So Colette McBeth’s new psychological thriller Call Me A Liar was published just a few days ago (13th June 2019) and crikey – it’s intense. It’s so topical it’s chilling! Focusing on the theme of ‘ethical’ hacking, this is a novel that is truly scary as you can really imagine it happening in today’s society. It is fast paced, character driven (something I always love) and full of twists. But for me, the truly petrifying thing about this novel is that in today’s big brother society, the exploration of ‘ethical’ hacking is so close to the bone…
Mainly told from the point of view of ‘brilliant, high flying’ graduates Libby and Joe, this is a contemporary thriller as they land ‘dream jobs’ straight out of University working at a company that ‘ethically hacks’ its clients.
You could say it started with vanity. We believed we were special. But the truth is we were simply vulnerable.
Libby and Joe have very different attitudes to their job and new colleagues; especially towards Tess, who managed to escape criminal conviction after hacking into Westminster Council’s system and leaking emails.
The characters are frustrating, and for me not that likable at times. Yet as the narrative progressed and I discovered more about their backgrounds, their vulnerabilities and their fears, my emotional investment in these characters grew.
Then one of them goes missing while on a remote working retreat…
I quickly read Call Me a Liar over a weekend. It’s a compelling, character driven story that easily lures you in. Yet I could not have predicted the twists and turns this morally ambiguous story takes you.
So if you’re looking for a good holiday read this summer, I’d definitely recommend Call Me a Liar by Colette McBeth.
Thank you to Headline for my advance copy.
