Our Lying Kin

by Claudia Hagadus Long

“Hello? I knew your father…better than you did.” Zara and Lilly are back, but their relationship has some cracks in it. Through the long pandemic isolation, Zara’s gone from straight-laced to rigid, while Lilly, true to form, has indulged in some dubious — and not-particularly-legal — adventures. But they’re still sisters, and sisters are special. While Zara is visiting New York to help Lilly testify against the thief and murderer Walter Rosen, a surprise phone call rocks their view of their a woman claims a shocking relationship to their deceased father, and now to them. Zara and Lilly turn their considerable sleuthing talents toward unraveling a series of family mysteries...but their quest begins in earnest when they learn that Rosen, who nearly killed Lilly the last time they met, has escaped from custody.Can Zara and Lilly discover the truth about their new-found — possibly ersatz — relative, while keeping themselves and their loved ones safe from a Nazi’s vengeance? Laced with verbal photographs of a family’s secrets, and filled with humor, sibling rivalry, and love, Our Lying Kin tells a human, haunting and rollicking story of the ravages of the pandemic and the power of family.

250 pages, Paperback

Published January 20, 2023

Reviews

[Denise Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in two days and couldn’t put it down.

This is a funny, erudite, witty , and quite profound book about two sisters trying to unravel what they didn’t know about their beloved parents .

It’s about two clever women who have been bickering for 50 years but when push comes to shove , you couldn’t get a piece of paper between them.

It’s about a beautiful young orphaned Jewish refugee , who saw and lived unimaginable horrors , fleeing wartime Poland for New York .

It’s about the handsome young high - profile doctor who asked her to marry him on their first date .

It’s about precious and beloved stolen Jewish artifacts and where they have been for the past 80 years .

And it’s about secrets and letters and documents and what the sisters uncovered when they started digging …

[Linda Lipscomb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claudia Hagadus Long's latest book, Our Lying Kin, draws you in so quickly and deeply that I could not put it down and read it in 2 days. You would have thought that after the recovery of a very special family menorah which had been stolen by the Nazis in WWII (Nine Tenths of the Law), things would have settled down a bit between sisters Lilly and Zara. But no, a tale of family secrets unfolds in the context of a subsequent insurance scam over the menorah, and to claims of inheritance based on theretofore unknown (suspected?) relationships.
Ms. Long's fast paced dialogue between the sisters, and her descriptions of time and place, whether present or long past, is a mastery of description and perception of human interaction. Retrospection reveals relationships both suspected and known, as they emerge in the context of a legal trial about the menorah and its historical context. And oh, the New York vibe - perfectly captured!
You must read this book! You'll be sucked in in the first few pages, and then it will be hard to put it down! It's a wonderful book!

[G.P. Gottlieb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zara and her sister are just coming out of the long pandemic and planning a reunion when a woman calls, claiming to be related and demanding money. The sisters learn that the art thief/murderer who nearly killed Lilly has escaped from custody, and now the FBI is involved. Zara and Lilly spring into sometimes illegal action in this zany adventure about family, memory, International Art Theft, and figuring out what is worth preserving.

I was honored to interview the author for the New Books Network -https://newbooksnetwork.com/our-lying...

[Marlena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humor, family secrets, sibling rivalry and love--here is another quirky and haunting Zara and Lilly story. I encountered the sisters first in the author's earlier book, "Nine Tenths of the Law." The sister sleuths--total opposites--are irresistible, their characters drawn with such savvy, such a real understanding of human nature. I couldn't tear myself away from Lying Kin.

[Arleen Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our Lying Kin is a mysterious and humorous page turner. I enjoyed returning to the struggles and adventures of two quirky sisters, Zara and Lily, as they sort through the family secrets and mysteries of their shared past.

[Heidi Slowinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review pending.