*I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Cover image and summary from Goodreads*
It’s the middle of the night when part-time police consultant and full-time empath Reece gets an anonymous call warning him that his detective sister needs his help. At an out-of-the-way Seattle marina, he discovers that three people have been butchered—including the author of the country’s strictest anti-empathy bill, which is just days from being passed into law.
Soon, Reece’s caller arrives: a shadowy government agent known as The Dead Man, who is rumored to deal exclusively in cases involving empathy. He immediately takes over the investigation, locking out both local PD and the FBI, but, strangely, keeps Reece by his side.
As the two track an ever-growing trail of violence and destruction across Seattle, Reece must navigate a scared and angry city, an irritating attraction to his mysterious agent companion, and a rising fear that perhaps empaths like him aren’t all flight and no fight after all…
This book is so good! It's an excellent mystery/thriller with fascinating characters and interesting worldbuilding. What would happen if certain humans began to manifest a mutation that made them empaths? This book explores that question, with clever excerpts at the beginning of each chapter that reveal the deep impact empaths have on politics, culture, science, and more. Even though I was familiar with the concept of empaths from other media, I hadn't thought too deeply about it and was enthralled (lol) by the world of Reece, the Dead Man, empaths, scientists, government agencies, and sinister politicians. Reece is one of my new favorite characters! He's sarcastic, hilarious, and can not keep his mouth shut. He's also incredibly lonely and hiding some painful memories. The Dead Man is everything you could want from a powerful, mysterious, and surprisingly suave secret agent. Together they make a great team and I thoroughly enjoyed their bickering, banter, and hectic search for truth through the streets of Seattle. Exciting, fast paced, and filled with emotion, Liar City is a must read!
Pub date February 28, 2023
(first book read in 2023 and it is a WINNER!!)