The Lies I Tell

This intriguing thriller from bestseller Clark (The Last Flight) focuses on two 30-something women who are bent on revenge. Posing as a real estate agent, Meg Williams is a con artist who returns to Los Angeles to get even with Ron Ashton, a local politician who swindled her mother from their home when Meg was a teenager, forcing the two of them to live in a van. Unbeknownst to Meg, journalist/copyeditor Kat Roberts has been tracking Meg and is ready to take her down for a brief encounter that ruined Kat’s life 10 years earlier. Vowing to expose Meg for her crimes, Kat pretends she’s interested in buying a house and hires Meg as her agent. Each is aware that the other woman is lying, but they manage to develop a close friendship. Using flashbacks and alternating points of view, Clark skillfully fleshes out the strong, multifaceted characters. The story nicely mixes brisk plot points with slow burning reveals as it builds to a satisfying conclusion. Clark doesn’t disappoint. Agent: Mollie Glick, CAA. (June)