Colette McBeth

I have read one of Colette McBeth's books before so I picked up this book based purely on the author's talent. This dark and dangerous tale certainly kept me riveted as when you get told that 'one of them is lying', you don't know who to believe. There was steam coming off my internal lie-o-meter as it struggled to keep up with all the twists and turns in this fast-paced book.

It feels very much like MI5 when five graduates are hand-picked to work for a private company that identifies security risks in systems. There's even secrecy among the graduates as each of them are given a client that they must not discuss, not even with each other. When main character Libby's clients' secrets are exposed in a newspaper, Libby knows her hands are clean so she's like a dog with a bone as she attempts to identify the mole.

To build bridges, and to attempt to expose the mole, they are taken on a team building retreat as this thriller turns into a horror. I can't think of anything worse! Just the thought of team building exercises gives me the creeps; you can accuse me of not being a team player but I work perfectly well in a team without having to take part in paintball or orienteering, thank you very much. If I wasn't already put off by team building retreats, I most certainly am now after events in Call Me A Liar get more twisted.

Told from various viewpoints and with little hints that something bad has happened, I found that I effortlessly whizzed through this book. Where lies are involved, you can never be sure who is telling the truth so, although I had ideas about what was going on, I could never have guessed the outcome.

Call Me A Liar is an utterly compelling psychological thriller that gave my brain a good workout as it twisted and turned through this riveting story.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.… (mais)

Oh that was pretty creepy! It's an absolutely brilliant format for a book - the murdered girl who was investigating an attempted murder of the one who got away. I wasn't a big fan of The Lovely Bones so I was a bit concerned about the narration by Eve, the dead girl, but it links together so beautifully that I had no cause for concern whatsoever.

It's really quite a unique book as Melody and Eve's stories link together. I suspected everybody and pored over every bit of evidence as it was revealed. Who was the little boy in the beginning of the story who found his dead mother? Why did he try to kill Melody, succeed in killing Eve, and try to kill Melody again? So many questions that will be answered within these wonderful pages.

I wasn't surprised to discover that Colette McBeth had been a TV reporter, as the writing and investigative style is impeccable. I was fascinated and delighted by Melody's awakening from her self-inflicted prison and surprised by each turn of events. Once I got a third of the way into the book I rocketed through it and kicked myself when I found out that my suspicions were being directed to the wrong person!

A fabulously original book that had me intrigued and kept me guessing throughout.

I received this book from the publisher, Headline, via bookbridgr in exchange for an honest review.… (mais)

4.5 stars.

Precious Thing by debut author Colette McBeth is a riveting psychological drama about a missing woman and the subsequent investigation into her disappearance. This intriguing mystery has plenty of dark secrets but it is the exciting twists and turns that make it such a brilliant read.

Rachel Walsh and Clara O'Connor formed a tight friendship as teenagers but lost touch following a traumatic loss. Now in their late twenties, they have begun to pick up the pieces of their tattered relationship, but the closeness from their childhood eludes them. After making plans to meet Rachel and a couple other friends, Clara fails to show up and the next thing Rachel knows, Clara has gone missing. The ensuing investigation reveals very disquieting information and Rachel uncovers several shocking secrets about her friend.

Told in first person from Rachel's point of view in the form of a letter to Clara, it quickly becomes apparent that Rachel might not be the most reliable narrator. Rachel has achieved a measure of success as a TV reporter and she lives with her boyfriend Jonny, but she holds back vital information right from the beginning of the investigation. Her tangled past with Clara is revealed through flashbacks and shows that what began as a close friendship quickly turned to obsession. Rachel recounts the events leading up to Clara's disappearance, but can her account be trusted?

In the beginning, it is easy to view Rachel as a sympathetic and likable character. She has overcome a dysfunctional past and she has an enviable life with a successful career and a wonderful man. She has tried very hard to recapture the tight friendship she once shared with Clara and Rachel paints a very compelling portrait as the injured party in their fractured relationship. But as the story progresses, disturbing events begin to show a pattern of manipulation that certainly raises doubts about both women. By the story's end, it is almost impossible to discern whose version of events can be believed or if either character is deserving of the reader's pity.

In Precious Thing Colette McBeth weaves a twisted tale of betrayal and revenge that is quite compelling. Surprising plot twists make the story impossible to predict and the ending is satisfying but there is just enough ambiguity to leave readers wondering what really happened between Rachel and Clara.… (mais)