The Good Liar

The McIlvanney Prize Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2025 Finalist

If you were responsible for a miscarriage of justice would you admit it?

The truth can set you free. Or destroy your life.

So sharp it ll cut your fingers' ERIN KELLY
'A writer of rare and remarkable talents' STEVE CAVANAGH
'Sublime' ABIR MUKHERJEE
'Mina at her blazing, blood-splattered best' LUCY WORSLEY
'A stand-out read' Guardian
'Tense, nuanced and moving' Crime Time
'Propulsive mystery ALAFAIR BURKE
'Blisteringly good' SARAH HILARY

Blood spatter expert Doctor Claudia O Sheil s evidence put a killer behind bars or so everyone thinks. Since the trial, Claudia has learned a horrific truth: her evidence and her testimony were wrong.

Now as she takes the stage to give a speech before London s elite specialists, Claudia has to choose: keep lying and leave the wronged killer behind bars or stand up, tell the truth and rip her life apart.

What would you do?

More praise for Denise Mina
'Crime-writing royalty' IAN RANKIN
'A delight' ANN CLEEVES
'Highly original' The Times
'Darkly brilliant' Observer
'Denise Mina is a one-of-a-kind storyteller' JAMES PATTERSON
Britain's best living crime writer Sunday Express
Forensic, beautiful and gripping GRAHAM NORTON
Crime fiction at its very best JOSEPH KNOX

Preorder now to secure the exclusive collectors edition - while stocks last*

''Authentic, compelling and written with wit so sharp it’ll cut your fingers. Once again, Denise Mina shows the rest of us how it’s done'' ERIN KELLY

What will it take to tell the truth when your life depends on a lie?

A year ago, a father and his fiancée were brutally stabbed in their opulent townhouse, sparking the most high-profile murder investigation in recent history. Blood spatter expert Doctor Claudia O’Sheil’s evidence put the killer behind bars – or so everyone believes. Since the trial, Claudia’s learned a horrific truth: her evidence and her testimony were wrong. And someone she knows made sure of it.

Now, as she takes the stage to give a career-defining speech before London’s elite, Claudia faces a devastating choice. Protect her children and her livelihood with her continued complicity or blow the whole conspiracy apart and reveal the truth: not only is the real murderer still out there, they’re in the audience.

As Claudia steps toward the microphone, she revisits that fateful night. What really happened? And what speech will Claudia give?

From The New York Times bestselling and Costa-shortlisted author, Denise Mina, comes a taut, intelligent thriller about power, class, and the lengths we''re willing to go for family.

''Denise Mina is crime-writing royalty'' IAN RANKIN

More praise for Denise Mina
''A delight'' ANN CLEEVES
''Highly original'' THE TIMES
''Darkly brilliant'' OBSERVER

*Exclusive collector''s edition is foil on board: Red foil design under dust jacket - limited to first print run of hardbacks only

• | Author: Denise Mina
• | Publisher: Random House
• | Publication Date: Jul 31, 2025
• | Number of Pages:
• | Language: eng
• | Binding: Paperback / softback
• | ISBN-13: 9781787304291
• | ISBN-10: 1787304299