THE GOOD LIAR

5 stars out of 5

Perhaps the simplest description of what makes this book so special comes from the author herself. The concept was formed, she says, when an acquaintance told some obvious lies and she called her on it. 

"I don't lie. I tell what ought to be the truth. There's a difference," she responded.

The author's reaction? "Wow." Funny, but that's exactly what I said when I got to the end of this book.

If you think that explanation tells you what's going on, though, think again; the [happy] dilemma for readers is that it's impossible to tell when each of the characters is telling the truth, when it's what ought to be the truth or when it's an outright lie. As the story unfolds, more background on each is revealed - all the way to the end. Then, even more emotions come into play. Was it what I expected? Not exactly. Was I a surprised? A bit. Was I doubly happy that the publisher gave me the opportunity to read an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review? I said it before and it's worth repeating: Wow.

The main characters are Jenny, who had a rough life that includes an abusive former stepfather. Now, she cares for her ailing mother and pens a popular blog titled "You Can't Go Home Again." The other is David, who loves Jenny more than life itself and, more than life itself wants her to second that emotion. Stuck in the middle is Freddie, Jenny's gay best friend who wants nothing more than to retain that title.

The saga begins with the discovery of the body of Jenny's mother, Sal, by a neighbor - accompanied by one of the best lines in the book:  "...the snow started falling again. By the time the police came, both dead eyes were filled with it."

Apparently, Sal slipped and fell on the ice and died of natural causes. There was some speculation that Jenny was involved, but a witness came forward who saw her elsewhere at the time of Sal's death. The witness is David; he and Jenny make contact, and they become very close friends. Needless to say, that doesn't sit well with Freddie, who thinks David doesn't meet the smell test. He begins to dig further into David's background, and his suspicions turn into a reality that he shares with Jenny.

Then come more deaths, and readers learn who did what and when, but not necessarily why. Little by little, layers are peeled away to reveal that information, and tension builds until the conclusion. And that left me with a conundrum (which, no doubt, was the author's intent): I was satisfied, sort of, but I wanted more. And what better recommendation can I make for any book besides wow? 

The Good Liar by Frances Vick (Bookouture, January 2017); 188 pp.