Lying Beside You by Michael Robotham

Publisher's Synopsis

Twenty years ago, Cyrus Haven's family was murdered. Only he and his brother survived. Cyrus because he hid. Elias because he was the killer.

Now Elias is being released from a secure psychiatric hospital and Cyrus, a forensic psychologist, must decide if he can forgive the man who destroyed his childhood.

As he prepares for the homecoming, Cyrus is called to a crime scene in Nottingham. A man is dead and his daughter, Maya, is missing. Then a second woman is abducted . . . The only witness is Evie Cormac, a troubled teenager with an incredible gift: she can tell when you are lying.

Both missing women have dark secrets that Cyrus must unravel to find them - and he and Evie know better than anybody how the past can come back to haunt you . . .

My Review 

This is the 3rd book in the Cyrus Haven series and continues on what has become a compelling series of psychological thrillers featuring engaging characters and well developed storylines.

As with the earlier books in the series, the story is told from 2 first person perspectives, Cyrus and Evie, in alternating chapters.

As a quick catch-up: Cyrus is a forensic psychologist who works in the field with the police on some of the most harrowing cases. As a child, he came home from football training to find that his older brother, Elias, had murdered his mother, father and twin sisters. Evie is his ward who, as a child, was witness to a particularly brutal murder. She has the ability to read people to instantly spot lies.

But she continues to suffer mental issues from her harrowing childhood.

“Sometimes when the world is washed in grey, I go to dark places in my mind. Lonely places. Cruel places. The only way to escape this is to hide; to discover somewhere no bigger than a crawlspace, where nobody can find me.”

A wrinkle in their relationship comes when Elias is allowed out of the mental facility for day visits to Cyrus’ house. Evie is still extremely wary of strangers and is prone to frequently get herself into problems due to her tendency to panic, saying and doing the wrong thing at the wrong time.

The main storyline centres around a couple of missing women. Cyrus is called in as the forensic psychologist assisting the investigation. It proves to be an absorbing investigation with the types of twists and unexpected turns that will keep any fan of the genre off-balanced and desperate to find out more.

As the investigation develops the tension and action builds to a tremendous climax. It comes to a very satisfying conclusion with three of the ongoing subplots being drawn together so that, while it is not quite a neat resolution, it is one that I found suitable for all of the main characters.

There is clearly further for both Evie and Cyrus to develop in terms of their own mental battles as well as their relationship with one another. There’s great scope (and appetite) for another helping.