Liars' Paradox
| Author | Taylor Stevens |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Kensington Publishing |
Publication date | December 18, 2018 |
| ISBN | 9781496718631 |
| Followed by | Liars' Legacy |
Liars' Paradox is a 2018 mystery novel by Taylor Stevens, the first in her Jack and Jill Thriller series. It is followed by Liars' Legacy.
Plot
Reception
Liars Paradox received mixed reviews from critics.
Allison Brennan, writing for Criminal Element, said, "Liars' Paradox is hands-down the best thriller I've read this year."[1] Brennan called the novel "original, cunning, smart, riveting, and relentless; with complex characters, pitch-perfect pacing, and high tension from page one."[1]
Beth Kanell, writing for The New York Journal of Books, called Liars Paradox a "propulsive page-turner," saying the novel's "short, hard-paced action chapters cascade" and compared the work to a "Lee Child thriller."[2]
In a mixed review, Publishers Weekly praised the novel's "cinematic plot," saying its "abundant action, unexpected twists, and a kaleidoscopic narrative keep the pace brisk and the tension high." However, they mentioned that "Stevens takes too long to develop her point-of-view characters, which undermines the story's drama and lessens its emotional heft."[3]
The Dallas Morning News, Shawna Seed also provided a mixed review, writing, "Stevens pushes the writing maxim 'show, don't tell' to its absolute limit and pares exposition to a bare minimum. So much happens so fast that readers may find themselves scrambling to keep up. One action sequence [...] was so chaotic that I was a couple chapters down the road before I realized I'd completely missed the identity and motivation of a shooter."[4] Though Seed conceded that Liars Paradox is a "a page-turning thriller," she preferred the nuance of Stevens's previous works, noting that in Liars Paradox, complexity "about the nature of evil, about life on the margins of society [...] doesn't quite come through as clearly."[4]
References
- ^ a b Brennan, Allison (December 18, 2018). "Book Review: Liars' Paradox by Taylor Stevens". Criminal Element. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
- ^ Kanell, Beth. "a book review by Beth Kanell: Liars' Paradox (A Jack and Jill Thriller)". The New York Journal of Books. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
- ^ "Liars' Paradox by Taylor Stevens". Publishers Weekly. October 1, 2018. Archived from the original on August 27, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
- ^ a b Seed, Shawna (December 14, 2018). "Taylor Stevens' latest, 'Liars' Paradox,' is a truly high-energy page-turner of a thriller". Dallas News. Archived from the original on August 27, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2023.