Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Published by: Avon Books
Publication date: 4th June 2026
Content warnings: death, blood, domestic abuse

“The facts say you’re a killer. Can you prove them wrong?”

A new author for me is super exciting, especially when it’s an author who writes as flawlessly Luca Veste does, jesus. This book was a bit of me all over! I was pulled in by the immediate tension and a desire to find out more about the trouble our main character has woken up to. Suspenseful, gritty and completely unpredictable, with an ending that won’t be leaving me any time soon… I’m so happy to be sharing my review for Liar Liar by Luca Veste!

About the book

Once hailed as Liverpool’s finest detective, Mark Fletcher brought a serial killer to justice and earned the city’s admiration. But when he’s accused of working with Liverpool’s most notorious crime family, his legacy is shattered – and so is his life.

Now disgraced and spiralling, Fletcher wakes up in a hotel room with no memory of the last 24 hours… and a dead body beside him.

The evidence says he did it. His instincts say otherwise.

Hunted by the force he once served, Fletcher must uncover the truth – not just to clear his name, but to survive. Because someone wants him silenced, and they’ll stop at nothing to finish what they started…

The beginning

The opening to this book was as gripping as they come and I was instantly pulled into the horrors within it. Ex-Liverpool detective, Mark Fletcher, wakes up in an unfamiliar place. After initially thinking he’d gotten drunk and fallen into someone’s bed, he soon realises he couldn’t be more off the mark. He’s woken up next to a dead body. With no recollection of what happened the previous evening, he flees, and I just had to know what happened previously that landed him in this mess of a situation. The book is split into three different POVs. There’s Mark, Detective Inspector Jack Kirkham, and Frankie, a member of Liverpool’s most notorious crime family. I was so engrossed in each perspective for different reasons. I loved the mystery of Mark’s life, the reasons for him no longer being on the force, and I was curious about the identity of this dead body. I was also loving the thrill of the investigation into another body found buried in someone’s garden, and how these two deaths could potentially be linked to the Bonucci family. It was already clear these people were not to be messed with!

“They were giving him a warning. Mark wasn’t even certain who they could possibly be. Who could want to do this to him. Only, there was a nagging voice at the edge of his mind. Begging for attention. And that voice knew exactly why someone would want to hurt him.”

As Mark frantically tries to make sense of his predicament, the police start to dig into the one death they know about at this point, and try to identify the body. The force is certainly feeling the pressure, especially since Mark’s suspension, even more so when information points to the Bonucci family’s involvement. I loved the relationships between the detectives, the banter and conversations they have about this case, as well as others. Even the times they talk about life or the past completely pulled me in and made them feel so realistic. I also really enjoyed the Liverpool references; locations, landmarks, Brookside, of course. But every time Mark’s chapters came back around, I was completely engrossed; his thought processes were so thorough and exciting, and it felt like I was right there with him, talking things through, coming up with theories. I loved his character and I could sense some fantastic character development as this series progressed. Descriptions of people and places blew me away, too. I was living and breathing Liverpool reading this and it felt so refreshing!

The middle

The book is a bit of a slow-burn but it was perfectly done. I loved savouring the tense moments and letting the story build layer by layer. I did find it a little difficult to get my head around the Bonucci family tree and those associated with them initally, but over time it did become clearer. I found Frankie and his cousin, Gino, to be genuinely terrifying people. In fact, the Bonucci name instilled this weird fear inside me. All of them we meet were pretty damn scary and I loved the way characters reacted to them, how they cowered, how they could predict just how bad things were about to get. Word of them and their actions filled me with dread and I had to keep reminding myself that this was a fictional family. Although, there will definitely be real-life Bonuccis somewhere, no doubt about it! Aside from all the darkness and danger, I noticed there was a real depth to these characters, especially Mark. We get a glimpse of the man he used to be compared with the man that is now on the run. Life had changed so much for him, his path so uncertain now.

“You think suspension wipes the slate clean? It doesn’t. It just makes you vulnerable.”

