Book Review: Lies I Tell

 

The Lies I Tell

By Julie Clark

My Copy 

The Lies I Tell is the second novel I have read by Julie Clark. I enjoyed The Lies I Tell better than her previous novel. First off my issue to call it a thriller, specifically, domestic. I didn't feel the novel was domestic. Domestic to me is a husband/ wife conflict.  There wasn't a husband and wife conflict at all. Then to call it a thriller. I didn't think it was either.  The book was revenge rather than thriller.  A thriller to me is where the novel picks up the pace and has twists and turns. There was heart thumping moments. But I would expect twists, and turns, and climax. There weren't any. There one part of the novel wasn't credibily obvious this couldn't happen in a real situation. I had the same issue in her last book. She should have thought it through. Other than that. If you overlook this part. I still enjoyed reading. 

 The novel has two main characters, Meg and Kat. Meg is a con-artist and goes with three different names depending where she is.  Kat, is a journalist that doesn't realize their lives will connect later after ten years. Meg herself was duped as a teen. As her mother got involved with  a man who her mother trusted. But soon after realized she and her Mom were conned from their home out from under them. After their home was taken from them they became homeless and her Mother died of Cancer soon after.

The book goes back and forth in time, and back and forth with the characters. It is not one of these novels that you have to keep track of who is who. Meg becomes romantically involved with the high school principle.  She was originally looking to con and take advantage of her new boyfriend. It is better than she expected. She doesn't only clean out his bank account. She contacts a journalist. The journalist is none other than Kat.  The story becomes public and he is forced to give up his job. His reputation is ruined, Sweet Revenge! I won't go any further. But to say, the novel continues with con after con and sweet revenge. Meg isn't  just looked to con people. She is a white knight as well. You will understand what I am talking about once you are half way through the book. 

If you have been  faced with sexism, me too, rape, swindled, conned, lied to.  You will or maybe feel better after reading the novel. The novel will give you a sweet tooth of just desserts after finishing and feeling satisfied. The book wasn't just about revenge. Although the book is fiction it addresses wealth, power, corruption, and white collar crime, and real estate laws, escrow.  And of course social justice. 

I kept thinking about someone in particular I wished the conclusion would have happened to. And the end of the book. I don't know if anyone else would figure out who I was speaking about after I finish the book. Or I just have a one track mind front and center. It seemed the author was sending a message to white collar crime. People who commit white crimes or any crimes should be accountable. Most people don't think of white crime as a crime as much as murder. I think this is why white crime isn't taken seriously.