The Lie Maker

In "The Lie Maker," by Linwood Barclay, nine-year-old Jack Givins is devastated when he bids goodbye to his devoted dad, Michael Donohue, who is about to enter the witness protection program. Michael was once the right-hand man of Galen Frohm, a corrupt entrepreneur who ordered him to eliminate anyone who threatened Frohm's business interests. When Michael is arrested, he turns on his boss. In exchange for his testimony, the feds will set Michael up with a new identity in a secret location.

The author poignantly describes Jack's grief and rebelliousness following his father's departure. Later, Jack settles down, attends college, and becomes a published novelist. His girlfriend, Lana, is an ambitious reporter for a Boston newspaper. She show more is curious about Jack's shadowy past, but he is reluctant to tell her that his dad was a hit man who escaped the punishment he deserved because he betrayed his employer.

The author cleverly misdirects us; we do not immediately discern who is doing what to whom and why. For all of its complications and red herrings, this work of fiction has an internal logic that becomes clear only when all of its plot elements eventually converge. This book has vividly depicted characters, brisk dialogue, and a deliciously twisted plot. Furthermore, this story raises controversial questions: Is it fair to allow killers to start over in exchange for informing on their superiors? How does exacting revenge help or harm an aggrieved victim? "The Lie-Maker" is an imaginative, entertaining, and nerve-wracking thriller by one of the genre's masters. show less

Lies and some Lying Liars
Review of the HarperAudio audiobook (May 16, 2023) narrated by Johnathan McClain & Graham Halstead, released simultaneously with the William Morrow hardcover (May 16, 2023)

It would get spoilery to discuss much of the plot of The Lie Maker, so best to just stick mostly to the synopsis and not reveal the twists and turns. The protagonist Jack Givens is an author whose angsty novels are drawn somewhat from his own life without his birth father who went into the Witness Protection Program (WPP) after testifying against his crime lord boss. He's having a tough time with his latest book, but suddenly an opportunity falls into his lap to write up fictional biographies and back-stories for the Office the U.S. Marshals show more Service (who run the WPP). Suddenly Jack has a window to possibly re-connect with his lost father, but perhaps he isn't the only person looking for him?

Adding complications to the plot are Jack's girlfriend, an investigative journalist who is perhaps too interested in what Jack's new secret job really is + a somewhat down-on-his-luck stepfather who drops back into Jack's life needing yet another handout to help bail out his gambling debts. As usual with Barclay, there are a lot of improbables in the plot but it is all well constructed and is a clever entertainment. I think many will see the major twist in advance and then enjoy the satisfaction of being proven correct. A little flattery of the reader never hurts an author's appeal 😊 to their public.

Linwood Barclay was a popular humour columnist in my hometown's Toronto Star newspaper for the early part of his career until 2008. After the breakthrough success of his 5th novel No Time for Goodbye (2007), he became a full time novelist. He is somewhat like Harlan Coben, i.e. the books typically had an ordinary person protagonist who is thrust into the middle of a mysterious situation which they have to resolve.

The reading by co-narrators McClain and Halstead was excellent. The reason for having 2 narrators was due to the story toggling between the father and son plotlines and timelines. show less

Jack was shattered when his dad left the family home to enter the witness protection program. After many years he is at the beginning of a shaky career as a novelist when approached by a US Marshal to write fictional biographies for those in witness protection. Jack sees it as a possible way to connect with his father again and sincerely believes he can keep the job a secret from his journalist girlfriend and his deadbeat step-dad. Barclay’s mystery novels never fail to keep me entertained and engrossed. I really enjoyed this one, a page-turner just as expected.

An easy four stars. The day I started this book, I rocketed through 200 pages of it. Great hook, fast-paced, and the ending really got me. Hard to say more without spoilers. Also, this book is interesting for being set in Boston rather than in the usual upstate New York that most of Barclay’s characters live in.

3.5⭐️

Jack Givins, a thirty-four-year-old author, is offered a lucrative opportunity with the U.S. Marshals Service to create false histories for those being placed in WITSEC. Though he has had moderate success with his first two books, there seem to be no takers for his third, according to his agent. So when his agents present this offer, not only does Jack see this as an opportunity to earn some money and improve his financial situation but also establish connections to help him trace his father, who was placed in witness protection when was nine years old, leaving him with his mother who refused to enter WITSEC with her husband. Jack who didn't know much about his father’s criminal ties or circumstances that resulted in his show more father being forced to leave his family, hopes to convince his new contacts into sharing the details of his father’s file and his current whereabouts.

Jack’s new assignment requires he maintain secrecy and not discuss his work with anyone . His girlfriend Lana, who is a reporter, is curious and tries to uncover details of Jack’s new assignment. Seemingly unrelated, Lana is also busy looking into two separate incidents of the disappearance and subsequent deaths of a retired judge and a surgeon of a local hospital, initially presumed to be suicides but the circumstances of their deaths indicate otherwise. As the narrative progresses, it becomes evident there are people from Jack’s father’s past who are still looking for him and will leave no stone unturned in an effort to find him, placing Jack and everyone close to him in danger.

The Lie Maker by Linwood Barclay is a suspenseful thriller with an intriguing premise that kept me engaged till the very end. Plenty of red herrings and twists made for an interesting read. I did like the main characters, the pacing (medium-paced), and the plot structure. I can’t call the plot particularly complex or completely unpredictable, but I did enjoy the build–up and felt the final reveal was well-executed. This is my second Linwood Barclay novel and while I can’t say that I liked this one as much as Take Your Breath Away , it was an enjoyable read.

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Jack is a struggling author, barely scraping by on the royalties from his moderately successful first book. So when the U.S. Marshals approach him with a lucrative opportunity, he's in no position to turn them down. They're recruiting writers to create false histories for people in witness protection - people like Jack's father. The coincidence is astonishing to Jack at first, but he soon realises this may be a chance to find his dad.

The story jumps between characters to reveal their situations, which made things interesting and moved the story at a good pace. Jack is a likable character. There’s some humor sprinkled throughout. There’s some excitement in the end if a bit far-fetched but was an entertaining read.

Fast and fun, a thriller with some great twists.

Many years ago, Jack’s father was put into the Witness Security Program after testifying against his former boss. Although Jack Givens and his mother could have gone with him, they did not and rebuilt their lives. Jack, however, has always missed his father and has channeled his emotional pain into writing. When he’s approached by a US Marshal to write backstories for people in the protection program, Jack begs Gwen to help find his dad.

The narrative introduces the reader to several different characters whose presence in the novel is not initially clear but it all comes together as revelations and discoveries are made. The main characters are well-developed and Jack was certainly a show more likeable protagonist. I always enjoy Barclay’s writing style and plot lines. Found this one hard to put down.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend. show less