Liar, Liar

A faithful dog lies wounded beside the mutilated body of its owner.

A woman is discovered bound and gagged, dead in her own bed.

Both are police officers.

Both have a red rose at their side... worryingly more will follow...
Lies and accusations abound but who is behind the murders and why are the victims being targeted?

Charlie, Hunter and the team must find the killer targeting their own before another body is found.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Liar, Liar by Sarah Flint is the third novel in the DC Charlotte Stafford series. In this installment, set in London, Charlie and her team of detectives are up against a killer who is targeting police officers and killing them in overly gruesome ways. Up against the clock, Charlie must figure out not only who is committing these murders, but why they're doing it, in order to save her team. 

Though I haven't read the first two books in this series, I liked Charlie's character and felt that the details Flint shares make it easy to form a connection with her. Charlie is a hopeful character with a creative mind and a caring heart. She assigns importance to the people in her life and tries to ensure she's always there for them, even when it's a struggle for her to do so. She's an intelligent detective who wants to uncover the big picture before calling it a success and she's someone who doesn't give up easily in the face of a little backlash. I think readers will connect with Charlie through both her persistence and drive as well as her questioning mind and will respect Charlie for her work ethic and thorough personality. 

The plot of this novel follows both the killer (though unknown to the reader) and Charlie's team as they discover a serial murderer who is targeting officers. The reason why the officers are being targeted was a very interesting aspect of the book to me - they all had complaints from the public that were being investigated. I think this adds a little controversy and true life circumstance to this fictional crime thriller, which makes the book a bit more engaging. Though there were slow periods in between the investigative sections due to in-depth detail and procedural explanation, I really enjoyed reading this book. I would definitely recommend it to readers who enjoy crime thrillers, mysteries, and a race against the clock. However, I do have to admit that I was a little disappointed by the killer as it was a bit easy to guess once I hit the halfway point of the book. I like being stumped on a mystery and this one didn't get me. Maybe I'm watching too many crime dramas and reading too many thrillers... Regardless, I would definitely continue to the series. Or go back and start it for that matter. 

Rating: 3/5 Cups