JULY 2018 - AudioFile
Narrator Caitlin Davies becomes protagonist Pearl Haskins in this compelling audiobook. Set in a small Maine town, the story begins with a fire that kills most of the wealthy Garrison family. During the summer following the tragedy, "townie" Pearl is working at the local country club and trying to keep her father from spiraling into addiction. Town gossip places the blame for the fire on her father, caretaker of the Garrison property, but also speculates as to how eldest son Tristan survived. Pearl befriends Tristan and his rich friends and works to uncover the truth and clear her father's name. Davies brings to life all of French's multidimensional characters as the story explores the contrasts between the wealthy and the working class, truth and lies, and love and betrayal. K.S.M. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
06/18/2018
In this thoughtful mystery from French (Grit), 18-year-old Pearl Haskins was one of the last people to see the Garrison family alive the night their house burned to the ground. Pearl’s father was the gatekeeper at the Garrison house; blamed for the tragedy, he has since lost most of his caretaking jobs on Mount Desert Island, a Maine summer retreat. Pearl’s job as a waitress at the local club brings her into contact with the island’s elite, including the enigmatic Tristan Garrison, the lone surviving family member, who has returned for the summer. Pearl is determined to clear her father’s name and get to the bottom of what happened to the Garrisons, despite the warnings from her fellow townies. But what will learning the truth cost her? Pearl is an empathetic character, and French does an excellent job of highlighting the tension between social classes in this slow-burning mystery, as well as the difficulties of navigating family drama. Ages 14–up. (May)
From the Publisher
Gorgeously written, chilling, and twisty, The Lies They Tell kept me guessing until the very end. Small-town mystery at its best.” — Carlie Sorosiak, author of If Birds Fly Back and Wild Blue Wonder
“Gillian French combines class struggles, family drama, and, of course, murder, like an alchemist, creating something greater than its parts. This book lingers in the best way possible.” — Lamar Giles, Edgar Award Finalist and author of Fake ID and Endangered
“The Lies They Tell kept me guessing until the final pages. Readers will root for Pearl as she navigates an undercurrent of darkness and deception. A strong heroine, a satisfying conclusion—one of the best YA novels I’ve read all year.” — Paula Stokes, author of Liars, Inc.
“French describes in unflinching, haunting prose the social inequities and rugged, often treacherous landscape that define the ‘real’ Maine. An excellent teen mystery that reveals far more than ‘whodunnit.’” — Maria Padian, author of Wrecked
“With haunting, gorgeous prose, The Lies They Tell is a masterful mystery where big secrets lurk in small towns. Privileged summer families, murder, intoxicating boys, and a fierce heroine converge in this novel perfect for fans of We Were Liars and One of Us is Lying.” — Shannon M. Parker, author of The Girl Who Fell and Rattled Bones
“Absolutely propulsive storyline. Every single character is written with precision and complexity, while the setting is vividly provoked and lovingly portrayed.” — Jessie Ann Foley, author of Neighborhood Girls and Michael Printz Honor Book The Carnival at Bray
“A lush summer atmosphere, class tensions, and complex romantic feelings all hit pitch-perfect notes in this slow-burning mystery.” — Kirkus Reviews
“With intriguing characters and unexpected twists and turns, French keeps her readers guessing until the very end. Fans of E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars and Allan Wolff’s Who Killed Christopher Goodman? should add this title to their must-read lists. A valuable addition to thriller shelves.” — School Library Journal
“Much as in her debut Grit, French gives a disturbing picture of the world bought by privilege and power.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Pearl is an empathetic character, and French does an excellent job of highlighting the tension between social classes in this slow-burning mystery, as well as the difficulties of navigating family drama. “ — Publishers Weekly
“The Lies They Tell is one of the most satisfying displays of the mystery craft that I’ve read all year.” — Press Herald
Carlie Sorosiak
Gorgeously written, chilling, and twisty, The Lies They Tell kept me guessing until the very end. Small-town mystery at its best.
Paula Stokes
The Lies They Tell kept me guessing until the final pages. Readers will root for Pearl as she navigates an undercurrent of darkness and deception. A strong heroine, a satisfying conclusion—one of the best YA novels I’ve read all year.
