The Liar is a book with a premise that is almost as frightening as Gone Girl. The main character, Shelby Foxworth, loses her husband in a mysterious boating accident. When she begins to deal with paperwork and such after his death, she realizes that they are hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, about to lose their house, cars, and furniture (well--really everything), and she's left to deal with it all along with raising and caring for their 3 year old daughter, Callie. So, Shelby rolls up her sleeves, digs in, and starts making some tough decisions that chop away at the debt. And, after a bit, she heads home and starts to rely on her family for the support she can't find anywhere else. Along the way on the road to recovery, Shelby realizes that she never really know her husband at all. He was, in fact, a total liar and in addition to the debt she's dealing with, she is now fearing for her life.
Like most Nora Roberts books, Shelby, Calllie, and all of the other characters you meet in this novel are unforgettable. They are so clearly developed you can hear them talking to you as their story unfolds. This book is a bit over 500 pages, but it went by so fast I never realized that I had read 500+ pages until I was almost finished. I wished as I was reading that I had saved this particular book for the beach this summer. It could be devoured in one day by the ocean with no problem. Oh well.
This book does challenge the idea of how well we really know the people we live with and chose to make a life with. While I think I know Rob better than I know myself, it makes me worry for my girls and makes me hope that they both find some nice boys somewhere and get to really know them before they make any long term commitments. And I guess I should continue to warn them against being so impressed by "things." Richard wasn't quite as crazy as Amy in Gone Girl, but he was close. Luckily, he is fictional. But as I always say, if someone can think it up to write a book about it, someone could easily act out the story in real-life. Sadly, I'd put money on someone already having lived Richard's life. And poor Shelby's and Callie's, too.
This is a good one--a bit romantic and a bit mysterious. I think it would be a good made for TV movie. Read it from your beach chair and decide for yourself!
Happy reading!
-Dodie
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