Read this book in 2011, and its a standalone book about ordinary people during the outbreak of the Plague. 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. A Company of Liars is the story of a group of nine strangers who travel together in an effort to escape the plague that is spreading death throughout England. It is not simply a story about travelers or pestilence, however, it is also a story about darkness, superstition, secrets and guilt. Each of the travelers has a secret, and it is the interpersonal relationships and the unraveling of those secrets that keep the reader enthralled.

Company of Liars by Karen Maitland Book Review: Company of Liars by Karen Maitland

We were just preparing to settle down for another cold night when we heard the wolf again. A wolf’s howl, however often you hear it, still sends shivers down your spine.” Immerhin beweist der Autor, der in seinen späteren Jason-Kolarich-Romanen (Der Mann im Schatten/Der falsche Mann) nur noch Mafia- bzw. Rechstradikalenschießbudenfiguren aufbietet, die seinem Helden aus Zufall oder Unfähigkeit nicht wirklich gefährlich werden können, in diesem Buch ungewohnt viel Konsequenz in Sachen Tragik und Vermeidung von billigen Häppie Endinx. 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. 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? There are so many twists and turns in this thrilling novel that the reader will be left wondering just who these liars really are. The end, or beginning, will surprise you. You are guaranteed never to jump to conclusions again.”It is I suppose comforting for some to believe that the social issues of today’s Britain are perennial, that there is a national character, perhaps, which continuously muddles through the same problems over and over. This is one explanation for Karen Maitland’s imagined world of England in the Middle Ages. The way she portrays the state of the nation - from immigration to the condition of the roads; from sexual harassment to fake news - suggests that the problems we have to deal with have a constancy that define the country. Enjoyed this historical novel! A mystery tale of a band of travelers in The Middle Ages, travelling through England to escape the upcoming pestilence.... What is to follow is a most entertaining historical journey where superstition and the supernatural with play a significant part to people lives, and all this is brought to us by the author in a wonderful story of chilling horror and horrible deaths. 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."

Company of Liars by Karen Maitland | Waterstones

Nothing is what it seems in In the Company of Liars, David Ellis’ compelling new novel of intrigue, murder and terrorism. Rarely does an author give readers such a good time trying – futilely – to guess what’s about to happen. Or, more to the point, what has already happened. So I have no idea what people in Middle ages were like. Sure, they weren't completely alien to us. But there must have been some profound differences in the worldview, right? I was extremely fascinated by the details of daily life, by the very premise of a plague-ridden country and how people grow terrified of it not to mention the author’s apparent Medieval knowledge (holy crap, the whole custom of Cripples’ Wedding is horrifying!) 1 and basically devoured the book in one sitting – despite realising that yes, the book is overlong, quite info dumpy and I was able to predict every single revelation including the Big One.Superstitions of the era influence the journey. They believe in witches and the supernatural. They think a wolf or werewolf is following them. Dramatic tension is maintained by wondering what evils will befall the group. The narrative is driven by the sequential uncovering of secrets. The tone is eerie. The reader will feel a sense of foreboding. We know something bad is going to happen and are waiting for the axe to fall.

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Entertaining read! The ending unexpected, at least for me.... Will definitely try more of this author. Although the conclusion may be unsavory; Maitland’s after word describing the historical merits and liberties of her novel plus a glossary of terms is well-received and notable.The plague has come to England and nine people have joined together in an attempt to outrun it and find safety. A very disparate group it is: a scarred trader of holy relics, a magician, a musician and his teacher, a storyteller with a deformity, a pregnant couple, a healer and a white-haired girl who reads runes. As they travel, they share stories, face danger and die--one-by-one.

Company of Liars by Karen Maitland | Goodreads

Book Genre: British Literature, European Literature, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical, Historical Fiction, Horror, Medieval, Mystery, Thriller Maitland combines the story-telling traditions of The Canterbury Tales with the supernatural suspense of Kate Mosse's Sepulchre in this atmospheric tale of treachery and magic." - Marie Claire (UK). The books many threads made this more challenging to review, was it a retelling of Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales' – yes kind off sort off. Then I settled on it being an enthralling story of mystery and intrigue inspired by Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales' but darker. But what is it? Although the villain of the piece was obvious to me, the ambiguity of what the villain represents is still not secure in my mind. I don't think Maitland wants it to be. Is the villain a symbol for death, for the destructiveness of lies, or of holy judgment? All are perfectly possible. 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.

In the Company of Liars is a truly original thriller, strikingly fresh and unpredictable. Told in chronological reverse, from its enigmatic end to its brilliant beginning, the novel is centered on a woman who is on trial for murder—Allison Pagone, a mother caught between competing forces, each represented by someone who may not care if the pressure kills her in the end. A prosecutor wants Allison convicted and put on death row. An FBI agent believes she can squeeze her into ratting on her family. A daughter and an ex-husband need to save their own skins. And circling them all: a group who would prefer to eliminate her quietly and anonymously, but who also are not what they seem. Through her wonderfully drawn characters Maitland explores the power of lies and how we use them to construct our reality. The text can lead its readers to endless debates about the power and need for lies in all of our lives. First Sentence: ‘So that’s settled then, we bury her alive in the iron bridle. That’ll keep her tongue still.’ Todos con sus vidas presentes y pasadas. Todos con secretos inconfesables que irán saliendo a relucir a medida que la desgracia se vaya cebando sobre ellos. Una desgracia que, aparte de la peste, conlleva la forma de hombre lobo que los persigue y los atemoriza cuando la oscuridad se cierne sobre sus cabezas.