“Where the Truth Lies is a beguiling suspense novel. It’s sexy and surprising, witty and intriguing. I was hooked from the very first page.”
—Candace Bushnell, author of Sex in the City

“A big, juicy book with pungent dialogue, vivid descriptions, [and] outsized characters . . . It’s no surprise that when Holmes wrote a mystery it would prove so entertaining. . . . Where the Truth Lies is a labor of love. Every scrap of lawyerese or Mafia-speak, every tidbit of Hollywood lore, every scene of mental or physical intoxication, every tightening of suspense is beautifully rendered, polished to a sheen. Holmes seduces us.”
—Los Angeles Times Book Review

“Holmes, who has won honors galore for his inventive storytelling on Broadway, [delivers] a giddy fun-house ride through bygone eras.”
—The New York Times Book Review

“Every debut should be so good; ‘tour de force’ is a disgracefully overused term, but it is not out of place here. [Holmes] captures the taste, tenor, and fashion of the 1970s. . . . The writing and characterization are witty and nimble. . . . Holmes catches the way people think and speak, and the way they sometimes don’t do the former before doing the latter. . . . Pulitzers, for no good reason, do not commonly go to mysteries . . . but to win his third Edgar—for first mystery novel—that would not be out of the question.”
—Chicago Sun-Times

“Just a flat-out pleasure to read.”
—San Francisco Chronicle

“Hugely entertaining . . . Witty, sexy, and suspenseful . . . A glittering ride.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Engrossing from start to finish.”
—Entertainment Weekly

“Giddily sordid, ridiculously pleasurable.”
—The Onion

“A funny, sexy, suspenseful romp through show biz in the ’70s. . . Holmes deftly re-creates the smoky, seductive mood of the disco decade. His breezy, witty prose perfectly captures an era when style meant more than substance, airlines served gourmet in-flight meals, and charity telethons were the only reality shows on TV.”
—Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Highly recommended . . . Notable for its wit, snappy dialog, and uncanny sense of Hollywood glitz, backstage politics, and dirty deeds . . . [A] can’t-miss novel.”
—Library Journal (starred review)

“Literate, witty, and atmospheric.”
—Booklist (starred review)

“Deliciously entertaining . . . Holmes sustains intrigue until the denouement.”
—New York Daily News

“Exceedingly clever . . . A slick, often sophisticated piece of popular fiction.”
—The Washington Post

“A delectable crime novel . . . Wonderfully witty . . . It’ll keep you tossing and turning pages all night long.”
—Newsweek

“A hilarious send-up of the entertainment industry.”
—USA Today

Praise for Murder Your Employer

“Holmes is a gifted wordsmith whose latest is a top-notch read that both entertains and amuses. . . . Delightfully wicked . . . An amusing and cheeky tale with excellent pacing replete with droll observations.”
—Library Journal (starred review)

“If the illustrations of Edward Gorey came to life, they would be in the same neighborhood as this ‘Poison Ivy League’ college. . . . Although this beautifully designed DIY manual is full of twists, the emphasis is on comedy . . . but the extraordinary Holmes can pull the heartstrings too. . . . You will love this gigglesome guide to the graves of academe.”
—The Times (London)

“How has no one thought of this before? Murders set at an imaginary academy set up to train murderers . . . Holmes delights in wordplay that includes puns, literary terms, cultural references, and twists. . . . As Holmes takes hairpin turns from irony back to sincerity for his three McMasters pupils, his zany storytelling will delight fans of The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett, all Sherlock Holmes stories, and even those who love tales of arcane and Gothic institutions.”
—Bethanne Patrick, NPR

“A funny, fast-paced, flip-the-playbook mystery in which three ordinary citizens are trained in murder on a luxurious hidden estate . . . a fantasy academy laid out like a combination of Hogwarts, Downton Abbey, and a White Lotus–style resort. . . . Holmes can clearly do anything.”
—The Los Angeles Times

“A delightful introduction to the McMasters Conservatory . . . To better understand McMasters, consider it the Harvard of Homicide, the Stanford of Stabbing, or the Princeton of Poisoning. . . . Holmes’ newest novel is a satirical masterpiece. His wry wit and sarcastic sense of humor are on full display. As a mystery writer, Holmes executes misdirection expertly, leading the reader in several directions at once. His stabbing commentary on academia is cut-throat. Holmes kills it in this entertaining tale. For readers looking for a fast and fun book that will slay your funny bone, check out Murder Your Employer. All puns intended.”
—Portland Book Review

“Highly entertaining . . . This clever novel imparts revelations from the clandestine McMasters Conservatory, which provides students of all ages with a well-rounded education on the necessary skills to complete their ‘final thesis’ . . . Warning: readers could die laughing.”
—Shelf Awareness