I’ve read and loved several of Emily Colin’s books, but City of Liars might be her best yet. At the very least, it is absolutely my favorite of hers. It has everything I love: dual timelines, family secrets, ghostly whispers from the past, complicated class dynamics, a mystery that unfolds piece by piece, and a romance with enough heat to make you check whether someone left the oven on.
Blurb
One night of passion unleashes a century of secrets…
In 1920s New York City, two little girls vanish—one from a gilded playground, the other from a crowded tenement. When only one child is found, her memories erased, both families claim her. The Carters’ wealth secures their victory in court, leaving the Dresslers shattered.
Decades later, Liv, a psychologist and single mother, meets Theo, a brilliant pianist who’s fought his way out of poverty. Their magnetic, impulsive night together seems like fate, until morning changes everything: Theo is a Dressler, bound to the same family tragedy that shadows Liv’s past.
Drawn together by a force neither can resist, the two begin to unravel the tangled threads of their families’ histories. But every clue they find reveals another mystery. As ghostly interventions guide their quest and their feelings deepen, they must decide what they’re willing to risk for the truth, for their families…and for each other.
With echoes of a modern-day Romeo and Juliet, City of Liars transports readers from the glittering world of 1920s Manhattan to the windswept shores of contemporary North Carolina, spinning a tale of secrets, injustice, and the ghosts that refuse to stay silent.
My Thoughts
The setup immediately hooked me. In 1926 New York City, two little girls disappear on the same snowy night: Ella Carter, daughter of a wealthy socialite family, and Lily Dressler, a child from a tenement family. A year later, one girl is returned after being adopted from an orphanage. The Carters claim her as Ella. Lily’s mother is certain she is her daughter.
The Carters have money, power, and influence. The Dresslers do not. You can imagine how that goes.
From there, the novel unfolds across dual timelines, moving between the glittering, ruthless world of 1920s Manhattan and the present-day lives of Liv and Theo, two people tied to opposite sides of this century-old family tragedy. Colin brings New York vividly to life from multiple perspectives and classes, making the city feel like a character in its own right: growing, changing, devouring, remembering, and holding tight to its ghosts.
The mystery is deliciously suspenseful. We truly do not know whether Liv’s grandmother was Ella or Lily, and the emotional stakes are just as strong as the plot stakes. Would knowing the truth heal these families or destroy them all over again? That question gives the book so much weight.
I also loved the way the story explores class, both in the past and present. Would things have turned out differently if Lily’s family had money? Almost certainly. The injustice at the heart of the story is painful because it is so believable. This is also a book about generational trauma, where we watch one terrible decision ripple through decades, shaping lives long after the original players are gone.
And then there is the romance. Liv and Theo are wonderful together. Liv is a recently divorced single mother and psychologist who still can’t quite see the toxicity in her own family. Her dad is a walking red flag, and I was mentally waving several more every time he appeared. Theo, meanwhile, is a brilliant pianist who has fought his way out of poverty but is terrified to let anyone truly in. Their chemistry is intense.
Fair warning, it’s much spicier than I expected. Not necessarily my personal cup of tea, but for readers who love heat, there is plenty here. Let’s just say there is a modern-day Bridgerton Polin carriage scene situation happening, so maybe don’t read certain chapters during a heatwave.
City of Liars is romantic, haunting, suspenseful, and emotionally rich. If you enjoy family secrets, dual timelines, ghostly interventions, class tension, and romance wrapped around a mystery that patiently unfolds piece by piece, this book is absolutely worth picking up.
City of Liars is out today, July 9th.
Readcommendations 