Title: Call Me A Liar
Author: Colette McBeth
Publisher: Headline
Publication Date: 18 April 2019 (ebook) 13 June 2019 (paperback)
Contact Links
Website: www.colettemcbeth.co.uk
Twitter: @colettemcbeth
Instagram: @colettemcbethauthor
Facebook: @colettemcbethauthor
Blurb
“You could say it started with vanity. We believed we were special. But the truth is we were simply vulnerable.”
Months after landing their dream job, five brilliant young minds are sent on a remote retreat.
But when one of them disappears, they’re forced to question why they were brought there in the first place.
And for the first time in their lives, they realise too much knowledge can be deadly . . .
One of them is lying.
One of them is guilty.
No one is safe.
Review
Call Me A Liar is the new standalone psychological thriller from author, Colette McBeth.
The book revolves around a group of university graduates (Joe, Libby, Tess, Asha and Will) who join a start-up tech company to work in the area of cyber security and find themselves in a morally and ethically questionable situation. The subject matter is acutely topical and gives the story a particularly contemporary feel. The world of cybersecurity is a bit of a mystery to me and it is terrifying to think just how unsafe the online community can be. This very real and ever-present risk adds a disturbing and ominous undertone to the story.
The tale is told from the viewpoint of several different characters, with each chapter clearly signposted to distinguish between them. This structure works extremely well for this novel, allowing the story to gradually build and develop as each character’s voice is introduced, providing the reader with yet another perspective to the event unfolding.
The characterisation is interesting and well-done, with none of the characters being particularly likeable. I think this is an intentional ploy by the author to make them untrustworthy and to ensure that as the tale unfolds none of the characters avoid suspicion. They are all young ‘go-getters’, full of self-confidence, egotism and ambition and yet surprisingly naive to their own flaws and weaknesses, making them easy to manipulate. I could see any one of them being involved in the subterfuge arising in this story. Their personalities, strengths and shortcomings lead to a fascinating group dynamic, whereby the characters are quick to gang together and yet equally as quick to turn on each other depending on the situation – there is a great example of herd mentality nearing the end of their time at the retreat.
For me, the story was a little bit slow to get going in the first couple of chapters, however it quickly grabbed my attention. It is both pacy and well-written – a real page-turner!
Call Me A Liar is ultimately a tale of trust (or lack of!) and deceit. It is dark, morally ambiguous and twisty. Cleverly plotted and very well told, it is a sinister and tense thriller that will keep you reading into the early hours. Highly recommended!
Thanks to Headline Books for providing me with a review copy of Call Me A Liar.
About the Author
Colette McBeth is the author of three critically acclaimed psychological thrillers. Her latest, An Act of Silence, is part domestic, part political thriller. In her former life Colette worked as a political correspondent for the BBC at Westminster, a news reporter and started out on regional newspapers. She lives by the sea with her husband and three children and never has enough time
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The Curious Ginger Cat 
Ooh this sounds like a really good book even if it is a little slow at the beginning. It's always interesting when it feels like a deliberate ploy to make you dislike a character or not completely connect with them. Great review.
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