Customer Reviews

The Good Liar

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Hoping to lift her dearest "Sister Friend," Kate from a state of chronic depression, Liza introduces her to Michael, a handsome, older man who sweeps her off her feet and into marriage. Liza is not thrilled about this. She knows who Michael is, for he's like her, a spy for a top secret organization who lives a secret life Kate can never know about. Secrets have a way of coming out, and before long, Kate finds herself endangered by the world the two people she loves most live in.

*** Fans of Alias and La Femme Nikita who are in withdrawal can get a fix by reading this book. Shifting between times and viewpoints, the plot is complex and action driven, with little time to dwell on emotional issues. If you are looking for a thrill ride between the pages, this is the one. ***

Amanda Killgore

The Good Liar is a smart, sexy tale of intrigue that takes us from Chicago to the far corners of the world. Caldwell goes beyond your typical espionage thriller to pose questions of morality, making us ask how far we'll go to protect our loyalties. In other words, is there ever such a thing a good lie? So not only does she have the perfect title for this novel, but her prose is clean and vivid as she weaves us in and out of a string of dangerous set ups. I highly recommend The Good Liar--truly an exciting read that keeps you hooked page after page.

Two pairs of old friends anchor Laura Caldwell's thriller The Good Liar. Thirty-something Kate, despondent after her divorce, is introduced by her friend Liza to Michael Waller, who's smart and fit and fifty-five and almost too good to be true. Kate winds up marrying Michael before she notices anything disquieting about his personality or habits: his secrecy about his job, his occasional jumpiness, his over-familiarity with Liza, with whom he was allegedly only slightly acquainted before she fixed the newlyweds up. Caldwell tells her story from multiple perspectives, mostly in the third person. We learn, before Kate does, the truth about Michael's relationship with Liza and about his job: he's an operative with a pro-American counterintelligence unit, the Trust, and he's sworn to secrecy about his missions as well as the very existence of the organization. We also meet the book's bad guy, Michael's long-time friend Roger Leiland, the Trust's new honcho and the fourth member of the book's quartet of principals. Roger has developed a lust for power and isn't about to let friendship stand in the way of his acquiring it. Kate, ignorant of these truths, is living in a very different world from the rest of the characters. This is reflected on the page: the chapters told from Kate's perspective are written in the first person. We get to watch as she slowly comes to suspect that her husband is not what he seems. We already know what she wants to know, but it's still fun to watch her put the clues together.

The Good Liar is a really good read. The plot is tight. The prose is transparent and the chapters short. Caldwell doesn't leave us hanging at the end of every chapter quite as successfully as, say, Ken Follett does: it is possible to put the book down, that is, but you won't want to if you don't have to. I love the book's spy stuff--secret drops and faux personas and the operatives' über-competence. What prevents the book from being as successful as it might be is Caldwell's villain, who is too unrelentingly evil to be quite credible: Roger wants power because Roger wants power. The personal loss and character flaws feeding that monomania don't amount to sufficient motivation.

-- Debra Hamel

But I quite enjoyed the book. I'll definitely be reading more from Caldwell.

I discovered Laura Caldwell by reading her "Red" trilogy and had high expectations for this book...but I was disappointed.

I couldn't stand the lead character, Kate. I found her clinginess and nediness to be very off-putting, making her come across as whiny, nosy and annoying. The fact that she rushed into marraige with a man she barely knew left me feeling not one bit of sympathy for her and her predicament, but rather thinking how stupid this woman was. And the fact that this sheltered woman found herself in this situation and then, after finding out what she had gotten herself into, went along with the whole thing like it was just another day in her life, just wasn't believable in any way.

The rest of the "players" came across as cartoon characters and I just wasn't able to relate to any of them. The only one I found even the least bit tolerable was Liza.

Hoping the other LC books I ordered are better.

