"'Tension and menace ... Mercier wields exceptional talent' CANDICE FOX
'Will keep you turning pages late into the night: don't say you weren't warned!' HAYLEY SCRIVENOR
'Suspenseful, smart and utterly gripping' BETTER READING
Longlisted for the 2024 Davitt Best Adult Novel Prize
Only a handful of inmates in Westmead Prison have committed crimes so atrocious that they've been locked away for life, and for fifteen years, convicted murderer Tomas Kovak has refused to disclose where he hid the body of his victim, a vulnerable young woman.
When Kovak is diagnosed with terminal cancer, intense pressure is put on Dr Laura Fleming, criminal psychologist, to find the location of Kovak's victim so her grieving family can find some sort of closure.
Laura has to use all of her training, skills and instinct to form a connection with the cold, remorseless killer, a man who has refused any psychological assessment since the day he confessed to the murder.
With every session, Laura becomes more and more convinced that something about Kovak's story doesn't ring true, and as his health rapidly deteriorates, the pressure on Laura ramps up. She becomes increasingly desperate, resorting to unconventional methods to find out what she can from the secretive man.
As she inches closer to the truth, she discovers some people will stop at nothing to keep the past hidden ... and the people Laura cares most about are fair game.
Love can make you do terrible things.
PRAISE
'Tension and menace ... Mercedes Mercier wields exceptional talent to keep the reader flipping pages.' CANDICE FOX
'Dr Laura Fleming is back! This book will have you turning pages late into the night: don't say you weren't warned!' HAYLEY SCRIVENOR
'Twisty and whip smart ... You'll devour this novel' ALI LOWE
'A page-turner of the highest order ... Enthralling' MEREDITH JAFFE
'A stunning thrill ride ... A must read' NINA D. CAMPBELL
'Cracking pace, crisp prose and compelling plot culminate in a nail-biting climax. Mercier's inner knowledge of the criminal justice system puts her in a league of her own' VERONICA LANDO
'Dr Laura Fleming is one of my favourite characters. I want her job.' B.M. CARROLL
'Tense, propulsive, sharply plotted ... Black Lies is a fresh spin on crime, and an enthralling mystery which will leave you frantically guessing to the last page. I couldn't put it down!' JOSH HORTINELA, DYMOCKS SYDNEY"
"'A true edge-of-your-seat thriller ... A total page-turner' KELLI HAWKINS
Someone knows your secrets. Someone knows your shame. And they won't stay buried for long.
A searing, dark and dangerous thriller from an exciting new voice
When prison psychologist Dr Laura Fleming is assigned charismatic inmate Justin Jones to assess for parole, alarm bells ring. Working with some of the state's most damaged criminals, she knows Jones is too dangerous to release, but he's got everyone fooled . . . She needs proof.
Laura knows all about damage. Her own painful mistakes have destroyed her marriage and she's been refused access to her daughter. Step by agonising step, she's rebuilding her life and her relationships, but it's a hard road. What does she have to do to prove she can be trusted?
Laura's not taking any chances with Jones, and as she races to find evidence before his parole hearing, she digs deep into his life - and is shocked by what she finds.
But as she edges closer to the truth, Laura falls victim to a series of increasingly personal attacks, and secrets from her past threaten to unhinge everything she holds dear - her job, her family . . . even her sanity.
Sometimes redemption is out of reach. But revenge will do just fine."
