The Shape of Lies by Rachel Abbott

Black Dot Publishing | January 2019 | 378 pgs

Source: Library 

I picked up this book not knowing that this is actually the 8th installment of DCI Tom Douglas series but still it works well as a stand-alone. 

Anna is happily married with two children. She is also a head teacher at a primary school and it seems she has quite a blissful life. But what everyone doesn't know is she has secrets and she is a liar. 

Fourteen years ago when she was an university student, she knew a boy called Scott. They fell in love and Anna thought he'd be the one whom she'd spend her life with thereafter but she was wrong. Scott could be a nice guy, but he had a gambling habit. And in the name of love, Anna decided to help him but she'd made many bad choices along the course. Scott's habits had eventually led to his death and Anna has moved on until lately she heard Scott on a radio show saying he has a story to share. The radio show is popular as the audience could dial in to give some snippets of the things they want to share and whoever receives the most vote will get to spill everything within a week's time after the polling. This sent Anna in a frenzy state because how could Scott be alive? And if it's not him then who else could it be since Scott is the only one who knew about their past? 

I think the main draw of this book is not only about deceptions and secrets but also allow readers to be aware of the consequences of gamblings. There is also a murder case which is tied closely to the mystery surrounding Scott which add intrigue to the overall plot and this is where DCI Tom Douglas comes in. Aside from the investigations, we get to see the other side of Tom when he was with his family, especially with his daughter since he is separated from his wife. 

As for Anna, I'd mixed feelings for her. There were times I was sympathetic with her situations; yet there were also times I wanted to shake her and wished she'd chosen those decisions the other way. Although there are some parts which may appear a bit far-fetched to me, overall it was an engrossing read (and of course there's a twist in the end). 

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