Murder for Liar
Verlin Darrow
The Wild Rose Press, Inc. (2023)
ISBN: 978-1509248971
Reviewed by Kathy Stickles for Reader Views (03/2023)
In his new novel, “Murder for Liar,” Verlin Darrow takes his readers into the world of a therapist who is worried he is losing his sanity. He’s so focused on his own sanity, that he is not keeping up well with the issues that his patients are coming to him with. Throughout the novel, the reader is presented with so many twists and turns and murders that it might seem a bit difficult to keep up. But I assure you it is well worth the ride.
“Murder for Liar” revolves around the life and career of Tom Dashiel, private investigator turned therapist, and his newest patient, George Arundel. He may be the most important and dangerous person that Tom has dealt with in his vocation. The questions pile up very quickly as to whether George (and his various other personalities) have an actual issue to deal with, or if he is simply causing a large number of issues for Tom. George comes to Tom to let him know that he is actually one of a large group of angels in the world and it is time to embrace that and help the others around him save the world. For Tom, however, this sounds like complete nonsense, and he does not believe it.
As George keeps trying to convince Tom of the truth in what he is saying, the reader is introduced to a young woman named Zig-Zag who may or may not be an angel too, a sweet little dog who seems to know more than most, a large number of coincidences that lead Tom to question his own sanity and a serial killer who is out there taking lives one after the other while somehow involving Tom in the investigation. So many questions and twists! For the answers, dear readers, you will need to get to the end.
“Murder for Liar” is the first book that I have read from this author, and I have to say that it does not disappoint in any way. I will definitely be going back to read Mr. Darrow’s previous books. I very much enjoyed the author’s writing style. He thinks “outside the box” as it were and mixes a great deal of deep thought into the real-life behavior and minds of his characters, along with just the right amount of confusion and humor to make the character jump off the page and seem almost real.
On top of that, the writing is full of excellent descriptions of the people and places involved so that you almost feel as if you are there. Each of the characters is well-written and interesting in its own way. Brought together, they make for a very interesting and exciting story all the way to the last page. I had a hard time putting it down because I did not want to wait to find out what was next for Tom and the others as the story progressed.
“Murder for Liar” is an excellent novel, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery or an amazing psychological thriller. I cannot wait to see what is next for this wonderful writer. I can only assume that the next ride will be just as exciting as this one. 5 Stars!
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