I couldn't get into this one. The characters were both unlikable and poorly written that I couldn't finish it. Both characters sounded like they were teenagers, not full-grown adults. The plot also felt very been-there, done-that. I'm sure other people may be interested in this one...especially if they are casual thriller readers. Alas, it's mainly what I read last year and this didn't compel me to continue.

The Better Liar kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time I read it. The writing is excellent. Taut and exciting, this book is a real page turner. Once I started it, I had to know what was going to happen next. 

As I said, this author has an excellent writing style. The prose is gritty, and the dialogue sounds real and not forced. Another plus is that each character has her own voice. It was easy to tell whose head I was in. The characters have some similarities, but each one is her own person. That's an important quality in a book in which you have two female main characters of roughly the same age.

So why the four-star review? Well, in truth I didn't like any of the characters. They were all awful people, so I didn't care what happened to them. In fact, I was rooting for their downfalls. This made it hard for me to connect to the story. Like I mentioned, the book is a real page turner, but my interest in the ending had more to do with wanting justice rather than wishing the best for anyone.

The ending came as a surprise, and it wasn't exactly what I wanted. However, it was satisfying in its own way. 

Tanen Jones is an excellent writer, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with in her next book.

Four out of five stars.

Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy.

This debut book by Tanen Jones has a lot of interesting twists and turns, but I felt in ultimately often veers into unbelievable territory, and with no character for the reader to empathize with, the book was not as engaging as I had hoped.

I really like the idea of the book. After the death of her father, Leslie looks for her sister Robin, who ran away years ago when Leslie was young. After finding her sister's body, Leslie meets and engages Mary, an actress who looks a bit like Robin, to show up at the reading of the will. This is necessary to meet a clause their father laid out. Why Leslie is so desperate for the money and Mary so willing to go with someone she just met make up the rest of the book.

Overall , I really see some glimmers of good writing, and the plot moves at a quick pace. For a mystery, it's a quick read. I'd like to see something else by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley,com, the author and publisher for my ARC.

I would like to preface this review by stating that I love thrillers and mysteries. That is just how it is. That being said, I often times feel like I read the same thing over and over. The Better Liar by Tanen Jones fell right into this category.

Leslie’s father is dead. In order to get her inheritance, she and her estranged sister Robin must go together to the lawyer’s office. However, there is one small problem. Hours before Leslie managed to track Robin down, she died of an overdose. What is Leslie going to do? She needs this money more than anyone realizes. Enter Mary, a woman who looks remarkably like her sister and together, they form the perfect ruse: Mary is going to pretend to be Robin and get half of the inheritance. Once the pair gets back to Albuquerque, our story kicks into gear. Mary has successfully transformed into the deceased Robin and secrets begin to emerge.

Overall, I was incredibly bored by the first half of this book, but that surprisingly wasn’t my least favorite part of this book. It feels like each thriller that comes out is trying to outdo the previous one, sometimes resulting where authors want to be as shocking as they can be, even if it is not believable or takes away from the story. The Better Liar was a very ambitious novel, but completely missed the mark.

*Thank you Netgalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars. Leslie’s father dies and the only way she can get her inheritance is if she reconnects with her estranged sister, Robin. Robin left the family and has had limited contact with her father. Their father never lost hope that his daughters would reconnect, and his will ensured that they would. Leslie finally locates Robin, and from that point on the mystery unfolds. Decent number of twists and turns, but not enough to really WOW me. Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed “The Better Liar” by Tanen Jones. This was a new author to me, and I’m glad I stumbled onto the blurb because while it definitely caught my attention, it wasn’t half as much as the actual book did! I love, love books with stolen identities / one sibling masquerading as another. The thought of stepping into someone else’s life - particularly someone who looks like you, yet is on a completely different path - has just always gripped my imagination. There were a lot of unexpected twists and turns in this novel. I did find the pacing to be a bit uneven - some of the narrators were less effective to me than others - but overall, the book was still a fun and enjoyable read. I’d pick up the next novel by Tanen Jones! Thank you to the author and to NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for my opinion.

I enjoyed this story about siblings and an imposter to gain an inheritance. It is absolutely amazing the lengths some people will go to, especially in books! I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

This story requires a ton of suspension of disbelief. Luckily for me, I spend my entire life discounting reality so it was a perfect fit.

Despite the improbability of this story, Tanen's writing and it's remarkably novel plot make for an unputdownable read.

The ending goes off the rails a bit and could have benefited from a tighter outline.

With a story that is overwrought with liars, who is the better liar?
I'll take Donald Trump for $800, Alex.

3.5 Stars rounded up ⭐⭐⭐⭐


** I recieved a ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest opinion. **

The Better Liar is a twisty, mind-bending psychological thriller with slowly building suspense, unlikable characters and a completely brilliant ending. You will not see this ending coming! The writing is so strong that it's actually surprising this is only a debut novel. Tanen Jones is an author to watch out for. Highly recommended to fans of Gillian Flynn, Peter Swanson and Megan Abbott. Be sure to check out The Better Liar today!

