The poems in All Cretans are Liars are written for friends, lovers, for a small son, for explaining solitude or betrayal - they start out this way but soon take on their own life and walk out to meet us. Anne French sees her poems as small fictions, where intense personal experiences are crafted into elegant and ironic artefacts. This voice is warm, honest and sophisticated. All Cretans are Liars is an accomplished first collection by a poet who became a leading New Zealand voice.