Tell Me Lies [Abridged, Audiobook] [Audio Cassette]

Jennifer Crusie (Author), Joyce Bean (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 10, 2004

Maddie Faraday’s life would be perfect- if it weren’t for her cheating husband, her suspicious daughter, her gossipy mother, her secretive best friend, her nosy neighbors, and that guy she lost her virginity to twenty years ago... In TELL ME LIES, Jennifer Crusie dishes up a funny, sexy, suspenseful novel about small-town secrets, big-time betrayals and the redemptive power of love, laughter and chocolate brownies. "A humorous mixture of romance, mystery, and mayhem. A winner!" - Susan Elizabeth Phillips, New York Times bestselling author of Breathing Room "Lovers of Susan Isaacs’ mysteries, take heart… There’s a new author on the block!" - Woman’s Own "A jaunty tale of love and murder...the plot springs some genuine surprises...there’s enough intrigue and scandal here to make a small city stay home." - Publishers Weekly "Smart, sexy and howlingly funny. Having a bad day? Tell Me Lies is just the tonic to make you laugh again." - Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of The Apprentice

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If you think small-town life can be boring--think again. There are complex social rules: there are certain people with whom you fraternize and those you don't, and, of course, there is the all-powerful gossip. Everyone knows everything about everyone else. Don't they? That's what Maddie Farraday thinks until she finds a pair of black crotchless panties in her husband's car that don't belong to her. That's it; Maddie's had it. She's ready for change, and the first thing she's going to do is divorce her no-good, philandering husband Brent. But then everything goes haywire: Brent turns up dead, Maddie's daughter wants a dog, her best friend is suddenly acting very strange, and Maddie's secret boyhood crush, bad boy C. L. Sturgis, arrives in town after a 20-year hiatus--and he's as sexy as ever. You may laugh out loud at the wild and crazy antics in Jennifer Crusie's exceptional novel, but you'll exclaim with delight over the sizzling, dynamic, passionate affair between Maddie and her first love, C. L. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Maddie Martindale has been the nice girl of her small town of Frog Point where gossip is major entertainment. Comfortably, if not happily, married to bigshot Brent, who is running for mayor, and mother to a sweet girl, Maddie seems to have a perfect life. But after she finds crotchless panties in her husband's car, Maddie's pristine reputation unravels. An imminent divorce, her husband's murder, and the precipitate return of Maddie's sexy high school flame, C.L. Sturgis, lead to her quick fall. C.L., the rebel bad boy who never dropped his torch for Maddie, has straightened out handsomely and plays a seductively vital role. The town is agog with talk of Maddie, the adulteress and murderess. An exciting, sensual romp, chock-full of mystery and intriguing characters, this light novel provides hours of fun reading. For all fiction collections.
-?Sheila M. Riley, Smithsonian Inst. Libs., Washington, D.C.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Audio Cassette
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio; Abridged edition (May 10, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593553544
• ISBN-13: 978-1593553548
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (137 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,044,883 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jennifer Crusie was researching her dissertation on the differences in the way men and women tell stories when she got sidetracked into writing romance novels.

Her first book was published in 1993 (which pretty much finished off any hope of her getting that PhD) and her twenty-second book, Maybe This Time, came out in August of 2010, all of which she considers a minor miracle, especially since she is also a New York Times, USA Today and Publisher's Weekly bestseller and a two-time Rita award winner.

Jenny is currently working on her new Liz Danger mystery series. She is a very happy woman.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly entertaining. You'll laugh out loud!, January 11, 2000

By 

Kathryn "K" (Washington, DC - USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tell Me Lies (Mass Market Paperback)

If you're from a small town, you'll recognize and appreciate a lot of real-life humor in Ms. Crusie's delightful novel. Even if you've never traveled far from a major metropolitan area, Maddy is a character worth reading about and her world will entertain you. Treat yourself to this book. It's worth the money and the time invested.

This was actually the first book I'd read by the author. I'm so glad I picked it up. [Admittedly, the feet sticking up out of the convertible on the cover drew my attention at first.] I've since located and enjoyed all of the author's books [through Amazon's Auctions & zShops, since many were hard to find]. If you love cats &/or dogs there's an added bonus in Ms. Crusie's work. She portrays animals in her books with warmth, humor, and individuality that's equal to her enjoyable human characters.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What a hilarious uptake on a small town life!, May 12, 2001

By 

Busy Mom (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Tell Me Lies (Hardcover)

As some of my online friends know, I am from Ohio and I eagerly read any books by a Buckeye native ~~ this is the fourth book I've read by Jennifer Cruise and I love it.

I have to admit, it took me awhile to get into the book ~~ but once I did, it snared me into a hilarious story.

Maddie has it all ~~ a perfect marriage, an adorable daughter and a good reputation in her hometown that she has lived in all her life. Then one day, she finds a pair of black lace panties in her husband's car and her perfect life begins to unravel. A former lover comes back into her life and turns everything upside down ~~ there's murder, intrigue, good home-cooked meals and everything a reader loves to read ~~ suspense, great sexy scenes and funny dialogue.

If you're going to the lake for a day and need a book to while away the time, I highly recommend this book. It's not a deep, thought-provoking book, but it's a great escapism book and fun to read. You won't regret reading Jennifer Cruise's first novel. Just like her other books, it's saucy and fun to read. Have fun!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Read Crusie's, September 29, 2003

By 

Jana L. Perskie "ceruleana" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tell Me Lies (Mass Market Paperback)

Feeling virtuous for volunteering to clean her husband's car, Maddie Faraday reaches under the front seat of the Caddy and pulls out a pair of black lace crotchless panties - Not Hers! Thus begins a roller coaster series of events that will forever change her life.

Maddie lives in Frog Point, Ohio, a very small town where everybody knows everybody's business, and the business of their neighbor's long dead ancestors to boot. Maddie, forever the good girl, has never given anyone anything but "nice" things to say about her, her daughter Emily, and her soon-to-be-in-divorce-court husband Brent. Not even her mother, nor her best friend since grammar school, know how unhappy she has been with her marriage to a man who is not often home, and disinterested when he is. She had threatened to leave him once before when he cheated on her, but this time she is positive - the marriage must end.

Then her old high school flame turns up at her door. Says he's looking for Brent. Maddie hasn't seen him for twenty plus years, and although she is distracted and upset, she still feels the chemistry radiating between them. Later, she confronts Brent with his infidelity. He becomes enraged and knocks her around - something he has never done in all their married life. He leaves, slams the door behind him, and Maddie never sees him again - alive! And Maddie is a prime suspect in the murder investigation.

This lighthearted romance, with a good mystery included, also deals with some serious issues - a youthful middle age woman's coming of age, among them. Ms. Crusie fills her novel with humor, terrific characters, and lots of good lovin'. Maddie's dilemmas just seem to grow in number, as she tries to prove her innocence, redefine her life and care for and protect her grieving daughter. Jennifer Crusie reminds me of a Midwestern, Susan Isaacs, who is from Long Island. Their ethnicity and 'regionality' notwithstanding, both women tackle humor, romance and mystery in a similar way - and both are terrific writers. This is a really good light read, with a twist - don't miss it!
JANA