Heather’s Bookshelf: One of Them is Lying
Author: Peter Bailey
Released: 06/27/25
Genre: Adult Psychological Thriller
“Riley realised this was the edge he needed. All he had to do now was work out how to use it.”
“One of Them is Lying” introduces DCI David Riley. Assigned an assault case, DCI Riley and his partner, George Holden, soon realize this case will be anything but straight forward.
Sebastian McBride has been assaulted and claims it was his teacher, Miss Maureen Fleming, who beat him up. Sebastian’s a privileged high schooler with a complex history. Miss Fleming is an educator with no previous history. Sebastian’s influential father demands justice for his son. Miss Fleming’s house and car are vandalized. Something doesn’t quite add up…
As DCI Riley and his partner look into the assault, more questions than answers and more lies than truths drag down the investigation. Things begin to unravel and more tragedy complicates everything.
Will the truth be revealed before it’s too late or will true evil prevail?
Trigger Warning: violence, reference to rape, assault, sexual assault, blackmail, adult language, murder, reference to drug use, sexual situations, suicide
Overall, I enjoyed this story. Riley is more of a brooding but determined cop. You want him to succeed in his investigation, but there’s not a lot of detail into his personality. The storyline with Riley and his wife, Ann, also didn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the tale. I could see some of the parallels, but it really distracted from the rest of the story. It did attempt to show a different side to Riley, but was only successful at the end of the storyline and at resolution. Riley’s partner, George, occasionally allows his personality to shine with a random comment here or there, but he is also pretty buttoned up. The character that really shines is the absolute worst person imaginable-no spoilers here- but that character is the best developed. The story follows some leads that relate to the truth, but also some random leads- seemingly like a real-life case. The distractions did not take away from the pacing of the overall tale, which moved along with both tension and urgency. The setting was quite generic and really could have been anywhere, though not integral to the story. The ending wraps everything up nicely with a resolution for the case and for the protagonist.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
An adult psychological thriller with a strong protagonist, a truly horrible villain, and layers of guessing intertwined with truths and lies.
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