"Trust Me, I’m Lying"

Mary Elizabeth Summer contributes to the delinquency of minors by writing books about unruly teenagers with criminal leanings. She has a BA in creative writing from Wells College, and her philosophy on life is “you can never go wrong with sriracha sauce.” She lives in Portland Oregon with her wife, their daughter, and their evil overlor—er, cat.

Summer applied the Page 69 Test to Trust Me, I'm Lying, her debut novel, and reported the following:

From page 69:

I place my hand over Ralph's. "Thanks, Ralph. If you find my dad before I do, give him hell and then call me, okay?"

Ralph returns my weak smile and gives my hand a light squeeze.

Page 69 of Trust Me, I’m Lying is part of a revelatory respite scene sandwiched between two more tense action sequences. Julep Dupree, the protagonist, is talking to her father's bookie, looking for clues as to where he might have disappeared to. The bookie admits to knowing that her father was involved with some pretty unsavory people before his abduction. The scene between Ralph and Julep is indicative of Julep's overall approach to people--empathetic actions and feelings covered over with a sardonic, unflappable veneer. Control means a lot to Julep, and even though she's just discovered her dad is likely in some serious trouble, she takes it in stride, at least externally.

Visit Mary Elizabeth Summer's website.

--Marshal Zeringue