The characters of Leslie and Robin are intricately woven and we are given both perspectives. Although dark and horrifying at times, this is an accurate and truthful representation of the fears present during post-natal or post-partum depression. The prose is easy to read and I was invested in both characters.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review The Better Liar.

In her very first novel Tanen Jones touches upon mental health, postpartum depression and sisterhood and it was hard for me to write a review without spoiling the story or give anything away. I must say initially I was very intrigued by the plot: Leslie takes drastic steps to cover her estranged sister’s death to claim a joined inheritance by persuading a total stranger to impersonate her sibling.

Thanks to the very interesting premise I was expecting some intrigues and multiple twists however it took me a while to fully immerse myself into the novel. It’s definitely a slow burning thriller and the mysteries are gradually revealed in each chapter. I found the book to be a little bit unrealistic and predictable until the very end. The story alternates between three different unreliable but well crafted characters so it was interesting to find out how the plot will develop. Despite of the great writing style I couldn’t really warm to I any of the characters and I found it really difficult to connect to the story.

Overall all it was a good psychological thriller and great debut novel but unfortunately it didn’t quite deliver for me. I will definitely reach for future books from the author as I can see a great potential here.

This was a good story, it was unpredictable, the characters were mainly believable, but not the most likeable. It was well written.

Leslie has gone to find her long lost sister only to discover she has died. She then meets Mary a young woman who reminds her of Robin and needs some help herself. Maybe the two can help each other as Leslie needs her sister alive to get the money she is owed but can they pull it off.

The premise to this was really interesting but for me the story didn't quite deliver. It's a real slow burner with a couple of good twists to the story. Its told from three different perspectives which does add more depth to the story. The ending was clever but not quite the ending I wanted. It does fit the story though. I struggled with the characters though none of them were really likeable making it hard to truly care about them.

I adored this book and quite simply couldn't put it down. Atmospheric, pacy, tense - a brilliant slice of neo-noir set in small town deep south america with a sociopathic protagonist you will be compelled to follow through the pages of the novel. Nothing and no-one is who they seem in this story of fraud and stolen identity.

Leslie and Robin, long estranged, need to partner up to collect and inheritance, But when Leslie finds a dead body in Robin's apartment, she partners up with actress Mary to get what she believes is rightfully hers. But why does she need the money so much, does Mary have an ulterior motive and what caused the sister's estrangement? A complex, layered story about identity, love - and motherhood.

A compelling, rich thriller for fans of Gone Girl, The Talented Mr Ripley and Skin Deep - highly recommend. I cannot believe this is a debut, it's so accomplished.

A very clever story, with a great ending, and very believable characters. However, I found the story dragged a bit in the middle, and neither of the main characters was very likeable, which meant that I didn't really care what happened to them.

The synopsis for the promotion of the book perhaps oversold it to me. I thought the plot was a little too predictable and whilst I don’t think it’s always necessary to like at least some of the characters i do at least need to feel some interest in them and I didn’t.
The writing style however I did like and I’m sure this won’t be the only or the best work to come from Taney Jones but rather just her first book.

I was lucky enough to get sent a copy of ‘The Better Liar’ by debut author Tanen Jones before its publication date, in exchange of course for an honest review 🤓📚 This story is such a fab and twisty premise, and rather dark. I did find the plot quite predictable at times and although it wasn’t a-scream-at-anyone-that-interrupts-you-while-in-the-reading-zone-book, i really enjoyed the POV style narration from the two ‘sisters’ 👯‍♀️ I also wouldn’t be the slightest bit shocked if a Netflix adaption limited series was made based on The Better Liar. Tanen Jones is one to watch 🤓😁 #netgalley #tanenjones #thebetterliar

Really enjoyed this book. It had a good plot, interesting characters and a good pace that made me turn the pages.
Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

3.5 stars rounded down to 3

Leslie Flores father had passed away. He left some money in his will for Lselie and her sister, Robin. But there's a stipulation in the will that the girls make their claim together. Leslie has not seen Robin for around ten years. Robin lives in Las Vegas so Leslie travels there to find her. But Ro in has also died. So when Leslie sees a waitress who bares a remarkable resemblance to Robin, Leslie comes up with a plan. She persuades the waitress to go to New Mexico with her so that they can claim the inheritance together.

