Golden Lies [Paperback]

Barbara Freethy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 3, 2004

Every family has secrets -- some too intriguing to resist ... some too dangerous to ignore ...

Riley McAllister, Paige Hathaway, and Alyssa Chen come from very different worlds. Tough guy Riley has overcome the hard knocks of a working-class upbringing. Paige struggles to define her place as the heir to a famous antiques emporium. And Alyssa feels trapped by the restrictions of her family's old world attitudes. Now this unlikely trio of strangers must come together to follow an elusive trail through the streets of San Francisco -- from glittering Pacific Heights to colorful Chinatown to trendy south of Market. Each will have to make the impossible choice between romantic love and family loyalty, between sheltering lies and revealing truth. Once the door to the past is opened, there's no turning back ...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The reappearance of a long-lost Zhou dynasty dragon is the catalyst that reunites three mismatched families in this lively romp from Freethy (Summer Secrets, etc.). When security expert Riley McAllister helps his grandmother haul a wagonload of old junk to the Antiques on the Road show, he doesn't think she'll get more than five dollars for the lot. But the moment the dragon hits TV screens, collectors are on them like a pack of hungry wolves, especially the owner of the House of Hathaway, San Francisco's most prestigious antiques emporium. Against his better judgment, Riley entrusts the dragon to Paige Hathaway for appraisal, which turns out to be a big mistake when the dragon goes missing. Paige and Riley's search for the object d'art takes them on a fast-paced adventure through the streets of San Francisco, from fashionable Union Square to funky Chinatown, where Paige discovers the existence of her half-sister Alyssa Chen. A WWII pact between the protagonists' fathers, a 1,000-year-old legend and romance between Riley and Paige and between Alyssa and an old love add depth and richness to the story. Those charms, combined with Freethy's smooth prose, spirited storytelling and engaging characters, are sure to send readers on a treasure hunt for the author's backlist books.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Riley McAllister reluctantly agrees to escort his grandmother to a televised traveling antique show. Much to his surprise, the ugly bronze dragon they found in her attic turns out to be a rare artifact worth a fortune. Suddenly, it seems as though every antique dealer around wants to appraise the dragon, including Paige Hathaway. Paige, daughter of David Hathaway, owner of the prestigious House of Hathaway, knows that a find of this magnitude would be a real coup for their company. Riley's grandmother picks the House of Hathaway because they're renowned in San Francisco, and because they offer new clients an incredible tea ceremony. But Paige's father disappears, and so does the dragon. Riley and Paige then embark on a treacherous search that reveals some startling family scandals. Freethy, author of Summer Secrets [BKL My 1 03], is a master at conveying emotion, and readers who enjoy the lyrical voices of Patricia Gaffney, Kathryn Shay, and Mary Alice Monroe will add her to their list of favorites. Shelley Mosley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Signet (February 3, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 045121126X
• ISBN-13: 978-0451211262
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #425,252 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sensational!, February 6, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Golden Lies (Paperback)

I am a big Barbara Freethy fan and ordered this one early in eager anticipation of another good story. What I got instead was a GREAT story. I absolutely loved this book -- couldn't put it down. The premise of an ancient Chinese dragon being publicly valued on an Antique Roadshow type of program hooked me at once. I don't want to give away too much, but what happens to everyone involved with that dragon is a fascinating story --actually mutiple stories that all come together at the end. I loved the San Francisco setting, especially the scenes in Chinatown. And I have to admit I did not know how this one was going to end -- how all those seemingly disparate stories would converge -- and I was on the edge of my seat until I got there. What a fabulous journey it was! I cannot recommend this book too highly.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific story!, March 15, 2011

By 

tennisgrl1 - See all my reviews

This review is from: Golden Lies (Kindle Edition)

I couldn't believe what a great book this was, especially for the price. It's a really meaty novel, romance with a mystery thread that takes you through the streets of San Francisco into Chinatown and Nob Hill and Fisherman's Wharf. The hero and heroine were well written and the pace is great. One of my favorite books of the year!

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Story, April 3, 2006

By 

E. J. Binnig (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Golden Lies (Paperback)

Barbara Freethy is an amazing storyteller and I found it hard to put the book down. This book opens with Riley McAllister and his grandmother going to an antique show with an assortment of items from her attic. A bronze dragon catches the eye of the appraisers and eventually leads them to the House of Hathaway and Hathaway heir, Paige Hathaway. The dragon appears to be not only priceless, but powerful as it leads Riley and Paige to Alyssa Chen and the three discover how their lives are entwined and their families have more secrets in common than they could ever imagine. The audio version is well done by Julia Gibson.