Tell Me Lies

by Jennifer Crusie

[ibeforem]

This was my first Jennifer Crusie read, and I was pleased with it for the most part. Maddie is a pretty average mom and wife, living in a small town where not only does everyone know your business, but they’ll tell your mother too. Having grown up in a town of 1200 people (in a good year), I can relate. Maddie was a little flightly and irrational (throwing away the evidence of your husband’s infidelity? leaving suspiciously found cash where it can be found?), but likable enough. I also liked C.L. as the reformed, torch-carrying bad boy. I was a little iffy on her daughter, Emily, and questioned whether the scenes from her point of view were really necessary or just there to force us into some emotional connection with her.

Some readers have mentioned that the police investigation(s) in this book don’t make a whole lot of sense, but I am 100% capable of suspending disbelief in a story like this — it’s not meant to be a police procedural. The one part of the book that really bothered me was her husband’s death. His murder is announced on the back of the book, but you are 60% of the way through the book (literally!) before he actually kicks it. This meant I spent several chapters asking, "Is he dead yet?" "Maybe he’s dead now?" only to have him show up in the next scene. I would have preferred to have that little tidbit held back, thank you very much.

Despite that, I enjoyed the story enough to read more of Crusie’s work.