The world seems a little weird these days - conspiracy theories abound, governments conduct clandestine operations half way around the world, and secret organizations manipulate entire nation's economies and governments. How this all takes place is a mystery to most people. Some reference to these "behind the scenes" processes was recently documented in John Perkens' Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. But it focused on the past - facts and events. What I've been looking for is a book that captures what is going on today, and gives a hint into what will be going on tomorrow. Thank goodness I recently came across The Good Liar,a book that captures the thrill, mystery, and clandestine nature of this economic and political manipulation on a grand scale.

Robert Ludlum's The Borne Identity came close, when it talked about Jason Borne and his work for a mysterious government run branch that manipulated governments at will. However, it was hard to believe that the story in The Borne Identity could be real. Sure the government does things behind our back, in a secret fashion, but to the extent that was depicted in The Borne Identity always stretched my imagination. Not so in The Good Liar by Laura Caldwell. Here is a thriller that is not only plausible, but most likely is happening right now.

Meet Liza Kingsley, a young sophisticated lady who works for "The Trust," a secret private company that has ties to the government (just like today's Blackwater). She is in love with Robert, who has recently moved up in the ranks of the Trust and is beginning to clean up loose ends. One of those loose ends happens to be Michael, a former Trust employee that is looking to gracefully exit from his former life and settle down to a nice retirement. Kate, Liza's best friend from childhood who has recently divorced is introduced to Michael, and a fast paced romantic relationship develops. This is where The Good Liar shines beyond The Borne Identity. Because Liza is friends with Kate and also works for The Trust, she is put in the position of either protecting her friend - but breaking her relationship with Michael - or letting her in on the dark secrets of The Trust and Michael's past. Meanwhile, Robert is attempting to close any potential "problems" that the Trust may encounter in the future, including eliminating Michael - and now Kate.

Although the book starts off in seeming disarray, soon things begin to come together and the reader is caught up in the story. Taking place in Brazil, Canada, and Russia, The Good Liar revolves around mystery, power, manipulation, love, and (dis)trust. It's not often that you are waiting until the last 20 pages to figure out just who will survive and who will be caught up in the quest for truth. The Good Liar by Laura Caldwell is one of those books that delivers; it is bound to be made into a Hollywood blockbuster soon enough. I'm just glad I read the book first - books are always better then the movie and The Good Liar is no exception.

+++++++++++++++
Great New Books
http://newgreatbooks.blogspot.com

In Oakbrook, Illinois since her divorce from Scott. Kate Livingston has lived a quiet lifestyle as dating seems too much trouble, but admits to her friend Liza Kingsley that she is pathetic. Liza arranges for late thirties Kate to meet debonair fifty-five years old Vermonter Michael Waller. They hit it off from the start and in a rather short time, he sweeps her off her feet and they marry.

However, once they exchange I do, Michael seems different as Kate begins to think he is hiding something from her. Although she considers another woman and the mob as the cause for his mysterious behavior, she is far from the truth. Michael works for the Trust, a top secret organization that performs illegal deeds to further America's global position. Knowing he cannot keep secret from Kate his nefarious espionage activity, but also realizing he is sworn to secrecy, Michael decides to leave Trust as he wants to spend his life with his beloved. However, his handler persuades him to take on one final assassination.

This engaging tense romantic suspense thriller in some ways will remind the audience of Governor Schwarzenegger's movie True Lies although Kate is not considering an extra-marital affair. The story line is fast-paced and at its best when the lead couple is in the forefront together or in separate first person perspectives; as their relationship is built on love and a lie surprisingly comes across as plausible. Although the villain is more caricature than nasty adversary, readers will appreciate this non stop fast-paced tale.

Harriet Klausner

I picked this up at the library and finished it in two days. This books is a great quick read with some mystery and betrayal and double agent stuff. I don't read a whole lot in the mystery/crime genre yet I enjoyed this book. Though it doesn't have a whole lot of substance it still would be a great weekend or beach read.

I was introduced to Laura Caldwell through her "Red" trilogy and am now reading her earlier books which are surprisingly good as thrillers. I've previously read a few of Carla Neggers' books and for my money, Laura Caldwell is a far more accomplished authoress. I won't get into the plot, feeling that the less you know about it before reading, the more you'll enjoy the various twists and growing suspense as you follow the various characters none of whom have the same grasp on what's going on as you the reader do. Whatever your expectations, don't expect this to be a typical romantic suspense novel. It's far more and gets my highest recommendation.

