Tell No Lies Julie Compton St. Martin's ISBN 9780312378752 $24.95

Julie Compton pays attention to detail. She has an ear for dialog. She used these two skills, her knowledge of the law and her feel for the drama buried in everyday life in her first novel Tell No Lies. This is the story of Jack Hilliard. Jack has a good life as it is but Jack has a chance to become the D.A. (though they're not technically called that) in St. Louis. He has the chance to start an affair with his beautiful, intelligent friend, Jenny Dodson. He has a chance to preserve his marriage to his beautiful and intelligent wife, Claire. Finding out why Jack does what he does is the mystery at the core of Tell No Lies. This is a strong debut and although Jack is inevitably presented with a Hobson's choice the buyer of Tell No Lies is safe.

Dave Biemann