The End of Lies- Andrew Barratt- 5** Out TODAY*************

Do not read this book…… unless you want to be gripped from the go, spun around a few times and thrown completely off course. Think of one of those rides, say at a well known American theme park (see ch16) . You sit in a comfortable seat, feel relaxed and then wonder what on earth happened when you finally come back down to earth. Wow! Becky comes home to find her husband Chris dead and intruders upstairs. she eventually flees but not before a few things have happened. The thing is , her and Chris had planned “an escape”, a plot, a get rich quick scheme and were due to go to Italy in a few days. What did Chris get himself involved with and who are these people? How will Becky stay out of their grasp?. Andy has ( I think for the first time)  written from a female perspective and I am not saying it is realistic but welcome to the sisterhood girlfriend! .  Becky’s character immediately comes alive and you warm to her. The chapters alternate between “then” and “now” until they come together which means it is easy to deal with in your head. One gripping story and a very well told one with descriptions that you can see in your mind’s eye. This would make a brilliant one-off drama- however I might have to peek from behind the sofa at times- the baddies really do sound hard nuts. and the escapades would make brilliant screen- play. The descriptions are brilliant both scenic and emotional - the one about grief stopped me in my tracks. A brilliantly told tale to put you in a spin. I rarely award 5**- out of 250 books read per year less than 10% make this rating. One of my top reads of the year. Truly stunning.

I voluntarily chose to read this ARC and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased