Liars and Tyrants and People Who Turn Blue

by Barbara Paul

A woman discovers that, for reasons that baffle the experts, she is a human lie detector and the police department's most valuable asset

Genres: Mystery, Humor, Fiction

177 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1980

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Barbara Paul is an American writer of detective stories and science fiction. She was born in Maysville, Kentucky, in 1931 and was educated, inter alia, at Bowling Green State University and the University of Pittsburgh.

A number of her novels feature in-jokes: for example Full Frontal Murder borrows various names from the British TV series Blake's 7.

Reviews

[Linda Lassman]

I first read this book when it was released as a paperback in 1982 (the hardcover was released in 1980) and loved it.

I was reminded of it when I recently re-read the Elizabeth Cage series by Jodi Taylor and decided to re-read it. Because it's 44 years old, I wasn't sure if it would stand up to the passage of time, and was very pleasantly surprised to discover that the characters and the premise did, even if the minutia of technology was wildly different. I loved it every bit as much as I did the first time, and I think maybe it's time to re-discover the rest of Barbara Paul's canon.

[JS]

Weird, weird, weird. And I'm pretty sure the author thought her references and pithy sayings were going to age well, but they didn't. Or maybe they were already really obscure when she wrote it.

Seeing a glowing red haze around people who are lying and a blue haze around depressed people would have its advantages. But I think perhaps the disadvantages would outweigh the good stuff.

I uber-skimmed this one, finished it in an hour or two. But even then, it's not all that worth the read unless you're reaaaaaallllly bored.

[Jane]

This book has not worn well. It might have been a four star book in 1980 when it was published. Lots of politics involving Germany and China, many random references that I did not understand. I enjoyed the parts about the main character, who can see auras around others that tell her when they are lying or anxious, and her sister and brother-in-law, but I didn't care about so much of the political plot.

Even big Barbara Paul fans (which I am) shouldn't knock themselves out to find this one.

[Eileen]

Put it on your summer reading list.
A short book (comparatively) with dry humor, unique talents and interesting backgrounds -- cultural and historical -- to bolster up the story. The ending is blessedly in keeping with the rest of the story; a quality usually lacking in "Mystery" and the reason why I do not care for the genre.
I wouldn't file this book under "Mystery" but I can see why they were confused about how it should be filed.

[Don Yarman]

Shelby Kent is a human lie detector, seeing a red aura around anyone who knowingly tells a lie. Her ability is a boon to a UN investigation about the spread of terrorist insurrection, but the notoriety is straining her marriage. And Shelby is beginning to see new colors.

I read this 35 years ago, and always remembered it. Terrific premise; characters and plot a bit thin.

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