The Truth-Teller's Lie: A Novel previously published as Hurting Distance [Paperback]

Sophie Hannah (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 28, 2010

"A superbly creepy, twisty thriller” (The Times (London)) by the internationally best-selling author of The Other Woman’s House and The Wrong Mother

Naomi Jenkins knows all about secrets: three years ago something so terrible happened to her that she's never told anyone about it. Now, Naomi has another secret: her relationship with the unhappily married Robert Haworth. When Robert vanishes without explanation, Naomi knows he must have come to harm. But the police are less convinced, particularly when Robert's wife insists he is not missing. In desperation, Naomi decides that if she can't persuade the detectives that Robert is in danger, she'll convince them that he is a danger to others. Naomi knows how to describe the actions of a psychopath; all she needs to do is dig up her own traumatic past.

 

The second book in Sophie Hannah’s beloved Zailer and Waterhouse series, The Truth-Teller’s Lie is a chillingly smart suspense novel sure to appeal to fans of Tess Gerritsen and Gillian Flynn.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sophie Hannah is the author of the international bestsellers Little Face, The Wrong Mother, and The Other Woman’s House. In 2004 she won the Daphne Du Maurier Prize for Suspense Fiction, and she is also an awarding-winning poet. She lives in Cambridge, England, with her husband and two children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 363 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books; Reprint edition (September 28, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143115855
• ISBN-13: 978-0143115854
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #511,041 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Sophie Hannah is an award-winning poet and crime fiction writer whose novels are international bestsellers.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Truth-Teller's Lie October 21, 2010

By P. Bergbauer VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

The Truth-Teller's Lie: A Novel previously published as Hurting Distance by Sophie Hannah

Naomi Jenkins is having an affair with Robert Haworth. After he misses a scheduled tryst night, she assumes something bad has happened to him. After an unsuccessful attempt to find him at home, she involves the police.

At first, I found Naomi to be an annoying nut bag. Her character is unlikeable and irritating and I was actually put off the story for the first several chapters. But, as the story progressed, all of that changed for me. Naomi's best friend is Yvon. Luckily, Yvon said what I was thinking; she voiced what I wanted to say to Naomi. Yvon makes sense and tries to put Naomi's fears into perspective.

The detectives on the case are competent and well rounded although a little slow with doing things. Some parts of the story are told from Naomi's point of view, but she also talks to Robert in first person which is distracting because it is every other paragraph. It did allow more background information as to what was going on, but for me it wasn't a seamless transition. I can't disclose more of the story because the impact of what is going on needs to unfold as you read it.

I really enjoyed the unraveling of this story and there is a lot more to this plot then I had initially thought. Hannah's writing is well done, enthralling and kept me reading into the wee hours of the morning. This is definitely a mystery/suspense novel at its best. This is my first book that I have read by Sophie Hannah and luckily I already have several of her other books on my TBR list.

If you are interested in reading a sophisticated, well written suspenseful mystery, Sophie Hannah is an author to invest your time in.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Mystery had potential, but the characters bring this book down March 1, 2011

By Heather

Format:Paperback

This was the first Sophie Hannah book that I've read & it wasn't till after I was done that I found out that this was part of a criminal series featuring the same detectives so I had no background on the characters going in. I actually liked the mystery in the book, but my big gripe is with the characters. I'm the type that needs a character to like/respect & I found that I really couldn't with any of these characters and that ruined the book for me. I'm going to try & not give away any spoilers, so forgive me if I accidentally do. I considered the 2 main characters to be Naomi & the female detective, Charlie. For Naomi I can understand & almost forgive her for most of her choices in the book considering the traumatic experience she had, although I still didn't like her at all. I had high hopes that I was going to like Charlie & I did at the beginning of the book, but I didn't have a high opinion of her for long. I just cannot get behind someone who sleeps around like she does & makes so many wrong choices at the end of the book. I could have forgiven all the one night stands except for the reasoning behind them - it was just to get back at/prove a point to her co-worker who spurned her (I'm assuming there is more about this in the first book, but Charlie & Simon's (her co-worker) relationship puzzled me for most of the book). And, the guy she chooses to sleep with in this book was completely skivvy to me from the first & I felt she should have picked up on that right away. Then at the end Charlie reacts in a completely unprofessional manner that could have blown the case. That's something I don't understand no matter how upset she is. If she was a good detective she would have been worried about destroying evidence & beating up suspects. I also thought that most of the revelations were easy to predict & that the detectives took a long time picking up on clues that seemed so obvious (and were just poor detectives all around). There are other detectives in the book as well & most of their dialogue seemed bizarre to me (talking about weddings and other random stuff; I felt like I entered a conversation & had no idea what was going on) & I don't feel like their characters were well written at all. In the end it was a book with a good mystery, but crappy characters.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Sophie Hannah is a master of psychological suspense! October 17, 2011

By Regina Niesen

Format:Paperback

This novel was first published under the title Hurting Distance.

Book Description-Naomi Jenkins knows all about secrets: three years ago something so terrible happened to her that she's never told anyone about it. Now, Naomi has another secret: her relationship with the unhappily married Robert Haworth. When Robert vanishes without explanation, Naomi knows he must have come to harm. But the police are less convinced, particularly when Robert's wife insists he is not missing. In desperation, Naomi decides that if she can't persuade the detectives that Robert is in danger, she'll convince them that he is a danger to others. Naomi knows how to describe the actions of a psychopath; all she needs to do is dig up her own traumatic past.

At first I thought Naomi was just crazy right along with Robert's wife Juliet. I couldn't believe the lengths she was going to for the police to find Robert. Her friend Yvon was the like the voice in my head telling Naomi that what she was doing was nuts. I really thought the story was going to go in a much different direction that it did because of my feelings for Naomi. I don't want to tell anymore of the plotline as it is so important for the reader to watch the mystery unravel themselves. Although a horrific topic, Hannah is at her best with this thrill ride of a novel. There are so many twists and turns my head was spinning. I can't count how many times I had to page back and look at what someone said to understand or to believe the story she was telling. For those looking for a psychological suspense at its finest I highly recommend this author! I discovered Sohphie Hannah by random and I am so glad that I did! She is a remarkable storyteller and a master of her craft! 5 stars!