In the latest novel from New York Times bestselling author Linwood Barclay, a teacher’s act of heroism inadvertently makes him the target of a dangerous blackmailer who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
How would you react in a life-or-death situation?
It’s a question everyone asks themselves, but few have to face in real life. English teacher Richard Boyle certainly never thought he would find himself talking down a former student intent on harming others, but when Mark LeDrew shows up at Richard’s school with a bomb strapped to his chest, Richard immediately jumps into action. Thanks to some quick thinking, he averts a major tragedy and is hailed as a hero, but not all the attention focused on him is positive.
Richard’s brief moment in the spotlight puts him in the sights of a deranged blackmailer with a score to settle. The situation rapidly spirals out of control, drawing Richard into a fraught web of salacious accusations and deadly secrets. As he tries to uncover the truth he discovers that there’s something deeply wrong in the town—something that ties together Mark, the blackmailer, and a gang of ruthless drug dealers, and Richard has landed smack in the middle of it. He’s desperate to find a way out, but everyone in his life seems to be hiding something, and trusting the wrong person could cost him everything he loves.
What price will he pay for one good deed?
“A vein of humor runs through The Lie Maker, lightening the mood of a menacing tale…It takes a gifted writer to perfectly balance all the suspense, wit, violence and poignance in a book such as this. Lucky for us, Mr. Barclay is one of the best in the business.” — Wall Street Journal
“Barclay (Look Both Ways) nails this riveting standalone thriller about a washed-up writer’s search for his long-lost parent… Barclay expertly knits the strands together and constructs a fully realized everyman in Givins. Crafty plotting and rich characters make this a winner.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Lie Maker
"[The Lie Maker] is filled with such imaginative plot twists and turns that it becomes physically impossible to put the book down at any point.... It is easily one of the best thrillers of 2023!" — Bookreporter.com
"The latest thriller from Barclay asks the reader to accept a slightly out-there premise but delivers a tightly plotted, surprising novel that winds up explaining why the premise wasn’t really so out-there at all. It’s the kind of thriller Barclay does so well: a story that constantly changes direction and forces readers to reconsider their notions of what the book is actually about. We soon find, when reading Barclay, that it’s better simply to put ourselves in the author’s hands and enjoy the ride, because trying to guess what’s going to happen is a fruitless exercise." — Booklist on The Lie Maker
““Relentless…Barclay does a bang-up job of mixing and matching characters and plotlines and building suspense...Barclay’s latest is a fun ride…with dips and swerves that should delight his fans.” — Kirkus Reviews on The Lie Maker
?"A twisty tale of skullduggery....[Barclay is] a pro." — Library Journal on The Lie Maker
