Lying in Wait

Murder, mommy issues, and money. That’s what is at the core of Lying in Wait, the latest psychological suspense novel from Liz Nugent. Set in Ireland in the 1980s, this tale of a mother, a son, and an up and coming model is sure to keep you enthralled.

The novel begins with the murder of Annie Doyle, so no spoilers here, but what occurs in the pages of the story goes far beyond one simple murder and draws in so many more players.  Lydia Fitzsimions helps her husband bury the body of Annie Doyle in their backyard, but you’ll be shocked to learn just what her role in the life and death of Annie Doyle was. Then there’s Laurence, Lydia’s overweight son who is their only alibi that night. Laurence has his own struggles in school, with his new girlfriend Helen, the bullies, his grades, but his life is only going to get harder now that there’s a secret in their backyard, just waiting to be discovered. Then there’s Karen, the sister of Annie Doyle who is consumed with worry about her missing sister, presumed dead. As the years pass and Annie Doyle decomposes in the Fitzsimions backyard, the lives of these three characters intertwine and explode and the ending will leave your mouth gaping.

What I loved most about this book was that it felt like a ticking time bomb even if it wasn’t blatantly laid out to be such. There’s a decomposing body in the backyard and it keeps being mentioned, it has to come to light again right? But you won’t believe how it does. I read a LOT of books like this, and it’s hard for me to be surprised anymore, but I was pleasantly surprised by how this book ended, how justice was brought about, in a sense.  I also enjoy having the multi-POVs that slowly unlock the secrets in different timelines. It’s fun to know something through one character and watch as the other characters learn about it from inside their own heads. My only real complaint with Nugent’s writing is that it is very summarizing. “We went here and did this and I felt that.” I get why she does it, and I don’t think it completely takes away from everything, but it’s hard to get lost in a scene when it is just relayed to you like that.

Overall, this is a really fascinating read and the ending makes it worth the time completely.