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Summary: Appearances can be deceiving.
Review: In Howard Roughan's thriller, "The Promise of a Lie," psychologist David Remler is still mourning the death of his beloved wife, Rebecca, who was killed in a car accident three years earlier. David is a compassionate and dedicated professional who finds comfort in his work. One day, a beautiful patient who calls herself Samantha Kent comes to see Dr. Remler. Samantha sets in motion a complicated series of events that culminate in Remler's being charged with the murder of Conrad Birch, Kent's husband. The doctor frantically tries to convince the police that he has been framed, but his protestations fall on deaf ears.
Dr. Remler, the first person narrator, is an intelligent, witty, charming and sympathetic protagonist. The secondary characters are lively as well. Terry Garrett and Victor Glass are two top-notch defense attorneys who give David hope that he can escape the frame-up. Other notable characters are a crusty old judge named Lomax, a highly skilled and somewhat shady computer hacker, and an eccentric billionaire and philanthropist named Arnold Kesper. These people all play key roles in determining David's fate.
Roughan writes with panache and he manages to make an improbable plot seem plausible. "The Promise of a Lie" is fast-moving and suspenseful, and I enjoyed the entertaining mix of romance, courtroom theatrics, and surprising twists and turns. This book is a winner from a very talented author.
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Summary: 4 1/2 Stars -- Don't Miss This Book!
Review: In just his second novel, Howard Roughan is fast estabishing himself as one of the better writers in the mystery/thriller genre. Roughan's writing style is easy and fun to read, his characters are well-developed, credible and (mostly)likable, and his plot is exciting, suspenseful and filled with surprises. The Promise Of A Lie will keep you glued to the pages to see what happens next. I'd highly recommend this book to you!
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Summary: 6 Stars
Review: Once again, Roughan has demonstrated with The Promise of a Lie, that he is one of today's greatest literary talents. I'd give it 6 stars if I could.
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Summary: Excellent! This is suspense at it's finest.
Review: Psychologist David Remler is used to dealing with seriously troubled patients, but nothing could prepare him for 'Sam' Kent. Sam, short for Samantha, is a beautiful, young and desperate woman. She enters David's office and tells her tale of a bad marriage to a man she wants dead. As David hears more of Sam's story he starts to feel sorry for her, as well as being attracted to her. A chance meeting at a benefit dinner will have David over stepping doctor/patient boundaries and have him facing charges of a crime. David receives a call in the middle of the night from a frantic Sam saying she killed her husband. David rushes to her apartment to find a dead body, but no Sam. The police begin questioning David to find his story has many holes, the first being that Samantha Kent was away on vacation at the time of the murder. When Sam does return home she is not the woman David was seeing as a patient and the victim just so happened to be a patient of David's years before. David is arrested and the trial becomes a major focus point in the media. The prosecution believes to have the case locked with a guilty verdict, but David's dream team of lawyers is working overtime to find the key to the murder...the mysterious patient. When a crucial piece of evidence is found the trial takes a devastating turn and David realizes he has been the pawn in a diabolical set-up. 'The Promise Of A Lie' is the most exciting and original thriller I have read in a long time. The clever plot is filled with twists, turns, masterful courtroom scenes and truly shocking surprises. Howard Roughan has written a non-stop thrill ride that can't be put down once started. His first novel was very good and showed the promise of a new heavy weight in the suspense arena, but with his new novel Roughan surpasses all expectation with one of the finest suspense novels in years proving he is a true master storyteller. Do yourself a favor and read this excellent novel! Nick Gonnella
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Summary: HE'S DONE IT AGAIN...
Review: Roughan's a consistant writer...another knock out! I started the book late one evening and stayed up way too late that night. I finished it the next day.
It was an excellent read. I applaud the writer for being able to keep the reader on edge all of the way through the novel. I liked all the characters as well as his excellent storyline and development.
I believe that this is only his second book, but I predict that there will be a lot more before he's finished!
Read it........you'll be glad you did!
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Summary: My favorite NYC book
Review: The author signed my book and gave it to me for free at the Greenwich, CT train station, and I had no idea how much I was going to love the book. It's captivating, awesomely entertaining, and for those of you who love books that take place in New York City, this is a fabulous selection. I recommend it whole-heartedly.
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Summary: THE PIT IN THE PENDULUM
Review: THE PROMISE OF A LIE offers credence to the reasoning behind the pairing of Roughan with the equally adept James Patterson in HONEYMOON. Roughan on his own however crafts a twisty, well thought out novel of murder, deception and greed. Narrator David Remler, a psychologist framed for the murder of a wealthy financier, is sympathetic and we find ourselves rooting for him, even though he does do some pretty stupid things (don't most heroes nowadays?) We get some strong supporting characters, too, in the legal team defending David and in the cast of villains. A surprise twist at the end comes unexpectedly, although one should have seen it coming, but to Roughan's credit, he diverts us enough to keep us in the dark.
All in all, THE PROMISE OF A LIE is an excellent read.
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Summary: A no-brainer decision
Review: The Promise of a Lie rocks. Extremely engaging -- so much so that I nary raised a peep as a 'robustly' figured flight attendant spilled a Pepsi on the book. This guy can write. It seems as though he knows your inside jokes. This book will make you buy his first, if you haven't already. Looking forward to #3.
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Summary: The Promise of a Lie by Howard Roughan
Review: The Promise of a Lie was a gift to me by the author who signed the book and gave one to each of our book club. I was skeptical (a gift horse in the mouth?) but started it a week or so later. What a treat - the book is a non-stop, page turning thrill - and I was finished the next day - only to have my husband take it and devour it within a day. Howard Roughan's writing is delicious and he crafts a superb plot and one never suspects what will be on the following page. I predict a long and glorious career for this young man and am delighted to have been introduced to his talent.
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Summary: Very intriguing! Should be a #1 best seller
Review: Therapist and author Dr. David Remler has a successful Manhattan practice but feels a void since the untimely death of his pregnant wife several years ago. New patient Samantha Kent confides to David that her husband is an abusive rich and powerful man who will stop at nothing to claim custody of their young child should she leave him. Sam has had thoughts of killing her husband, but David doesn't believe that she will act on those impulses. After a chance meeting outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Samantha convinces David to let her fix him dinner at his apartment, and doesn't act on his desire for her, promptly escorting her home following dinner. Later that evening, in the early hours of morning, Sam phones David and indicates that she has killed her husband. Acting purely on instinct, David travels to Sam's address only to discover her dead husband. With the imminent arrival of the police, David explains how he has arrived at Sam's home. But this cut and dry case increases dramatically in complexity when David is arrested for the murder of Conrad Birch, Samantha's husband, and when the real Sam Kent appears, she is not his client. As high powered attorneys attempt to prove David's innocence, he pins his hopes for acquittal on locating the elusive woman impersonating Samantha Kent, thereby proving the existence of his mystery client. Suspense escalates to a fever pitch when the judge in David's trial receives a mysterious envelope which has the power to help his case. With plenty of red herrings thrown in, the reader will be stunned at the cataclysmic conclusion which is certain to make many readers a fan of author Howard Roughan.
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