Liar Thief by May Rinaldi BLOG TOUR #LiarThief @mayrinaldi56 @BlackSpringC @RandomTTours #BookReview #CrimeFiction

 

Two childhood friends;  one ‘killer’, one cop.

Ginnie says she is a serial killer who kills people who have wronged her. No one believes her.

Author Fiona Taylor is writing Ginnie’s memoir, The Killer Inside, trying to understand why Ginnie should still insist that she’s a killer. She recruits ex-DI, Tom O’Brien, to examine the evidence. As Ginnie’s oldest friend, Tom has his own insights into her story.

As her memoir unfolds will the decisions taken by Fiona and Tom put them and their families at risk?

Is it safe to release a self-confessed serial killer back out into society, even if there is no evidence against her?

Liar Thief by May Rinaldi was published on 2 December 2025 by Black Spring Crime. My thanks to the author who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours blog tour. 

I heard the author read from this novel at Moffat Crime Fest in October and was instantly intrigued by the premise of the story, and was so eager to read it. 

There is something deliciously unsettling about a book that plants a seed of doubt in your mind and then quietly nurtures it until you’re questioning everything. Liar Thief by May Rinaldi is exactly that kind of read, it is clever, chilling and utterly compelling from the very first page.

At the heart of the story is Ginnie: a woman who calmly insists she is a serial killer. She claims that every victim deserved their fate. One huge problem though;  there are no bodies, no evidence, and she's never been charged. There is no proof that any crime was ever committed. And yet she refuses to retract her confession.

What follows is a brilliantly constructed psychological thriller told through three perspectives. Ginnie’s voice is measured and controlled as she recounts her past for true crime author Fiona Taylor, who is writing her memoir, The Killer Inside. Fiona’s chapters offer a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the world of true crime publishing, there's the the fine line between truth and storytelling, between justice and profit. As Fiona digs deeper, what begins as a professional project slowly edges into something far more personal and potentially dangerous.

Then there is Tom O’Brien, ex-DI and Ginnie’s childhood friend. Through his reflections and old diaries, we see a man torn between loyalty and logic. He wants to believe in the girl he once knew, but instinct and experience tell him to look harder. His internal conflict adds a layer of emotional depth that elevates this beyond a straightforward thriller.

What I loved most about Liar Thief is the ambiguity. Ginnie is not painted as a caricature villain. She is intelligent, composed and strangely persuasive. The tension doesn't come from graphic detail or dramatic scenes, but from uncertainty. Memory clashes with memory. Motive is murky. Loyalty blurs judgement. You are left constantly reassessing what you think you know.

The author handles the themes of truth, perception and the marketing of crime with confidence. The pacing is sharp, the structure cleverly created, and the sense of unease lingers long after you’ve turned the final page.

A gripping, intelligent psychological thriller that keeps you guessing, and doubting right to the end. Highly recommended.

May Rinaldi is a crime writer from the South-West of Scotland where she lives with her Norwegian husband, and two decrepit cats. 

She recently retired from her consultancy job in Health and Safety and, in the past, has worked as a taxidermist, mycologist and lab technician, all useful in crime writing – not only can her protagonist poison her victims, she can turn them into an interesting, mounted specimen afterwards.

She is the co-founder of Moffat Crime Fest, bringing top crime authors to the Dumfries and Galloway town of Moffat. She also runs writing retreats in her secluded home where visiting authors are only disturbed by sheep, cows and the dinner gong.

She spends her spare time travelling between Scotland, Norway and Gozo, and uses her travels as settings for her books. She is currently working on a Gozo trilogy; the Mediterranean island is as much one of the characters as the people who inhabit it.

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