Liars' Paradox

Last updated
Liars' Paradox
Liars Paradox.jpg
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 .

Contents

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]

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References

  1. 1 2 Brennan, Allison (2018-12-18). "Book Review: Liars' Paradox by Taylor Stevens". Criminal Element. Archived from the original on 2022-11-30. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
  2. 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 2023-04-01. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
  3. "Liars' Paradox by Taylor Stevens". Publishers Weekly . 2018-10-01. Archived from the original on 2023-08-27. Retrieved 2023-08-27.
  4. 1 2 Seed, Shawna (2018-12-14). "Taylor Stevens' latest, 'Liars' Paradox,' is a truly high-energy page-turner of a thriller". Dallas News . Archived from the original on 2023-08-27. Retrieved 2023-08-27.