Review PRAISE FOR LYING IN WAIT “What an extraordinary novel, and what an extraordinary writer. Liz Nugent maps the human mind as a cartographer charts new worlds: She’s boundlessly curious and totally unflinching, with a gimlet eye for the telling detail. Lying in Wait crackles and snaps like a bonfire on a winter’s night; you shudder even as you draw closer to it. Spellbinding.” (A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window)“A devastating psychological thriller. . . .  An exquisitely uncomfortable, utterly captivating reading experience.” (Publisher's Weekly (Starred Review))“A chilling tale of the sociopathic mind. . . . Readers who love sinister psychological thrillers will tear through these pages to discover how far Lydia will go to keep her son at home, and what accidents will befall those who cross her.” (Library Journal)“. . . a novel of dark, desperate psychological suspense much in keeping with the pace of her debut, the bestseller Unravelling Oliver. This is a topsy-turvy thrill ride that will make you question the veracity of each character right until the chilling end.” (Canadian Living)PRAISE FOR UNRAVELING OLIVER “Outstanding . . . The tension subtly rises as Oliver’s past unravels, revealing a loveless childhood rooted in religious hypocrisy. Nugent presents a fresh look at a man hiding his violent personality in this intense character study.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review))“Pitch-black and superbly written.”  (Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author of IN A DARK, DARK WOOD)"A dark secret life is at the center of Nugent's debut novel. . . . Nugent may be used to spending her life behind the scenes. But she'll be in the foreground for the foreseeable future."   (Publishers Weekly)"[A] page turner . . . vivid." (Kirkus Reviews)"A gripping and powerful read."   (Literary Hub (lithub.com))“Secrecy and sadness permeate this rich debut novel . . . readers are skillfully given glimpses of events and of the resulting devastation that Oliver so nonchalantly metes out.”  (Booklist) Read more About the Author Liz Nugent has worked in Irish film, theater, and television for most of her adult life. She is an award-winning writer of radio and television drama and has written critically acclaimed short stories both for children and adults, as well as the novels Unraveling Oliver and Lying in Wait. She lives in Dublin. Visit her at LizNugent.ie or follow her on Twitter at @Lizzienugent. Read more See all Editorial Reviews
D**E
Surprise Ending!
Wow. So this book turned out to be nothing like I thought it would be. In reading the description, it seems to be a pretty straightforward thriller. A murder mystery. However, as the book progresses it quickly becomes more of a character-driven drama. Although the thriller aspect died down a bit after about 1/4 of the book I was still interested because I had become invested in the characters. The novel is told alternating between the main characters in the book and their point of view, overlapping, with each chapter going a bit further. Toward the end I did find myself wondering how everything would wrap up. Then, BAM! A major twist and the book was instantly back to the psychological thriller it began as. I enjoyed this book and its balance between several genres: thriller, drama, character study. Ultimately though it is a story about how far we will go and what we will do to protect and keep those we love. Even if the person protecting and keeping is severely, mentally deranged.
M**E
Great Book Until the Ending
I received a advance of this book from Simon and Schuster. I loved the book until the ending. The first sentence: "My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it." Lydia's husband, Andrew, kills Annie. They hide the body in their backyard. They have a son, Laurence. He knows something is going on in his house. He starts to solve the mystery of why his parents are acting so weird. Annie Doyle has a sister named Karen. Karen makes it her mission to figure out what happened to Annie. All she knows is Annie just disappeared one day. There are great twists and turns with the plot and the characters. But the ending was so unexpected that I was puzzled. There are no winners for any of the characters. I would have given it a higher rate if not for the ending.
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