To Love A Liar

Author: L. V. Matthews
Genre: Thriller
378 pages
Publisher: Penguin, 2025

Synopsis
CHRIS FLETCHER IS A MAN WITH SECRETS . . .

One woman dead.
Nineteen years ago, policeman Chris Fletcher’s lover was found dead in an abandoned house.

One woman missing.

Now, his loyal wife has disappeared without a trace.

A man with everything to lose.
There’s no doubt that he’s guilty, but of which crime?

My review
To Love A Liar by L. V. Matthews is a terrific thriller that’s hard to pin down to just one genre. It’s part psychological thriller, part crime story, part love story, with a touch of police procedural thrown in. Matthews blends these elements seamlessly, creating a layered and emotionally charged read that will appeal to a wide range of readers. From the very first pages, I was pulled in by her atmospheric writing and the growing sense of unease that builds with every chapter. Beneath the surface lies a story wrapped in deception, secrets, and slow-burning paranoia that slowly builds to the end.

Chris Fletcher, a former undercover cop, has retired to Sardinia with his poet wife, Jill, and their lovable Great Dane, Jackson. When Chris is summoned back to the UK for an inquest into a case he worked on 19 years earlier, their peaceful life unravels. New evidence surfaces linking him to the death of Sophia, a young activist he once fell in love with while undercover. When Sophia was found dead in an abandoned house with a needle in her arm, her sister never believed it was an accident, and now she’s determined to expose Chris’s role. As if that weren’t enough, after Chris, Jill, and Jackson return to the UK, Jill goes missing, and the internet mob is quick to point the finger at Chris.

Matthews excels at character development, and the emotional depth here is outstanding. The novel dives deep into themes of trust, betrayal, identity, and the emotional fallout of living a life built on lies. It raises fascinating moral questions: are undercover officers heroes for risking their lives for the greater good, or villains when they become too entangled in their false identities? Where do you draw the line between duty and deceit, and what happens when the two worlds collide? Matthews handles these questions with nuance and authenticity, making the story feel strikingly real.

Told through dual timelines and two points of view, Chris in the present and Sophia in the past, the narrative unfolds with precision and emotional impact. The inclusion of social media threads and excerpts from a true crime drama provide a modern dimension, showing how quickly public opinion can spiral and destroy lives. It’s a clever storytelling device that amplifies the realism and tension throughout.

To Love A Liar is an outstanding, thought-provoking novel, beautifully written, emotionally gripping, and impossible to put down. L.V. Matthews has crafted a story full of heart and humanity, and I’ll definitely be reaching for more of her work in the future.

My recommendation: definitely worth the read!