Tuesday, April 3, 2018

All the Beautiful Lies - Peter Swanson

I would pick up All the Beautiful Lies on the cover alone - but it's Peter Swanson's writing and plotting that is the real draw for me.

When Harry's father Bill dies, he travels back to Maine to the home Bill shared with his second wife Alice. Harry doesn't know Alice very well, but he feels obligated to stay with her right now. He does find Alice - and her behaviour - a bit unsettling. When the police reveal that Bill's death was not an accident, his unease increases....

All the Beautiful Lies unfolds in a then and now timeline. We get to to know Alice from her childhood through to current day. No spoilers, but there are reasons she makes Harry uneasy. Her chapters were decidedly unsettling. There is another 'past' POV from someone in Alice's life that adds much to why and who Alice is. Again, I don't want to reveal too much. The present is the investigation into Bill's death and Harry's POV.

Oh, Swanson is a master of manipulating the reader. Just when you think you have things figured out, the story takes a sharp left. I honestly didn't see the first turn coming - or the ending twist. Another great read from Swanson. Here's an excerpt. (Gentle readers may find parts of this book disturbing.)

5 comments:

bermudaonion said...

I need to pick this up soon - I love his work!

Luanne said...

Me too!

Kay said...

Yours is the second review I've read of this one. I liked the previous two so very much. Have you read his first book - the clock one?

Dianna said...

I've read 2 books by Peter Swanson and really liked them. This one is already on my TBR!

Luanne said...

Kay - The clock one is sitting on my bookshelf waiting. But I've read the other two and loved them.

Dianna - he's a great storyteller isn't he?!