The Liar's Diary

I know. I haven't been posting much lately. I have been too busy reading. Books! MotherTalk has been affording me the opportunity to read some fantastic books lately. As well as a reason to sit down and read them. The only problem is, I end up losing sleep because the books they send me inevitably being so good that I get caught in that "just one more chapter" trap. I guess SugarPlum comes by that honestly.

So, last weekend, I finished The Liar's Diary by Patry Francis. Oh, man. I had heard about this book and I had wanted to read it. I was so excited when it came. I will say that I am not really a big mystery reader. Not really my genre. That said, this book has so many unexpected twists and turns that had me guessing until the end. I loved it!

Francis starts by introducing Jeanne. A mother of a teenage boy, doctor's wife, school secretary. She seems to be comfortable in her life. Things aren't perfect by any means, but she appears to be happy.

Appears.

Appearances are not always accurate as we quickly find out. I really don't want to give away to much of the plot, but I will share this from MotherTalk:

At the center of the story is Jeanne Cross, living the average suburban life
until Ali Mather arrives in town and strikes up a friendship, not only with
Jeanne, but with her husband and son as well. And this friendship, in the end,
will take a deadly turn though the reader will need to decide which person–and
diary–holds the truth.

As I read the story, I found myself gasping more than once. The surprises and revelations throughout the book kept me sucked in. The characters are so multi-faceted and complex. Their interactions and connections are so unexpected at times, eliciting an occasional "Aha!"

By the end of the book, I found myself both sad and gratified for the characters I loved. I can't tell you much without spoiling the whole thing for you. You will just have to trust me that this is a story that will draw you in and not let go. It really makes you take a good look at your own life and consider what little lies we tell ourselves just to get through the day. AM I really happy? ARE my children healthy? What secrets am I hiding, even from myself? Because, sometimes, those secrets can lead to our own destruction. (Or not....this is why I don't write books...)


Oh, and PS. I've been reading Patry's blog and I have totally fallen in love with her. You will, too, I have a feeling....