm of espionage and international thriller. After a recent divorce, Kate Livingston didn't think she'd fall in love again so quickly. But when her friend Liza sets her up with a colleague, just to take her mind off her ex, they hit it off immediately and end up getting married. At first, the rush and spontaneity is romantic, but soon Kate realizes her husband isn't exactly who he seems, and neither is her friend. Another solid read, Caldwell kept me glued to my seat and flying through the pages, not letting up until the very end."
-The Chicago Contingent

"Anyone looking to curl with a good book and chase the winter blues or cabin fever away should grab a copy of Caldwell's, The Good Liar. Designed to be "entertaining and thoughtful and fun and thrillerish," The Good Liar is an easy-to-read thriller, filled with international intrigue and exploring the inner workings of an underground anti-terrorism organization while mixing in secrecy, suspense, trust, love, sex, and well-researched information."
-Pioneer Press

"We've always loved that Caldwell bases her books in Chicago, and The Good Liar is no exception. The thriller tells the tale of Kate Livingson, a local who marries her best friend's co-worker only to soon realize her husband and best friend are both in the "Trust", a secret group of American assassins."
-CS Magazine

"The Good Liar is a puzzle that Caldwell seems to have put together with ease. As each piece is revealed, the plot becomes more intricate and involved. A definite up-all-nighter and a must read for any thriller fan."
-Book Bitch.com

"This story is definitely a rollercoaster ride to the very end, containing twists and turns you will never expect. Kate Livingston and Liza Kingsley, best friends, are the operators and they take turns controlling this dangerous thrill ride, taking you to a French Canadian town called St. Marabel where Kate goes with her new husband Michael who isn't exactly who he appears to be. New suspicions arise, she finds herself actually investigating her own husband, but she doesn't know she may cause her friendship with Liza into a head-on collision that will go straight through the U.S., Russia, Canada, and Brazil and possibly back again until all the uncovered betrayals could cause the end of all of them. You will be gripping the edge of your seat until the end of the journey called 'The Good Liar' by Laura Caldwell."
-Book Cove Reviews

"A yummy read with snappy characters in exotic locales."
-Women of Mystery.net

"As [Kate] delves into [her husband's] mysterious dealings she becomes more and more aware that all is not as it seems, and that her new husband is a damn GOOD LIAR. But will the truth be their salvation as a couple or their death warrant? The Good Liar by Laura Caldwell is an exciting, twisting story that enthralls from the first page and doesn’t lose momentum until the last sentence is finished. The intensity the author displayed both with the characters and the entertaining plot makes this suspense stand out in its genre. "
-Romance Junkies

"Fast paced and an easy read."
-Book-A-Rama.com

"[An] engaging tense romantic suspense thriller... Readers will appreciate this non-stop, fast-paced tale."
-Book Review.com

"Well plotted and fast moving, this story engages the reader's interest and curiousity from the first page."
-Romantic Times (4 stars)

"[An]intense thriller... I really enjoyed this story, told seamlessly from several perspectives, carefully plotted to lead the reader to a powerful end. As always, the lure of greed and power can corrupt leaders and this book delivers a fine story that probably mirrors some essential truths about covert operations, especially in this time of terrorism. Not to be missed, you’ll be on the edge of your seat with this one and absolutely unable to put it down. Trust me, I lost sleep over this novel!"
-The Romance Reader's Connection

"The Good Liar is one of those stories in which it is not always possible to tell the good guys from the bad guys... Laura Caldwell has written a first-rate thriller, and she has capped it with an especially suspenseful ending that will have most readers reading the last few pages of The Good Liar as quickly as they can in order to ease the suspense. "
-Book Chase.com

"The Good Liar by Laura Caldwell is a fast-paced, international, jet-setting story about personal secrets. The first year of marriage can be surprising, but when you discover the man you married is not who you thought, it is enough to make any woman become a detective. Trying to uncover the real story, Kate goes on a personal journey that tests her strengths and gives us a great read. The characters are real, and the plot has enough turns to keep you guessing. ...this is Laura’s best. "
-24/8 Book Club