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sephlav's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. Brady is a licensed psychologist, and her knowledge and insight definitely came through in her writing of the inner state of the sociopathic main character. It came through inher characterization of all the characters really, and she knows how to incite emotions into her reader.
I also really enjoyed the jumping back and forth between the past and the present and the blanks slowly filling themselves in as the story progressed. Every chapter ended with it's own kind of cliffhanger, and it really helped build the tension as I worked through the novel. And as for the writing itself, it was phenomenal. The details were not only vivid, but they fit perfectly with the settings she was creating. The prose itself was great as well. I feel there were instances where too much was being told overtly too the reader in an unneeded amount where the details and prose could have stood on it's own, but it wasn't done to an irritating degree and it wasn't excessive enough to take me out of the story.
I also really enjoyed the last few chapters where everything is falling apart for Peter, because it is done with such tension and and intensity that it really had me speeding through it. I do have to say, I did predict the twist before getting to it, but it was mostly because I enjoy and look for subtle foreshadowing, and even so, it did not make it less of a payoff. This was really great work and I would certainly read this book again as well as more work by Brady.
I also really enjoyed the jumping back and forth between the past and the present and the blanks slowly filling themselves in as the story progressed. Every chapter ended with it's own kind of cliffhanger, and it really helped build the tension as I worked through the novel. And as for the writing itself, it was phenomenal. The details were not only vivid, but they fit perfectly with the settings she was creating. The prose itself was great as well. I feel there were instances where too much was being told overtly too the reader in an unneeded amount where the details and prose could have stood on it's own, but it wasn't done to an irritating degree and it wasn't excessive enough to take me out of the story.
I also really enjoyed the last few chapters where everything is falling apart for Peter, because it is done with such tension and and intensity that it really had me speeding through it. I do have to say, I did predict the twist before getting to it, but it was mostly because I enjoy and look for subtle foreshadowing, and even so, it did not make it less of a payoff. This was really great work and I would certainly read this book again as well as more work by Brady.
ijustreadthisbook's review against another edition
3.0
Charlie didn't die for a long time and when she did Peter went from an unbothered narcissist to a big ol cry baby. I started the book with a thought of who dun it and I was right--I love when that (rarely) happens!
laneylegz's review
2.0
This book is written in "Now" and "Then" chapters. Peter is a remorseless, uncaring, lying lawyer. Groomed to take over a law firm, trying to pretend he cares about his wife, x wife, & son. He's implicated in a murder & there's too much information the author has to keep you guessing on if he's guilty or not. Book was too long with too many dead ends. It was a keep guessing but I felt let down in the end.
niinjah's review
3.0
What should I say to describe this book? The main character was a horrible man, but you don’t have to like the characters. My problem was the unlikely ending, and it’s hard to say why without spoiling it. But, when it came to the murder suspects, the most likely solutions were never mentioned. I was surprised at the end, but still found the former point irritating.
hannohyo's review
3.0
This is a well-paced political thriller told in two timelines, past and present (then and now). The main character, Peter, is a sociopath with a hidden past. When people in his life start dying, things begin to go downhill for Peter...
***SPOILERS AND OBSERVATIONS AHEAD***
This book was well written with complex characters. I liked everyone, even Peter. He seemed like a fairly believable sociopath. The kind you really love to hate. The story was well-paced, never boring. However, the last two percent of the book was chock-full of all the realizations we were waiting for. It was a lot to throw in at the end. I would’ve rather read Juliette’s letter than be told what it contained, and that bomb should’ve been dropped a lot earlier in the story. The thread that could’ve unraveled the mystery of who killed Charlie was so obvious, and I have a hard time believing Peter, Sinan, and the Franks couldn’t figure it out. Sinan asked about Peter’s suits several times. Why did no one follow up on that? I knew who the murderer was from the moment we got the witness statement. It was irksome and unbelievable (literally) that no one else in the book couldn’t figure it out. Oh well. Peter got what he deserved for killing poor Bruno 🦞 3.5*
Thanks to Harper Collins, Park Row, and Edelweiss for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
***SPOILERS AND OBSERVATIONS AHEAD***
This book was well written with complex characters. I liked everyone, even Peter. He seemed like a fairly believable sociopath. The kind you really love to hate. The story was well-paced, never boring. However, the last two percent of the book was chock-full of all the realizations we were waiting for. It was a lot to throw in at the end. I would’ve rather read Juliette’s letter than be told what it contained, and that bomb should’ve been dropped a lot earlier in the story. The thread that could’ve unraveled the mystery of who killed Charlie was so obvious, and I have a hard time believing Peter, Sinan, and the Franks couldn’t figure it out. Sinan asked about Peter’s suits several times. Why did no one follow up on that? I knew who the murderer was from the moment we got the witness statement. It was irksome and unbelievable (literally) that no one else in the book couldn’t figure it out. Oh well. Peter got what he deserved for killing poor Bruno 🦞 3.5*
Thanks to Harper Collins, Park Row, and Edelweiss for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
ijustreadthisbook's review
3.0
Charlie didn't die for a long time and when she did Peter went from an unbothered narcissist to a big ol cry baby. I started the book with a thought of who dun it and I was right--I love when that (rarely) happens!