The story is told by Leslie, Robin and Mary's perspectives. None of the main characters were very likeable. The story covers issues that occur in family relationships and postpartum depression. Theres not a lot happens in the story until the end. I did like the twist at the end. The pace is evenly set.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Vintage Publishing and the author Tanen Jones for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A sudden decision to lie leads Leslie at the mercy of a stranger who she has persuaded to pretend to be her estranged sister Robin. But 'Robin' isn't playing ball. Tense and culpable narrators alternate as the story unfolds.

I enjoyed this book. The story is told from two points of view in the present and one from the past. Each chapter tells you the woman’s name so you know who it is. I was pretty curious from the start as to what was going on and what the outcome would be. I don’t want to give too much away and spoil the story for anyone reading this review. Leslie meets Mary and asks her to pretend to be her sister Robin, just for a week so they can claim their inheritance but Leslie isn’t being entirely honest and neither is Mary. I recommend this book. Thank you #netgalley.

What a truly surprising book. Slow start, slightly rambling middle and terrific end, at the beginning I really thought that this was not my sort of book at all but I persevered because the plot line was intriguing. As the story got nearer to the conclusion it became gripping and I had to know the end. Therefore I definitely recommend this book.

It’s been quite a long time since I’ve read a good psychological thriller, and this one is a clever if slightly unlikely psychological thriller that I really enjoyed. What do I mean by this? Well, I found the plot to be interesting and unique, but I did find some of the events and situations rather unlikely. The mutually beneficial relationship that forms between Leslie and Mary seemed slightly over the top and I’m not sure that in real life two people would have “connected” and gone down such a road of deception together after only knowing each other for a few hours. But hey, I think this could be a complaint of many great psyche thrillers. The very nature of the genre lends itself to plots and twists that seem a little unlikely in the real world.

Having said that though, I was quite taken with this novel and I read it in two days. I found myself constantly unsure as to which direction the plot was going to take, and that kept me on my toes and kept me guessing. I also enjoyed the plot twists that came along towards the end of the novel. And yes, there were a few.

This is a thriller novel that also deals with some serious topics, primarily postpartum depression and the effects that it can have on the mother. If you read the “Afterword” by the author she specifically mentions her own fears in regard to having children and the thoughts that consumed her at times about whether she’d be a good mother and whether motherhood was actually for her. She states that she had always wanted to write a novel about these issues, and that’s how the plot and the themes in this book came about.

My only small criticism of this novel comes in regard to the behaviour, actions and dialogue of the characters in the first 20% of the book. When I was first introduced to the two main characters, I thought that they were in their early 20’s. The way they behaved, their interactions and their dialogue led me to believe that they were very young adults, perhaps just having reached their 20’s. It then follows that I was quite shocked to learn that Leslie was actually in her 30’s. I just didn’t feel that her behavior and the way she spoke was fitting for a 30-something year old. However, as the book progressed this issue largely corrected itself and I didn’t find this as off putting as it had been in the early stages. I didn’t feel that the author quite nailed the characters early on, but like I say, that did seem to improve as the book progressed.

Overall, a really good psychological thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed. The ending did leave a few unanswered questions and I would have liked to perhaps have a bit more detail, but still, a good thriller that I recommend.

