cover image Lies of the Heart

Lies of the Heart

Michelle Boyajian, . . Viking, $25.95 (346pp) ISBN 978-0-670-02131-4

Boyajian’s seductive and riveting debut uses the murder trial of a mentally retarded man to explore the crumbling marriage of the victim, Nick; the stilted dreams of his filmmaker widow, Katie; and the touching, tortured relationship that entangles all three. From the idyllic romantic beginnings for Nick and Kate, to their inspiring friendship with the mentally and emotionally damaged Jerry, to the gradual resentment, bitterness, and alienation of all their loves and lives, Boyajian glides effortlessly between the dreamy terrain of love and the gritty detail of a slaying, its investigation, and prosecution. “Do not wait for this life to come to you, to see it all from behind a camera,” Katie is advised by a pair of death camp survivors she’s filming for a documentary. Except for a few places where Kate can’t quite carry all the narrative weight placed on her shoulders, we couldn’t have gotten to see this heartbreaking story from a more perfect perspective. (Apr.)