REVIEWER'S OPINION:
There is not a lot of romance, but romance was an underlying current. The couple falls in love quickly, so we don't see the slow development of a relationship, but it was good. After they got together, their relationship was like a third character, being tested, changing, and interacting with the plot. I loved some things Kate did near the end. There were some unexpected conversations and interesting events. I didn't want to put it down. At first I was a little unsettled with the jumping around among current day, back in time, different characters, and points of view, but it was a way to get everything started and told. On hindsight, it was fine.

STORY BRIEF:
After experiencing bad decisions by CIA and political leadership, Coleman forms the "Trust, an independent organization providing similar services to protect United States' interests. Coleman's daughter Liza and Michael work for the Trust doing intelligence gathering and assassinations. Kate and Liza have been best friends since high school. Kate has been depressed since her divorce. Liza suggests Michael and Kate have a date. She sees them as needing cheering up. Liza's intent is a date or two, but they are a great match. Kate and Michael end up married within three months. Kate thinks Michael and Liza work for Presario, a pharmaceutical company. Liza and Michael must keep their work a secret from Kate, but Kate begins suspecting Michael is lying to her. Michael, Liza and Kate are all at risk due to betrayals and bad guys.

DATA:
Story length: 401 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: none to mild. Number of sex scenes: 3. Total number of sex scene pages: 3. Setting: 35 years ago and present day Illinois, Canada, Brazil, Russia and other places around the world. Copyright: 2008. Genre: romantic suspense thriller.

OTHER BOOKS:
I've read the following Laura Caldwell books.
5 stars. The Good Liar. Copyright 2008. Review Date 7-28-09.
3 stars. The Rome Affair. Copyright 2006. Review Date 8-5-09.
3 stars. Red Hot Lies. Copyright 2009. Review Date 9-9-09.

The story told by Laura Caldwell in The Good Liar might seem farfetched at first glance, but in this post 9-11 world in which many of the West's worst enemies have died at the hands of military assassins or sophisticated rocket attacks, if something like the Trust does not exist, maybe it should. Its existence, however, was the last thing that Kate Livingston was thinking of when she fell in love with Michael Waller and decided to forever pack away her life in Chicago to marry him and move to Canada where Michael was starting his new business.

Looking back, Liza Kingsley, Kate's best friend, wondered what she was thinking when she had insisted that Kate go out to dinner with Michael Waller the next time that business brought him to Chicago. She could only rationalize her decision by reminding herself how improbable it was that Kate, recently divorced and not particularly interested in meeting anyone new, would fall in love with a man more than fifteen years older than her. She had only hoped to offer Kate a diversion that would tempt her back into the dating world. What she got was something that none of the three could have foreseen.

Kate may have been madly in love with Michael Waller but the experience of a failed marriage left her with a keen sense of when she was not being told the whole truth by her husband. In a matter of weeks she was sure that Michael was hiding something from her and she feared that it was an affair with her best friend, the very woman who had introduced them. But as much as Michael wished that he could put all of Kate's suspicions and fears to rest, there was no way that he could even begin to tell her the truth about himself, his work, or his past. Waller knew that being honest with Kate would place her life in danger because of his work with a private espionage group, one highly funded and not afraid to use assassination to protect the interests of the United States or to keep its own existence hidden to the rest of the world.

The Good Liar is one of those stories in which it is not always possible to tell the good guys from the bad guys. Even those deepest inside the Trust were having that problem and, as Kate applied more and more pressure on Michael to tell her the truth about himself, she inadvertently became the catalyst that could destroy the very existence of the organization. Of course that could not be allowed to happen and the question became one of who would survive the turmoil that Kate had helped create.

Laura Caldwell has written a first-rate thriller and she has capped it with an especially suspenseful ending that will have most readers reading the last few pages of The Good Liar as quickly as they can in order to ease the suspense.