The standard setup of a group invited to a remote area where they become stranded and murdered one by one receives a refresher with a large dose of Greek mythology in Writers and Liars. While it helps to know a smidgeon, Carol Goodman's energetic storytelling makes even obscure myths accessible to the novice.
Maia Gold was once on track to become a brilliant novelist. Fifteen years ago, she received a boost when she finished her novel at an exclusive writers' retreat on the Greek island of Eris, owned by billionaire Argos Alexander. Her novel was a success, but betrayals she experienced there caused her to sour on being a full-time writer. Now Maia runs a low-budget museum, and she claims she's been working on a manuscript for years. She wants to ignore the fancy invitation from Argos summoning her and "a select group of artists" back to Eris, but she returns despite her misgivings. There, she reunites with just about all the first retreat attendees, bringing more chaos. Among them are the unbearable Olivia Knox, with her 25 Detective Moreau novels, and Bill Collins, who used to write cozy mysteries and is now the Eris chef. Argos isn't around but has left a challenge: whoever writes the most suspenseful mystery in the next few days will receive a fortune and guaranteed success. The next day, Argos is the first dead body found, communication is cut off, and the writers discover that Eris holds many secrets.
Writers and Liars unfolds at a leisurely pace, but Goodman's attention to detail keep the plot churning, aided by the often insufferable but also entertaining personalities. --Oline H. Cogdill, freelance reviewer