‘The Lies I Tell’: Con artist avenges exploitation of women

With “The Lies I Tell,” Julia Clark once again shows she knows how to write a feminist thriller.

Clark’s 2022 novel is ostensibly about professionally frustrated journalist Kat Roberts tracking down con artist Meg Williams. Kat blames Meg for a traumatic event that derailed her career.

But, “The Lies I Tell” is more about how women working together can bring down greedy, corrupt and exploitative men.

Character Analysis

Main Characters

Kat Robers
Meg Williams
Ron Ashton
Cory Dempsey
Rosie Williams
Nate Burgess
Scott
Veronica and David

Kat Roberts is a thirtysomething journalist writing listicles and other low-rent content to make ends meet. She had a serious newspaper career ahead of her but was drugged and sexually assaulted by a source and missed a deadline.

In order to heal, she retreated from in-person interviewing and became an expert internet researcher. She hasn’t had a big piece in a major outlet for years, but is obsessed with bringing justice to con artist Meg Williams, whom she believes set her up to be raped.

Meg Williams is a skilled con artist targeting men who abuse their positions of authority, particularly those who harm women. She’s driven to dupe them to avenge the loss of her family home after a real estate man tricked her mother into signing away their family home.

Shortly after being forced from their home, Meg’s mother, Rosie, died of cancer, which left the teenager with no immediate family. She lived in a van and showered at school.

Memories of her impoverished upbringing and Rosie’s determination to be self-reliant motivate Kat to charm, lie and manipulate men and their associates. She takes their money, cars and even furniture and gives some of the proceeds to those in need.

Ron Ashton is the man who defrauded Meg’s mother and her latest target. He’s arrogant, elitist, and easy to deceive once Meg wormed her way into his inner circle.

Cory Dempsey was Meg’s high school English teacher who seduced a classmate and quietly left his job. He becomes Meg’s first mark and the fallout from this con introduces Kat to Meg.

Rosie Williams is Meg’s late mother, who died of cancer during Meg’s senior year of high school, and was one of Ron Ashton’s victims. She is the inspiration for Meg’s methodology in targeting disreputable men.

Nate Burgess is the former best friend of Cory Dempsey with a reputation for womanizing. He tried unsuccessfully to warn Cory about Meg, then Meg outed him to the news. Nate is responsible for the trauma Kat has spent 10 years processing.

Scott, Kat’s fiance, is a detective with a gambling addiction he swears is under control. Often, Scott takes Kat’s support for granted, which leads to issues in their relationship.

Veronica and David are close friends of Ron Ashton whom Meg charms as part of her plan to ruin Ron Ashton. Veronica is her lunch buddy, while David serves as Ron Ashton’s senate campaign manager.

Plot Summary

“The Lies I Tell” is split between two timelines and two perspectives.

Both Meg and Kat share how actions taken 10 years ago led them to their present circumstances.

Meg’s early chapters share how poverty made her prey on men for free dinners, places to sleep and basic toiletries. She decided to avenge the disappearance of one of her few high school friends by luring Cory Dempsey into a relationship with a fake version of herself.

Dempsey, who is significantly older than she, begins to date her, move her into his home, and eventually give her access to his bank account. Meg steals $30,000 and a car from him after sharing incriminating photos and text messages with the police, school administration and media.

College student Kat answers the phone when Meg calls the newspaper to incriminate Cory’s friend Nate. The cub reporter leverages the information to connect with Nate at a bar, but the experience abruptly ends her investigative journalism career.

Kat blames Meg for what Nate did to her and has spent years researching and planning her revenge.

In the present timeline, Meg has returned to California under her own name to finally take down Ron Ashton 1o years after he stole her beloved family home. Her plan involves meeting and befriending Ron before executing her revenge.

Kat sees Meg at one of Ron’s fundraisers. It reignites her desire to see Meg pay for the pain her actions caused.

The journalist decides to contact the con woman through her real estate business and pretend to have recently inherited money. Meg isn’t fooled and quickly learns from one of Kat’s neighbors that she’s a journalist and her boyfriend, Scott, is a detective.

Rather than expose or confront her, Meg decides to hire Kat as her assistant. The two develop a genuine friendship, despite the lies each is telling.

With election day looming, Meg puts the final touches on her plan to destroy Ron’s life and reputation. She steps away from her relationship with Kat and prioritizes setting the perfect trap.

Kat worries about Meg abandoning their dynamic but is soon consumed with strange financial statements that cause strains in her relationship with Scott.

With so much on the line for both troubled heroines, Clark concludes the novel with satisfying wins for both. And a twist that leaves open the door for a sequel.

Final Thoughts

The combination of compelling characters, short chapters, and justifiable revenge make “The Lies I Tell” a fast, thrilling read.

Clark constantly adds layers to her novel leaving readers sympathetic first toward Meg, then Kat. Each has survived terrible acts at the hands of entitled men that have left them with psychological issues.

While Meg originally seeks revenge for her mother and classmate, her views evolve to seeking justice for the women wronged and trust misplaced. Her character arc feels natural, especially as she accepts that harming Ron won’t undo the hurt of losing the house.

Kat also undergoes a transformative experience. She steps outside of her backward-looking research into Meg and sees her as a compassionate, companionable woman who’s robbing the deceitful to restore resources to their rightful owners. As Kat’s perception of Meg changes, she realizes her past trauma isn’t Meg’s fault.

More than anything, “the Lies I Tell” repeatedly assures women that working together is the best means of achieving their goals. Yes, Julie Clark readers, sisterhood is powerful.