A shocking crime. A killer telling lies… The most dangerous man is the one with nothing to lose.
Only a handful of inmates in Westmead Prison have committed crimes so atrocious that they’ve been locked away for life – ‘lifers’ as they’re known inside. For fifteen years, convicted murderer Tomas Kovak has refused to disclose where he hid the body of his victim, a vulnerable young woman.
When Kovak is diagnosed with terminal cancer, intense pressure is put on Dr Laura Fleming, a criminal psychologist, to find the location of Kovak’s victim before his death so the grieving family can find some sort of closure.
With a very clear agenda from a minister seeking re-election via a good news story, Laura is given a clear directive that she must prevail with the location of the victim’s body. Laura has to use all of her training, skills and instincts to form a connection with the cold, remorseless killer – a man who has refused any psychological assessment since the day he confessed to the murder.
With every session, Laura becomes more and more convinced that something about Kovak’s story doesn’t ring true, and as his health rapidly deteriorates, the pressure on Laura ramps up. She becomes increasingly desperate, resorting to unconventional methods to find out what she can from the secretive man.
As she inches closer to the truth, she discovers some people will stop at nothing to keep the past hidden… and the people Laura cares most about are fair game.
Love can make you do terrible things.
Completely thrilling, there’s something so fresh about Mercedes Mercier’s writing style and tone. Black Lies is the follow up to her impressive debut, White Noise, and it’s clear Mercier is hitting her stride. She has once again provided us with an awesome lead with the return of criminal psychologist Dr Laura Fleming.
Laura is an well-rounded, three-dimensional character – flawed, relatable and superb at her job. Mercier deftly unfurls Laura’s home life and romantic aspirations side by side with her nail-biting quest to uncover the truth behind Cassie Walker’s murder fifteen years ago.
Black Lies is a fast paced, first-person narrative with a skillfully drawn world – one that Mercier has a deep understanding of, having worked in the criminal justice system herself. It’s impossible not to feel enthralled, let alone stop your heart pounding in your chest, as you read this and forget that anything exists outside of this compelling, suspenseful, smart and utterly gripping read.
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