Lying in Wait
by Liz Nugent
My rating: 5 out of 5 *****
“My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it.”
This is the first line of Liz Nugent’s thriller, Lying in Wait – I was hooked from that moment on. This is the story of Lydia Fitzsimons, a woman with a soul so dark and a manner so conniving, it was hard to understand how she was so adored by her husband and son. Lydia’s love only led to ruin for the people that were closest to her. As I read, I grew frustrated that Laurence, her only child, could not see through her. In Laurence’s defense, however, even I, the reader, could not have foreseen how black Lydia’s soul actually was.
The book opens as Lydia and her husband Andrew confront a young girl who threatened to blackmail Andrew. This confrontation ends badly and as the opening line suggests, they end up killing 22 year old Annie Doyle. Andrew, a man with a temper, but also one with a conscience, becomes overwrought at what they have done and suggests they go to the police. Lydia, of course, would not hear of it and convinces Andrew to bury the girl in the family’s secluded backyard. At first, it seems that they would get away with it. Who would even miss a 22 year old prostitute and heroin addict?
However, questions do arise when the local police discover that a vintage car, just like the judge was known to drive, was seen outside the girl’s apartment. Andrew is able to stave off the inquiries with his position in the community. But Laurence still begins to have his doubts about his dad. And Annie’s family, far from being uninvolved, are searching for her frantically. As the story continues, the characters lives become intertwined in a way that can only end badly.
This story had me hooked from the action-packed beginning to the shocking ending. I have never read any of Liz Nugent’s books before, but have since found that she has two other books to her name, Unraveling Oliver from 2013, and Skin Deep released in April of this year. I plan to check out both of these as Liz Nugent promises to be one of the best mystery/thriller writers around.
If this sounds like a book you would enjoy, you should also check out Something in the Water, by Catherine Steadman. (Click the title for my review!)
Thanks for visiting my blog! Until next time, happy reading!
