Good page turner
This the second book in the Ben Harper series. There is some back story which is easily explained and did not intrude in the story. This is my first read by Robert Gold and it worked quite well as a stand alone. This was a thrilling ride and kept me turning the pages. There were plenty of twists and turns and just when you thought you had worked it all out another curve ball was thrown into the mix and all your ideas were shattered and lay in pieces at your feet. If book one was as good as this one then I will need to dig it out and dive in. The short chapters worked well and the prose was of a quality that kept the reader engaged. I will look forward to book one and any subsequent books by this author. Recommended. Pick up a copy.
Such excitement in every chapter, so many twists and turns. It's just riveting so don't expect to do much else but read!
Wow! I have just discovered a new favourite author! I had to make myself stop reading and do other things. There is a twist in every chapter. It took a little while to remember who everyone was but then it was just excitement and intrigue!
The only thing I wasn't happy about were the last two chapters. It felt as though the story should have carried on as it left me wondering what happens next, but maybe that is intentional and the characters will continue into his next book! A really good book, though and thoroughly recommended.
Robert Gold delivers a fantastic read set at a great pace. Each resident has their own story and in turn their own secrets. The short nature of the chapters mean you keep reading long after you should. An absolutely riveting read!
Eleven Liars sees a welcome return to the town of Haddley where nothing is quite as tranquil as it appears on the surface. The residents who go about their everyday lives all have some element in their history they don’t want revealed.
A much anticipated second book featuring Ben Harper, a true crime journalist, centres on the aftermath of a fire that destroys the local community centre and with it the discovery of a body in the foundations. Who is it and how did they get there?
As the police investigation unfolds, a number of individuals of interest are identified and interviewed. Past memories are tested as new evidence comes to light via photographs unearthed showing firm proof of a situation. From young to old, professional to retired, all lives are examined as Haddley police attempt to solve the mystery alongside the effervescent Ben Harper and his contacts.
The author has written a truly eloquent and descriptive novel as he brings this gripping tale of intrigue to fruition with a shocking and heart-rending conclusion by linking secrets that lurk amongst those close to the victim.
Dare I say that this book is better than his debut? I loved it and look forward to further titles in this series.
Unsolved crimes, mysterious accidents, small town secrets and unrequited romance … Eleven Liars has it all!
This is the first book I’ve read by Robert Gold. Eleven Liars is a cleverly executed crime drama set in a small town which lots of secrets. The story begins with a lot of different voices and but is eventually told by just two - Ben and Dani. The various interwoven back stories were intriguing, if a little contrived at times. The resolution of the numerous unsolved mysteries was gripping and enjoyable. And it was great to realise, towards the end of the book, that there are more intriguing tales to come!
The was a fab read and can’t wait to continue the series. Hopefully there won’t be a long wait till the third instalment is out. In the mean time I’ll definitely be picking up the first book.
Eleven Liars is the second book in the Ben Harper Series but can be read as a standalone, which I was glad to discover as I haven’t read the first one yet.
I thought this was a well written book. I liked that it gets straight to the point, but yet has enough details to keep you invested in the story. This wasn’t as fast paced as I was expecting, but I wasn’t put off by this as the pace was steady throughout the book. It was a quick read and I think the short chapters helped me speed through.
I did guess some of the plot twists but there are plenty I didn’t work out which kept me wanting more.
The characters are well done. Although some of them are unlikeable they are interesting and well developed. My favourite were Dani and Ben. I found them to be the most engaging and likeable and can’t wait to follow them some more in future books.
The was a fab read and can’t wait to continue the series. Hopefully there won’t be a long wait till the third instalment is out. In the mean time I’ll definitely be picking up the first book.
Set in a charming small town, this mystery keeps you guessing until the end. Journalist Ben and Detective Cash's investigation unveils a shocking truth intertwined with family secrets
On his way home journalist Ben Harper discovers a fire at the local church community centre, on closer inspection he notices a person trapped inside. After breaking in to help, the person runs off without stopping and then later when a body is unearthed Ben starts to wonder if the two are linked.
As Ben continues to uncover the truth, he realizes that the current events are connected to the past and with the help of DC Dani Cash and Sam, his old boss at the local newspaper Ben's investigation takes him deep into the town's history and leads him to a shocking discovery that will change the lives of the people close to him.
