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The Perfect Liar

By: Brenda Novak
Narrated by: Allyson Johnson
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Publisher's summary

When air force captain Luke Trussell opens his door one Sunday morning, he's shocked to find the police - and even more shocked when they charge him with rape. He knows he made a mistake in judgment the night before, but he certainly didn't force his attentions on the woman who's been stalking him for months.

Problem is...Kalyna Harter has the bruises - and the DNA evidence - to make her claim convincing.

Determined to isolate Luke, Kalyna goes to victims' rights advocate Ava Bixby of The Last Stand, hoping Ava will help put Luke behind bars. But Ava soon realizes she's defending the wrong victim.

Problem is...switching her support to Luke could be dangerous - especially when she falls for him. Because Kalyna won't tolerate losing the man she wants to anyone. Least of all Ava.

©2009 Brenda Novak (P)2009 Audible, Inc.
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Editorial reviews

Narrator Allyson Johnson's performance of Brenda Novak's new Last Stand story, The Perfect Liar, is so smart and unsettling that listeners will find themselves thinking about it weeks after they've switched off their iPods. With the freshness of Michael C. Hall's iconic serial killer, Dexter Morgan, Johnson captures villain Kalyna Harter with a gutsy emotional connection that that packs a terrifying punch. Avoiding every psychopath-lurking-in-the-shadows cliché, this villain rises above the whispering, gravelly-voiced stalkers and shrill screaming-for-revenge lunatics to become one of the scariest monsters in romantic suspense to date.

Kalyna is the new poster girl (step aside Glenn Close) for why guys shouldn't indulge in one-night-stands. Pretty, smart, and sexy, she goes after what she wants in this case it's Air Force Captain Luke Trussell. She's carefully crafted a bullet proof mask to conceal what's inside: a psychopathic liar of consummate skill who's damaged inner landscape doesn't have room for anything resembling a conscience. And the consequences of one grief and booze-fueled mistake for Luke go from bad to lethal in a steady, terrifying spiral.

When Luke starts a fledgling relationship with crisis counselor Ava, Kalyna's narcissistic fixations turn deadly. The cat-and-mouse game she plays with them has a series of shocking plot twists and revelations that will make even seasoned suspense readers jump.

The bar for creepy killers has been set pretty high by writers like Dexter creator Jeff Lindsay and the team behind TV villain Ben Linus from Lost. Brenda Novak understands what it takes to create a character who wreaks havoc with an innocent smile and a completely convincing "who me?" blink of the eyes. And Johnson's inspired narration puts us inside Kalyna's manipulative and darkly methodical world on a journey into murders past and present. She gives Kalyna's public face a part perky cheerleader, part wounded bird femininity, then winds it down to a fiercely focused and disturbingly poised psychopath when she can't get what she wants. Even in the end, she gives Kalyna's lies and manipulations such a cool and convincing artlessness that it raises the hair on the back of your neck.

The Perfect Liar is a reminder that we don't need vampires to scare ourselves silly, human villains like this are more terrifying than any fanged creatures of the night. If you aren't already a fan, this book will definitely turn you on to a great new author, particularly Novak's Last Stand series. Nancy Carter

What listeners say about The Perfect Liar

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Great book!!

The Perfect Liar, is edgy and well written book and is full of suspense and had me on the edge of my seat! Lots of twists and turns I could not put it down, I had a hard time put it down to go to sleep! I was glad it turned out the way it did.

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Great ReaD

The Perfect Liar (The Last Stand, #5) was a great read by Brenda Novak. Luke was shocked when the police show up at his doorstep to charge him with rape. He made a lapse in judgement when he slept with Kalyna but he knows he never raped her. Unfortunately everything looks like he did because of her bruises and the DNA evidence. Kalyna enlists the help of Ava with The Last Stand to put Luke behind bars. Unfortunately Ava doesn’t realize that she’s helping the wrong victim. I really enjoyed reading Luke and Ava’s story. I can’t wait to read more by Brenda Novak.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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I liked it..

Although the story was good and I enjoyed it, this wasn't my favorite of the series..but it was a nice continuation of the series..looking forward to reading the next one.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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No hero

I don’t think Luke was much of a main character. He seemed insipid, wishy washy and mostly didn’t even stand up to Kalyan. He didn’t know his own mind most of time. His words about her didn’t match his actions otherwise this story line was full of suspense

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    5 out of 5 stars
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The Perfect Liar

This book is excellent. I enjoyed the narration and Allyson Johnson drew me in and kept me there. I have already downloaded the next in the series and can't wait to get started!

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9 people found this helpful

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The Perfect Liar

Love, love, love Brenda Novak’s books! Interesting from beginning to end. Would recommend this book to anyone!

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the perfect liar,

the perfect liar it is an exciting thrilling book keeping you on the edge and suspense

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Please listen to this audiobook!

If you could sum up The Perfect Liar in three words, what would they be?

Fun, SMH, and interesting!

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot kept me on the edge of my street because I was waiting to hear what each character would do next and when.

What does Allyson Johnson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Allyson Johnson's voice is comfortable and easy to hear.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Tag, You're It!

Any additional comments?

This author is a great writer! Highly recommend this audiobook and this author1

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A little steamy with a lot of twists

What did you love best about The Perfect Liar?

The plot follows an unexceptional girl who happens to be a twin who is ruthless in her passion to get everything she wants out of life. Jealousy, Violence, Envy, Greed, Sloth and of course lies are her constant fallback positions. She is a black widow but you cant see the web till your in it. I liked this book. I've listened to it more than once.. In fact this is the first review i have ever taken the time to write.

What other book might you compare The Perfect Liar to and why?

I might compare this book to the movies Body Heat, or Wild Things. These are sultry unsavory characters messing up everyone else's lives, while trying to get over, or get even.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Interestingly horrifying

Where does The Perfect Liar rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's up there with the rest of the thriller mysteries I listen to

What does Allyson Johnson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The Boston accent

Any additional comments?

I really didn't like that DD was injured. That storyline just wasn't believable.

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1 person found this helpful