2024 Reading Challenge

2024 Reading Challenge
Jill Elizabeth has read 1 book toward her goal of 285 books.
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2023 Reading Challenge

2023 Reading Challenge
Jill Elizabeth has read 5 books toward her goal of 265 books.
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Book Review: Liar City by Allie Therin

About the Book

It’s the middle of the night when part-time police consultant and full-time empath Reece gets an anonymous call warning him that his detective sister needs his help. At an out-of-the-way Seattle marina, he discovers that three people have been butchered—including the author of the country’s strictest anti-empathy bill, which is just days from being passed into law.

Soon, Reece’s caller arrives: a shadowy government agent known as The Dead Man, who is rumored to deal exclusively in cases involving empathy. He immediately takes over the investigation, locking out both local PD and the FBI, but, strangely, keeps Reece by his side.

As the two track an ever-growing trail of violence and destruction across Seattle, Reece must navigate a scared and angry city, an irritating attraction to his mysterious agent companion, and a rising fear that perhaps empaths like him aren’t all flight and no fight after all…

My Review

What a magnificent and original tale this was! I’ve only read Therin’s work once before (Spellbound) and quite enjoyed it, but even that enjoyment didn’t prepare me for the absolute magic that was Liar City. This is a fantastic story – and I mean that in all senses of the word. The writing is excellent. The pacing is perfect. The suspense and layers of deception are masterfully crafted. But as good as all those things are, they pale next to the absolute perfection that is the characterizations.

Wow. Just, wow.

Therin has created a set of people that are so real they jump off the pages. They are damaged yet powerful, fearful yet still fighting everything thrown at them (and there’s a LOT thrown at them). The concept of the empath that she lays out is multi-faceted and emotionally complex in a way that resonates. There is humor (mostly dark but with occasional bursts of light), genuine emotion, suspense, deception, action – everything you need for a marvelous series kick-off.

I cannot wait for the next installment and will be first in line to download/read it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.

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