veeheartsbooks's review
5.0
“You, sir have a monster inside of you. The only question is, can you keep it contained? That is up to you and you alone.”
abookwormwithwine's review
4.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
If you love reading books where the main character is one you just love to hate, [b:Once a Liar|39798932|Once a Liar|A.F. Brady|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1537726758s/39798932.jpg|61539283] by [a:A.F. Brady|16259095|A.F. Brady|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1539102683p2/16259095.jpg] is going to be worth checking out ASAP!
What it's about: Peter Caine is calculated, cold, and distant... and he is also one of the best criminal defense attorneys in New York. His company that he started with his ex-wife's dad is doing great, he has a live-in girlfriend that he's been with for years, more money that he knows what to do with, and a son from his first marriage he never sees (he didn't really want to be a dad anyway). But then his ex-wife dies leaving his son Jamie in his care, and on top of that, Charlie Doyle who is the daughter of the DA that has been trying to get Peter to work for him is murdered. And all signs point to him . . . While Peter tries to prove his innocence his past will come back to haunt him, and he will learn that you can't always trust the people close to you.
I have to preface this review by saying that Peter is a monster and it might make you need to read this book in small doses. Everything is told in first-person from his POV, and man is it a doozy. He used to be a good person but his ex-wife's dad and being a criminal defense attorney in NY really changed him and made him a despicable person. He has no empathy and he treats everyone like crap. If you can't handle reading from a POV like that it will be very hard to read. That being said, Brady has SKILL. She really made me hate Peter with a passion, and any author that can make that so real to the reader and evoke the kind of emotions I had while reading this is amazing in my opinion.
There were a lot of surprises and things I didn't see coming in Once a Liar. While there was one thing I probably should have seen coming, I still didn't fully realize what was going on until the end of the book. This is also a pretty fast read that could easily be read in one day if you can stand Peter for that long. It has almost 400 pages but I still read it in just over 5 hours, and I'm a slower reader.
Final Thought: I think that the synopsis for Once a Liar isn't the greatest. The story is a pretty slow burn and you don't even really get to the mystery until a good halfway in. Most of the beginning is the story of Peter's start with his ex-wife and the start of the company he started with her dad, but it also jumps to present and talks about his relationship with his live in girlfriend and his son. I would say this book is more character oriented than mystery oriented, but that didn't stop me from wanting to know how it all ended. I now officially can't wait to read [b:The Blind|33656826|The Blind|A.F. Brady|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1491587869s/33656826.jpg|54524937] and anything else Brady writes!
NOTE: I received a copy of this book for free as part of the brand ambassador program with The Book Drop https://www.thebookdrop.com/ and all opinions are my own.
If you love reading books where the main character is one you just love to hate, [b:Once a Liar|39798932|Once a Liar|A.F. Brady|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1537726758s/39798932.jpg|61539283] by [a:A.F. Brady|16259095|A.F. Brady|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1539102683p2/16259095.jpg] is going to be worth checking out ASAP!
