Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
This comic reads like a swift-moving black-and-white crime thriller. Crafted by Eric Skillman and featuring artwork by Jhomar Soriano, the graphic novel “Liar’s Kiss” navigates familiar territory in terms of plot. Despite not charting new ground, it manages to captivate readers until the final page.
The plot revolves around Nick Archer, a private investigator who becomes entangled with the wife of a client he’s surveilling. Matters escalate when the client is murdered, casting suspicion on the wife. Now, it’s up to the PI to prove her innocence without exposing their affair.
The core premise evokes echoes of the Japanese movie ‘The Cornered Mouse Dreams Of Cheese,’ where a private investigator becomes romantically involved with a client’s spouse. But while that film was a complex drama about relationships, “Liar’s Kiss” is pure crime fiction. Nick is on the wealthy Mr. Kinkaid’s payroll to uncover his wife’s infidelity, but instead has a steamy affair with Mrs. Kinkaid himself. When Mr. Kinkaid is found dead, a desperate Mrs. Kinkaid seeks Nick’s help to evade prison. With few leads and several potential suspects, including a surprise stalker, the ‘not so smart’ Nick faces mounting challenges.
“Liar’s Kiss” has all the quintessential elements of an exhilarating crime narrative: illicit affairs, betrayal, bloodshed, red herrings, and a roster of suspects with compelling motives. None of the characters are particularly likable, not even the rough-around-the-edges Nick, but in the realm of crime stories, moral ambiguity is par for the course.
The black-and-white artwork exudes a retro aesthetic, blurring the lines of time, making it hard to tell which decade the story takes place in. Mrs. Kinkaid is rendered as a femme fatale, with the artist skillfully conveying her emotions through the illustrations. Bold, brash, and self-centered, she vehemently denies her involvement in her husband’s death but wants everything to do with his money.
Despite a slightly melodramatic turn of events, the climactic twist in “Liar’s Kiss” proves surprising. Ultimately, it’s a binge-worthy narrative that races to a satisfying conclusion.
Rating: 4 on 5. Liar’s Kiss is also on Kindle Unlimited.
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