| Title | : | Never Lie |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 286 |
| Publication | : | First published September 19, 2022 |
But when they visit the remote manor that once belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hale, a renowned psychiatrist who vanished without a trace four years earlier, a violent winter storm traps them at the estate… with no chance of escape until the blizzard comes to an 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.
And then Tricia reaches the final cassette.
The one that reveals the entire horrifying truth.
Never Lie Reviews
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I read this as part of a group buddy read on Instagram which is why I didn't yeet it into outer space.
One sentence review: L M F A O you're joking
SYNOPSIS
Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are snowed in during their viewing at the creepy, dusty, secluded mcmansion once owned by Dr. Adrienne Hale, who mysteriously disappeared without a trace four years ago. When Tricia finds her secret tapes of her sessions, she starts listening to get to the bottom of the doctor's disappearance.
MY OPINION
BUCKLE TF UP. THIS IS ABOUT TO BE A LONG ONE.
Where to start, where to start? Ok let's do the writing. I truly believe there are sixth graders who can write more compelling sentences. Here's an excerpt that nearly gave me an aneurysm:
But my attention goes back to that white cashmere sweater I had been slobbering over last night. I love cashmere. I mean, everyone does. What sort of freak doesn’t like cashmere? And the sweater is so white. Like unblemished snow. I grab the sweater and pull it off the hanger. I throw it over my head, almost groaning in ecstasy at how nice the fabric feels against my skin. I love cashmere.
I wish I was joking. Yep, she writes "I love cashmere" twice in a matter of sentences. I was almost hoping the cashmere was going to be laced with some kind of toxin that would kill Tricia and her four brain cells just so something interesting could happen, but nah, homegirl just looooooOOOOves cashmere.
Then we have the aggressive spoon-feeding. I felt like I was being choked to death with the flashing neon sign foreshadowing that Freida deployed. Here's a sample:
I don’t know why my friends don’t like him. Whenever we talk about him, they always say, this is a red flag, or that’s a red flag. But Ethan is a genuinely good guy. What does it matter that he hasn’t had many girlfriends before me? And why should the fact that he lost his parents and doesn’t have much family be a reason I should avoid him?
The author repeats this train of thought so many times that even Ray Charles could see what was coming.
Next, we have the "click baity writing" where the author mentions a secret (in this case, many, many times) but won't reveal the secret until much later in a lazy attempt to create suspense. See: I hope he still feels that way after what I have to tell him this weekend. I have a terrible feeling that the conversation will not go well.
Ok and if by the grace of Beyonce you can get past this amateur hour writing, the characters are asstastic and plot has more holes than a cheese grater. Yes, yes, I know this is a popcorn thriller, so yeetage of disbelief is required. But I refuse to yeet my logic just for some Hallmark-grade entertainment. And once again, stop inserting "intelligent" and "highly educated" psychiatrists into these books if they're gonna have the logic of a bloated dead fish. Just stick with the naive mom of three who works in a craft store.
SPOILERS SO SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM
At first Freida makes sure we know the house is very dusty, much dust, dust everywhere. And this dustiness grosses Tricia out because it totally clashes with Ethan's BMW (it's not a car, it's a BMW), her Manolo Blahnik boots and Ralph Lauren wool coat. But then she's okay with sleeping in her undies and bra in a bed that has been empty for THREE years?? And puts on a dead woman's RED FUZZY ROBE AND SLIPPERS?????? The real mystery is how the house was selectively dusty.
Another one of my pet peeves is the unreliable narrator that lies for funsies, which of course we have in this shitshow of a book. Surprise, Tricia actually has a history with the house even though the readers are led to believe she's shooketh. And she had been stalking Ethan beforehand. Now why did she lie about these things? No reason, just trying to force a twist where there isn't one.
Tricia's behaviour doesn't even make sense. So homegirl comes back to the house to find the bodyodyody that Dr. Hale left in the house (need that chemical spray she ordered off Amazon for my dog's bed tbh) but instead of searching the house, she decides to listen to recorded sessions... for what? Was she hoping that EJ would say "hey, if you decide to murk me, can you bury me under your living room floor??? Tysm." Priorities!!!!! This would've made more sense if ETHAN listened to the tapes and then put 2+2 = Tricia is a crazy bish together.
Lastly, tell me how Tricia can get away with murdering nearly ten people that are all intimately known to her. So her grammy and fiance and besties all die and no one bats an eye? Even Detective Pikachu could make the connections. Cmon now.
Ok, I'm going to cut myself off, but overall, this book was STANKY. I've read two others by her: The Locked Door was ight and The Housemaid was not ight in the slightest. Adding her to my avoid list lol.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: funny rants with the buddy readers, she did have some good red herrings in there tbh
Cons: ... did I stutter? 😂 -
What is with all these 4 star+ rated thrillers being so awful?
