The Better Liar: A Novel

Taren Jones’ The Better Liar is a fresh take on a typical thriller. There is no girl-chase-boy-chase-girl cat-and-mouse game. The Better Liar is the story of Leslie trying to get money from her father’s will and the lengths she’s willing to go to get that done once she finds out her sister, Robin, is dead. Per her father’s will, both Robin and Leslie need to be present together to obtain their inheritance. Will Leslie be able to get her share of the money she so desperately needs without anyone finding out her plan?

The Better Liar provides twists and jolts throughout, keeping the story constantly flowing up to the last page. I appreciated a thrilling story that centers around the relationship between two sisters, often with chapters dipping back into the characters’ pasts to help the reader get a better sense of where the character was coming from. The book delves into deep areas of the human psyche, asking what leads us to make the decisions we make and how much of the trauma from our childhood affects us as adults.