The First Lie by A.J. Park
Genre: Psychological thriller, Domestic thriller
Read: 31st March 2021
Published: 25th June 2020
★★★★ 4 stars
DESCRIPTION:
A freak accident. An impossible choice. But what was...
THE FIRST LIE?
When Paul Reeve comes home to find his wife in the bathroom, bloodied and shaking, his survival instinct kicks in.
Alice never meant to kill the intruder. She was at home, alone, and terrified. She doesn't deserve to be blamed for it. Covering up the murder is their only option.
But the crime eats away at the couple and soon they can't trust anyone - even one another...
The most gripping psychological thriller you'll read this year - perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Mark Edwards, Claire McGowan, TM Logan and KL Slater.
MY REVIEW:
An exciting premise, a promising story and a tale of two people caught up in a life-altering situation from which they can see no way out. That is the basis of this fast paced psychological domestic thriller debut from A.J. Park.
It's something we've all thought about. You're home alone...and then suddenly you're not. Someone breaks in and you're faced with a choice. To kill or be killed. And in defending yourself you end up killing the intruder.
This is what criminal barrister Paul Reeve faces when returning home late one night to find his wife Alice in the bedroom covered in blood...a dead man in the bathroom with a letter opener in the back of his head.
"What have you done, Alice?"
A thousand thoughts race through his mind. He is up for promotion shortly and if he is successful he will make history by being the youngest ever circuit judge in the UK. It's all he ever wanted...all he ever dreamed of. But if he were to report this then he could kiss that opportunity goodbye. There was no way he would even be considered for the position should it become known that his wife had killed a man...even if it was in self defence. And Paul knew the legal system. He knew how hard it was to prove self defence.
With Alice trembling and sobbing in the corner, he makes a snap decision. They will get rid of the body. Bury it where no one will find it. And even if they do, he will ensure that there is no trace of DNA evidence that will link back to them. He's not only doing this for him but for Alice. She doesn't deserve this.
If only he knew what that snap decision meant for them. Where it would lead them. And how it would end... The first lie was just the beginning.
Meanwhile, someone has been killing seemingly random men throughout London. The deaths have been particularly gruesome using the age old method of garroting, seemingly with piano wire - minutely thin, razor sharp and highly effective. There appears to be no entry or exit point for the villain - so how did he get in? And what connects these men to be killed in such a way? This is what DS Katherine Wright and DC Ryan Hillier are faced with as they investigate the deaths of these rising stars.
Four months later and successful in his promotion, Paul now sits on the bench of the Old Bailey overseeing trials upon which he must judge. But how can pass judgement on others when he himself is not blameless? Although he has managed to put that night aside and move on his wife Alice has not. Since then she has had nightmares and loathes being in the house alone, often begging Paul when he would return home. But as each trial continues, his days get longer and he gets home later...often when Alice has already taken herself off to bed.
As the gap widens between them, life becomes unbearable for the couple in the wake of what they have done, leading to further bad choices and stupid decisions. One such decision will then culminate in a series of events leading to a penultimate head which will threaten to unravel everything Paul has worked so hard to keep together.
"I didn't have a choice..."
The first lie was just the beginning. And now, this is the end...
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, especially after reading the average reviews, but I was pleasantly surprised. Despite the fact that it is somewhat far-fetched in places, it remained addictive and engaging throughout. You just wanted to find out how it all ended for Paul and Alice and where the murders fit in. And that kept me reading...
The writing is fairly simplistic and easy to read, with those short snappy chapters I love to keep the pace moving. The story unfolds through the multiple narratives of Paul and Alice in the first person, and the police detectives in the third giving us the highlights of their investigation in detail. Paul and Alice's narrative was incredibly emotional, and not always in a good way. Alice particularly was living on a knife edge and got on almost every nerve I had left. Her behaviour was erratic and paranoid bordering on psychotic at times. Paul became careless which lead him into making some rash decisions. Which in turn made Alice even more unstable.
Once the murders were linked, it didn't take me long to work out who orchestrated it and the motive. But it did leave me with the question why. I can't elaborate without revealing spoilers but while it made perfect sense, it also didn't make any sense because of a particular...shall I say...specific. But in any case, I pieced that part of the puzzle together nicely.
Overall, THE FIRST LIE is a fun and addictive read that, while not entirely beliveable, is highly entertaining that had me racing through the pages right up to the surprising end.
I would like to thank #AJPark, #NetGalley and #OrionPublishing for an ARC of #TheFirstLie in exchange for an honest review.
MEET THE AUTHOR:
Born to Hungarian and Polish parents, Karl Vadaszffy/A.J. Park followed in his father’s footsteps and trained as an actor and competitive fencer. His father trained at RADA and went on to star in movies such as The Ipcress File and You Only Live Twice while becoming an international champion fencer and ultimately the British Foil Team’s Olympics coach for eight years. He was the also personal coach of Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson for close to 30 years. He also coached Ralph Fiennes and Robson Green to prepare them for roles.
As an English teacher, Karl Vadaszffy/A.J. Park became a Head of Department at only 26. He has also been an assistant editor of four magazines with global reaches and has taught English as a foreign language in Poland. As a freelance journalist, his writing regularly appears in a number of industry-leading titles. His 2012 novel, The Missing, was twice a UK top ten bestseller, peaking at number six in the Kindle chart, and hitting number one in Australia. It has sold over 60,000 copies. As Karl Vadaszffy, he is also the author of Full of Sin and Sins of the Father. As A.J. Park, he is the author of The First Lie and Don’t Speak.
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