Telling Lies by Cathy Stoler

How many lies does it take to get away with murder?A chance encounter at Florence's Uffizi Gallery plunges Women Noweditor Laurel Imperiole and private investigator Helen McCorkendale into an investigation of missing persons and stolen Nazi art. Could the man Laurel bumped into really have been Jeff Sargasso, an art dealer and friend who perished in the World Trade Center on 9/11? Searching for answers, Laurel and Helen thread their way through a sinister-and possibly deadly-skein of lies.

Goodreads Summary

Lies have a tendency to grow bigger and bigger and to cause untold damage.  This novel centers around the concept of lies.  Laurel is the main character, she has told some whoppers in her life.  She needs to get down to the bottom of a huge lie, however; one that could have international consequences.  These lies are sometimes spread by "dead men".  The man that starts the action of the novel was supposed to be dead, although he is marked as missing, after the twin towers fell-September 11.  Yes, some characters who were presumed dead come back to haunt Laurel-making the plot even more complicated.   The action really takes off from here.

Laurel was a fun character to read about.  She has her flaws, but she isn't a bad character.  She's curious, cautious, and determined to a fault.  The other secondary characters are no less intriguing.  The events are fairly fast-paced and this novel was shockingly good for being the author's first novel.  This book is recommended for adult readers.

4 Stars