How to spot a liar

As a mystery writer, I spend a lot of time thinking about deception. My characters lie to each other (and to the police) with alarming frequency. But how do we distinguish between a truth-teller and a liar in real life?

More often than not, it isn’t the grand, sweeping statements that give a liar away. It’s the micro-expressions. The slight hesitation before answering a simple question. The over-explaining.

The “Tell”

Every card player has a “tell,” and so does every liar. Here are a few things I look for when crafting a perfectly guilty character—and the things you might watch for in reality:

1. Too Much Detail: The truth is often simple. Liars tend to over-embellish their stories, filling them with unnecessary specifics to distract from the core falsehood.
2. The Defending Posture: Crossing arms, turning slightly away, or placing an object between themselves and the interrogator.
3. The Eye Contact Myth: It’s a common misconception that liars can’t look you in the eye. On the contrary, experienced liars will often hold eye contact too intensely, trying to force you into believing them.

Happy sleuthing!

Zoe