Because it’s very hard to write, probably. But in the end, the principles are the same. You are processing facts and trying to guess the outcome—only this time, the outcome is how the story began, and how each new fact will change what you thought you already knew. I wanted to challenge myself. I wanted to challenge the reader. I wanted to challenge convention. I wanted to give readers something that they have never seen before. How many mystery writers, these days, can say that? Undeniably, “Company of Liars” has a fairy tale foundation with recognizable elements (trolls, witches, wolves) but on an adult level (for example: robbers living under bridges that collect tolls --- clear a troll). Again though, don’t expect a fantasy novel as “Company of Liars” is certainly not that; but there are subtle hints of childhood tales from the dark side. A scarred trader in holy relics. A conjuror. A musician and his apprentice. A one-armed story teller. A young couple on the run. A midwife. And a rune-reading girl. Home is the place you return to when you have finally lost your soul. Home is the place where life is born, not the place of your birth, but the place where you seek rebirth. When you no longer have to remember which tale of your own past is true and which is an invention, when you know that you are an invention, then is the time to seek out your home. Perhaps only when you have come to understand that can you finally reach home.” Im Namen der Lüge. Thriller. Aus dem Amerikanischen von Alexander Wagner. Originaltitel: In the Company of Liars.

Company of Liars - AbeBooks In the Company of Liars - AbeBooks

There are clues throughout as to what is going to happen, not just what will happen next, but what will unfold throughout the rest of the story. Some of the hints are fairly large; most readers will probably guess ahead of the plot, but it was the pleasure of fitting everything together that kept my interest -- this and that I already knew, but what significance it could have...Someone decided to market this book as a "reinterpretation of Canterbury Tales", but as others have remarked, I don't see the similarity beyond the basic concept (pilgrims in 14th century England). I'm willing to ignore this ... betrayal, because the book is actually quite good. Just not what comes to mind when I think "Canterbury Tales." Maitland’s strength of presenting the facts of medieval life in a subtle manner is quite evident in the novel. Readers learn about the time period in a natural and amusing way. Maitland obviously conducted research for “Company of Liars” instead of taking a pure fictional route. Ellis keeps us in suspense and curious about Pagone, mostly by having us see her involvement in plots and crimes through the eyes of determined FBI agent Jane McCoy. There’s also enough high-level corruption to keep a roomful of paranoid investigators busy. guest author is Karen Maitland, author of medieval thrillers like Company of Liars, The Owl Killers and The Gallows Curse. To celebrate the release of her new book The Falcons of […] Allison Pagone is lying dead in her bathtub presumably by her own hand. She was about to be convicted of the murder of her boyfriend Sam Dillon, bludgeoned to death with a marble-based statuette that, although it had been missing since the murder several months prior, is now prominently displayed in Allison's home. It all looks very cut and dried and possibly very convenient. An FBI special operations division knew exactly what was going to happen.

Karen Maitland » Company of Liars

Maria wrote: "Over a year later, I just have to add my comment that I liked the ending. I just couldn't believe that Naigorm would allow herself to be captured and killed as she as such a sneaky B**ch. So her ar..."I would end by saying that this book had a lot going for it but it was not followed upon. Most of the twists were something that I had already figured out, so it held no mystery for me. Neither was the writing so great that I could write reams on it. All in all, a disappointment for me. I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone but if you feel like taking a dip into these waters, please do so. Who knows, you might end up liking it, as tastes always differ.

Liars and Thieves (A Company of Liars short story): An Liars and Thieves (A Company of Liars short story): An

The novelist who commits suicide is Allison Pagone, likely to be convicted of the murder of her lover, Sam Dillon, a partner in a lobbying firm with Allison’s ex-husband. But her death isn’t all it seems. It was murder, made to look like a suicide. The killer? A Pakistani terrorist who has a plot—or two or three—of his own. I have to say that I liked the book in general, so sorry in advance for the thoughts about historical fiction that keep bothering me from time to time. I wanted to get them in the writing, and even thought the critique is partly inspired by this book, I mean it more in general. And the characters in this book felt just like XXI century people - and probably that's one of the reasons they seemed so likeable: you can identify with them!

No, Camelot, not hope. Hope is for the weak; have I not succeeded in teaching you that? To hope is to put your faith in others and in things outside yourself; that way lies betrayal and disappointment. They didn't want hope, Camelot; they wanted certainty. What a man needs is the certainty that he is right, no self-doubt, no fleeting thought that he might be wrong or misled. Absolute certainty that he is right—that's what gives a man the confidence and power to do whatever he wants and to take whatever he wants from this world and the next.” Company of Liars” features a variety of characters (Camelot, Zophiel, Rodrigo, Jofre, Pleasance, Narigorm, Osmond, Adela, etc); each with his/her own personality and quirks. The characters feel real and accessible both in a medieval and modern sense. Maitland retains a level of history but with a readable prose and interpretation. Combines the storytelling traditions of The Canterbury Tales with the supernatural suspense of Mosse’s Sepulchre in this atmospheric tale of treachery and magic’ Marie Claire on Company of Liars A woman accused of murder is trapped in a torturous psychological maze between a zealous FBI and loyalty to her family. Was her death suicide or murder—or neither?

Company of Liars - Wikipedia

Can you begin a novel with your climax and still have a surprising twist at the end/beginning? Ellis can, and does, in this well-crafted thriller.” The narrator of this text (Camelot) is a wonderful voice to carry us through the proceedings and creates a sympathetic prism from which to view the other characters, all of whom have unlikable traits, but most of whom I was able to feel some empathy with. Despite Maitland's yarn-spinning prowess, her narrative occasionally stalls because of unrelenting grimness and an increasingly predictable plot-that is, until its gasp-out-loud finale." - Publishers Weekly. You’ve heard tales of beauty and the beast. How a fair maid falls in love with a monster and sees the beauty of his soul beneath the hideous visage. But you’ve never heard the tale of the handsome man falling for the monstrous woman and finding joy in her love, because it doesn’t happen, not even in a story-teller’s tale. Not all is bad in this book, for the suspense factor is maintained throughout. By this I don’t mean that we don’t know the murderer, in fact we do. However, the why of those murders and why does this person murder the others is kept a suspense throughout. Unfortunately though, it remains a mystery even at the end. No reason, no conclusion, nothing is provided by the author and it is left to the reader to fathom. While I don’t usually mind such narratives, this one irked me a lot. It felt as if the author took us readers for a ride, promising a lot of things but not delivering it. I felt completely let down and felt that I had actually wasted a lot of time reading this book. It was the end that kept me going through all the boring and repetitive parts, it was the hope that there would be some clarifications, but I got naught. In fact, at that point, I would have settled for a fantastical if implausible ending but I didn’t even get that. What I got was a stereotyped ending, which did nothing to endear me to this book.To me it didn't have much 'historical' wibe, I saw this narrative as some kind of RPG in a Medieval setting with a hint of "mafia" (you know, the party game). When you look at it this way, it is actually very compelling and well written and the ending might not bother you that much.