THE LIAR'S DIARY
Patry Francis
Dutton
Fiction
ISBN-10: 0525949909
ISBN-13: 9780525949909

Ali Mather is popular, beautiful and loved by all --- especially by the men in town. Being estranged doesn't mean a thing, as it has still allowed her to have a husband and a couple of boyfriends at the same time. An accomplished musician, she loves making music for herself, her students and society as a whole. It's important that she give back, and her music is the only way she knows how. Her life seems truly complete, but the only thing she doesn't have is a real friend --- someone in whom she can confide. Everyone needs that, right?

Ali finds solace in befriending Jeanne Cross, an office worker at the school. From the onset, things were awkward between them, but eventually they both open up and discover they have a lot in common --- more than they ever could imagine.

Jeanne's life is fairly ordinary. As the school secretary, she enjoys her work. Raising her only child with her husband has left her in a lurch for years, and she doesn't have any friends either --- at least none she feels she can talk to about personal matters. On the outside, their family seems perfect. But who knows what lurks beyond the closed doors of the Cross household?

Getting to know one another doesn't come easy; Jeanne is practically a loner. She has good reason, though. As the wife of one of the town's most influential people, she has to keep up appearances by day. But at night she lives on the prescription drugs her husband gives her, in an attempt to undermine who she really is. Why then did the good doctor marry her? Was it love, or something else?

As Ali begins to bond with Jeanne, all of Ali's secrets come tumbling out as well. She's having an affair with one of the teachers and the local car dealer, and to top it off, it appears she has a stalker. As thought becomes reality, Ali finds out an awful secret --- one that will cost her dearly. The mystery unfolds, but the one thing that remains and contains the real truth is missing --- Ali's diary. Who finds it in the end? Sometimes, things aren't as plain as they seem.

Patry Francis has written a great first novel. Completely pulling the readers into the storyline, this journey takes you through self-reflection, sensitivity and empathy --- not only for the characters involved, but for real-life situations that occur every single day. Francis forces you to take a closer look at the people you call your friends and situations to which you don't even give second glances. It's a cruel world out there, but the author excels at exposing the world within. If you're in the mood for a good suspense novel, don't sleep on THE LIAR'S DIARY. It's definitely one for the shelf.

   --- Reviewed by Belinda Williams

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