Customer Reviews

The Lie

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

 

 

Suzanne Lasko struggles to survive living in a dump in which she cannot pay the rent on time ever since her marriage ended and her teller job terminated for her inability to perform simple tasks. Apparently her mind never fully healed from a car accident several years ago. Her ailing mom lives in a home, so Suzanne who loves her makes up a life with a good paying job and a kind boyfriend. Desperately she does the unthinkable and uses her mom's money to pay her bills.

Suzanne arrives at Behringer and partners for an interview. There she runs into her almost identical twin Nadia Trenkler though they are not related as far as either woman knows. Wealthy Nadia hires Suzanne to pose as her with her husband Michael for the weekend while she runs off for a tryst. Their first switch is successful so they do it again and again although Michael suspects something is not quite right with his wife.

The concept of twins switching identities is common in movies and books and this latest tale is an adult modernization of the Prince and The Pauper. Suzanne makes the tale with her bewildered mind and abject poverty impeding her fitting in the luxurious lifestyle of Nadia. Although plausibility is somewhat lost due to Michael's actions and reactions and the too frequent switches, readers will enjoy this intriguing psychological suspense thriller.

Harriet Klausner

Picked this up in the library and then couldn't put it down. Yes, it's twin switching but the complexity is amzingly engaging. I kept wondering how any of them could keep it up. It's really about what one believes and what makes a person a person -- not appearances but actions and values. Do clothes make the person? What's real and what's fake? How do you know?

Susanne Lasko is poor. She desperately needs to find a job soon, not just for herself but for her mother, who she is taking care of. Nadia Trenkler is married, rich and has everything Susanne wants.

While Susanne was heading to a job interview, she bumped into her twin. Well not really but just about. When Naida first spots Susanne, she believes that they are half sisters. Naida offers Susanne an offer she can't refuse. Naida will pay Susanne if she will pretend to be her, so that she can get away for weekend getaways with her lover. Also as a plus, Susanne will have access to expensive cars, a huge house and lots of money. All things that Susanne could only dream about. How long will Naida and Susanne be able to keep up their charades before the stakes get too high?

The Lie is the first novel I have read by Petra Hammesfahr. After finishing this book, I now want to check out all the rest of her novels. I thought this was a well written novel. The dynamics between Susanne and Naida were strong. I did not expect Susanne to be as strong a character as she turned out to be. The suspense built up as the story progressed. I couldn't stop reading this book. The ending was a twist that I didn't see coming. This book would make a good movie. US readers looking for some one new to read should look no further than Petra Hammesfahr.