“Some stories deserve to be told. Does this one?” (Claire Douglas, The Woman Who Lied) 

Claire Douglas is an extraordinary woman who encompasses twisty turns, suspense, and paranoia all into one book: The Woman Who Lied. The quote above conveys the overall theme of the story: trust. It spotlights the issues of the potential consequences of leaking the truth and the lies people tell in our everyday lives. 

Summary:

This book takes place with a bestselling crime writer, Emilia Ward, in the suburbs of London. Her, her husband, Elliot, and their two children, Jasmine and Wilfie, like living a quiet life. Emilia, who has written a very successful fictional detective series centering around the infamous detective Miranda Moody, is finishing up her tenth and final book in the saga. It is titled Her Last Chapter, in which the protagonist, Miranda Moody, will be killed. A terrifying turn of events starts to unfold when a sequence of incidents from the plots of her own books ends up in her life. Emilia quickly becomes paranoid, suspecting that someone she knows dearly is behind these events. She fears for the safety of her family as she attempts to uncover the truth quickly. The time is ticking, as she knows she could be dying in the same way as the victim in her final book. 

Review: 

As someone who loves a quick spiral of events in a mystery novel, this book had it all! It was paced fast enough so that a reader was on the edge of their seat, but the story was meticulously crafted and never lacked any detail or missing parts from the beginning to the end of the book. As a reader, you should keep in mind that the story does have excerpts from Emilia’s fictional novel alongside the storyline, so you are kept guessing throughout the entirety of the book. 

Maybe it was the modern setting that we are so used to, or the home-like feeling you get from reading this book, but Emilia and her family feel like a very average family. One character that I was particularly fond of was Jasmine, a teenager who did all the teenage things; she was always on her phone texting and hanging out with friends. Although she may seem like she doesn’t care about her family, her introspectivity and listening skills are what add the layers of complexity and heightened suspense to this story. 

There are so many themes in The Woman Who Lied. The story ranges from the weight of the past, trust, betrayal, obsession, and even motherhood. All of these are displayed throughout the entire book, but motherhood stuck out to me, as it is not something you see often in a novel like this. The book exemplifies motherhood in so many different ways, like through Emilia’s love and willingness to do whatever it takes for her children. 

This story was not at all predictable. A surprise would hit every single time you thought you had the right answer. Although there were a few time changes, it really elaborated on the past and tied the story together really well in the end. 

One thing I love about this book is the narrative skill. Douglas’s ability to include Emilia’s fictional novel as well as the main storyline really creates a suspenseful atmosphere, and leaves the readers eagerly waiting until the two converge. 

Although this book is fantastic, a small tweak that I would love to see is a couple of characters having a bit more suspicion to them; something that made them seem so guilty when they were truly innocent. 

Overall, The Woman Who Lied is a remarkable book. Anyone who is a murder-mystery fanatic like me will love this book. If you want more suggestions like this book, a very good read is The Little White Lies series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. 

I would give this book: 📚📚📚📚- A constant sense of unease keeps you guessing! (4/5)

Love, 

Liya 

GFB Ambassador