No More Lies - Rachel Abbott | Book Review | #NoMoreLies

No More Lies (DCI Tom Douglas #11) – Rachel Abbott
Publisher: Black Dot Publishing Limited
Format: Ebook, Paperback (16 January 2023)
Source: Copy for review

THE TRUTH HURTS. LIES KILL

It would be unfair to blame the woman I met tonight for turning my life upside down. She didn’t.
It was already upside down. I just didn’t know it.

Recently life has been good for Mallory Hansen: a great job, a lovely home, and a wonderful man, Nathan, to share it with.

But now she must ask herself: is it all built on lies?

A shocking accusation has been made against Nathan, and Mallory doesn’t know who to believe. He denies everything, but all the signs point to his guilt. She has learned to trust Nathan, but she also remembers the boy he used to be.

As teenagers, Mallory and Nathan were part of a close-knit group of six friends until a vicious argument drove them apart. Now, fifteen years later, they are back in touch – only to find themselves drawn into a web of mutual distrust, one by one…

The attacks on their lives are skilfully targeted, designed to hit them where they hurt the most, and when a young woman disappears and a baby is abducted, DCI Tom Douglas must try to unravel the past and discover who is the architect of their misery.

A DCI Tom Douglas Thriller. An utterly compelling psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Elly Griffiths and Jane Casey.

MY THOUGHTS

My thanks to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for the invite and arranging for a copy of the book to be provided for review. I LOVE Rachel’s books, especially this Tom Douglas series – you can find many previous reviews of Rachel’s books via the search bar or post index.

No More Lies is number 11 in this particular series but it could be read and enjoyed without prior knowledge. You would be missing out on some team backstory but the actual plot and characters are standalones.

When Detective Tom Douglas returns to work, his perfect holiday soon becomes a distant dream when two baffling cases land on his desk, not just one disappearance but two, and no positive leads in either of them.

It was so good to be back with this team. DI Becky Robinson and DS Rob Cumba again form part of the back up to Tom with Superintendent Phillippa Stanley in overall control (the team dynamics are one aspect of this series that I enjoy so much). and whilst the investigative part is central to the story, it doesn’t overpower it at the expense of other characters. We also get an insight into their personal lives. As well as leading the investigation, Tom has his own family issues going on causing some concern.

Talking of other characters, the main ones here are a mixed bunch. Over 15 years previously they were friends, but university, work and life – not to mention a huge argument got in the way and they mainly lost touch. Time hasn’t been a great healer in their case and old wounds and resentments still run deep.

I generally find Rachel’s books utterly engrossing and this was no exception. Rachel Abbott has created the perfect mix of characters – there are so many secrets and deceptions that require unravelling and it’s really difficult to know who to trust. I could quite understand Mallory’s hesitation when it came to her partner Nate. As one of the main narrators, she’s a character that comes to life the most. All the threads come together so well to produce an exciting and intriguing read with perfect pace and a story with twists and turns that will certainly surprise.

Switching between the present time and events of 15 years ago, this is superbly plotted, with excellent characterisation across the board – it really came across to me how powerless a person could feel in a certain situation when everything seems stacked against you. I have to admit to doing a mini fist pump by guessing correctly before the reveal. Either pure luck or judgement – it doesn’t often happen.

No More Lies is another fabulous addition to this series. I enjoyed it so much and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

Rachel Abbott’s debut thriller, Only the Innocent, was an international bestseller, reaching the number one position in the Amazon charts both in the UK and US. This was followed by the number one bestselling novels The Back Road, Sleep Tight, Stranger Child, Nowhere Child (a short novel based on the characters from Stranger Child), Kill Me Again, The Sixth Window, Come a Little Closer, The Shape of Lies, Right Behind You and Close Your Eyes. The new thriller in the Tom Douglas series – No More Lies – was released in February 2023.

In 2018 Rachel released the first book in a new series – And So It Begins. This was followed by The Murder Game in 2020 (The Invitation in the US).

Rachel’s novels have now been translated into over 20 languages and have sold over 5 million copies.

In 2015 Amazon celebrated the first five years of the Kindle in the UK, and announced that Rachel was the number one bestselling independent author over the five-year period. She was also placed fourteenth in the chart of all authors. Stranger Child was the most borrowed novel for the Kindle in the first half of 2015.

Rachel now lives in Alderney – a beautiful island off the coast of France – where she devotes her time to her love of writing fiction. For more information, see Rachel’s website at www.rachel-abbott.com, or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.