With help from his friend Sean, Mark lays low. Biding his time. Working out his next move. His past certainly catches up with him and it was thrilling (albeit terrifying) digging deeper into the events leading up to what got him suspended from his detective role. It’s deep, it’s saddening, but my god he is in trouble. And he can’t run forever. What happened ruined friendships, relationships. His life. And all this is explored to perfection. A plan of action is put together, and here the book transformed. Instead of the fear consuming Mark, he’s on a mission for answers. And he’s going to get them. Certain character’s paths started to get painfully close to colliding, and when they did, things were going to get messier. Mark’s cover was so close to getting blown and I was constantly on edge with how tense the book became. My heart was in my mouth! The author’s ability to fill you with anxiety and make you dread whatever came next was absolutely fantastic. The pacing here was spot on and I literally could not put this book down. I needed answers. I needed to know the outcome!

The end

There are some chapters sprinkled in which take us back to before and shortly after the event that brought on Mark’s suspension, and I absolutely loved this. It brought so much depth to the book, allowed us to see first-hand the kind of detective Mark was, how selfless. The fact he would do anything to help someone in need, even if it could cost him his job and potentially his life. Obviously, we know how things end up, but when DI Jack Kirkham and his partner DS Abs Hashem mull over the facts, look at evidence and evaluate the Mark they knew, they know exactly what they must do. I grew to love Mark’s friend Sean so much at this point of the book. Their powerful friendship, the emotion, a gut-punch of a scene that was so damn unexpected had me feeling that lump in my throat, which was not what I thought would happen in such a gritty crime novel! The build up to finding out who had set Mark up all this time was brilliantly done, and the downward slope to the end was pacy, dangerous and completely captivating. Who couldn’t be trusted? And who wasn’t getting out of this alive?

“There was nowhere to move. Nowhere to go. No escape.”

I believe the words, “Oh, you sneaky little b*stard” came out of my mouth when the realisation of who was responsible hit! A leopard doesn’t change his spots and all that… There was such a powerful twist of an ending, the ending that you just do not expect, the kind that takes the breath from your lungs. I was thinking about it for so long afterwards! But then there are more little twists cleverly slotted into that very last chapter, changing the way I thought about different characters, changing everything. The future was uncertain. It was clear at the end of this book that there was a lot of unfinished business, especially for Jack and Abs. For the Bonuccis. And there is so much potential for the next book in this series. I’m so glad I read this one in good time! If you like G.D. Wright’s police procedural elements or the thrill of Linwood Barclay, I think this book will be right up your street. I have so loved my first experience of Luca Veste’s writing, and you bet I’ll be reaching for book two when it releases. Off to explore the other books he’s written because I know I’ll love those too!

Overall thoughts

Liar Liar is a fiercely gripping, action-packed crime thriller that I was completely immersed in from start to finish. From the vivid Liverpool setting to characters you will quite literally fear, this book had a little bit of everything I look for in my crime books. Not to mention this author’s incredible writing – just stunning! Mark Fletcher, ex-Liverpool detective, was once hailed a hero after catching a serial killer. But when he’s accused of working with Liverpool’s most notorious crime family, his legacy is shattered. His life crumbles. Suspended from his role and spiralling, he wakes up in a hotel room with no memory of the last 24 hours… and dead body beside him.

This book was tension-filled and anxiety-inducing from the start. I was so caught up in the danger Mark was in, trying to piece together exactly what happened in the past that had such drastic consequences, the reason he was running, why he couldn’t ask for help. The multiple POVs were excellent – we follow Mark’s perspective as well as Detectives Jack Kirkham and Abs Hashem. But we also see things from Frankie Bonucci’s eyes and get an inside look into the Bonucci family. A crime family who are not to be messed with. I found the book to be more of a slow-burn, but god does it do it well. And alongside the darkness, there are powerful themes of friendship, resilience and doing the right thing, with some of it unexpectedly emotional. It’s gritty and suspenseful, but also incredibly clever. And that ending… 🤯 A thing of beauty! Gimme book 2!

Huge thanks to the author, Luca Veste, and the wonderful team at Avon Books for my proof and finished copy! You can grab your own copy of Liar Liar over on Amazon* or wherever you buy your books. Make sure you’re following the author over on Instagram for more updates.

* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks so much for your support!

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