The Liar by Nora Roberts Also by this author: The Obsession, Nora Roberts - Key Trilogy: Key of Light, Key of Knowledge, Key of Valor, Time Was (Time and Again: Hornblower-Stone #1), Come Sundown, Year One (Chronicles of The One, #1), Shelter in Place
Published by Berkley, Brilliance Audio on April 14th 2015
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Pages: 501
Format: Audiobook
ISBN: 0399170863
ASIN: B00O2BKKZS
Goodreads
The extraordinary new novel by the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Collector. Shelby Foxworth lost her husband. Then she lost her illusions … The man who took her from Tennessee to an exclusive Philadelphia suburb left her in crippling debt. He was an adulterer and a liar, and when Shelby tracks down his safe-deposit box, she finds multiple IDs. The man she loved wasn’t just dead. He never really existed. Shelby takes her three-year-old daughter and heads south to seek comfort in her hometown, where she meets someone new: Griff Lott, a successful contractor. But her husband had secrets she has yet to discover. Even in this small town, surrounded by loved ones, danger is closer than she knows—and threatens Griff, as well. And an attempted murder is only the beginning …
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Is there anything worse than betrayal in a relationship? Whether it be a marriage, a friendship, or a family affiliation, what could be worse than being betrayed by someone you love and trust? Shelby Pomeroy Foxworth, the heroine of Nora Roberts’ The Liar, like so many before her, puts her trust in a lyin’, cheatin’, thievin’ man and. . .what a shock!. . .he does her wrong. And he does her so wrong, as it turns out,that not only did she not know him, but she didn’t even know who he really was! Set mostly in the South — a part of the country I’m partial to — and with a focus on family relationships, The Liar moves a step beyond what may seem like an exercise in predictability because of the likability of the characters. I can’t help wondering how Shelby could have brought herself to leave home! Of course, it was that thing, whatever that thing is, that lures so many people into thinking they can make it big in the entertainment field. I was puzzled as to how a young lady with the gumption to leave a strong, loving family with strong female role models could let herself be taken in by the likes of Richard Foxworth. That was a wee bit of an inconsistency for me, but evidently Shelby’s backbone was just lying dormant and came to life when she found herself up to her eyeballs in the mess left behind by her lyin’, cheatin’, thievin’ husband. Shelby wasn’t my favorite character. I just never could get past her gullibility and roll-over attitude toward Richard. But now her grandmother Viola? There’s a prime example of a strong Southern woman and well-written by Ms. Roberts. Another favorite is Griffin Lott, a man who is everything Shelby’s husband Richard was not, plus he loves little kids and dogs. Shelby’s daughter Callie Rose was adorable, but I’ve been around a lot of smart three-year-olds and she was just a little too articulate for that age. She had a better vocabulary than some of my adult friends!
When a writer has been around as long as Ms. Roberts and has successfully written many books, there is going to invariably be discussion about whether or not she has anything new to offer. Are her books formulaic? Are the plots fresh? Are the story lines predictable? Are the characters believable? Has the writer done her research? I know some bloggers won’t read reviews by others, but I like to read what’s being said about books I’ve read. Does it ever change my perception? Rarely. So, I ventured out into Review World to see what was being said about The Liar. That brief glance suggested this topic I might entitle State of the Artist. I think every writer has a distinguishing style and favorite themes. I don’t think that’s formulaic; it’s actually helpful when choosing a book. The saying “There’s nothing new under the sun,” means just that. Authors may offer a fresh take on things, but they aren’t going to come up with anything significant that hasn’t already been done. I love a good mystery/thriller/suspense novel, but, even more, I love being able to figure out whodunnit, so I never judge a book by whether or not I’ve figured out the ending. Believable characters? The world is filled with people whose behavior is unbelievable to me! And as for research? I’m not going to take exception to happenings that are not necessarily consistent with legal, technical, or scientific boundaries. It’s fiction and it can happen the way the author wants it to happen!
Finally, the narrator, January LaVoy, is excellent! From her charming Southern accents to her ability to add a different voice to each character, her performance is superior. I had to smile when I read she has a background in the Soaps! I think the critics who found The Liar to be a bit on the long side might have a different opinion if they listened to the audio version. It’s easy to become immersed in the descriptive language when it is being read by a talented performer. I highly recommend this book to readers who are fans of Nora Roberts’. Most likely it won’t be your favorite, but you should enjoy it. Is this a 5 star read? No, but it is a solid 4 star read and consistent with the quality I’ve come to expect of this author.
About Nora Roberts
Nora Roberts was born in Silver Spring, Maryland, the youngest of five children. After a school career that included some time in Catholic school and the discipline of nuns, she married young and settled in Keedysville, Maryland.
She worked briefly as a legal secretary. “I could type fast but couldn’t spell, I was the worst legal secretary ever,” she says now. After her sons were born she stayed home and tried every craft that came along. A blizzard in February 1979 forced her hand to try another creative outlet. She was snowed in with a three and six year old with no kindergarten respite in sight and a dwindling supply of chocolate.
Born into a family of readers, Nora had never known a time that she wasn’t reading or making up stories. During the now-famous blizzard, she pulled out a pencil and notebook and began to write down one of those stories. It was there that a career was born. Several manuscripts and rejections later, her first book, Irish Thoroughbred, was published by Silhouette in 1981.
Nora met her second husband, Bruce Wilder, when she hired him to build bookshelves. They were married in July 1985. Since that time, they’ve expanded their home, traveled the world and opened a bookstore together.
Through the years, Nora has always been surrounded by men. Not only was she the youngest in her family, but she was also the only girl. She has raised two sons. Having spent her life surrounded by men, Ms. Roberts has a fairly good view of the workings of the male mind, which is a constant delight to her readers. It was, she’s been quoted as saying, a choice between figuring men out or running away screaming.
Nora is a member of several writers groups and has won countless awards from her colleagues and the publishing industry. Recently The New Yorker called her “America’s favorite novelist.”
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