Lies

Anytime Lee Child touts a thriller on the jacket cover it’s going to grab attention. Whether Lee actually reads every book he praises is an interesting question. The man must be quite busy. T.M. Logan’s Lies (St. Martin’s Press, $27.99) has a great cover and is tempting to pick up. The back of the jacket talks about “a shocking act of violence.” And, “What if your whole life was based on lies.” All very intriguing. I bought it.

But I found it somewhat disappointing. Yes, there was an act of violence, but it could hardly be called shocking these days and doesn’t occur until the end. The lies the spouses tell are awful and the scene dealing with infidelity is riveting, but the hero, Joe Lynch, is a bit of a dufus, making it hard to stay involved. He is slow to realize he can trust no one. When they’re all lying and out to get you, wake up! I guessed the true villain halfway in.

Logan walks all of us technophobes through the complexities of tracking criminals’ movements with modern police techniques and our total lack of privacy when we use devices. Scary stuff. Joe gets charged thanks to cell phone technology, and Logan makes it look pretty bad for his character, following a typical thriller script. I prefer endings where the hero saves himself. Maybe you want the helpless victim rescued by some unexpected savior.

I have to give Lies a C+. It’s good to remember not to judge a book by its cover.

Steve E Clark as seen in the New York Times is Author of  Justice Is for the Lonely and  Justice Is for the Deserving,  Kristen Kerry Novels Of Suspense. Steve is a 2017 NY Big Book Award winner and a 2018 Independent Book Awards recipient. You can purchase his books online or request it at your local book store. Want to know more about Steve Clark, read more reviews or speak directly with Steve? Learn more about Steve at SteveClarkAuthor.com