Well... When I started this book I really didn't think I was going there! We start with Leslie as she is trying to track down her estranged sister Robin. Not cos she wants to, I hasten to add, more due to necessity. See, the terms of her recently deceased father's will is that no one gets anything unless the two daughter present themselves together. But she arrives at where she thinks her sister could be only to find she's too late. Robin is also deceased. Game over I guess.
Stopping off en route back home she bumps into Mary, a young woman who, cut a story short, bears quite a lot of resemblance to Robin. You can see where this is going... and it does... Mary will impersonate Robin for her half of the cash. No brainer... no one has seen Robin in a while, really.. what could go wrong...? But it soon transpires that both women have secrets...
I already said that I had no idea where we were going with this book. I had a few inklings on the way that I really should have paid more attention to but sadly didn't and I am usually better than that so kudos to the author for that!
It was a very fast paced book. Hitting the ground running and not really letting up until the very end. There were a couple of slower times - probably included for reader respite - but it did get on with itself very well indeed. Characterisation was, shall I just say, in keeping with the characters and the story - more than that would probably spoil thing so I'll leave it there. Suffice to say that I really wanted to slap the two main characters quite a few times along the way.
And the end... well.. pretty much blew me away. And that's obviously all I can say on that... OK, for full disclosure I do have a few niggles about the plot but its execution and the rest of all the things that were excellent in this book more than made up for them so I was happy to just let them go...
All in all, a cracking read that engaged me from start to finish. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Sorry this is not my type of book. I was disappointed as the synopsis made it sound like a good read. I could not warm to the characters and I didn’t like the writing style.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This was an excellent thriller that I very much enjoyed. Strong.characters and a fascinating storyline make for an exciting read. Highly recommended.

It took me a little while to get into this book, but as soon as I did, I couldn't put it down. I love books that are written from multiple povs and this was no exception.

The family relationships that were explored were fascinating, complex and also quite sad. Good unexpected disclosure at the end as well.

The Better Liar is an odd one for me. For the majority of the book, I was engrossed, totally wrapped up in the story. And then, the last 10-15% or so… didn’t disappoint me, but definitely didn’t leave me feeling satisfied.

The Better Liar follows Leslie, her sister Robin, and Mary. Leslie arrives in Las Vegas believing her estranged sister to have died, before she can claim the inheritance left for them by her father, an inheritance that happens to require both of them to be in the room to sign the documents. Desperate, Leslie forges a plan, whereby Mary, a waitress she meets in Las Vegas, will pretend to be Robin, and walk away with Robin’s half of the inheritance. But Leslie is hiding something and Mary is determined to find out what.

The book is primarily character-driven, alternating between POVs from Leslie, Robin (in the past), and Mary. But despite not a whole lot happening until the last part, you’re kept on the edge of your seat, wanting to find out what Leslie is hiding. And it’s full of unreliable narrators so, really, you can’t believe anything from any POV, and that’s probably the best thing about it. How can you really predict the twists and turns when no one is telling the truth?

Which brings me to exactly that: the twists and turns. Like I said, they’re unpredictable (in a good way, because I feel like if I specifically looked out for them I would see hints) and they’ll leave you wanting to continue reading to find out more. Especially that big one about 70% in. I think I may have gasped out loud at that.

And after that, I was really excited about the end. But something about it just didn’t click for me. Like it made total sense in context, but still left me with a feeling of dissatisfaction. Which is why my rating went down by half a star, but I’m well aware this is probably an entirely personal thing, probably to do with which character I preferred. But yeah.

Anyway, I would definitely recommend this book despite that. Especially if you want a tense thriller with twists you don’t see coming.

Estranged for a decade, sisters Leslie and Robin must reunite if they are to claim the fortune their father left them. Leslie desperately needs that money, but when she arrives at her sister's apartment, she finds her body instead. Leslie needs another plan. Without Robin, she won't see a penny.

Mary, an aspiring actress, spends her nights slinging beers at a seedy restaurant. She'd do anything to start her life over. When Leslie offers her a huge sum of money and the chance to be someone else – to be Robin – she takes it. But Robin's life isn't as straightforward as Mary thought it would be. And Leslie seems to have secrets and a past of her own . . .

The Better Liar by Tanen Jones is a page-turner from first page to last. Just when you think you know who wants what and how far they are prepared to go to get it, another twist is thrown at you. The narrative voice switches regularly back and forth between the main characters which cranks up the tension as you hear one view, then another, and slowly what is happening is made clear to you. Or at least, you think they do.

Would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoyed Gone Girl.