Lying Beside You by Michael Robotham @michaelrobotham @michaelrobotham.bsky.social #joejameson @joejameson.bsky.social @simon.audio

the setup…
When Cyrus was a young boy, his nineteen year old brother Elias massacred their parents and twin sisters, Cyrus escaping because he wasn’t home but returning in time to witness some of what happened. Elias was diagnosed with schizophrenia and committed to a secure psychiatric facility. It’s been almost twenty years and he’s applying for release, wanting to come home and live with Cyrus (and Evie!) and be forgiven. Meanwhile, Cyrus is asked to profile a killer who abducted Maya Kirk and brutally murdered her father in their home. Then a second woman is abducted and Evie was the last person to see her…and the man who drove away with her.

the heart of the story…
There’s a lot going on here and what looks like separate events starts to feel as if there’s a connection. Elias coming home is intriguing in its own right, especially now that Evie lives with Cyrus. She’s a child-woman, too worldly for her age but also incredibly immature and naive. The cases were just as compelling and the more the investigation progressed, I began getting creepy feelings about those connections.

the narration…
Joe Jameson is now the voice in my head for Cyrus. Even better, he seems to capture Evie perfectly, all sass and heart. Loved his storytelling.

the bottom line…
Pay close attention to this one because the author has created lots breadcrumbs for you to follow and figure out how to weave everything into one frightening conclusion. About halfway through, I couldn’t put this down. This is master level plotting and storytelling. Well done Mr. Robotham!

Book Info

• Release Date: February 14, 2023
• Series: Cyrus Haven #3
• Narrator: Joe Jameson
• Audio Length: 10 hours, 37 minutes
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Goodreads | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm

(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)