""A multilayered tale that unfolds during one of history's darkest periods...""

Set in the 14th century England, "Company of Liars" features a collection of unforgettable characters who band together for safety on a journey through the hostile countryside being ravaged by the Black Death.

Lead by Camelot, a relic peddler, each member of the group shares his or her story to pass the time on their treacherous adventure. But even with all the external threats they face, it becomes all too apparent that a far greater danger exists within the group and with the personal secrets each person seeks to keep hidden.

In fact, one of the travelers is concealing an exceedingly dark secret that will propel these liars towards a shattering destiny they never see coming.

The author of the highly acclaimed novel "The White Room", Karen Maitland transforms the storytelling tradition of "The Canterbury Tales" into a highly atmospheric and mesmerizing novel that packs a punch at the end that the reader, like the characters in the story, won't see coming.

It's a good bet that "Company of Liars" will eventually find its way onto the silver screen if the right cast can be assembled.

Reviewed by Bob Walch
Posted February 18, 2009