GUEST REVIEW

A Seductive Debut
by Sue Donckels

Tell No Lies is a compelling portrayal of a good guy whose actions jeopardize his principles and his solid relationship with his wife, Claire. Jack Hilliard has all he could want: a successful assistant district attorney career in St. Louis, Missouri; two sons; and a loving wife. Claire stands by Jack through all his hard times and reminds him to stand by his principles, particularly his stand on capital punishment, which they both adamantly oppose. But his beliefs are put to the test when his boss steps down unexpectedly, leaving the district attorney position open as Jack’s for the taking.

Campaign demands encourage Jack to misrepresent his viewpoint on the death penalty, even though Claire advises him to stand firm. The pressure builds further as Jack succumbs to a budding obsession for friend and colleague, Jenny Dodson, a woman who always supports Jack’s goals, no matter the outcome. The situation becomes more complicated as Claire befriends Jenny, too. Throughout the hard times, Claire supports Jack and devotes much of her time to their sons. Their relationships undergo major changes, though, when Jenny is accused of murder and Jack is the only one who can provide her with an alibi. In silence, he could save his marriage and career, but in speaking out he could save Jenny.

Julie Compton divides the novel into four sections beginning in the spring season where she thoroughly builds up the characters and their relationships with each other, both professionally and personally. In the first chapter readers see Jenny through Jack’s eyes at an awards dinner: “Jack’s thoughts were interrupted by the sight of Jenny coming through the revolving door. Even after all these years, the blackness, the absolute darkness of her hair, struck him.” But Jack loves his wife, Claire, too. He admires her on many levels; yet, it’s Jack’s boss who points out the obvious about Claire in her stay-at-home-mom role. After Jack observes Jenny at the dinner, Earl tells him: “You have to get that woman of yours out more. It’s not good for her to be cooped up at home so much with the kids.” Even though Jack later admits that Claire is a “good woman,” he initially rolls his eyes at Earl’s comment. He knows what he should do for his career, family, and wife, but he’s clearly conflicted by professional and personal temptations.

The drama builds at a strong and steady pace through summer; then, in the second half, from late fall through winter, the book picks up steam and intrigues readers with a murder mystery that compels Jack to do the right thing. (No spoilers to be found here, though.) The novel hit U.S. bookstores in May, 2008. Make sure to find out how it all turns out.

In a guest profile interview last season, Julie Compton shared details about the inspiration behind Tell No Lies. As a stay-at-home-mom with a former career as a trial attorney, Julie clearly knows her law. But it wasn’t her legal background alone that encouraged her to write the novel. She believes that her novel was “more about the relationships between the characters”; and, she was “more concerned with the motivation and the morality behind their actions. Ultimately, Tell No Lies is more of a ‘whydunit’ than a ‘whodunit.’” This reader agrees, and reading through the protagonist’s view to follow the ‘whydunit’ aspect is what makes the novel so strong. Kirkus Reviews gave Julie’s novel a starred review and said, “Compton’s debut is a taut, tense cautionary tale complete with courtroom drama and a surprise ending.”

Julie Compton was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, the setting for Tell No Lies. She’s been married to her husband Rick for over 20 years now, and they have two daughters, 16 and 14. Though she spent the first 32 years of her life in St. Louis (and still gets quite nostalgic for it), she’s since lived in the suburbs of Boston, Philadelphia, and now Orlando, Florida. She earned both her undergraduate degree in English Literature and her law degree from Washington University. She no longer practices law, and spends most of her time these days writing. Living in Florida now, though, she also likes to spend a lot of time outdoors – at the beach, running or bicycling on the trail near their home, playing tennis with her older daughter, and attending her younger daughter's soccer games. She enjoys a much healthier lifestyle in Florida than she did up north.

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