Annie Ward

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I would like to thank Netgalley and all parties involved in my arc of this novel. While I enjoy all sorts of books thrillers like this one have been my go to genre in the past year or two. The story centers around Maddie who has a lapse in memory, her husband and her long-time friend Jo.
Maddie has long periods of taking care of her son on her own while her husband, Ian, travels to dangerous places all over the world for his job. Maddie had a recent accident while camping that left her with severe scars and issues with her memory and anxiety attacks. She wants to regain control of her life and begins attending writing therapy close to her suburban Kansas home. During these sessions, a scary picture of dysfunctional relationships starts to unfold. Past events in Maddie and Ian’s lives seem to be building to a scene at the beginning of the book of a woman calling 9-1-1 and a young child screaming in the background.

Most of this book is told in the first person from Maddie’s point of view. It starts with the 9-1-1 call and then alternates between events in the recent past leading up to the phone call, glimpses of Maddie, Ian, and Maddie’s former best friend, Jo, from many years ago, and finally what happens after that call. The technique works well for this story. It sets up suspense that lasts through the whole book, worrying about the circumstances of the 9-1-1 call and what happens to the characters. Which made me as the reader want to read faster and keep turning pages.

Maddie, Ian, and Jo are all broken in their own way. Little by little, we see what has made Maddie and Ian the people they are today. Ian’s alternates between being moody and broody to charming and flirtatious. Maddie seems fearless and fragile at the same time. Under different circumstances, their romance could have been beautiful, but their past experiences continue to get in the way of their love. There are times I have liked and disliked Maddie and Ian. Jo, however, is hard to like throughout the book, even when she is at her most vulnerable. Jo plays an important role in the story, but I never could warm up to her.

I appreciate the suspense and the tension that build as the story progresses. Everyone and everything aren’t what they seem and I was very surprised when things are revealed at the end. “Beautiful Bad” is a well-written psychological thriller that I enjoyed. I am from Macedonia so reading little bits about Bulgaria was a very nice touch for me. I will be reading more books from Annie Ward in the future.… (meer)

A glimpse into how the other half live but with a very dark undercurrent running throughout.

An elite school where wealth and winning are the most prized attributes and the lengths some parents will go to get their kids to the very top. With the girls soccer (football!) team a main feature of this plot line yet the competitive isn’t the girls on the pitch, it’s most prevalent between the parents, in this case the mothers!

These people on the surface have it all, wealth, houses, designer clothes, cars, talented children in an elite school at the top of their game, and yet, not all is as glossy as the magazines they all read.

The well loved and coveted sports coach who is as driven by winning as both parents and students alike also appears to be living the dream with his job at this elite wonderland of a school, his famous movie star girlfriend and love of his job and good standing in the community. Yet as with most things, take a peak under the surface and things are never what they seem.

This is a really well written, fast paced suspense that has enough plot twists to make your head spin! The characters are all flawed with some more likeable than others, you can’t but help to get involved in their lives and situation and route for them, right up until the very end. And what an ending it is!!

A brilliant book, great characters, plots galore and an ending that will both shock and delight.

The Lying Club is published today – 3 March 22 so you can grab your copy straight away as this is a book you don’t want to miss! Get you copy from the link below to start reading straight away!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B08ZKBRJ8T/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?ie=UTF8&qid...

Thank you to the publishers Quereus, the author Annie Ward and NetGalley for my arc of this book in exchange for an honest and independent review.… (meer)