Book Review: The Good Liar by Catherine McKenzie

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When an explosion rips apart a Chicago building, the lives of three women are forever altered. A year later, Cecily is in mourning. She was supposed to be in the building that day. Instead, she stood on the street and witnessed it going down, with her husband and best friend inside. Kate, now living thousands of miles away, fled the disaster and is hoping that her past won't catch up with her. And Franny, a young woman in search of her birth mother, watched the horror unfold on the morning news, knowing that the woman she was so desperate to reconnect with was in the building. Now, despite the marks left by the tragedy, they all seem safe. But as its anniversary dominates the media, the memories of that terrifying morning become dangerous triggers. All these women are guarding important secrets. Just how far will they go to keep them? ~~~~ These three women have secrets. Who is lying? Maybe all of them. Who is the better liar? You can decide if you read the book. Catherine McKenzie writes well thought-out thriller/mysteries. This book is no exception. This is the first book I have ever tabbed pages, quotes that I found very profound. That says a lot about the writing. It is awesome leaving me gobsmacked. Cecily talks of her relationshp with her now late husband Tom. "He didn't want to be the sun and the moon and the stars: just the stars would do... And if you're used to the stars, however clear they may be in a country sky, how can you even see them if the moon is full? What chance do they have in the face of the sun? If you looked at the sun for the first time, really looked, after all that stargazing, you'd be blinded. And then sunlight begins to feel essential in a way it never did before; starlight pales by comparison." Such a profound statement. It proves what a great writer Catherine McKenzie is. Then a conversation Cecily and Tom had previously with their son, Henry. "'Some people are different," I said. "I'm different," Henry responded. "Some people are special," Tom tried. "I'm special," Henry said emphatically. "'Everyone's different, and no one's better than anyone else," Tom said. "Some people are luckier, and some people have bad luck, and some people work hard and get things, and some people work very hard and don't get things. We're all entitled to the same respect.'" Another very profound statement, and very true. Both of these quotes are Cecily reflecting on the past with her husband, nothing really to do with the present that the story is about. The novel is definitely a thriller. But profound statements throughout the book make the reader stop and think. I highly recommend you get your hands on this book and read it.