Murder for Liar by Verlin Darrow Review

Murder for Liar by Verlin Darrow

Publisher:  The Wild Rose Press (May 15, 2023)
Category: Mystery/Suspense
Tour Dates June 26-July 27, 2023
ISBN: 978-1509248971
Available in Print and ebook, 298 pages

 

Description Murder for Liar by Verlin Darrow

Award-winning novelist Verlin Darrow delivers a standout thrill ride in his newest mystery, Murder for Liar, an engaging, enlightening, and entertaining novel of psychological suspense. 

About Murder for Liar:  Private investigator-turned-psychotherapist Tom Dashiel doesn’t know it yet, but he’s hurtling towards discovering where his threshold lies—the point of no return for his sanity.  So begins a surreal spiral when George Arundel enters Tom’s Santa Cruz office on a Tuesday afternoon in April. 

To say George Arundel is a puzzle is an understatement:  the local psychiatrist who referred Arundel to Tom described him—rather astutely—as “a substantial challenge.”  Working to treat the enigmatic Arundel, Tom soon realizes he has been tasked to treat a client unlike any he’s ever encountered. 

But how is George Arundel related to the uncanny coincidences Tom begins to encounter?  Are these mere coincidences…or something else?  Could a young woman named Zig-Zag really be an angel?  How could a dog—a rather cute one at that—reveal one of the most important clues? What’s the deal with that alluring, albeit mercurial, woman named Dizzy?  And what’s Arundel’s connection to the escalating spate of unsolved murders plaguing the typically calm but always colorful Santa Cruz community? 

Swept up in a perilous world where nothing is as it seems, Tom struggles to make sense of the decidedly dangerous, downright deadly scheme in which he has somehow unwittingly become a key player. Tom is about to discover that in this treacherous reality, the truth is far, far stranger than fiction…but the real danger is not knowing which is which. 

Verlin Darrow has crafted an exhilarating, briskly paced page turner with a to-die-for plot in his latest novel. An extraordinary read that is alternately dark and lighthearted, tragic and comic, wildly entertaining and highly enlightening, Murder for Liar is one of those books destined to stay with readers after the final page is turned.  Meticulously plotted, populated with a charismatic cast of unforgettable characters and bustling with twists and turns, Murder for Liar is a true standout.

Review Murder for Liar by Verlin Darrow

Review by Suzie

There is no other way to put it, 'Murder for Liar,' by Verlin Darrow is an absolute masterpiece.

I have never read such a tightly-written, thrill-packed book before in my life. Somehow, Darrow manages to pack so much comedy, intelligence and story development into every paragraph that I found myself pulled in from the very first page.

I was eager to see where this story went right away, and I was definitely not disappointed. However, I won't spoil the ending. Instead, I'll tell you just enough about the plot to pique your interest.

Tom Dashiel is a former private investigator turned therapist who stands at a towering and intimidating 6'5 and has scars on his face from an accident. He is well used to dealing with every type of case that walks through his door, but when George Arundel walks into his office, the therapist quickly begins to wonder if he might be out of his depth.

George has Disassociative Identity Disorder, a mental illness characterized by the presence of several personalities in one human brain. By itself, this is nothing Dashiel can't deal with, but when George begins telling Dashiel that he was sent there to guide him on a mission, that's when things begin to veer out of control.

George believes that Dashiel is the reincarnation of an angel. He also believes this of his small, spitfire of a friend, a woman he calls Zig-Zag. Dashiel is fully prepared to dismiss these assumptions, until he begins seeing signs that make him wonder if George may be onto something and how, exactly, the man relates to the case of a serial killer that has been terrorizing the area.

This book is well worth the read for any fiction lover. I was blown away by how well written and funny it was and how quickly I blazed through the pages.

I want more from this author right away! 

About Verlin Darrow

Award-winning novelist, Verlin Darrow is a psychotherapist who lives with his psychotherapist wife in the woods near the Monterey Bay in northern California. They diagnose each other as necessary. Verlin is a former professional volleyball player (in Italy), unsuccessful country-western singer/songwriter, import store owner, and assistant guru in a small, benign spiritual organization. 

Website:  https://www.verlindarrow.com/

Buy Murder for Liar by Verlin Darrow

Amazon
BarnesandNoble
IndieBound
Bookshop.org

Giveaway Murder for Liar by Verlin Darrow

This giveaway is for 3 print copies and is open to the U.S. only  This giveaway ends on July 28, 2023 midnight, pacific time.  Entries accepted via Rafflecopter only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow Murder for Liar by Verlin Darrow Tour

Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus June 26 Kickoff & Interview
Suzie My Tangled Skeins Book Reviews June 30 Review
Carole Rae's Random Ramblings July 11 Excerpt
Denise D. Amazon & Goodreads July 12  Review
Becky Life as Rog July 13 Review & Guest Post
Sal Bound 4 Escape Jul 14 Guest Review
DT Chantel Amazon & Goodreads  July 17 Review
Laura Lee Celticlady’s Reviews July 18 Guest Review & Excerpt
BookGirl Teddy Rose Book Reviews Plus July 19 Guest Review
Nora StoreyBook Reviews July 25 Guest Review & Guest Post
Gud Reader Goodreads July 26  Review

 Bee Book Pleasures July 27 Review & Interview