Sunday 21 August 2016

Lie In Wait by G.J. Minett


Owen Hall is a mathematical genius, a big strong man who earns his living by hard physical graft as a landscape gardener. He also happens to be fascinated by number patterns and sequences. Socially awkward and with a brilliant intellect, as a child he was different to the other children his age and was bullied to such an extent that his mother had to remove him from his school. Owen has never forgotten the scars, both psychological and physical that were inflicted on him in the schoolyard, and he has not forgotten his childhood tormentors.

When a brutal murder occurs in the small town where Owen lives he finds himself once more singled out as 'odd' when the police turn the spotlight on him and he finds himself the chief suspect in their murder investigation.

Is Owen Hall a violent murderer, or is he an innocent man, an easy target for suspicion who just happens to stand out?

This is G.J. Minett's second and much anticipated novel. I have previously read his debut novel The Hidden Legacy and thoroughly enjoyed it. In many ways Lie in Wait is a very different book, although both books touch on the theme of childhood bullying.

Lie in Wait is a dark thriller, extremely cleverly plotted by the author. At times, and particularly in the beginning of the book I found it difficult to keep the cast of characters straight in my head, but G. J. Minett had no such problems as he tells his story from the perspective of each character with immense skill. Just when I thought I understood where each character was coming from and what made them tick, they would say or do something to throw all my assumptions out the window!

G. J. Minett is a very clever writer with a natural ability to tell a story that the reader won't forget in a hurry. Long after you have turned the last page you will still be thinking about Lie in Wait and the complex characters he introduces you to in this dark and twisted journey of a book. A great read, this book will keep you turning the pages long into the night.

Thank you to newbooks/nudge, netgalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced e-copy of this book in return for an honest review.

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