I just have to say, Wow. This was not what I was expecting, but boy was it good. I picked this up thinking I was getting a nice light, zany Crusie rom-com romp. Well, it wasn't that, but it was a very good read anyway. Tell Me Lies, while charming, is heavier and more poignant than most of Crusie's other books (except for Fast Women). Covering topics such as infidelity, domestic violence, divorce -- and the tragic consequences they have on the families involved, especially the children who are told nothing but lies in order to 'protect them' even as their family crumbles around them.Maddie Faraday day gets off to a bad start when she finds a pair of black lace panties - not hers - under the front seat of her husband Brent’s Cadillac. Evidently Brent has started cheating on her again, or so Maddie thinks, and hopes with relief that at long last she can leave him for good. But two obstacles stand in the way – her daughter Emily, who dearly loves her father, and Maddie’s reputation as a perfect lady in the town of Frog Point. She has never done a thing to make her the target of the vicious gossips in town, headed by Maddie’s own mother. To make things even more interesting, C.L. Sturgis, her secret first lover, zooms back into town in his flashy red Mustang and starts haunting her doorstep in an effort to locate Brent, who has become suspiciously elusive.From the first moment C.L. and Maddie met when they were 10, they formed a special bond with one another. Later in High School, sparks flew for one memorable night. When they meet again twenty years later it quickly becomes evident that the fire is still burning. Faced with evidence once again of her husband's infidelity, a reckless Maddie decides to turn the clock back and recreate those passionate moments she once shared with C.L., and she succeeds beyond her wildest dreams. But things start going downhill when she discovers scary secrets about her husband who uncharacteristically flies off in a rage at her. And why is her best friend Treva so interested in bringing Brent down? Is it out of loyalty for Maddie, or does she have an ulterior motive? All hell breaks loose when the sheriff calls Maddie to tell her that Brent has been murdered. C.L. answers the phone, and Maddie becomes the prime suspect in her own husband’s murder. Quiet and observant throughout is little Emily, who knows that things are rapidly deteriorating between her parents and is helpless to do anything about it. All she wants is her parents back together, even if they never talk or joke like normal parents.Crusie couldn’t have chosen a better title for this book. She deftly touches on how people base their entire lives on nothing but lies that ultimately come down to nothing. Maddie begins to believe that her whole life has been one great, big lie and it’s obvious to her that she’s never really gotten C.L. out of her system. As for C.L., after 20 years, he still has deep feelings for Maddie, married or not. Meanwhile, poor little Emily just wants someone to tell her the truth about what is going on. Crusie has done an outstanding job of creating convincingly realistic characters - C.L. is the typical hero; Brent is a sleazeball and Maddie is a mother who will do anything to protect her child. Maddie’s eccentric grandmother, the only person who says nothing but the truth and whom no one believes, is a cantankerous and unforgettable character. I especially liked Crusie's portrayal of Emily. Often kids are just there to be set decoration and the author does a poor job of filling their character out, either making them more like small adults, or else stereotypically childish. Emily may be a tad precocious but I think Crusie is spot on with her reactions to situations and my heart just ached for the poor little thing. While deeper than her usual fare, Crusie has written a tale that will drive you crazy trying to figure out who the killer really is. If you like a good murder mystery with some romance and lots of funny dialogue, Tell Me Lies is just the ticket.
I cannot enjoy a story where the major plot events are based on heroine stupidity. Tell Me Lies had five major stupidities. Here are two of them.Maddie knows a security guard watches couples having sex at a place called The Point. So why does she insist that CL take her there to have sex? When the guard sees them, she is horrified. She is worried that he will gossip and she may have trouble getting custody of her daughter in the divorce. Apparently I am supposed to believe she had been drinking and forgot about the security guard.Maddie is a suspect in the murder of her husband. Someone planted the murder weapon (gun) in her car. When she sees it, she picks it up which puts her fingerprints on it.Stupidity is the main reason I did not give it more stars. But a second reason was “the heroine lying to her daughter and others” was not interesting. Her husband is having an affair and a divorce is coming. But Maddie tells her daughter that everything is fine. Her habit is telling lies to her daughter. Toward the end the daughter is upset at all the lies, so Maddie promises to be truthful. But after this sweet connection, she tells more lies to her daughter. For example someone was hired to hit Maddie’s car, but Maddie tells her daughter it was an accident, not intentional. The daughter asks if Maddie is going to marry CL. Maddie says no. The reader knows they will marry.Another lie was everyone “knew” her husband hit her, but she continued to say she ran into a wall. On balance, the lies were not interesting or entertaining - to me.Another reader liked this book and commented to me “her insecurity, stupidity, impulsiveness, closeness to her mother and grandmother, obliviousness to her husband, et al make her a three-dimensional person.” So some will like this.I’ve read this twice, in 2007 and 2012.DATA:Story length: 347 pages. Swearing language: moderate to strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: none to mild. Number of sex scenes: three or four. Setting: current day Ohio. Copyright. 1998. Genre: romantic mystery.
What do You think about Tell Me Lies (2004)?
This book wasn't quite what I look for when I Jennifer Crusie's novels. That, in and of itself, could account for the relatively low stars I've given it in comparison to her other works. The dialogue was fun, as it is in every Crusie book, but there wasn't much else to recommend the story. I'd say this book belongs in a special subset of chick-lit that I like to call "adultery-lit." These are the books wherein a spouse seeks and finds fulfillment outside of marriage. Maddie, our protagonist, has very good reasons for wanting to end her marriage to Brent, but my inner prude doesn't like the timing of her new love interest. Admittedly, part of this book was about Maddie throwing off the chains of expected behavior, so the fact that she engages in an extramarital relationship isn't really all that much of a shocker. It's just not something I enjoy reading too much. Otherwise, the book was fun and rather entertaining, but it pales in comparison to the better Crusie titles.
—Nan
I have been reading a lot of genre fiction lately - historicals, urban fantasy, epic fantasy, etc. All were enjoyable but I wanted something light and funny and sexy. I mentioned this to a friend and she reminded me that I had given her some Crusie books some time back and that sounded like what I needed. I had read some of her stuff before but it had been awhile. This one was on the shelf at the library so home with me it went. This was just what I needed - a mystery, re-found love, sex without blindfolds and bondage but with love and humor. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed Crusie's writing - and she can write. In some ways her stories remind me of Susan Isaacs - except these take place in Ohio instead of Long Island. The days are getting warmer and this is just the right book for a Sunday afternoon. It looks as though she hasn't produced much in the past few years and I hope that is changing. And none of you will ever guess what C. L. stands for...
—Sue Mccormack
5 Stars...I loved it!Here's another 5 Star read by Crusie...There's just something about the way this women brings a story to life. She just includes everything; mystery, romance, comedy and the right amout of sarcasm that'll have you laughing out loud hoping you'll at some point in your life get to use that exact same line.To all of you that could use a break with paranormal or historical let me just say...just try one of her books! My favorites by her are...-Bet Me-Tell Me Lies-Welcome To Tempation &-Faking It
—Barbara M.
