Article contributed by Rosie Smith
Do you think you know your neighbours? Think again. The residents of Harrison House thought so until that one fateful night when little Tyler fell over the railings of a balcony, or did he?
DC Grace Allendale is thrust into the case when out on a routine visit to Harrison House, and what seemed like a simple case of a tragic accident soon raises suspicions when all of the residents repeat the line ‘I didn’t see anything’. Grace Allendale is thrown into a break-neck journey through the seedy criminal underbelly of the UK’s organised crime gangs and little does she know, this sinister trip will take her too close to home for comfort.
Mel Sherratt bases her crime/thriller in the city of Stoke in the UK, where the author herself hails from. They say ‘write what you know’ and for Sherratt, she has used this to her advantage hugely, creating a setting rich in detail that many UK residents can relate to. Any true ‘Stokies’ out there will pick up on her references to ‘oakcakes’ and ‘Hanley’ right away and will easily be able to visualise the scene from the crime ridden council flats to the industrial city landscape. Sherratt does however apply a disclaimer saying some elements of the Stoke references have been added with creative licence, such as the name of the police station and block of flats since the originals felt a little too close to home.
Sherratt introduces us to an immense cast of characters, some of whom tell the story their point of view and some we see through the eyes of the other characters. As the story progresses, so do the links between the characters. These relationships seamlessly develop the overall narrative, weaving a rich picture of how individuals from a range of backgrounds can be sucked into organised crime and gang culture. This being said, at times is feels like Sherratt may have stretched herself a little thin and some of the characters on the periphery could have used a little more attention. Amongst the extremely well developed characters, there are a small minority which feel a little two dimensional.
The story is told through a dual timeline from two different points of view allowing the reader to be privy to information that the protagonist is not. This builds to a satisfying crescendo when worlds collide with the reader knowing more information than all of the characters. Warning: this may lead to shouting and screaming at characters warning them not to do this or go there! The story is full of dead-ends and false leads with nuggets of truth scattered throughout for the reader to play detective and try to follow. Although the story is the third in the DC Allendale series, the book stands alone perfectly well.
Overall, Sherratt has proven herself as an expert in writing gritty, well-paced police procedurals with a realistic portrayal of how individuals from a range of backgrounds can fall foul of organised crime. For lovers of Martina Cole and James Patterson, this is one for you.
Liar Liar is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
The truth can be a dangerous thing…
When a young boy is thrown from a balcony in a block of flats, DS Grace Allendale witnesses the shocking aftermath of the tragic event. But despite everything, no one will admit to seeing who did it – and the parents will only tell the police that it was an accident.
Determined to bring the perpetrator to justice, Grace must sort the truth from the lies in a case that takes her into the darkest corners of the criminal world – and strikes closer to home than she could have ever imagined…
A gripping and pacey thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat from the moment you turn the first page. The perfect read for fans of Martina Cole.
