Book Review: Liar's Kiss

Liar’s Kiss is everything you could want from a graphic novel noir. It is classic, edgy, and is filled with intrigue. I took a chance on it because I love graphic novels and I figure that even if it is bad, at least I can be amused by the illustrations. I wasn’t let down AT ALL by this novel. From the first page, I was hooked.

The plot is like that of any film noir. A private investigator, Nick, is having an affair with his client’s wife Abbey. One night, Nick gets a call from Abbey saying that her husband has been killed...and she’s the main suspect! She hires Nick to find her an alibi that will not place her at the scene of the crime. This assignment gets Nick into a bit more trouble than he had bargained for. Consequently, he finds himself facing demons from his past and putting his fate in the hands of another.

I thought this was superb. It is written in the traditional black and white “comic book” style. Where it could come off as being cliche, it actually sets the perfect tone and atmosphere for the story. When reading the book, you feel as if you’re watching an old fashioned noir. Including, the classic noir twist.

If I had to voice any complaints, it would be that the story is a little thin and the dialog is a bit stilted. Yet, I can’t really get update about it because most noir is thin on the plot and big on the intrigue. Still, as a first book I think he did a great job. I look forward to his future works.

-DLP