Lies

April 15, 2018

In this debut thriller from English author Logan, Joe Lynch has a terrible quarrel with his neighbor Ben, even shoving him to the ground. But worse things happen when Ben vanishes and Joe is suspected of his murder, never mind the absence of a body. In-house buzz; there's a mile-long list of marketing plans.

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June 25, 2018
A spur-of-the-moment decision forever changes the life of Joe Lynch, the narrator of British author Logan’s gripping first novel. One weekday afternoon, Joe and his four-year-old son, William, are driving in North London when Wills spots his mother Mel’s car, which exits off a ramp into a hotel parking lot. Deciding to surprise his wife, Joe drives into the same parking lot, where he catches Mel arguing with Ben Delaney, who’s married to one of her closest friends. To spare Wills any upset, Joe doesn’t intervene, and Mel drives off without seeing them. A short time later, the suspicious Joe confronts Ben in the parking lot and knocks him unconscious. Mel later admits to an affair, Ben goes missing, and Joe is accused of murder. But Joe knows Ben is alive, because he’s communicated with him through social media. As the evidence continues to mount against him, Joe must find Ben to prove his innocence. Uncovering more lies, Joe soon realizes he can trust no one. Full of unexpected twists and turns, this psychological thriller will leave readers eager for Logan’s next book. Agent: Camilla Wray, Darley Anderson Literary Agency (U.K.).

July 1, 2018
A spur-of-the-moment detour leads to disaster in this psychological thriller debut.Joseph Lynch and his 4-year-old son, William, are navigating North London traffic when William spots his mother's car exiting the highway. William wants to surprise Melissa, so they follow her to the Premier Inn, where Joe assumes she's meeting a client; instead, they find Mel in the hotel bar, arguing with her best friend's husband, tech millionaire Ben Delaney. Mel flees before Joe can flag her down, so he confronts Ben, who denies having seen Mel. The ensuing scuffle ends with Ben's striking his head on the parking garage floor and losing consciousness. Joe takes William home and then returns to the hotel, but Ben and his vehicle are gone. Also missing is Joe's phone, which he lost in the fray. Later that night, Joe interrogates Mel, who insists that the rendezvous was business-related. Joe initially believes her, but it's not long until he realizes that his wife is lying--and that thanks to her vengeful lover, his marriage isn't the only thing in jeopardy. Logan writes viscerally about the emotional devastation wrought by marital infidelity. Joe's heartbreak and desolation are palpable, the tale cunningly exploits the paranoia that springs from fractured trust, and although Logan fails to fully earn his twisting plot's final turn, the ending still packs a punch.British journalist Logan's first foray into crime fiction is an adrenaline-fueled page-turner that explores the fragility of domestic bliss.

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August 1, 2018
A fast-paced debut that is as much about decisions (mostly bad) and their consequences as it is about deception. Joe Lynch spots his wife in a hotel car park while she's supposed to be at work. It is, of course, not what he thinks. A fairly standard formula with some good twists at the end, marred by generally unlikable characters and behaviors that are highly improbable, but the writing is strong. The Girl titles seem to have been supplanted by variations of Lie, a pattern that is definitely trending. That, combined with the facts that the novel was a best-seller in the UK and will receive a major marketing campaign here, suggests that libraries should be prepared.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)