What it's about: Peter Caine is calculated, cold, and distant... and he is also one of the best criminal defense attorneys in New York. His company that he started with his ex-wife's dad is doing great, he has a live-in girlfriend that he's been with for years, more money that he knows what to do with, and a son from his first marriage he never sees (he didn't really want to be a dad anyway). But then his ex-wife dies leaving his son Jamie in his care, and on top of that, Charlie Doyle who is the daughter of the DA that has been trying to get Peter to work for him is murdered. And all signs point to him . . . While Peter tries to prove his innocence his past will come back to haunt him, and he will learn that you can't always trust the people close to you.
I have to preface this review by saying that Peter is a monster and it might make you need to read this book in small doses. Everything is told in first-person from his POV, and man is it a doozy. He used to be a good person but his ex-wife's dad and being a criminal defense attorney in NY really changed him and made him a despicable person. He has no empathy and he treats everyone like crap. If you can't handle reading from a POV like that it will be very hard to read. That being said, Brady has SKILL. She really made me hate Peter with a passion, and any author that can make that so real to the reader and evoke the kind of emotions I had while reading this is amazing in my opinion.
There were a lot of surprises and things I didn't see coming in Once a Liar. While there was one thing I probably should have seen coming, I still didn't fully realize what was going on until the end of the book. This is also a pretty fast read that could easily be read in one day if you can stand Peter for that long. It has almost 400 pages but I still read it in just over 5 hours, and I'm a slower reader.
Final Thought: I think that the synopsis for Once a Liar isn't the greatest. The story is a pretty slow burn and you don't even really get to the mystery until a good halfway in. Most of the beginning is the story of Peter's start with his ex-wife and the start of the company he started with her dad, but it also jumps to present and talks about his relationship with his live in girlfriend and his son. I would say this book is more character oriented than mystery oriented, but that didn't stop me from wanting to know how it all ended. I now officially can't wait to read [b:The Blind|33656826|The Blind|A.F. Brady|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1491587869s/33656826.jpg|54524937] and anything else Brady writes!
NOTE: I received a copy of this book for free as part of the brand ambassador program with The Book Drop https://www.thebookdrop.com/ and all opinions are my own.
crystals_library's review
4.0
I needed a good legal thriller!
Once A Liar rotates between the "Then" and "Now" of criminal defense attorney, Peter Caine. Peter had a traumatic upbringing that he left behind as soon as he went to college and became top of his class in law school. Peter married, had a child, bought a brownstone, and did everything he thought a high powered attorney should do. Peter quickly became unbeatable as a criminal defense attorney and his adversary, DA Harrison was eager to recruit Peter to his side. Peter's narcissism, ego, and lack of empathy caused him to ruin his relationship with his wife and his son.
When his son is 16 years old, his ex-wife passes away and his son moves in with him. Shortly after his son moves in, his mistress is murdered and Peter becomes the main suspect. Peters life is spiraling out of control. How will he prove that he didn't do it? No one believes him, not even his own attorney.
Peter is one of those characters that you love to hate and hate to love. Criminal Defense attorney's hold a special place in my heart because I was a criminal law paralegal. Usually Criminal Defense attorney's get a bad reputation, but genuinely care about their cases and clients.
I really enjoyed how this book came together at the end. There were a couple loose ends and red herrings, but it did not take away from the story.
Once A Liar rotates between the "Then" and "Now" of criminal defense attorney, Peter Caine. Peter had a traumatic upbringing that he left behind as soon as he went to college and became top of his class in law school. Peter married, had a child, bought a brownstone, and did everything he thought a high powered attorney should do. Peter quickly became unbeatable as a criminal defense attorney and his adversary, DA Harrison was eager to recruit Peter to his side. Peter's narcissism, ego, and lack of empathy caused him to ruin his relationship with his wife and his son.
When his son is 16 years old, his ex-wife passes away and his son moves in with him. Shortly after his son moves in, his mistress is murdered and Peter becomes the main suspect. Peters life is spiraling out of control. How will he prove that he didn't do it? No one believes him, not even his own attorney.
Peter is one of those characters that you love to hate and hate to love. Criminal Defense attorney's hold a special place in my heart because I was a criminal law paralegal. Usually Criminal Defense attorney's get a bad reputation, but genuinely care about their cases and clients.
I really enjoyed how this book came together at the end. There were a couple loose ends and red herrings, but it did not take away from the story.