I’m taking full advantage of lockdown and all the extra reading time it has given me, allowing myself to read books from my favourite authors that had slipped under my radar. This included The Last Lie by Alex Lake, who has also written the outstanding Seven Days and the nail-bitingly good CopyCat.
This story instantly grabs your attention as it plays on the phrase “all is not what it seems”. Claire has a loving father, husband and career – she has it all… but as we all know darkness is just around the corner in a psychological thriller. And that darkness is in the form of her husband’s (Alfie’s) thoughts because whilst on the outside he seems charming, inside his mind wickedness seeps into every corner.
As the story unravels, Alfie’s true reasons for marrying Claire become clear but what’s more shocking are his plans for their future. With every chapter I became more and more afraid of the man who could lie as easily as breathing, how much more can he take away from Claire? When will others see through the lovable fool act he portrays to the world?
And then finally someone does. Someone is coming after him that knows some of his deadliest secrets. They are hell-bent on destroying him. But who is it?
This is a plot that will test your detective skills to the full, can you see through the lies and spot the truth? It felt as if Lake was pushing me, as the reader, to focus on every detail he placed on the page and urging me to unravel the vigilante’s true identity.
The concept of this plot is every person’s worst nightmare – imagine your relationship was built on a bed of lies and you were completely unaware… the thought that someone was lying about loving you. I think for this reason I became truly invested in this story, I wanted Alfie to suffer for all of his trickery, I hated that he had played Claire from the start!
Lake’s knack at creating characters that harbour so many emotions and thoughts, mean the characters leap off the pages in such a vivid way… Lake’s stories are always heavily engrossing for this reason. Lake’s characterisation of Alfie was exceptional, perfectly capturing this master manipulator unravelling from his A game to losing all control – so very cleverly done.
It ticks all the boxes for pace, thrills and suspense, what’s not to like?
The Last Lie is out now in paperback and eBook versions from Harper Collins. I was very kindly gifted a copy from the publishers and this review is my way of saying thanks!
Until next time, stay safe, Chloé x
Reviews by Chloé 