She Treads Softly: The Woman Who Lied

Saturday, July 20, 2024

The Woman Who Lied

The Woman Who Lied by Claire Douglas
7/30/24; 400 pages
HarperCollins

The Woman Who Lied by Claire Douglas is a recommended psychological thriller.

Emilia Ward lives with her second husband, Elliot, their son Wilfie, and Jasmine, her teenage daughter from her first marriage. She is also the bestselling author of the Miranda Moody detective novels who is about to publish her 10th book in the series. Then strange things begin to happen and Emilia suddenly becomes aware that the incidents resemble scenes from her books. As it continues, she begins to become concerned for the safety of her family. Once something from her current unpublished novel occurs, she realizes that whoever is doing this is among her trusted group of friends.

The narrative follows Emilia in the present day, excerpts from her latest book, and later, a third story line. Emilia's concern for her family is real. Along the way, Douglas includes plenty of red herrings and clues to follow that point to the guilt of different characters. The multiple story lines all come together at the end, but for me this wasn't a successful plot device. At first the pacing seemed slow for a thriller, but it does pick up. I enjoyed the thriller, but not as much as other novels Douglas has written. Thanks to HarperCollins for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.