I can’t help but judge a book by its title, and when it straight up tells me that it’s lying I am almost guaranteed to find my interest piqued. Will I be able to sort out the lies from the truths? Or will the author be able to pull the wool over my eyes? Here are a few titles that aren’t afraid to admit they contain some untruths and that ended up being a whole lot of fun to read!
Author Amy Tintera jumped on the “use a podcast to tell your story” bandwagon with her novel, “Listen for the Lie,” and I’m glad she did. The story follows Lucy, who left her small Texas town after her best friend Savvy’s murder, which she may have committed. She just can’t remember. After years of living with the unknown, a new podcast threatens to unearth the truth and she decides she has to find it first. The story offers a solid mystery, but the addition of the podcast is a lot of fun. I especially enjoyed the “voices” of Lucy and her granny — they both exude wit and are quite snarky, which made for some surprising laughs in this thriller.
“Sometimes I Lie” by Alice Feeney came out a few years ago. If you haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend you get it ASAP! The story follows Amber, who appears to be in a coma, unable to move or speak, but who can actually hear the people who stop by her hospital room. The storyline moves back and forth between the “now” in the hospital room where Amber attempts to uncover just how she got there, a “then” that covers the events leading up to what happened and her childhood diaries from many years past. I’ve read a lot of twisty stories in my time, but this is probably one of the better ones in terms of managing to surprise me with something I couldn’t see coming (despite having a title in which the main character states matter-of-factly that she isn’t to be trusted!)
If you read and loved Lianne Moriarty’s “Big Little Lies,” then you might want to check out “The Lying Club” by Annie Ward. In the world of elite (i.e., rich and privileged) academia, some parents will stop at nothing to ensure their child succeeds, even if that means committing murder. Ward’s book is a page-turner filled with manipulation, gaslighting, backstabbing and entitlement. Most of the characters are pretty despicable, but their drama is so compelling that it’s impossible to look away. And the story offers a lot of twists and turns to keep readers guessing about how it will all turn out.
I’d like to wrap up this blog post with two books that have great lying-related titles — “Everyone Here Is Lying” by Shari Lapena and “None of This Is True” by Lisa Jewell. If either of these books lives up to its title, then what can be believed? Lapena’s novel follows the family and neighbors of 9-year-old Avery Wooler who has gone missing. In Avery’s small neighborhood, everyone seems to have a secret, but not everyone is willing to share theirs in order to help find Avery. The tensions run high in this fast paced and surprisingly twisty thriller. I loved its unique twists, especially the ending.
The other title, “None of This Is True,” is probably one of my favorite thrillers as of late. The story follows two women who, through a chance encounter, learn they are birthday twins. They are very different with Alix being the woman who seems to have it all (i.e., a loving husband, beautiful children, and a successful podcasting career) and Josie being the woman who lacks it all (i.e., stuck in a lackluster marriage and a rather unsatisfying life). They are drawn together and their unlikely meeting turns into a podcast, which then leads to murder. Nothing in the book is as it seems. Josie has a backstory whose layers are slowly revealed across the course of the book and Alix, it turns out, is living more of a nightmare than a dream life. This book will keep readers up until they get to that final page!
Happy reading (and good luck in spotting the lies for the truths!)
