Praise

"Hats off to Patry Francis for an arresting story. Not since Roger Ackroyd has there been such an unusual point of view in a murder mystery. Well done."
— Sara Paretsky
 
"

Nothing is as it seems in this masterful and twisty thriller about love, obsession, and poisonous friendships.  When passionate and seductive Ali Mather joins the faculty of the local high school, she sets off a chain of events that rock the lives of everyone around her.  School secretary Jeanne Cross is fascinated by Ali, who seems to be everything that Jeanne is not.  Repressed and unhappily married, Jeanne is drawn deeper and deeper into an exhilarating friendship with this wildly uninhibited woman – a friendship that soon begins to threaten Jeanne’s already-shaky marriage.  As the two women draw closer, Jeanne discovers that Ali is hiding secrets that have now come back to haunt her.  Someone is breaking into Ali’s home, someone who is obsessed with her.  As the threats escalate, and Ali’s terror grows, Jeanne discovers that everyone is hiding a secret, and that she cannot trust even those she loves.  Patry Francis writes with a quietly intimate voice, subtly weaving her spell as the tension slowly but surely builds to a fever pitch.  Packed with jaw-dropping revelations, LIAR'S DIARY still manages to save one last walloping shock for the end. 


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— Tess Gerritsen,  International Thriller Writers' Newsletter
 
"Lovers and Liars Make Diary a page-turner ...Long-kept secrets, gossipy neighbors and grocery store encounters that are as pivotal as police station interrogations move the plot along easily and interestingly, and the town’s sleepy exterior and seemingly perfect residents only make the ending more shocking. Though Francis’ characters are guiltily enthralling and wonderfully rounded, it’s her words, written so carefully, that stand out even more. Even a careful reader won’t see the ending coming. It takes a close read-through to pick up on the subtle foreshadowing and wordplay in Diary not found in so many of its counterparts.  Despite being her first novel, Liar’s Diary could easily be mistaken for Francis’ tenth. Its characters are lush and well-rounded, its plot wonderfully convoluted yet easy to follow. Like Ali Mather herself, Diary is clever and intoxicating. "
— The Barnstable Patriot
 
"THE LIAR'S DIARY is a fascinating novel that keeps the reader guessing. From the very beginning, Francis draws the reader in with her eccentric characters whose lives twist and turn with each page. Unpredictable, well-written, and at times spell-binding. Patry Francis is well on her way to making a name for herself as the newest star in the world of fiction. "
— Fresh Fiction
 
"I was hesitant to start Patry Francis's debut novel, The Liar's Diary, as mysteries are not usually my first choice. However, I was drawn in after just a few pages. The novel starts off with two very unlikely women who are vastly different becoming friends. As it progresses, it becomes an obsessive love story and murder mystery. You won't see the disturbing ending coming. Francis, who is a three-time Pushcart Prize nominee for her short fiction, does a great job at illustrating the complex relationships that can occur with friends, lovers, and children. This is a quirky, well-written and well-constructed mystery with an edge to it. It reminded me of Sarah Dunant's venture from historical fiction into darker waters in Transgressions. Customers who enjoyed Kate Atkinson's Case Closed or Eden Collinsworth debut roman a clef set inthe publishing world, It Might Have Been What He Said, will enjoy discovering this new novelist. "
— Publisher's Weekly, Galley Talk
 
"The new questions and revelations just keep coming. But the final mystery is a twist you'll never see coming and one that is ultmately satisfying...Readers will be heartily rewarded."
— Ladies' Home Journal
 
" Patry Francis has written a great first novel. Completely pulling the readers into the storyline, this journey takes you through self-reflection, sensitivity and empathy --- not only for the characters involved, but for real-life situations that occur every single day. Francis forces you to take a closer look at the people you call your friends and situations to which you don't even give second glances. It's a cruel world out there, but the author excels at exposing the world within. If you're in the mood for a good suspense novel, don't sleep on THE LIAR'S DIARY. It's definitely one for the shelf.                                                              --Belinda Williams
 "
— BookReporter
 
"The Liar's Diary is a dark book, engrossing from the first paragraph. Deeply textured, it is more psychological suspense than a simple mystery. The inevitable murder is the climax of the book, after which the tension relaxes, but the story still holds real surprises for the reader. The Liar's Diary is a beautifully written first novel by an author who has previously distinguished herself through her poetry and short stories. - Verna Suit "
— Mystery Scene Magazine
 
"The Liar's Diary is outright chilling."
— New York Daily News
 
"Francis has delivered a wow of a first book – a powerful, insightful journey into the lives of seemingly ordinary people who, just when you think you’ve figured them out, show you another side of their character. There are mysteries within mysteries hidden within in this skillfully crafted book. As a friend of mine would say – “run don’t walk to get a copy of this book,” then settle yourself in a comfortable chair for a grand read."
— Beryl Singleton Bissell, Author of The Scent of God
 
"Francis, prolific blogger and mother of four, has written a first-class murder mystery. She places a newly separated teacher with a past into a small New England town--et voila! A page turner."
— More Magazine
 
"Genuinely creepy...The unlikely friendship between a small-town school secretary and a flamboyant teacher proves deadly in this psychological murder mystery."
— Kirkus Review
 
"Patry Francis's debut novel compels the reader to surrender to the horrible tension between a mother's loyalty and suspicion in the face of a terrible crime. The Liar's Diary twists and turns, but never lets go."
— Jacquelyn Mitchard, bestselling author of The Deep End of the Ocean and The Breakdown Lane
 
"In her debut novel, Paty Francis steps into the ring with power and force...While often not an easy read, its unrelenting suspense and unqualified sincerity make it more than worthwhile. This is one writer to watch, and we eagerly await her next. "
— New Mystery Reader
 
"I absolutely LOVED The Liar's Diary. It had me walking into walls because I couldn't stop reading. I even brought it into the car and read at stop lights."
— Tish Cohen, Author of Town House and The Invisible Rules of the Zoe Lama
 
"Kudos to Francis for this chilling study of a deeply disturbed, dysfunctional family, its crimes, and its fate."
— Library Journal
 
"Francis draws a tense and moody picture of the perfect home and family being peeled back secret by secret...Four Stars"
— Romantic Times