Company of Liars - by Karen Maitland (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

EMBARK ON A TURBULENT JOURNEY THROUGH A RAVAGED COUNTRYSIDE . . . WITH ONLY LIARS FOR COMPANY.

The year is 1348. In a world ruled by faith and fear, nine desperate strangers, brought together by chance, attempt to flee the certain death that is rolling inexorably toward them. Each traveler has a hidden gift, a dark secret, and a story to tell....

From Camelot, the relic-seller, to Cygnus, the one-armed storyteller--from the strange, silent child Narigorm to a painter and his pregnant wife, each guards secrets closely. None are as they seem. And one among them conceals the darkest secret of all--propelling these liars to a destiny more perilous than any of them could imagine.

Review Quotes

"Darkly deceptive, twisting and turning and pulling you along, Company of Liars will leave you guessing until the end. Maitland creates a world that will both haunt and astonish you."--Shana Ábe

"Mysterious, sinister, and totally enthralling! It's the sort of book where you close the back cover and immediately open it again, hoping to find a few more pages."--Diana Gabaldon, #1 bestselling author of A Breath of Snow and Ashes

"Karen Maitland immerses the modern reader in the daily life of the Middle Ages. Intricately plotted, Company of Liars offers complex characters today's reader can identify with. A dark Canterbury's Tale, this long winter's night of magical storytelling expertly blends history and mystery."--Julia Spencer-Fleming, Edgar Award finalist and author of I Shall Not Want

"Karen Maitland has dug into some obscure corners of medieval history to produce an almost parallel universe: a place where myth, magic, and superstition take over as the established order breaks down, but a world that nevertheless rings true. On top of that, she has fashioned a compelling mystery story that should appeal to a much wider readership than historical fiction fans. . . . Compelling."--Daily Mail (UK)

"Maitland combines the storytelling traditions of The Canterbury Tales with the supernatural suspense of Kate Mosse's Sepulchre in this atmospheric tale of treachery and magic."--Marie Claire

"A Canterbury Tales scenario with an M. Night Shyamalan ghost story. . . . A harrowing historical."--Denver Post

"A compelling and highly atmospheric twist on Dan Brown land."--The Mirror (UK)

"Executed with stunning skill."--BookPage

About the Author

Karen Maitland has a doctorate in psycholinguistics. She traveled and worked in many parts of the world, from the Arctic Circle to Africa, before finally settling in the medieval city of Lincoln in England. Her British debut novel, The White Room, was short-listed for the Authors' Club of Great Britain Best First Novel Award. She is at work on her next novel, The Owl Killers.