Catherine Ryan Howard

Will Hurley was an attractive, charming, and impressive student at Dublin's elite St. John's College--and Ireland's most prolific serial killer. He stalked and drowned his five young victims in the muddy waters of the Grand Canal, and is currently serving a life sentence in the city's Central Psychiatric Hospital. Alison Smith's world imploded when Liz, her best friend, became the victim of the Canal Killer--and then her boyfriend Will confessed. Alison fled to the Netherlands and, in ten years, has never once looked back. When a young woman's body is found in the Grand Canal, Garda detectives visit Will to see if he can assist them in solving what looks like a copycat killing. Instead, Will tells them he has something new to confess--but there's only one person he's prepared to confess it to. Reluctantly Alison is pulled back into the past she's worked so hard to leave behind, only to discover that, until now, Will has left out the worst part of all.

The Liar's Girl

Barbara Williford

Alison seems to have her life planned out with her best friend: go to college together at St John’s, be roommates, enjoy all the parties and study English Lit. All that changes when she meets Will. Their romance is perfect until the murders start and Will is convicted. Alison’s world is turned upside down. Ten years later the guards are once again asking for her help and her world and perspective is once again spiraled out of control. The twist at the end will leave you shocked.

Lauren Attaway

The Liar's Girl is my second great Catherine Ryan Howard read this year (maybe this month)!Even when I thought I had it all figured out, I still couldn't stop thinking of this book until I had finished it. That's a unique gift, to make a reader feel like they have to finish the story because they have to know what happened (even when they are a know-it-all like me who thinks they do in fact know it all).This serial killer story was very different from my previous read by the author The Nothing Man, which I am still calling my favorite serial killer/thriller of the year. The Liar's Girl managed to hit the familiar serial killer tropes without feeling disappointing. I'm really enjoying spending some time in Ireland (in my mind) while I power through Howard's books. On to the next!

Brittany Colquitt

That last chapter though 🤐🤐🤐. This book was great. Loved the twists and turns, and the unexpected revelation at the end. I'll be looking to read more of your novels Ms. Howard!

Totally Addicted to Reading

I discovered The Liar’s Girl through Barnes and Noble serial reads. I started out using that medium, however as the story progressed, my curiosity could not survive the wait for the daily installments so I purchased the book. Well worth the money spent.

The story started out slow, but it gradually progressed and pulled me in page-by-page until I found myself deeply invested. I had to know the identity of the Canal Killer.

Will is considered Ireland’s most prolific serial killer. Found guilty for the stalking and drowning of five young college females at nineteen. Currently serving time in a Psychiatric hospital in Dublin. However, ten years later when a young woman’s body is found in the canal and the evidence shows similarities to the murders they sentenced Will for, it gave rise to questions. Was Will innocent or did he have an accomplice?

Allison has spent the last ten years of her life trying to escape her past. Knowledge that she dated a serial killer and the fact her best friend was one of his victims weighed heavily on her. Just when she believed she had it under control, the Gardai showed upon her doorstep requesting she returned to Ireland has Will had information they needed and would only share it with her. 

What followed was a tale rife with secrets, uncertainties and questions. I kept wondering is Will guilty or innocent. After all, he confessed but then you discover they coerced his confession, and it raises more questions. 

The story moved between the past and present. In doing so we get a contrast Allison’s, emotional struggles then and now. It would have been nice if Will’s perspective then and now was provided, throughout the story. It was not until near the end that things were revealed through his eyes and what a revelation. 

Allison struggled not only with the memories from the past but also with the bombardment from the media. After all she is the ex-girlfriend of a serial killer. In addition, she struggled with believing Will’s Innocence I understood why she would feel that way and it could not have been easy for her.

The contrast between Allison of the past and present showed how much she had grown. Allison of the past was young, immature and gullible. Allison of the present was smarter and not easily led.

Conclusion/Recommendation
Overall an exciting read. I am glad I got the chance to read this one. I would definitely read more from this author.

Catie Brumit

Irene Lydia Bintou

Heather Roden  

Katrina Meyers

2019 Edgar Award nominee for Best Novel Will Hurley was an attractive, charming, and impressive student at Dublin's elite St. John's College--and Ireland's most prolific serial killer. Having stalked his five young victims, he drowned them in the muddy waters of the Grand Canal. Sentenced to life imprisonment when he was just nineteen, Will is locked away in the city's Central Psychiatric Hospital. Freshman Alison Smith moved to the Big Smoke to enroll in St. John's and soon fell hard for Will Hurley. Her world bloomed ... and then imploded when Liz, her best friend, became the latest victim of the Canal Killer--and the Canal Killer turned out to be the boy who'd been sleeping in her bed. Alison fled to the Netherlands and, in ten years, has never once looked back. When a young woman's body is found in the Grand Canal, Garda detectives visit Will to see if he can assist them in solving what looks like a copycat killing. Instead, Will tells them he has something new to confess--but there's only one person he's prepared to confess it to. The last thing Alison wants is to be pulled back into the past she's worked so hard to leave behind. Reluctantly, she returns to the city she hasn't set foot in for more than a decade to face the man who murdered the woman she was supposed to become. Only to discover that, until now, Will has left out the worst part of all ...

The Liar's Girl

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