Eleven Liars: The unputdownable new thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of TWELVE SECRETS (Ben Harper Book 2)

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This is the second instalment in the Ben Harper series. Ben is a journalist and happens to come across a fire at the local community centre. Rushing to the fire he manages to save someone’s life, but doesn’t know who they are as they run off. But it wasn’t just a fire, it was arson. This one crime unravels other crimes, to which Ben is determined to get to the bottom of, and starts to investigate with his police officer friend, Dani.

This was an enjoyable read with likeable protagonists and I will certainly look out for the previous book in the series as well as any further books n the future. I loved reading about some of the returning characters such as Ben and Dani, both of them equally intriguing and fascinating to read about. I won’t say too much about the plot as I don’t want to spoil, but unlike the first book which dived into Ben’s life and the secrets hiding, this book focused on Dani and her life and things that happened in her past and I loved that. In this new book, we see the return of leading characters Ben Harper and Dani Cash, with the story allowing the reader deeper inside their lives. By introducing new areas of the town, such as the centuries old church standing on the riverbank and the terraced homes built on Haddley Hill, I was also able to bring in new characters and new lives, each one embedded in the darkest parts of Haddley’s past. I loved exploring and imagining new parts of the town and meeting characters who had made Haddley their home for decades. In Eleven Liars we make a welcome return to the world of journalist Ben Harper and DC Dani Cash – but this time, instead of trying to find out what happened to his mother (and brother) as in Twelve Secrets (which I also absolutely loved!), Ben is trying to uncover who started a fire in a community centre that almost killed a teenager, and whether this could be linked to another death years ago…

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This book is book 2 in the series, although you could read this as a standalone. BUT it has been left wide open for another, and this one does talk about the previous story so would recommend reading as a series. I also like how this book is written a lot more than the first - it doesn’t waste time with unnecessary details, it just gets straight to the point. This book is exactly what I wanted the first one to deliver. I hope this turns into a very long series as I would happily keep reading about Ben and Dani’s investigations! Their growing closeness, despite Dani’s husband, adds an extra level of interest and we can’t help but root for them to become more than just friends. Added on top of that is a really engaging writing style that is so easy to enjoy. I don’t think you need to have read Twelve Secrets to enjoy this novel, but it will help you better understand some of the references. One night on his way home, Ben Harper stumbles across a community centre on fire. Rescuing someone within the building, who subsequently runs away, leaves him confused. As does the discovery of a body within the building who appears to have been there for a long time Dystopian Fiction Books Everyone Should Read: Explore The Darker Side of Possible Worlds and Alternative Futures

You’re left starting this book thrust straight into action with Ben Harper saving a masked man from a burning building but this would open up a can of worms when a body is found cast into the foundation of a derelict building.I love the characters within this series, especially Dani and Pamela. They are definitely my favourites thus far. I really liked the character development throughout this book. I wish each chapter was clearly labelled as to who the chapter was about and who's viewpoint it was.

Journalist Ben Harper is on his way home when he sees the flames in the churchyard. The derelict community centre is on fire. And somebody is trapped inside. Robert Gold’s second novel must be one of the best books I’ve read. I would even say that it’s better than the first one, which is amazing because Twelve Secrets was brilliant. Right from the very beginning we dive straight into the story and become totally immersed in the world of Ben Harper and Dani Cash. There are a few references to Ben’s recent discovery about the death of his mother, but the main plot of this story goes even deeper into intrigue and, as the title suggests, the many lies that people tell to protect those closest to them. Needless to say, there are lots of red herrings as the story twists and turns its course throughout the book and quite a few times I was caught in the trap of believing that everything had been fully revealed. Of course, it goes without saying that the story wasn’t over until the final sentence. Even then, there’s the usual thread hanging in the air, which we just know will lead into the next chapter in this magnificent series. A short time earlier - Ben Harper, taking a shortcut through the local cemetery, stumbles upon the fire and sees someone trapped inside. He manages to free them, only for the stranger to flee, leaving Ben wondering, why? We also see the return of PC Dani Cash who I loved in Twelve Secrets. She is about to be promoted when she finds herself in the middle of major cases. For a small town, Haddley has its share of crime! as always in a small community, everyone knows everyone else’s business. Some people here know more than they are saying, and the answers to these cases lie in that truth. Eleven Liars is a superbly written thriller it’s the second book in the Journalist Ben Harper series, you don't really have to read TWELVE SECRETS to appreciate this one but I would strongly recommend it so you have an idea of the characters and relationships. Gold has meticulously plotted a book that has it all, mystery, and deliciously placed twist and turns that reveals a complex web of years-old secrets and tangled lies. Gold throws you straight into the action and the plot develops at a startling pace from then on in.

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With Ben’s help the person escapes, only to flee the scene before they can be identified. Now the small town of Haddley is abuzz with rumours. Was this an accident, or arson? I hadn't read Robert Gold's debut novel and I'm generally a completionist when it comes to book series however this can definitely be read as a standalone.

There was some repetition in this book where it’s repeating the events that occurred in the first book, which is good if you need a refresher or if you plan to read this book as a stand-alone (which you definitely could!). I enjoyed this book a lot more than the first instalment of the series - the pace of this one was so much better and I like how each chapter ends on a mini cliffhanger because it makes you want to read on more. I couldn’t put this book down - I had to know what had happened! Full of not so likeable characters and plenty of twists, Eleven Liars is a complex story that weaves its way through the town and its history. Although we have many characters and threads, at no time did I find myself confused. I liked the slow build up of the plot with a number of strands which are gradually brought together. Haddley seems like a pleasant place to live but there is a lot beneath the surface which reveals it to be a rather unsavoury place, particularly with a view to substance abuse and drug dealing. Even the local vicar has something to hide! Sitting down to write a second novel is an oddly daunting experience. I’m sure every author writes their first novel more in hope rather than in expectation. The idea of anyone reading that first book is something of a pipe dream, even as the story and characters come to life. A second novel is a different experience, one which often begins with your editor asking, “When will it be finished?”.As the police investigate the fire long buried human remains are discovered which turn out to have a major significance for Ben’s friend, Dani Cash who is a policewoman who has helped Ben on a previous case. Whilst helping Dani to look into the case, Ben discovers some long buried secrets which a number of local Haddley residents have reason to hope will never see the light of day. I don’t want to give too much away about the plot but prepare yourself for another twisty tale. Here we have a whole array of characters, some deceitful and some trying their best, but everyone seemingly working toward their own agendas, which makes it hard for Ben and Dani to find out what really happened. With Ben's help the person escapes, only to flee the scene before they can be identified. Now the small town of Haddley is abuzz with rumours. Was this an accident, or arson?