Lots of twists and turns in the story of a teenager who's out to prove her mother's death was not a suicide. Well-written with interesting characters.

'The Liar's Bench' centers around the character of Mudas (aka Muddy), a southern teen whose mother, Ella, is found hanging in their home one day. While some in town are already pointing fingers, Muddy is determined to find out what really happened to her mother.

This book had a great setting and premise but in the end and I was really looking forward to reading a good, southern fiction novel. I loved the backstory of the 'liar's bench'; the story of Frannie is beautiful and heartbreaking. I also enjoyed the description of the town. I could easily picture the settings where each of the characters interacted.

Unfortunately, beyond the backstory of the bench and the settings, I couldn't connect with the characters or the story. I would definitely give author Kim Michele Richardson another try but 'Liar's Bench' will not be a book I easily recommend in the future.

I loved this book and made copious notes for my review while I was reading it. I'm not sure how, but my notes were lost, and now so much time has gone by that I recall very little except how viscerally I was involved in the reading experience. The writing itself was engaging, and the story line would hold the interest of even the most distracted reader. I hope the author puts out a second novel because I very much would like to read it and give it the review she truly deserves.

I'm sorry but I really never got into this. I'm sure it was great but not for me.