REVIEW: Lies Never Die by Mark Hurst

Lies Never Die (The Lies #2) by Mark Hurst

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 1st May 2024

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 2nd December 2023

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

In the sequel to ‘The Lies’, Samantha and Blade continue playing the game of truth versus lie, reality against perception.

Dame Samantha Walsh, now a world icon, a person of respect, wealth and charity, flawless and untouchable in equal measure, continues to grow her empire on her terms. Her enormous wealth and reach bring about power and control never before contemplated, opening up new interests and outcomes for her, both inside and outside legal and moral boundaries.

Blade, recently released from prison, needing to re-integrate with society, has his path to follow to find the truth. He needs work, he needs income, and what better way to fund finding the truth than by taking paid work doing what he is good at, what he was trained to do?

The race is on to find out the truth of what happened to their loved ones. Who will find out first, who will win?

Fast paced and gripping, ‘Lies Never Die’ is the sequel to the bestselling debut book ‘The Lies’ from crime and psychological thriller author Mark Hurst.

MY THOUGHTS:

Truth versus lie...reality versus perception...

Having thoroughly enjoyed "The Lies" I was eager to dive into this sequel although it is a little more far fetched. It's still enjoyable and fast paced But I felt it lacked something the first one had...though I can't quite put my finger on it. Having said that, I did devour this book in one sitting and the climax was explosive!

Samantha is just as unlikeable as ever but this time round we follow a new predator in Blade as he seeks the truth about what happened to his friend David. As usual, this tale sweeps around the globe at lightning speed following Samantha and her various engagements. She has since been given the title of "Dame" but she is as manipulative and as brutal as ever. Nothing gets past her though I wish for once it would.

We spend a good deal of time in Australia once again, journeying from Cairns in far north Queensland to Darwin in the Northern Territory before jetsetting back to the UK once again.

There isn't a lot I can say about the plot without giving anything away and I think it is best experienced first hand. And while it suffices as a standalone I do recommend reading "The Lies" first to fully appreciate what is at play here.

My favourite scene would have to be the stand-off at Stirling Castle, as the players left standing wonder who to trust. And while the ending is a little loosely tied up, I think it wrapped things up nicely albeit ambiguously, though it is still clear who ended up with the upper hand. Nicely played and I think is best left there.

An enjoyable fast paced psychological thriller by newcomer Mark Hurst, father to prolific psychological thriller writer Daniel. But don't be fooled into thinking "like father, like son". Their writing styles are completely different.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Born and raised in Bolton, UK, a true Lancastrian and a child of the sixties, Mark finally decided to pursue his passion for storytelling after a long and eventful career in a completely different industry, that sometimes involved more fiction than fact!

He entered construction at the age of 18 and has been involved with hundreds of large civil engineering projects for the last 40 years as a Civil Engineer and Surveyor, Estimator and Commercial Director, working in various far flung locations such as Hong Kong, Scandinavia and Wigan.

Mark has a passion for reading legal, crime and psychological thrillers; he often claims he can predict the end to a story … and when he gets it wrong, he’s pleasantly surprised. He also enjoys first hand accounts of military and espionage events and when he’s not reading and writing, he can be found watching the History Channel.

Married with two grown children and four grandchildren, his son Daniel convinced him it was time to start committing some of his own stories to print … and there are a few.  Drawing on his own life experiences, Mark weaves them into his stories but with a twist … it all could have happened.

Why Wooded Hill Books?

The origin of the surname Hurst – ancient Anglo-Saxon topographic name for someone who lived near a wooded hill or thicket.

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REVIEW: The Lies by Mark Hurst

The Lies by Mark Hurst

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 12th September 2023

Goodreads

Amazon

Published: 9th September 2023

★★★★ 4 stars

DESCRIPTION:

When Samantha and David decide to have a night out separately with their friends, events overtake them, and the lies lead them down a path of destruction.

To everyone else, it looked like Samantha and David had the perfect life. From meeting at university and falling in love to starting a successful business together, they made a great team. However, as everybody knows, appearances can be deceptive…

That one night out changed everything between them and things would never be the same again; not unless they could face up to their own truths and correct the wrongs.

Neither thought they could become the people they became and do the things they did. But that’s just what happens when two people wronged become consumed by a need for the truth, for justice, and ultimately, for the price to be paid.

If either of them had let it go, it could have all been so different – but neither of them could.

The fast paced and gripping debut novel from crime and psychological thriller author Mark Hurst that will keep you turning the pages as you try to answer the question yourself – could you have let it go?

MY THOUGHTS:

How far would you go to get what you want...?

I am huge fan of Daniel Hurst so when he announced that his father, Mark, was dipping into the psychological thriller realm I just had to take a peek! Then having been given a preview to his talents with his free short story "The Last Woman", I was keen to delve into his recently published debut. And having just closed the book...where do I begin this review?

So I downloaded a sample to begin with to see if it would be up my street, and it certainly piqued my interest so off to Amazon I went to buy the full book. If RL was not as busy as it is, I would have finished long before now.

The story begins with friends on an innocent night out. Samantha heads into Manchester with the girls whilst her husband David undertakes something of a pub crawl with his mates in Bolton. But the night ends abruptly when news of David's arrest after a pub fight resulted in the death of the other party. The victim, nicknamed Snarler in David's narrative, continued to get in David's face and rile him for whatever reason that alludes David. All he knows is that he threw a punch to leave him alone and he did. Next thing they knew, Snarler is dead and David is arrested. 

Samantha remains by her husband's side throughout the investigation and subsequent trial, which doesn't appear to be going his way at all. In the end he is found guilty and imprisoned for manslaughter for a term of ten years with parole in six. And so begins his sentence...

