Fleetwood Mac had a number one hit in the 1980s called "White Lies." The lyrics were: "Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies." The essence of the lyrics examined how lies, white lies, provided safety because of the ugliness of the truth. Jennifer Crusie's romantic comedy, Tell Me Lies, examines the complex relationship of the truth and lies, and where the safety might be in each.

Maddie Faraday is a woman stuck in a loveless marriage; but living in Frog Point means that all that matters is the appearance of perfection. Maddie has always been the solid, perfect woman that the town has counted on as a measure of morality. The pressure comes from her mother, her in-laws, and everyone else living in Frog Point. But things are never as they seem, and Maddie's carefully constructed world begins to disintegrate. She discovers that her husband is cheating on her (again), and suddenly secrets begin to unravel and threaten not only Maddie's carefully composed world, but the world of her eight-year-old daughter, Em.

CL has returned to Frog Point on a mission. Once the talk of the town because of his unruly ways, CL isn't happy to return, but as a favor, he's investigating the financials of Brent Faraday--the same Brent Faraday that married his high school infatuation, Maddie. And if the truth be told, the thought of her still makes him hot in all the wrong, or maybe all the right, places. When he comes face to face with Maddie as he chases down her husband, he realizes that his infatuation never died and knows he's got to get out of Frog Point as soon as he is able. But his investigation turns up more than he bargained for.

Maddie and CL begin the whirlwind adventure with honorable intentions, but their intentions are meaningless when they are thrown into the tumult of embezzlement, revenge, kidnapping, and murder, turning the town upside down. The only way to turn Frog Point right side up is to stop telling lies and confront the truth.

Jennifer Crusie is a master at conversation. Her dialogue is quick and natural. It never feels stunted, but flows freely, as though the audience is there listening to the conversation. Ms. Crusie's humor is wonderful, for her one liners are memorable and honest which makes the narrative refreshing and alive. There was one gripe I had (which is pretty nitpicky) and that was that Maddie's eight-year-old daughter, Emily, never really seemed like an eight year old to me--I thought she was older by her thoughts and behavior, say ten or eleven. Okay, okay, so I had to use my status as a reviewer to find any and all flaws. There weren't many in this delightful story. I highly recommend Tell Me Lies for a fun, fast, adventure.

Reviewed by Maci Walker
© 2005