The Liar's Child
A Novel
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
In this intense and intimate family portrait that moves at a thriller’s pace, a troubled woman faces a gripping moral dilemma after rescuing two abandoned children from a hurricane.
On the outskirts of North Carolina’s Outer Banks sits the Paradise, an apartment complex where renters never stay long enough to call the place “home”—and neighbors are seldom neighborly. It’s ideal for Sara Lennox, who moved there to escape a complicated past—and even her name—and rebuild a new life for herself under the radar. But Sara cannot help but notice the family next door, especially twelve-year-old Cassie and five-year-old Boon. She hears rumors and whispers of a recent tragedy slowly tearing them apart.
When a raging storm threatens then slams the coastal community, Sara makes a quick, bold decision: Rescue Cassie and Boon from the storm and their broken home—without telling a soul. But this seemingly noble act is not without consequences. Some lethal.
Carla Buckley crafts a richly rewarding psychological portrait, combining a heart-wrenching family drama with high-stakes suspense, as the lives of three characters intertwine in an unforgettable story of fury, fate—and redemption.
Praise for The Liar’s Child
“Surprising and rewarding . . . Ms. Buckley does what only the best suspense writers can do: She makes you care about what happens to her characters, provoking your emotions as well as your curiosity.”—The Wall Street Journal
“Buckley has crafted a complex and compelling story. The nuances and dynamics at play in The Liar’s Child will take the most jaded reader on a heartfelt and emotional journey.”—Associated Press
“A wonderfully complex and multilayered drama complete with the suspense that keeps the pages turning. Fans of Kate White and Diane Chamberlain will be asking if it’s possible for a child to leave the past behind long after the book ends.”—Booklist
“Carla Buckley’s superb psychological thrillers are always emotionally wrenching but The Liar’s Child packs a visceral gut punch that knocks the wind right out of us . . . Emotive writing that packs a wallop to both the heart and the mind.”—Book Trib
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Familiar themes of love, loyalty, and lies merge in this snoozy thriller from Buckley (The Good Goodbye) about Sara Lennox, who's in a federal witness program and grudgingly beginning her new life in a rattletrap apartment on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Despite Sara's efforts to follow orders to remain invisible, the next-door neighbors' inquisitive five-year-old, Boon, nevertheless finds her irresistible. Boon and his rebellious tween sister, Cassie, are the concern of a social worker, who's worried about parental neglect. Thirty-one-year-old Sara has little experience with or use for children, as she plans to disappear before she must testify in a case whose nature is only gradually revealed. When an approaching hurricane imperils everyone's life, Sara has no option but to rescue the all-but-abandoned kids. The omniscient narrative saps the starch out of the characterizations, though the action somewhat picks up from this point forward, as each of the fugitives from the storm grapples with their personal issues. The unimaginative surprise twist does little to excuse the slow motion plot. This one's strictly for Buckley's fans.
