BOOKISH FRIDAY: “THE GOOD LIAR”

Welcome to another Bookish Friday, in which I  share excerpts from books…and connect with other bloggers, who do the same.

Let’s begin the celebration by sharing Book Beginnings, hosted by Rose City Reader; and let’s showcase The Friday 56 with Freda’s Voice.

To join in, just grab a book and share the opening lines…along with any thoughts you wish to give us; then turn to page 56 and excerpt anything on the page.

Then give us the title of the book, so others can add it to their lists!

What better way to spend a Friday!

Today’s spotlight is shining on an ARC I have just started reading, from Amazon Vine.  The Good Liar, by Nicholas Searles, is an epic narrative of sin, salvation, and survival—and for Roy and Betty, there is a reckoning to be made when the endgame of Roy’s crooked plot plays out.

 

 

 

Beginning:  It is, Roy thinks, perfect.  Kismet, serendipity, destiny, happenstance; call it what you will.  All of these things rolled into one.  He is not sure he believes in fate, or whether he believes in anything but the very present.  Then again, life has treated him well generally.

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56:  Gerald wraps a delicate hand around the coffee pot, flexing his long fingers, and evidently finds the coffee is still warm enough to pour himself a second cup.

“Of course,” he says eventually with a small smile, “this could simply be a rather unsubtle ruse on your part to divert our session and disguise a certain lack of progress.”

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Synopsis:  Spinning a page-turning story of literary suspense that begins in the present and unwinds back more than half a century, this unforgettable debut channels the haunting allure of Atonement as its masterfully woven web of lies, secrets, and betrayals unravels to a shocking conclusion.

Veteran con artist Roy spots an obvious easy mark when he meets Betty, a wealthy widow, online. In no time at all, he’s moved into Betty’s lovely cottage and is preparing to accompany her on a romantic trip to Europe. Betty’s grandson disapproves of their blossoming relationship, but Roy is sure this scheme will be a success. He knows what he’s doing.

As this remarkable feat of storytelling weaves together Roy’s and Betty’s futures, it also unwinds their pasts. Dancing across almost a century, decades that encompass unthinkable cruelty, extraordinary resilience, and remarkable kindness,The Good Liar is an epic narrative of sin, salvation, and survival—and for Roy and Betty, there is a reckoning to be made when the endgame of Roy’s crooked plot plays out.

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What do you think?  Have you read it?  Do you want to read it?  I am still trying to decide the answer to those questions, as I take on the opening chapters.

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