This is a superbly written thriller, with a large focus on family dynamics; Gold brings the town of Haddley to life, painting a vivid picture of the setting and its inhabitants. The characters are well-drawn and believable, and the relationships between them are both intriguing and realistic. From drug dealers to Vicars, pensioners to school children all play an important part with their own stories to tell.
Highly recommend for all fans of thrillers, very easy to read and kept me hooked throughout
An entertaining mystery, involving the main character, Ben Harper, an investigative journalist. Interesting characters and cleverly woven dynamics, make you want to read it.
This is a very entertaining read.
The story revolves around the people in a small town and the discovery of a dead body after the church community centre is set alight. A number of interesting characters are involved and the mystery of the fire(s), there was another that happened some years ago. The involvement of the community and the driving force of the narrator, an investigative journalist Ben Harper, keep the interest throughout. The puzzle gets sorted out neatly and the book ends on a happy note.
I was most intrigued by the title and the fact the book is divided into 11 sections. So much so, that after finishing reading it, I was tempted to try and work out who the 11 liars were! However, I had to eventually trust the author, as I couldn’t work it out.
If you’re looking for an entertaining and enjoyable read, this book is the answer. There is nothing too threatening, although it does contain some tense moments. Some real surprises and intrigue are cleverly woven into the narrative.
Generally a good mystery. It kept me intrigued and involved throughout, enough to want to continue reading it.
A gripping story with lots of twists and turns where nothing is as it first seems. Kept me guessing right to the end. A story involving drug dealers, a bent vicar, journalists, police and seemingly innocent bystanders.
This was a really great read and I am trying to write this review without any spoilers. It is proving a challenge! This story has lots of layers and caught me off guard more than once. It involves a fire in a disused community centre where a passer by realises that someone is trapped inside and breaks the door down to help them escape. Later in the story we discover who was trapped, who started the fire and why. There is a deeper theme about the discovery of a dead body and the truth behind how it came to be there. And that is just scratching the surface.
There are drug dealers, a bent vicar, journalists and police officers – both present and deceased, along with seemingly innocent bystanders who are all intrinsically linked and all have their own secrets. The characters are strong, realistic and all important to the story.
Just when I thought I was “getting” the story it would add another layer and without giving anything away the ending is loose enough that it leaves space for a sequel, which I would be very keen to read. All through the book there is a strong theme of “Things are not all that they may seem” and with every turn of the page you are kept guessing.
A page-turner, nicely set and a murder mystery with twists you will enjoy!
Read this as a stand alone, having no idea about the main character and his background. I think the first book's events are being referenced a lot and you would gain from that knowledge and find the second book as an easier follow-up. I think Eleven Liars is a good murder mystery, easy to read and nicely set. I have enjoyed the few twists and turns of the plot and different sub-plots. My favourite character was Pamela, her personality, her connections to the village and involvement with almost everybody. I found the drug supplying and using quite disturbing and shocking. All in all, probably not a cosy mystery, more gritty than I have imagined. A page-turner, nicely set and a murder mystery with twists you will enjoy!
A gentle murder/ mystery thriller with unexpected plot twists that keep the reader guessing until the very last page. A compelling read and perfect for a winter afternoon or summer holiday read.
A gentle murder/mystery thriller with several unexpected plot twists that keep the reader guessing until the very last page. The story opens with a crime journalist, Ben Harper, discovering a fire in his local community centre with a boy trapped inside. Ben helps the boy to escape but the boy runs away before he can be questioned. The community of Hadley become increasingly concerned when a body and a knife are discovered in the ruins of the building and speculate about the cause of the fire. Following the identification of the victim, Ben gradually uncovers the historical background to the crime and discovers that there are many people who, for different reasons, have something to hide. Lies and secrets are revealed with every plot twist- even in the least expected places.
Jounalist Ben Harper & PC Dani Cash are a new pairing for me and I'm in! If you like gritty crime, well drawn characters and a really good story you'll be very happy to add Robert Gold's work to your reading list.
Journalist Ben Harper & PC Dani Cash are a new pairing for me and I'm in! This crime/mystery is the second book by Robert Gold and stands alone, although I will be seeking out the first. The book begins with Ben discovering a fire in a derelict community centre with the realisation that someone is trapped inside and then unfolds into so much more, introducing a diverse cast of characters, seemingly unconnected, and all with their own secrets and lies. It then proceeds to weave their stories together to a most satisfactory and unpredictable ending, leaving a few juicy threads dangling, hopefully for another book. The book is divided into eleven sections each with short and punchy chapters, the main characters are sympathetic and likeable and I particularly appreciated the female characters, nice to have a woman heading up a criminal gang as well as high ranking female police officers!
