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THE LIAR'S DIARY
by Patry Francis
Plume, January 2008
311 pages
$14.00
ISBN: 0452289157


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

When violinist and composer Ali Mather shows up at Bridgeway High School as the new music teacher, everyone is aflutter. The alluring 46-year-old seems an unlikely seductress in the world of adolescents, but her openness and zest for life draw many to her, even in this bland setting.

Among those drawn like moths to a flame are the local car dealer, the shop teacher, students, and even the school secretary (Jeanne Cross), into whose 'normal' life Ali injects herself. Their unlikely friendship is at the center of this psychological drama, where everything is about to come completely undone.

Jeanne Cross – the voice of this story – pictures the life she is leading as mother, doctor’s wife, and school secretary as dull and 'normal.' Ali Mather’s unlikely friendship, begun as she shares the car ride to school, is welcomed by Jeanne, who feels it makes her own flat existence more exciting.

However, as the reader gets to learn more about Jeanne, it quickly becomes apparent that things are not quite as placid as Jeanne imagines them. Between family arguments and Jeanne’s own self-medication (assisted by her husband), it’s clear that something is going on behind the artificial normalcy that Jeanne imagines.

The secrets will all come tumbling out, as this murder mystery progresses. Things begin to deteriorate when Ali begins an affair at school with the local shop teacher; then it appears that someone is stalking her, breaking into her house and taking things. As Jeanne digs further into Ali’s life (even while ignoring her own family troubles), it becomes clear that a member of Jeanne’s own family is implicated, and she must take every precaution to cover up the evidence, lest it ruin lives.

Despite the tell-tale hints dispersed along the way, there are a number of surprising developments in this story that will keep the reader guessing until the final scenes. The dark and light dichotomy switches between characters throughout the story, and the secrets that are revealed are heartbreaking. It is not until the end of the story that readers will truly understand the implications of the crimes committed, both emotional and physical.

While there are echoes of other stories (most notably, Zoe Heller’s NOTES ON A SCANDAL) in this volume, the adroit storytelling and well-developed character portraits make this a book worth reading, particularly for those who enjoy a good psychological drama.

Reviewed by Christine Zibas, March 2008

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