The Perfect Lie

April 28, 2003
The latest romantic thriller from McCall (after White Mountain) opens with a dramatic flourish as frivolous Felicity Blaine confronts her lover, Jonah Slade, to tell him she aborted their child. This "perfect lie" costs Felicity her relationship, but in return, she gets to keep her baby and remain under her wealthy father's wing. Convinced of Felicity's perfidy, Slade shuts down emotionally and becomes an undercover CIA agent. He doesn't learn the truth until 15 years later when Macie, Felicity's sister, approaches him with the news that Felicity has been murdered and his son, Evan, kidnapped. The mastermind behind the madness is a sinister drug lord named Calderone, whose own son was killed during a drug bust orchestrated by Jonah. McCall (aka Sharon Sala, Amber by Night) does a fine job developing her strong, haunted hero. In contrast, Macie lacks complexity and is a weak foil for Jonah. Their interest in each other evolves swiftly into love, but with a rescue in the works and a traitor lurking in the background, readers will hardly notice the abruptness of their relationship. Despite awkward dialogue ("Carl, you sorry so and so, where in the blazes have you been?") and over-the-top characters like Calderone, McCall's mild tale still manages to entertain.