Two sisters.
One fortune. But that’s only half the story. (Review by Barry Meehan)
So reads the front cover blurb for The Better Liar, Tanen Jones’ debut
novel, which is a pretty good read, full of plot twists and turns, which are
impossible to foresee. There are events that occur throughout the book which
will find a reader thinking “That’s not really possible” or “that’s a bit
far-fetched”, or even “what’s that all about, then?” but all becomes very clear
by the time the reader gets to the final pages.
The Better
Liar is the tale of estranged sisters, Leslie and
Robin. Their father has recently passed away, and has left his estate evenly
divided between them, with the proviso that they must reunite if they are to
claim their share. The problem is that Robin has not been part of the family
for the last ten years, having run away from home to start her own life,
leaving Leslie to care for their ailing father.
Leslie is desperate to get her hands on her
share of the inheritance, and sets out to find her errant sister, arriving just
too late, finding her emaciated body instead. Without Robin, Leslie will get
nothing, so she searches desperately for another plan.
Enter Mary, a cocktail waitress and
wannabee actress, who would do virtually anything to escape from her current
abusive life. Leslie offers her the chance to become Robin and get her share of
the inheritance, enabling her to escape to a better life in the future. Mary
seizes the opportunity and the two set out to hoodwink the executor of the
estate into believing that Mary is really Robin.
The novel has a good flow to it, and is
easy reading, being told from the three perspectives of the main characters –
Leslie, Mary and Robin. Secrets abound, but how many will come out into the
open, and how will they – or did they - affect the other protagonists? Along
with the secrets, there are lies a-plenty, and as the story unfolds, we are
continually asked the question – just who is the better liar? I challenge all
readers of this novel to decide on that before they get to the final explosive
scenes.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
(Please
note this is a direct quote from the book. The words are not those of the
reviewer.)
“Tanen Jones grew up in Texas and North
Carolina. She has a degree in American history and spent several years editing
law and criminal justice textbooks. A queer author, she writes about queer
women in dark spaces. Tanen now lives in New York with her partner, where she
writes to the sound of her neighbor’s piano. The Better Liar is her
debut novel.”
The
Better Liar is published by Harvill Secker Publishers. ISBN
978-1-787-30148-1. RRP: R290.00 – Barry Meehan
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