But then new information comes to light regarding her husband and given this information, Samantha takes steps to distance herself from David before removing him as a board member of the fledgling company they started together and then divorcing him. Angry at first, David accepts his lot in life and puts his head down to serve his time.

In the meantime, research they had been working on for many years brings forth results in the form of a lifesaving miracle drug. As a result, Samantha becomes a very wealthy woman, a very powerful woman, with celebrity status and very much in demand. Such demand results in all sorts of problems such as stalkers, which she inadvertently finds herself on the receiving end of, and one who gets just a little too close for comfort.

Then when David is released about five years into his sentence, he meets up with Samantha to bring closure to that chapter of both of their lives. But what he does instead is inadvertently opens a Pandora's box...

This book was fast paced from beginning to end with such short snappy chapters (my favourite kind) that keep the pace moving at a rapid rate. The narratives drift between David and Samantha primarily with the investigating police officer also thrown in on occasion. The story takes us all over the world and culminates down under here in Australia! 

Having said that, I do have to mention an error made in relation to Cairns and Cape Tribulation. When Samantha first arrives, the chapter is titled "Queensland, New South Wales". At first I thought it was going to take place over the two states - being Queensland AND New South Wales - but instead Samantha heads to Cairns and Cape Tribulation in far north Queensland. Later in the Epilogue, it referred to New South Wales police looking into an investigation but given as it took place in far North Queensland, it would be Queensland Police that would be investigating. Queensland and New South Wales are two separate states that border each other and not one inside the other's jurisdiction. So that chapter should have been titled "Queensland, Australia". New South Wales is entirely separate and had nothing to do with this story whatsoever. For clarity and accuracy, I felt this should be mentioned to save confusion.

I do love the style of writing. Don't be fooled into thinking "like father, like son" as their styles are completely different. But both are equally enthralling. I love how each of the chapters entirely separate snippets and how it kept the pace moving quickly. The epilogue wraps everything up neatly like a newspaper article. But it's the final lines I was most interested in...could there be a follow-up? The path has been paved for one with those final words. I would certainly be interested to read Blade's story, if that may be the case.

A fast paced thrill-a-minute read weaving a tangled web and mind-boggling twists that will blow you away. Definitely worth reading this fantastic debut.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Born and raised in Bolton, UK, a true Lancastrian and a child of the sixties, Mark finally decided to pursue his passion for storytelling after a long and eventful career in a completely different industry, that sometimes involved more fiction than fact!

He entered construction at the age of 18 and has been involved with hundreds of large civil engineering projects for the last 40 years as a Civil Engineer and Surveyor, Estimator and Commercial Director, working in various far flung locations such as Hong Kong, Scandinavia and Wigan.

Mark has a passion for reading legal, crime and psychological thrillers; he often claims he can predict the end to a story … and when he gets it wrong, he’s pleasantly surprised. He also enjoys first hand accounts of military and espionage events and when he’s not reading and writing, he can be found watching the History Channel.

Married with two grown children and four grandchildren, his son Daniel convinced him it was time to start committing some of his own stories to print … and there are a few.  Drawing on his own life experiences, Mark weaves them into his stories but with a twist … it all could have happened.

Why Wooded Hill Books?

The origin of the surname Hurst – ancient Anglo-Saxon topographic name for someone who lived near a wooded hill or thicket.

Social media links:

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REVIEW: The Last Woman by Mark Hurst

The Last Woman by Mark Hurst

Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense

Read: 28th August 2023

★★★★★ 4.5 stars (rounded up)

THE LAST WOMAN is a free short story offered to Mark's readers upon signing up to his newsletter (links below).

MY THOUGHTS:

As a huge fan of Daniel Hurst, I was excited to hear his father venture into the world of psychological thrillers himself and promptly signed up to his newsletter which thus gave me access to his free short story THE LAST WOMAN. 

What to say about this story? Well, it is a quick read at just 50 minutes and around 40 pages in length, but it was cleverly constructed in a not dissimilar vein to his hugely talented and prolific son Daniel, though it did have something of its own uniqueness to it.

The story opens on the morning commute with Simon and Becky closely followed by the evening commute home with Rachel and Becky. It then continues throughout alternate chapters between the three characters and how their lives become entwined. I could see it could only end in tears...but maybe Mark had other plans for his characters.

To find out more, you'll have to sign up to his newsletter or visit his website to grab a copy. It's an entertaining read that is fast paced and addictive. I cannot say more than that. To do so would just give it away.

Check it out - you won't be sorry.

In the meantime, Mark Hurst's first full length book "The Lie" will be published on 9th September, which I can't wait for.

MEET THE AUTHOR:

Born and raised in Bolton, UK, a true Lancastrian and a child of the sixties, Mark finally decided to pursue his passion for storytelling after a long and eventful career in a completely different industry, that sometimes involved more fiction than fact!

He entered construction at the age of 18 and has been involved with hundreds of large civil engineering projects for the last 40 years as a Civil Engineer and Surveyor, Estimator and Commercial Director, working in various far flung locations such as Hong Kong, Scandinavia and Wigan.

Mark has a passion for reading legal, crime and psychological thrillers; he often claims he can predict the end to a story … and when he gets it wrong, he’s pleasantly surprised. He also enjoys first hand accounts of military and espionage events and when he’s not reading and writing, he can be found watching the History Channel.

Married with two grown children and four grandchildren, his son Daniel convinced him it was time to start committing some of his own stories to print … and there are a few.  Drawing on his own life experiences, Mark weaves them into his stories but with a twist … it all could have happened.

Why Wooded Hill Books?

The origin of the surname Hurst – ancient Anglo-Saxon topographic name for someone who lived near a wooded hill or thicket.

Social media links:

Wesbite | Free Book/Newsletter SignUp