The Better Liar by Tanen Jones

The Better Liar

by Tanen Jones

“Jones’s sensational debut has the bones of a thriller but reads like literary fiction: lean, shrewd, and gratifyingly real.”—Entertainment Weekly

When a woman conceals her sister’s death to claim their joint inheritance, her deception exposes a web of dangerous secrets in this addictive new thriller for fans of Megan Abbott, Gillian Flynn, and Paula Hawkins. 

An ID Book Club Selection

Leslie Flores has the perfect life—a loving husband, a happy newborn, and a New Mexico home straight out of a magazine. She’s been the perfect daughter, too, taking care of her ailing father in his final days. But Leslie has a dark secret—and it’s an expensive secret to keep. When she discovers she won’t receive a penny of her inheritance unless she finds her estranged sister, Robin, she sets out to track her down. Instead, upon arriving at Robin’s apartment, Leslie discovers her body.

Just as Leslie begins to panic, she meets a charismatic aspiring actress named Mary who bears a striking resemblance to Robin—and has every reason to leave her past behind. The two women make a bargain: Mary will impersonate Robin for a week in exchange for Robin’s half of the cash. Neither realizes how high the stakes will become when Mary takes a dead woman’s name.
 
Even as Mary begins to suspect Leslie is hiding something, and Leslie realizes the stranger living in her house has secrets of her own, Robin’s wild, troubled legacy threatens to eclipse them both. Fans of Megan Abbott, Gillian Flynn, and Paula Hawkins will relish this darkly addictive portrait of the ties that bind and the secrets we all keep from one another.

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

3 of 5 stars

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I received a copy of The Better Liar through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Better Liar is the debut novel of Tanen Jones, a new thriller author throwing her writing into the mix. She’s already proven to be an author worth keeping an eye on. Her first novel touches upon sisterhood, betrayal, obligations, and so much more.
Leslie’s little sister, Robin, is dead. That simple statement should be a devastating one. But in this twisted family, that statement carries with it a whole different sort of weight. Now, Leslie is put into a position where she must consider the unthinkable; asking a stranger to pretend to be her sister.

“But it wouldn’t matter. Either way, I couldn’t get what I needed from her.
She would have loved that.”

Warnings: The Better Liar is not a novel too afraid to touch on some very intense subjects. There are themes involving drug abuse, postpartum depression and other mental health concerns, as well as suicide and suicidal thoughts.

The Better Liar was one of those novels that immediately caught my attention. The core concept was a fascinating one, and Tanen Jones’ writing style was exceptional at times. It was hard to look away from this one.
While I enjoyed The Better Liar, on the whole, I will confess that it wasn’t one of my favorites. There’s a boatload of potential here though, so I want to give credit where credit is due. I loved Jones’ writing and character development. And her sense of mystery and intrigue is divine.
There are some problems I had with this book. Mainly with the reliance on specific tropes that I personally couldn’t overlook. Admittedly that may just be a ‘me’ thing, but I think anybody with a stronger background in psychology might find a point or two more than they can easily overlook.
What it comes down to is this; I loved the writing. I was less sold on the plot, towards the end. There were elements that simply made me uncomfortable. Not so much because they existed, but their portrayal of them. Perhaps that is just my bias showing through here.
One thing I would like to point out, however. When some of my now favorite thriller authors released their first book, I found myself underwhelmed by them as well. But I knew right away that they authors were still worth watching – and I ended up being right (as far as I’m concerned, at least). I feel that way here as well. And thus I’m going to be keeping an eye on what else Tanen Jones comes up with, and I very much hope to see her writing and plots improve with time and experience.

For more reviews check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 6 January, 2020: Finished reading
  • 6 January, 2020: Reviewed