Company of Liars

by Karen Maitland

The year is 1348 and the first plague victim has reached English shores. Panic erupts around the country and a small band of travellers comes together to outrun the deadly disease, unaware that something far more deadly is - in fact - travelling with them.

The ill-assorted company - a scarred trader in holy relics, a conjurer, two musicians, a healer and a deformed storyteller - are all concealing secrets and lies. And at their heart is the strange, cold child - Narigorm - who reads the runes.

But as law and order breaks down across the country and the battle for survival becomes ever more fierce, Narigorm mercilessly compels each of her fellow travellers to reveal the truth ... and each in turn is driven to a cruel and unnatural death.

• ISBN10: 0141031913
• ISBN13: 9780141031910
• Publish Date: 26 February 2009 (first published 31 January 2008)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 592
• Language: English

Reviews

[empressbrooke]

Although I gave it 4 stars, it's closer to a 3.5. Company of Liars has been advertised as a reinterpretation of The Canterbury Tales, but it's been so long since I read Chaucer (and it was only excerpts, if I'm remembering my freshman high school English class correctly) that I didn't have much to compare it to. Standing on its own, Company of Liars is a solid historical mystery. Nine people are traveling together across England to escape the plague, and each is hiding a secret from his companions.

On the downside, by the time each secret was revealed, I'd already guessed it (although this may be intentional, since the narrator's reveal starts with, "As you may have guessed..."). However, I still found myself compelled to keep reading to find out more. When I'm reluctant to put the book down to go to sleep, that's a good sign.