T M Logan’s debut novel ‘Lies’ is about that decisive moment when everything changes and you find out something you didn’t want to know. That pivotal ‘Sliding doors’ moment, the seemingly harmless ‘yes’ or ‘no’ choice that sends your life down a particular path, whether you want it to or not.

Joe Lynch is a normal guy with a wife, a young child and a normal job as a teacher. Pottering around doing normal, everyday things, he sees something a little unusual and on the encouragement of his little boy, William, he makes an innocent, snap decision, and suddenly, his life is irrevocably changed. In less than two weeks, Joe finds himself go from Mr Normal, to someone who suspects his life is not based on the solid foundations he thought it to be. Oh, he’s also arrested on suspicion of murder and realises he doesn’t know his wife, Mel, anything like as well as he thought he did. Bummer.

Joe narrates his forced descent into hell and we are quickly drawn into his nightmare, spending most of the book trying to figure out what on earth is going on and how is Joe going to get out of this – as is poor Joe! Trial by social media, trapped by technology and ostracised by his friends, you can’t help but root for Joe even though he makes some bad decisions – his naivety is one of the things that makes him seem so normal.

All in all this is a great read – I read it in two sittings and the time just flew by. There are quite a few twists and turns; it’s a story full of surprises! The ending seemed a little far fetched, however I do think this would work really well on screen. I look forward to reading more from Logan.

 

4/5