Maria Padian
French describes in unflinching, haunting prose the social inequities and rugged, often treacherous landscape that define the ‘real’ Maine. An excellent teen mystery that reveals far more than ‘whodunnit.’
Shannon M. Parker
With haunting, gorgeous prose, The Lies They Tell is a masterful mystery where big secrets lurk in small towns. Privileged summer families, murder, intoxicating boys, and a fierce heroine converge in this novel perfect for fans of We Were Liars and One of Us is Lying.
Jessie Ann Foley
Absolutely propulsive storyline. Every single character is written with precision and complexity, while the setting is vividly provoked and lovingly portrayed.
Lamar Giles
Gillian French combines class struggles, family drama, and, of course, murder, like an alchemist, creating something greater than its parts. This book lingers in the best way possible.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Much as in her debut Grit, French gives a disturbing picture of the world bought by privilege and power.
Press Herald
“The Lies They Tell is one of the most satisfying displays of the mystery craft that I’ve read all year.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Much as in her debut Grit, French gives a disturbing picture of the world bought by privilege and power.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
Much as in her debut Grit, French gives a disturbing picture of the world bought by privilege and power.
School Library Journal
03/01/2018
Gr 9 Up—Eighteen-year-old Pearl Haskins is one of the locals in Tenney's Harbor, ME, which is a popular summer destination for the wealthy. Tenney's Harbor is also known for the mysterious fire that swept through the Garrison mansion, taking the lives of four out of five family members. Pearl works at the local country club as a waitress, serving all of the upscale townspeople, while her father is a caregiver for different estates in town, including the infamous Garrison home. The town gossip now points to Pearl's father, who was on the estate the night the deadly fire happened. He is unable to get work because the summer crowd is now wary of his role in the suspicious fire, and Pearl needs answers. Tristan Garrison is the last surviving member of the Garrison family. Pearl is befriended by his friends and soon finds herself being invited to ritzy parties and events. She thinks these friendships could be a way to get some answers to her questions. What she begins uncovering was not was she expected; lies, deceit, and betrayal. This is a leisurely paced YA mystery. With intriguing characters and unexpected twists and turns, French keeps her readers guessing until the very end. Fans of E. Lockhart's We Were Liars and Allan Wolff's Who Killed Christopher Goodman? should add this title to their must-read lists. VERDICT A valuable addition to thriller shelves.—Amanda LeMay, Neptune Township Public Library, NJ
JULY 2018 - AudioFile
Narrator Caitlin Davies becomes protagonist Pearl Haskins in this compelling audiobook. Set in a small Maine town, the story begins with a fire that kills most of the wealthy Garrison family. During the summer following the tragedy, "townie" Pearl is working at the local country club and trying to keep her father from spiraling into addiction. Town gossip places the blame for the fire on her father, caretaker of the Garrison property, but also speculates as to how eldest son Tristan survived. Pearl befriends Tristan and his rich friends and works to uncover the truth and clear her father's name. Davies brings to life all of French's multidimensional characters as the story explores the contrasts between the wealthy and the working class, truth and lies, and love and betrayal. K.S.M. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2018-02-20
After the murder of a wealthy family, a girl is determined to find the killer and exonerate her father.Pearl Haskins lives with her father in the tourist town of Tenney's Harbor, Maine, where she works as a country-club waitress alongside her best friend and unrequited crush, Reese. Rich summer tourists descend upon the town, treating the locals as servants—but this summer is different. Six months earlier, all but one member of the wealthy Garrison family were murdered while they slept. Pearl's father had been the substitute night watchman on duty, and, with the murders remaining unsolved, people blame him for the tragedy. Now her father's business has dried up, the debt collectors are calling, and he's turned to drink. When sole survivor Tristan Garrison and his friends show an interest in Pearl, she lets herself be swept into the world of the summer people, aiming to find out the truth and clear her father's name—but getting too close may cost her everything. A lush summer atmosphere, class tensions, and complex romantic feelings all hit pitch-perfect notes in this slow-burning mystery. The final reveal may not be very shocking, but immersion in the world of small-town Maine and Pearl's dangerous game of chess compensate. One tourist family is Indian; all other major characters are white.An eerie, well-drawn mystery. (Fiction 14-18)
