Liar City- A Queer Murder Mystery- BOOK REVIEW

The way some authors write the banter with the characters that leap off the pages needs to be studied.

Hi everyone!

Today I’m so excited to be talking about Liar City by Allie Therin, the first in a series of action-packed and angst-filled queer urban fantasy.

Woo, okay that was a lot in one sentence, so let’s break it down.

THE PLOT

We follow the story of our main character l, Reece, an empath, and his sister Jamie, a police detective who gets embroiled in the suspicious murder of a high-profile individual. Not to mention, there’s a notorious empathy-hunter called the Dead Man who has his eyes on Reece as the prime suspect- or at the very least, a potential future killer. There’s a lot more to the story, but that’s the very basic set-up I can give you guys without getting into too many spoilers.

THE WORLD

The story takes place in our world, except there are certain individuals called empaths who can sense and feel the emotions of other people around them very deeply. These people can gauge your thoughts, are highly sensitive to the moods around them and can, therefore, be harmed by even being around violence and things that even suggest negativity.

In this world, there is a lot of prejudice against such people because empaths can essentially read your mind if they come in skin-to-skin contact with you, and people are afraid of “their privacy being invaded”.

There are corporate conglomerates and the government involved in keeping enlarge “in check”.

While it starts as a story of unravelling the circumstances behind the murder of a high-profile individual with empathy as the prime suspect; it quickly turns into something much bigger. There are forces at play here more than just what a single person is responsible for and combined with the addictive pace, it’s quite exciting to see that plot line unfold.

CHARACTERS

REECE- Reece may look like a giant ball of anxiety that comes with empathising with everything in sight, but his sass and wit are a deadly weapon.

He’s someone who cares endlessly about others and their comfort, but he’s not a people pleaser you can step on.

“Grayson raised his eyebrows, but looked down. “He’s going north, and he’s made it—” He stared at his phone. “Far.”

“Don’t let his bitching fool you.” Jamey ducked into the driver’s seat as Grayson dropped into the passenger seat. “He decided at sixteen that safe driving required good driving. He can drift off-road without crushing a single flower.”

JAMIE- Reece has a badass sister who’s a police officer, and she is as fearsome as she is protective and loving. Absolutely the star of the show. She is one of the perspectives we get in the story, and I loved her parts.

GRAYSON- Then there is the Dead Man, notorious empath hunter. Known for his almost superhuman strength and determination to protect people from empaths gone corrupt.

Emotionless and detached at first glance, the Dead Man has a mysterious ability to make empaths unconscious with just his voice and knock them out with just a touch. However, there’s much more to him than meets the eye.

But you’re empathizing.” Grayson shrugged. “Maybe humans aren’t meant to hurt each other the way we do, and maybe that’s why some hearts are too soft to stand it. Maybe there’s nothing wrong with you for caring about other people’s pain, and there’s something wrong with everyone who doesn’t.”

“But if you keep taking in the city’s anger and fear, you’re gonna break,” said Grayson. “So let me take some of it off your shoulders, Reece because you can’t hurt a dead man.

When two quick-witted characters like Reece and Grayson come together, it’s an absolute storm. The chemistry between those was palpable. It’s an extremely slow-burn, so be prepared. But that is how I like it.

The gradual development of their relationship from enemies to begrudging friendship is precious. There’s so much to read between the lines, so much that is expressed through small gestures and unspoken feelings between the two. I treasure every one of them.

I won’t even be lying when I say that I thought about the two characters from this book, Reece and Grayson over and over since I read the book a year ago.  I made up imagined scenarios about them in my head that are worth a couple of fan fictions.

It’s honestly concerning.

And now that I’ve read the sequel, cue Reece x Grayson brainrot for another year. (Psst… Twisted Shadows, the sequel, comes out on December 10, 2024!)

WRITING

The book is a masterclass in creating tension and angst, giving the reader plenty of subtext to be engrossed in.

What really makes the impact long-lasting is just how many questions that book leaves you with at the end. It’s that endless curiosity and anticipation of finding the answers that make this a story to be remembered.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

In conclusion, I think you’ll really Liar City if you love a murder mystery, unravelling controversies along with systematic discrimination, plus a slow-burn romance (reallllyyyy slow) as cheery on top.

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