In the Company of Liars

If you are like me, you enjoy mysteries that challenge the little grey cells (as Hercule Poirot was so fond of saying). Having heard that David Ellis had written his latest novel in reverse chronological order, I felt like a worthy challenge had arrived.

While many books use flashbacks, this one goes in reverse chronology (and uses flashbacks). So you have to be nimble-minded.

If you are like me, you will continually make assumptions about what's going on that are wrong. One of the pleasures of this book is that the reverse chronology makes for many more plot complications . . . which, for me, kept the story fresher and more unexpected.

So how do you review a book written in reverse chronology . . . very carefully!

I suspect that the most I can do is to describe some of the key characters . . . rather than give you a sense of the plot. You'll just have to unravel the plot on your own. Beware of any reviews that give you plot...Read more

This novel opens with three different story lines. FBI Agent Jane McCoy holding a gun on a well-known doctor, a Marine squad attacking a convoy in the Middle East to capture a well known terrorist, and mintutes after the death of mystery writer Allison Pagone. Allison was on trial and about to be convicted for the murder of her alleged lover. Just what ties all of these plots together? To say anymore would ruin the masterful job that Mr. Ellis has done in writing this novel in chronological reverse. He succeeds in crafting a tale with narrative breadth and emotional scope seldom encountered in mystery fiction. The novel proceeds to a flawless slam bang conclusion - or should I say beginning? The result is a deeply satisfying novel that transcends general limitations and lingers in the mind long after the book ends.

I initially had some doubts about IN THE COMPANY OF LIARS, David Ellis's new novel. The element that (momentarily) brought me up short was the revelation that the narrative is in chronological reverse. This method, though unusual, is not unknown, nor is it limited to novels. The problem is that it is occasionally employed as a trick of form to distract from the substance of the piece. An example of this is Coldplay's video for "The Scientist," where the method is utilized as a stalking horse to keep the viewer awake during the song.

But it turns out there was no reason for me to worry. Ellis has demonstrated in previous works such as LINE OF VISION and LIFE SENTENCE that he need only rely on his prodigious reserve of talent to carry the day. The same holds true here.

The use of the chronological reverse with respect to IN THE COMPANY OF LIARS is a plot device that functions as a bit of lagniappe to the primary strength of the narrative rather than having to...Read more