[ About Liar Liar ]
Once hailed as Liverpool’s finest detective, Mark Fletcher brought a serial killer to justice and earned the city’s admiration. But when he’s accused of working with Liverpool’s most notorious crime family, his legacy is shattered – and so is his life.
Now disgraced and spiralling, Fletcher wakes up in a hotel room with no memory of the last 24 hours… and a dead body beside him.
The evidence says he did it. His instincts say otherwise.
Hunted by the force he once served, Fletcher must uncover the truth – not just to clear his name, but to survive. Because someone wants him silenced, and they’ll stop at nothing to finish what they started…
[ My Review ]
Liar Liar by Luca Veste published June 4th with Avon and is described as a ‘gripping thriller where the hunter becomes the hunted – perfect for fans of dark twists, morally complex heroes, and relentless suspense.‘ Book 1 in The Liverpool Crime Series, Liar Liar sees Luca Veste make a return to his home city with this new series featuring detectives Jack Kirkham and Abs Hashem.
To say I inhaled this book would be an understatement. With my heart in my mouth I was completely immersed in this cat-and-mouse thriller set in the heart of Liverpool. Detectives Kirkham and Hashem are investigating the discovery of a body in the back garden of a house rented by a young mother and her kids. In the meantime Mark Fletcher, their suspended colleague and friend, wakes up in a strange hotel room next to a dead body with no memory of how he got there.
One of Liverpool’s notorious crime families is somehow linked with everything that happens in this city but proving it is a challenge. The Bonucci family are generous benefactors to the community and there are those who would do anything to keep their reputation ‘clean’. Mark Fletcher is in trouble. Already spiralling following a previous altercation with the Bonucci family, he has no idea how or why he has ended up in this precarious situation. He knows he is innocent but, with no proof, he goes rogue in search of the truth.
Kirkham and Hashem cut ties with Fletcher, following his suspension, in order to keep their own noses clean but there is an underlying guilt that they have abandoned their friend. When his name crops up in their investigation they are torn between helping their one-time partner or sacrificing their own reputation in the force.
As the body count increases, the press and public are hungry for the truth. Mark Fletcher is a man on the run but can he escape his past? Can he ever really return to the life he once he knew? And can Kirkham and Hashem navigate their challenging dilemma, while also doing their job as professional members of the force?
Liar Liar is a white-knuckle ride through the underbelly of the city of Liverpool. With a cast of nasty characters and a hero you will be morally swayed by, Luca Veste has written a gritty and relentless thriller of vengeance and violence that will shake you to the core. With, Book 2, Tell Tale, due for release in January 2027, Liar Liar is a stonking launchpad for a new crime fiction series. Highly recommend.
[Thank you Laura Sherlock & Avon for a copy of Liar Liar in exchange for my honest review]
[ Bio ]
Luca Veste is the internationally bestselling author of ten novels, including The Bone Keeper and the Murphy & Rossi series. He is the bass player in the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers band, co-host of the hit podcast Two Crime Writers and a Microphone, and the co-founder of the Locked Up Festival, which raised over £25,000 for the Trussell Trust charity.
He studied psychology and criminology at the University of Liverpool, and lives on Merseyside with his wife and two daughters.
{Photo ~ Ean Flanders Photography}
