This is the third book in what has become one of my very favorite mystery series. One of the things that makes this series standout so much for me is that each book has been different from the others. This book almost felt like a domestic suspense from the way that it was written. In it, one of the main characters Louise is writing to her husband and explaining certain things as one storyline. Sorry to be vague here but I don't want to spoil anything because the setup is pretty brilliant. In the other storyline, we see the events of Louise waking up next to a stranger and the subsequent investigation by Jonah Sheen's team. The second thing that really stands out to me and that is present throughout each book in this series is the care that is taken with the characters and especially the victims. The author always takes the time to allow the reader to really feel like they are getting to know these characters in a way that isn't always present in other mysteries or thrillers. I loved how the author kept me guessing throughout this book. I wasn't sure who to trust and/or who was to blame. The only thing that I really knew is that Jonah and his team would figure it out in the end.

Overall, I found this book to be another strong addition to one of my favorite mystery series out there. I NEED other readers to find and love this series as much as I do! You don't necessarily have to read these books in order but I would recommend it if possible. There are these small threads that play out from each book that you would miss out on otherwise. I think that you should pick this book up if you enjoy domestic suspense but want something a bit different, if you enjoy police procedurals, or just want a truly page turning read. I definitely couldn't turn the pages fast enough while reading this one! Now begins the long wait for the next book in the series...I will be jumping on that one as soon as it gets released! Highly recommended!

Bottom Line: A suspenseful addition to a standout series!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. I ended up reading a copy thanks to my local library. Honest thoughts are my own. ( )

Lie Beside Me by Gytha Lodge is a 2021 Random House publication.

This series keeps getting better!

Louise’s husband is out of town, giving her the perfect excuse to go out partying with her best friend, April. The trouble starts when Louise, as per usual when she’s out with April, gets rip -roaring drunk, then April leaves her at the bar to run off with a guy she just met…

Louise wakes up with the mother of all hangovers and discovers a man in bed beside her- a dead man…

Panicked, Louise moves the body outside before calling the police…

She has no idea who the man was, and she can’t remember one thing that happened after April left the bar…

Once Jonah and his team are handed the case, they are genuinely flummoxed, but when Juliette makes a stunning discovery, Louise becomes the prime suspect.

Meanwhile, Juliette’s ex is still stalking her- but his interference is escalating, jeopardizing her new romantic relationship…

This book grabbed me from the very first paragraph and kept me riveted all the way to the very end. In fact, I put all other books aside to focus on this one exclusively. Man, this series is good!!

The psychological suspense is super tense, and the plot is well- executed. It’s a layered story with several stunning white-knuckle twists, before cleverly weaving all the threads together for a satisfying conclusion.

The detectives, though, are left with some heavy personal issues to cope with, and it will be interesting to see how all this plays out in the next installment, which I can’t wait to read!!

4.5 stars ( )

I really like this author and have read her previous books. This one, I just kept losing touch with. I did finish it but it was just not a satisfying read. Maybe it was me and the mood I was in, but it just never grabbed me as the characters all seemed to be so pathetic. Wanted to see the Damien situation resolved in a bigger and better way but it got lost in the shuffle. Meh ( )

Lie Beside Me by Gytha Lodge is a highly recommended police procedural and the third novel featuring DCI Jonah Sheen.

Louise wakes up with a hangover after a night of drinking with her friend April and instead of finding her husband Niall next to her, she discovers a dead man she does not know in her bed. Drunk Louise is fun Louise, but Drunk Louise also makes bad decisions and poor choices. Drunk Louise first emerged on the day Louise met Niall and her best friend wealthy American April Dumont. Sober Louise moves the body out to her front yard and calls the police. Jonah Sheen and his team, DC Juliette Hanson, DS Domnall O'Malley, and Ben Lightman, are on the case. The man is identified as fitness instructor Alex Plaskett, who is married to Issa Benhawy. Louise is the prime suspect. As they work the case the team also has their own personal issues and problems.

In the narrative between chapters covering the investigation, Louise writes a letter to her husband, which provides the back ground information on their relationships and the problems and struggles they have encountered. As the evenly paced plot unfolds, the case pointedly becomes less straightforward as the investigation uncovers more information, secrets are exposed, and more suspects emerge. At the same time Hansen is being harassed and stalked by a man she was in a relationship with previously.

The writing is quite good. Lie Beside Me is very successful as a procedural since it keeps you guessing about what really happened as the list of suspects increases and more evidence is uncovered. The twists are real as more information is discovered. The less successful part is the rather nonchalant way Louise's drinking problem is reduced to "Drunk Louise" versus "Sober Louise." I found it a rather offhand way to portray someone with a drinking problem.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Penguin Random House.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2021/06/lie-beside-me.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4085695579 ( )

Waking up with a man in your bed who isn’t your husband and one who is bleeding and dead is what Louise faced one morning.

Yes she had been drinking heavily the night before, but she has no recollection of what happened.​​

The question is: How did this man get from her bed to her front yard?

​​We meet Louise, her husband, friends of Louise, friends of the victim and the investigative team as we go back and forth from the present situation to getting background on the main characters.

The characters were well developed, but I didn’t really like any of them. The detectives were an interesting lot too.​​

I couldn’t narrow down who I thought the murderer was even though it seemed to point to one person.​​

If you like to keep guessing, LIE BESIDE ME will be a good read for you.

It was a bit confusing, though, with all the characters, but the multiple story lines will keep you reading because of the curiosity about who the murderer could be, how and where the murder happened, and what will happen to the couples keeping secrets and having problems. 4/5​​

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.​​ ( )