NEVER LIE BY FRIEDA MCFADDEN (2022)

Blurb: Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are searching for the house of their dreams.

One day, they visit the remote manor that once belonged to Dr Adrienne Hale, a renowned psychiatrist who vanished without a trace four years earlier, with her boyfriend Luke getting blamed for her mysterious disappearance. Unfortunately, a violent winter storm traps them at the estate, leaving them with no choice but to stay and wait for the blizzard to end. 

In search of a book to keep her entertained until the snow abates, Tricia happens upon a secret room. One that contains audio transcripts from every single patient Dr. Hale has ever interviewed. As Tricia listens to the cassette tapes, she learns about the terrifying chain of events leading up to Dr. Hale’s mysterious disappearance. Tricia plays the tapes one by one, late into the night. With each one, another shocking piece of the puzzle falls into place, and Dr Adrienne Hale’s web of lies slowly unravels. But that’s not all, as Tricia suspects that there is someone else in the house, someone discreetly watching them, waiting to make their next move……

NEVER LIE isn’t the first Frieda McFadden book I’ve read, but it’s certainly the first one I’ve completed. I started reading THE BOYFRIEND a few months ago, but dropped it after reading 30 pages. Not because I didn’t like it, but because I took a short break from reading to focus on my studies. I’ll eventually complete that book and drop a review soon. 

Honestly, NEVER LIE has been a pretty enjoyable read. The book starts off a little slow, but the mini cliffhangers at the end of every chapter are intriguing enough to keep the readers hooked. The book explores the double POV’s of Tricia and Dr Adrienne as the narrative alternates between Tricia listening to the tapes and what actually happened before and after the therapy sessions from Adrienne’s perspective. The red herrings are quite well-positioned throughout the story and provide satisfying answers that account for the misdirection and loopholes in the narrative. Obviously, I won’t spoil anything here, but there is an incredible, jaw-dropping twist that will compel readers to re-read the entire book through a completely different lens, identifying key moments that hint at the big reveal. Honestly, I do not have anything much to say about Ethan and Tricia, because I don’t think I can mention anything meaningful without spoiling the climax. Though I would like to mention that I was a bit underwhelmed with Ethan’s role. It was definitely weird to see Ethan completely unfazed by the mysterious occurrences in the mansion. Most of the mysterious occurrences that hint at the presence of an intruder are overtly unsettling, but McFadden really goes out of her way to play out the ‘vigilant wife and sceptical husband’ trope that’s quite common in horror movies. And honestly, that trope seemed a little forced here, even after all the revelations in the climax. Dr Adrienne, on the other hand, is quite an intriguing character. While her tapes haunt the narrative, her real, cold, calculating, yet caring persona brings a much-needed human touch to the story, compelling readers to somewhat care about the character. 

The narrative establishes that her boyfriend, Luke, was blamed for her disappearance, so reading about their blossoming romance was more like watching a ticking time bomb as the story constantly flirts with the idea of Luke being the murderer. NEVER LIE is not a romance, but I like how both love stories remain integral to the narrative from beginning till the end. 

I don’t see NEVER LIE as an extraordinary thriller, but it clearly understands and captures everything the modern readers and non-readers look for in a good thriller. If you are looking for a quick read and an addictive thriller, you should definitely check out this book!