Title: The Friend Who Lied
Author: Rachel Amphlett
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense
First published: June 9th 2019
Publisher: Saxon Publishing
Finished reading: June 11th 2019
Pages: 362
“Not one of them thought to ask if what was printed was the truth. They never do.”
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
I think most will know by now that I’m a huge fan of the Kay Hunter series… I’ve been so ever since I finally read Scared To Death and first met the character last year. So it’s easy to understand that saying I’ve been excited to see if my love for her first step into the psychological thriller genre would be just as great would be an understatement. Guess what? I discovered Rachel Amphlett definitely has more than one genre under her belt! Be ready for another bout of raving rambles, because I’m not sure if I can write an unbiased review for The Friend Who Lied.
My brain had to cool off a few days before I was able to start writing a somewhat coherent review… What a read! My love for the psychological thriller genre is great and I tend to read a lot of them during the year, but I can already feel that The Friend Who Lied is a serious contender for my 2019 favorites list. What made this story stand out from the rest? It’s a combination of different elements actually, but let’s see if I can unravel my feelings for this review. The first thing that made this story so successful for me was the writing style. Sharp, well executed and engaging, The Friend Who Lied will manage to grab you from the very first page and doesn’t let go until you reach the last. You will forget about your surroundings, you will forget about the time passing, instead concentrating on Lisa’s story and what really happened that day in the escape room. And there we have another element that leaded to success: the well known amnesia or memory loss angle. While it’s true that this element has been used a lot in psychological thrillers in recent years, when done right it can add a healthy dose of suspense and intrigue to the plot. And guess what? I definitely loved how this element was incorporated into The Friend Who Lied. Having the main character Lisa waking up from surgery not remembering how she got there or what happened before she ended up at the hospital is simply fascinating… And the amnesia is not just an easy way out to adding more suspense either, as it is explained later why Lisa doesn’t remember anything in the first place and the reason is key to the overall plot.
Talking about the plot… We have the past and the present and a couple of different POVs to play with. While the main focus of the story is on Lisa, we will hear from her other friends as well as needed, and they will help slowly unravel secrets of both the past and present. The main question is of course what happened in the escape room that day, but trust me, that won’t be the only secret at play in this story. Oh no, The Friend Who Lied will uncover a whole web of secrets and lies before you reach that final chapter. The characters are each both well developed and feel realistic. The fact that Lisa just had to go through a kidney transplant is fascinating and plays an important role in the plot as well… It was intriguing reading about how she is trying to cope with the surgery as well as the memory loss and questions about the circumstances around Simon’s death. Not all characters are all that likeable, but each has its role to play in the plot and together they take the story to the next level. And that final reveal! I definitely didn’t see the full truth train coming before it hit me at full speed. If you are wondering what your next psychological thriller should be, you have just found your recommendation. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed when you pick up The Friend Who Lied!
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