I would definitely recommend adding Robert Gold's work to your reading list.
An exciting tangled web of intrigue and lies. A well developed story that has you guessing about who did what to whom but then settles nicely at the end.
The story starts with a journalist spotting a fire in a disused community hall when walking home. He rescues someone trapped in the hall who then runs away. Who is the runaway and who is the body found buried under the burnt out hall? Questions that start our main characters, Ben and Dani, on a trail that involves a cold case, the wrong body in a grave, drugs and an apparent suicide. Ben digs up many secrets amongst the people of this small town that they would rather remained well hidden. The challenge to the reader is to discover who the liars are before the author reveals them.
I found this book a really exciting read, the action starts from chapter one and then various apparently unassociated threads weave around the story until they start to come together. There are a few surprises near the end, I was wrong with guessing a couple of the culprits identity. The final few chapters reveal facts that are there to obviously lead onto the next book in the series. When I realised this I discovered that this was the second in a series so I must read the first one and can’t wait for the third book to be released.
All in all a thoroughly good read that’s almost impossible to put down and I really recommend it.
Investigative crime novel featuring an investigative journalist
Eleven Liars is the second in Robert Gold's Ben Harper series following Twelve Secrets. However, I had not read the first in the series and this novel easily stands on its own as there is enough information to give you a bit of background (albeit you may miss some character development). Ben Harper is an investigative journalist and lives in a small town just outside London. On returning home one night he discovers a fire in a local community centre and helps someone trapped inside escape. A mystery then begins when a body is discovered on the site, with Ben investigating what has happened along with a local police officer, Dani Cash. The plot moves along quickly and is driven by short fast-moving chapters with a number of different characters (Pamela was a favourite). I found this a quick but engaging read with enough mystery to keep me reading.
If you like mysteries and drama, I recommend reading this book.
This is a very good read, a real page-turner.
The story is set in a small fictional town in the borough of London and features an investigative journalist called Ben Harper.
The book kicks off with an extremely dramatic incident, cleverly written to pique your interest and make you want to uncover the mystery behind it. This is just the start though, of a series of events which slowly and subtly unravel the secrets of the inhabitants of the small town of Haddley.
The small town’s secrets unfold over the following chapters through the cleverly written narrative, revealing many shocking surprises.
If you like mysteries and drama, I recommend reading this book.
An excellent cast, just enough twists and an unexpected ending left me eager to know more about events in the little village of Haddley. Read the books in order if you can but if not just dive straight in with Eleven Liars, you can’t go wrong.
Eleven Liars is probably one of the easiest thrillers I have ever read and I mean that as a huge compliment. Accessible may have been a better word. I could pick it up and put it down without ever losing the plot and having to backtrack a few pages. The cast is large but by no means overwhelming. We are furnished with enough insights and background info to allow us to differentiate between them and conjure them in our imaginations. Each character remains distinct and memorable thereby avoiding the annoying ‘Who are they again?’ situation I often find myself in with complex thrillers (I have been known to have to keep a handwritten list of who’s who in the past!) And I’m not sure why but I absolutely loved Pamela. Robert Gold got her spot on! The sprinkling of the history of events covered in Robert’s first book Twelve Secrets was sufficient to allow a reader stepping in at book two, such as myself, to read this as a stand alone but to be honest I loved it so much I had Twelve Secrets on order before I was even halfway through. An excellent cast, just enough twists and an unexpected ending left me eager to know more about Ben Harper and the events in the little village of Haddley. Read the books in order if you can but if not just dive straight in with Eleven Liars, you can’t go wrong.
There are only a couple of things I would change if I could. For some reason it felt like the book was crying out for some sort of map of the village detailing the location of the church, the common and other key locales. The characters were often described as they moved around the village and a map would have helped me to picture them in my mind. Secondly I found the quote at the start of each section a little distracting. Not knowing who it should be attributed to rendered it slightly meaningless and in fact I only once spotted the quote being repeated later in the relevant section. I appreciate the catchy title and the fact it continues the theme of the first book but I’m not sure it was entirely necessary. Robert may have cornered himself regarding the naming of future books (Ten ??? etc) but I really do hope that this is only the start of the series. My last observation is that Eleven Liars screams TV drama to me. Fingers crossed that may happen at some point as I would certainly watch it.