Liar

April 15, 1998
Family can be a blessing or a curse. So newspaper reporter Irene Kelly learns in this sixth adventure in Burke's popular series. Irene's sister is furious when she discovers a stranger buried next to their mother. She demands that Irene fix the problem. Eventually, Irene learns that the plot is occupied by her aunt Brianna, long estranged from the family and the victim of a hit-and-run accident that looks suspiciously like murder. At first, the police suspect Irene, since Brianna's will left everything to her. Then Brianna's son, Travis, turns up. He's desperate to find out who killed his mother and asks Irene to help. But the same person who killed Brianna apparently wants Irene and Travis dead, too. Kelly is a terrific heroine--feisty, tough, sensible, and smart--and Burke's suspenseful, action-filled plot, acerbic humor, and competent writing make this an entertaining entry in a popular series. ((Reviewed April 15, 1998))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1998, American Library Association.)