Liar City
Author: Allie Therin
Reviewer: Jen
Rating: A
What I’m Talking About:
Liar City is an amazing story and a fantastic kickoff to an exciting new series. The mythology is fascinating, with a veracious commentary on prejudice and fear. I was sucked into the story from the start and couldn’t put the book down – it’s been a while since that has happened.
The story is shared from the third person POV of multiple characters, with Reece, a pacifist empath who can’t keep his mouth shut, as primary protagonist. He’s sarcastic and jaded, yet can’t help but to care for everyone else, even those most cruel to him. Violence makes empaths violently ill, and Reece seems even more effected and gentle than most. The other key characters include his sister, Jamey, a detective with the Seattle PD and Evan Grayson, aka, the Dead Man. Jamey wants to protect her brother from the world and finds herself at odds with her boss and the community, even though she’s saved countless lives. Grayson is an enigma, an agent of sorts who works above all law and authority, but is feared and sometimes respected by both. He’s an empath specialist, taking out those who are dangerous and protecting those who need it.
Liar City is a murder mystery thriller at its core. Someone is leaving a trail of gruesomely killed bodies across Seattle. Ms. Therin tosses the reader into the investigation, giving glimpses into the world, and I throughly enjoyed watching things unfold. Some narrators, like Jamey and Grayson, know more than they are willing to share, and I loved guessing what may be going on. Other narrators, like Reece, share what they know, which is very little. The story is well-written, feeding just enough information to keep me invested without making it obvious what is happening.
Reece is an interesting character, an empath who appears to be evolving. I admit at times, I didn’t have much sympathy for the kid because he’s so sarcastic and sardonic. I completely understand his attitude as most of the public is awful and cruel to him and his kind, but he just can’t keep his mouth shut! However, as the story progresses, I found him endearing and quirky. And while there is no romance in the story, I am so ready to ship Reece and Grayson. They have a vibe, and I believe there is much more to Grayson than Ms. Therin has shared so far; I’m hoping Reece will be the one to uncover the secrets and give this Dead Man a heart again!
In the end, I absolutely enjoyed every minute of Liar City. It’s unique, exciting, and a fantastic story. I have already stalked the author on social media asking for the next book!
My Rating: A Loved It
Jen
About the Book:
A murder has Seattle on edge, and it falls to a pacifist empath—and a notorious empath hunter—to find the killer before it’s too late
It’s the middle of the night when part-time police consultant and full-time empath Reece gets an anonymous call warning him that his detective sister needs his help. At an out-of-the-way Seattle marina, he discovers that three people have been butchered—including the author of the country’s strictest anti-empathy bill, which is just days from being passed into law.
Soon, Reece’s caller arrives: a shadowy government agent known as The Dead Man, who is rumored to deal exclusively in cases involving empathy. He immediately takes over the investigation, locking out both local PD and the FBI, but, strangely, keeps Reece by his side.
As the two track an ever-growing trail of violence and destruction across Seattle, Reece must navigate a scared and angry city, an irritating attraction to his mysterious agent companion, and a rising fear that perhaps empaths like him aren’t all flight and no fight after all…
Release Date: February 28, 2023
Publisher: Carina Press (Adores)
Series: Sugar & Vice #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy, LGBTQ+
Format(s): paperback (416 pages), e-book, audiobook
Book Source: NetGalley
Purchase Info:
Amazon (affiliate link)