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The Good Liar

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The Good Liar

By: Nicholas Searle
Narrated by: Martin Jarvis
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About this listen

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of The Good Liar by Nicholas Searle, read by Martin Jarvis.

This is a life told back to front. This is a man who has lied all his life.

Roy is a conman living in a small English town, about to pull off his final con. He is going to meet and woo a beautiful woman and slip away with her life savings.

But who is the man behind the con, and what has he had to do to survive this life of lies? And why is this beautiful woman so willing to be his next victim?

©2016 Nicholas Searle (P)2016 Penguin Audio
Literature & Fiction Suspense
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What listeners say about The Good Liar

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Good story but difficult to follow in audio version

This was an enjoyable listen and I'm glad I continued to the end.
However with the constant flitting between characters and years it was a little hard to follow the story. Whereas with a physical book you could flick back to check names and facts you obviously can't easily do that in audio.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

So many lies!

Is it my imagination, or does every other book these days have 'liar', 'lie' or 'lying' in the title? It seems to be the vogue in psychological thrillers at the moment, although I stress at the outset that this book does not really meet the criteria for this genre.
Nicholas Searle has crafted a very well-worked and cleverly presented storyline that falls wonderfully into the category of a good read. The author does little to disguise the hidden relationship between the characters and, to my mind, the book is all the better for that. I saw the light about half way through the novel and became intrigued to see how the protagonists would deal with the new reality.
The characters are well drawn and the pace is fast. Arrogance and pomposity are interwoven with cunning and humility, bringing all the personalities to life.
I attended a crime writers' evening where the aspect of books written for one or other of the sexes was discussed. When applied to this book, I consider it could be happily read and appreciated by either sex.
As to the narration, I felt that Martin Jarvis framed his approach to the narrative around the principal character and carried off that aspect really well. There were times, however, when I felt the carefully delivered, punctilious enunciation (I can imagine Roy saying that) grated on me somewhat, but it is a minor criticism in an otherwise faultless rendition.
The Good Liar is definitely on my short list when it comes to my turn for recommending a title for the Book Club

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant!!

Beautifully narrated and a story with so many twists. Each character held you with their part of the story. one of the audiobooks to enjoy over again.

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Wow

This book was a surprise from beginning to end. I listen to many audiobooks and until now do not rate or comment on them. This book is so exceptional and gripping from start to finish I recommend it to everyone. This is some debut novel.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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The Good Liar

Thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking read. Excellently narrated. Great twist as the story progresses. Would definitely recommend.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

An Overlooked Gem

This is a well written war story told during certain times of a con mans life. It's slow, and ambles back through the years concluding with a final twist at the end. The characters are well written with depth and each plays a part in the story. All are brought to life by the marvellous Martin Jarvis.

It does require concentration but it's well worth it.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Awesome

Martin Jarvis changes voices seamlessly. He changed the atmosphere, the settings in a continuous ebb and flow moving the story along. Beautifully read! Fantastic tale. Had me guessing all through. Chuckled. Cried. Really great story.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A different kind of war story

I think this book is being woefully undersold. It's a cracking yarn about a very intriguing character. It's also got an interesting take on WWII, though that doesn't seem to appear in any of the blurb. If you like a well written, tightly plotted mystery and darkly charismatic lead characters then this is certainly one not to be missed!

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Long winded and unfeasible, but not all bad.

I stuck with this book despite at times having no idea how certain chapters contributed to the overall story. It came together in the end but it was no big finale. The narration was excellent.

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Stick with it and concentrate

I much enjoyed this book and the narration was excellent. Unusually, I will probably re-listen in order to revisit parts. The language was fabulous.

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