Up until last year, I didn’t read thrillers. I thought they’d be too scary and too true-to-life. I had to stop watching CSI and Criminal Minds when I was a teenager because I got too paranoid about the cases. How silly was I? Thrillers, when written well, are epic reads that grip you for hours, days or weeks, depending on how long it takes you to read the book. I had high expectations for Lying in Wait from the opening sentence when the reader learns of the death of Annie Doyle and must backwards to conclude why this has happened. The way in which Lying in Wait is written appeals to me. I enjoy when each chapter is narrated by a different character to give different perspectives on the situation.

While the storyline, at times, is a little far-fetched, this book is one that you will devour. I found myself reading well past my bedtime just to see what happened in the next chapter. The setting is Foxrock, a well-to-do area of south Dublin and the Fitzsimons family fit in very well here. Lydia is a lady of leisure who has spent her whole life getting what she wants, regardless of the cost or consequences. This story is a tale of love and loss, selfishness and selflessness, all leading to an unexpected and shocking ending.

I picked up Lying in Wait one day when I popped into Deansgrange Library to return my previous read, The Lost Letters of William Woolf. The were two copies of Lying in Wait sitting side-by-side on the book shelf and I felt it was a sign that this would be my next read. Up until then, the books that I have gotten from the library have been ordered for me and I’ve been placed on a waiting list for them.

This book was the sixth book I read in 2019 – the year in which I have committed to reading 25 books. You can keep up-to-date with my “to-read” list and book reviews here. After reading Lying in Wait, I now plan on reading Unravelling Oliver by the same author.