With shades of E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars , this dark and twisted mystery by the highly acclaimed author of Grit will be the page-turner of the year.
Everyone in Tenney’s Harbor knows about the Garrison tragedy. How an unexplained fire ravaged their house, killing four of the five family members. But what people don’t know is who did it. All fingers point at Pearl Haskins’ father, who was the caretaker of the property, but Pearl just doesn’t believe it. Leave it to a town of rich people to blame “the help.”
With her disgraced father now trying to find work in between booze benders, Pearl’s future doesn’t hold much more than waiting tables at the local country club, where the wealthy come to flaunt their money and spread their gossip. This year, Tristan, the last surviving Garrison, and his group of affluent and arrogant friends have made a point of sitting in Pearl’s section. Though she’s repulsed by most of them, Tristan’s quiet sadness and somber demeanor have her rethinking her judgments.
Befriending the boys could mean getting closer to the truth, clearing her father’s name, and giving Tristan the closure he seems to be searching for. But it could also trap Pearl in a sinister web of secrets, lies, and betrayals that would leave no life unchanged…if it doesn’t take hers first.
**
From School Library Journal
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
Review
“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 )
Young Adult,Mystery,Contemporary,Thriller,Suspense

zlib/no-category/Gillian French/The Lies They Tell_115352908.epub

French, Gillian

HarperCollins Publishers

Longman Publishing

United States, United States of America

New York, 2018

19, 20180501

sources:
9780062642585

With shades of E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars and Courtney Summers’s Sadie, this dark and twisted mystery set in a divided Maine seaside town simmers with unresolved tensions and unpredictable truths. Everyone in Tenney’s Harbor knows about the Garrison tragedy. How an unexplained fire ravaged their house, killing four of the five family members. But what people don’t know is who did it. All fingers point at Pearl Haskins’ father, who was the caretaker of the property, but Pearl just doesn’t believe it. Leave it to a town of rich people to blame “the help.” With her disgraced father now trying to find work in between booze benders, Pearl’s future doesn’t hold much more than waiting tables at the local country club, where the wealthy come to flaunt their money and spread their gossip. This year, Tristan, the last surviving Garrison, and his group of affluent and arrogant friends have made a point of sitting in Pearl’s section. Though she’s repulsed by most of them, Tristan’s quiet sadness and somber demeanor have her rethinking her judgments. Befriending the boys could mean getting closer to the truth, clearing her father’s name, and giving Tristan the closure he seems to be searching for. But it could also trap Pearl in a sinister web of secrets, lies, and betrayals that would leave no life unchanged...if it doesn’t take hers first.

Everyone in Tenney s Harbor, Maine, knows about the Garrison tragedy. How an unexplained fire ravaged their house, killing four of the five family members. But what people don t know is who did it. All fingers point at Pearl Haskins s father, the town drunk, who was the caretaker of the property, but she just can t believe it. Leave it to a town of rich people to blame the help.

2024-12-16