Translated by Imogen Taylor
A New York Times Notable Book, 2015
Famous bestselling author, loving husband, generous friend—Henry Hayden is a pleasant person to have around. Or so it seems. And when his mistress, who is also his editor, becomes pregnant, his carefully constructed life threatens to fall apart.
So Henry works out an ingenious plan. Craftily and cold-bloodedly, he intertwines lies and truths and all the shades of grey in-between.
But when he tries to get rid of his mistress, Henry makes a terrible mistake. Not only are the police soon after him, but his past, which he has painstakingly kept under the carpet, also threatens to catch up with him with deadly consequences.
‘One thing must be made absolutely clear: The Truth and Other Lies is, until further notice, this year’s best achievement on the German crime book scene.’
‘A highly entertaining thriller…Wry humour punctuates this insightful look at a soulless man.’
‘Noir fiction of the most beautiful kind, even in its most evil moments maintaining a certain tenderness
‘This is one wicked tale…German screenwriter Arango’s first novel is superior pulp, with schemers all around and plenty to say about fame, identity, and mortality.’
‘Riddled with delicious ironies, misdirection and plenty of black humour…This is a stunning debut and readers will look forward to more from this talented author.’
‘Sometimes it’s a sheer pleasure to read such a clever book…a dark, funny, captivating read.’
‘A dark, funny, captivating read. A villain in the vein of Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley, a book you won’t soon forget.’
‘A belting good read.’
‘If you like crime fiction that messes with your head like a brain teaser or a game of chess, you will enjoy the many plot twists and turns in this literary cat’s cradle.’
‘A marvellous book, the kind that never lets you get comfortable enough to let you think you know what’s happening.’
‘Ridiculously funny and seriously wicked…one of those books you zip through rapidly, suddenly realising, blearily, it’s now well into the wee hours.’
‘Lies, deception, complexities, mysterious deaths and a dash of black humour and elegant wit. A highly captivating read.’
‘There’s nothing tired or predictable about this blackly comic crime thriller…there’s an openness, bewilderment and strange honesty to Arango’s mendacious anti-hero that makes him easy to empathise with, if not admire.’
‘Elegant and witty…The Truth and Other Lies is indeed an admirable accomplishment, and vastly entertaining to boot.’
‘Engrossing.’
‘Excellent…[a] riveting, bleakly existential novel.’
‘Bears comparison to Patricia Highsmith – the book fairly twangs with paranoia, sardonic humour and razor-sharp observation.’
‘Arango uses dark humor to probe the depths of human depravity in Henry’s borderline psychotic profile.‘
‘A house of mirrors of intrigue that ends with a delicious twist. The finest crime novel I have read this year.’
‘German screenwriter Arango’s first novel is superior pulp, with schemers all around and plenty to say about fame, identity, and mortality.’
‘Deliciously twisted…Arango is hugely famous as a screenwriter in his native Germany and this is obviously the work of somebody who knows how to spin a good story.’ 4 stars
‘Arango…has constructed a clever plot that always surprises, told with dark humor and dry wit and bustling with apercus that show no signs of jet lag from Imogen Taylor’s clean translation.’
‘Arango is too skilled a writer to allow the farcical elements to take over. This is slick, controlled writing, witty and entertaining, light as air but with a dark heart.’
‘A darkly comic thriller with some brilliant plot twists.‘
‘It is a sharp, dark and slyly witty story about a charming sociopath, Henry Hayden (who may remind some readers of Tom Ripley)… dark, clever entertainment.’
‘It’s a tricky twisting plot and The Truth And Other Lies is as smart and captivating as its awful protagonist…Henry is an awfully funny, funnily awful sociopath for our time.’
‘With Sascha Arango’s deft, spare hand Henry is fascinating and seductive as both man and character, and he’s never telling anyone – including the reader – the entire story.’