Debut author Tanen Jones did some really great things with her first book. She used three different narrators, with three different perspectives to tell her story of two sisters (one dead) and a scam to claim an inheritance. She built in layers of mystery surrounding Leslie, Robin and Mary, the actress employed to play Robin. There was the mystery around what happened to the girls’ mother who disappeared when they were children, the suggestion that Leslie’s husband might be cheating on her, and then, of course, the question of who, if anyone, was telling the truth.

The big problem with The Better Liar for me was that I saw everything coming long before it happened and I think most everyone would. It also seemed to me that one of the characters made poor judgement calls over and over again for no other reason than to move the plot along. I’m picky about my suspense novels, really needing them to take me by surprise. Sadly, The Better Liar just didn’t.

Note: I received an electronic copy of this book from Ballantine Books (via NetGalley) in exchange for me honest thoughts.

I really enjoyed how the book had multiple POV's, however the book had a slow pace that couldn't really hold my interest, I would keep getting distracted and having to reread paragraphs. I found some parts to be kind of disturbing and very dark, for example the fact that someone would just leave their dead sister to rot and not report it? It makes you think about the lengths that people go for money..

The Better Liar lives up to all the hype I’ve read about this book. This is Tanner Jones’ debut book. I am anxiously awaiting her next book. She has such great writing skills. I was eagerly reading to the last page.

From my blog: Always With a Book:

I'm a big fan of thrillers, that should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me and my reading tastes. And as someone who reads so many, it's hard to be constantly wowed and completely floored, yet I totally was with this debut novel.

This book wasn't even on my radar until a friend raved about it - a friend I might add who has been less than pleased with this genre - told me I needed to get my hands on this book. Well, that pretty much sold me on it and I'm so glad I requested it, because it really is a book that deserves all the praise. This book completely hooked me right from the start and while I did have my theories, as I kept reading, the twists and turns had me second guessing myself time and again.

This is a dark, twisted game of cat and mouse and I loved every second of it. It's also a book chock full of lies and deceit and one where you won't know who to trust. The unease exudes from the pages as you get deeper into the book and the tension rises ever so slowly.

A totally addicting and binge-worthy read, this book is one I have not stopped thinking about since I finished reading it. And I so appreciate the author's note at the end...but make sure to read this after you read the book. Tanen Jones has created one cleverly crafted novel and I know for sure I will be eager to see what she writes next. Have you read this one yet?

hands down one the best debut i've ever read!
THAT PLOT TWIST SHOCKED ME TO MY CORE AND I WILL THINK ABOUT IT PROBABLY FOR A VERY LONG LONG TIME.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for my honest review. This book is amazing! It has all the things you are hoping for in a thriller! It was clever, addictive and a fast read. This book will stay with you ling after you read it.

Leslie is alive. Robin is dead. Mary is fake. They all have a voice. I loved the feeling of unease that exuded from the pages especially when there really wasn't much happening, BUT you just know that something explosive is coming! One or more of these ladies is unreliable. One or more of these ladies is lying. It all becomes such a tangled web and to watch it unravel was very satisfying. Kudos to the author for writing a husband that was kind and supportive rather than a run of the mill manblob. The final conclusion and twist required some stretching and suspension of disbelief for me but I did it because the ride was great.

No bones about it, this is DARK. From the moment you meet Leslie, you know things aren’t as simple as they seem. And the hits just keep coming. Like noted above, nightmarish, especially for a two-days-in first-time mom. Moved along nicely though—didn’t want to put it down.

Honestly added an extra half star based on the author’s note—in my mind, her message really got across. She said it’s a nightmare based in a real fear, and boy is it.

I enjoyed the beginning part of this story ---- but I didn't find the main plot point compelling enough. I think I understand that the author was trying to give awareness to PPD and getting help... I think? But it missed the mark for me. And you can't tell me that *spoiler* someone wouldn't know her own sister. And I still can't figure out the point of Sam? Overall, it was a bust for me.

Here's the quick rundown. Leslie is trying to collect on some family money, but to be able to do that, she needs her sister's signature. The problem is that her sister is dead (or is she?). So Leslie hires someone who looks just like her sister and the two of them scheme their way to some money. In the meantime, there's some twists (which really were predictable) and some love (of course). For the most part, I really liked The Better Liar. Especially when I was trying to figure out who was lying and who wasn't. And also....when they were lying and when they weren't. It was a quick read for me, but that's because it was good and I liked it. Both of the main characters are someone annoying, but I guess that's about as close to real life as the situation gets to.

4/5 Stars

Normally, I do not read books of this genre, I will not deny it I like it enough, because or what is starting to like this genre a lot, it is a soup of emotions, the author writes very well about the events, and be satisfied with the end, if you really like this genre of mist erio and thrillers is perfect for you.