I mean, I get that this book is quite compelling, especially with the use of short chapters and the psychiatrist's tape recordings to keep the pacing up... but, come on, go back and reread the first few chapters after finishing this book and tell me the twist makes sense. Because it really doesn't.
So many people have recommended McFadden to me. I actually went and picked up this book and
The Housemaid at the same time, but now I'm reluctant to start her other stuff because parts of this were laughably bad.
It's hard to say which was the worst thing. The repetition of the same thing over and over?It was a worrying reminder of the fact that I’ve only known my husband for a little over a year.
It’s yet another reminder that I’ve only known this man for a little over a year.
The way the author hammered us over the head with a red herring to the point that I felt a little insulted?
Or the ludicrous twists that may have worked if this book had been written in third person, but in first person are utterly absurd?
Also, the author does this weird thing where a character will say something via dialogue, then the narrator will make an extremely obvious observation about it in their inner monologue. For example:“Don’t let him manipulate you,” Ethan says. “He isn’t a good person. He killed [spoiler]. He killed one of the people closest to him. What kind of person does that?”
Ethan doesn’t have a clue that [spoiler] isn’t the one who killed [spoiler].
No shit! She does this multiple times.
In some ways, two stars feels generous, but then I did blast through this with a need to know what the hell was going on. Not many authors manage to keep the suspense going like that. -
***5 STARS***
What a ride! I couldn’t put this book down until I read the last word.
Edge of your seat suspense! A captivating psychological thriller that has twists and turns galore. I thought I had it figured out but I was so wrong.
Very well written with an intricate plot and well developed characters. A must read. -
Finally, Tricia and Ethan are ready to buy their first home together. They’ve found a remote house with an extensive but disturbing history. The previous owner mysteriously vanished and is presumed to have been murdered.
Ethan is fascinated and desperately wants this home. On the other side of the coin, Tricia says, (to herself) over her dead body will she ever agree to live here!
But fate intervenes with a massive snowstorm that strands them during the showing. They have no cell service, and with their realtor conveniently a no show, the couple realize they need to just settle in until a rescue can be made. Who knows…maybe that gives them extra time to learn more about the house and its previous owner.
I never completely meshed with this story. So much of it was over-the-top unrealistic. I think we all want to feel that we could walk in the shoes of the characters we read about even if only for a moment. (Or a chapter). But it just wasn’t possible here.
I’ve read (listened to) one other book by this author The Inmate and enjoyed it. Perhaps the next will play out better (for me).
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media. -
Ok, I’m an outlier based on the reviews so far. I don’t think the book is bad or not worth reading, it has the Freida trademark suspense vibe with a crazy twist. It actually reminded me a bit of one of her previous book that I also had trouble with for the same reason as this one. Without going into too much detail my problem was that the ending made some of the previous events unlikely. There were too many inconsistencies. The author was clever when it came to leading you in a direction that might or might not be the right one, but that is because some reactions should have been different based on what you learned later.
I also have an observation; Why did he go to work when they had no internet access in the house ? -
I have yet to read all of Freida's books, but I can say with some certainty that one words sums them up perfectly.
OBSESSIVE.
These books will invade your every thought and activity as soon as you start. You will be desperate to get back to the story, as well as constantly thinking about how Freida might put her trademark twist in the story.
This latest offering is no different.
It truly is the definition of unputdownable. I'd have read it in one sitting had I not been working. And when the twist happened, I gasped, put my hands to my face and gave a bark of laughter. My fiance was concerned and confused lol.
The characters are incredibly written, totally genuine and the whole book gave me creepy chills. The house at the centre of the story is so well described I was so freaked out.
Freida is a genius. A magician. A music conductor- juggling all the threads with such effortless ease until the wonderful crescendo.
I finished this last night and there's a reason I try not to read thrillers late at night- they give me nightmares. I couldn't stop reading last night though, so I have myself to blame for the messed-up, crazy nightmare I had.
Was it worth it? ABSOLUTELY. -
Never Lie by Freida McFadden was a creepy and suspenseful psychological thriller. It kept my interest for the most part but parts of it were so over the top and almost predictable. I also never developed a real connection with any of the characters and some of the things certain characters did or said made me roll my eyes more often than I would have liked to admit. The chapters were rather short and I did listen to the audiobook in its entirety. I should have figured out the ending way before I did. It was so obvious once I did figure it out. Overall, I didn’t hate it but it was clearly not one of my favorites by Freida McFadden. The audiobook was narrated by Leslie Howard. Sometimes it was hard to distinguish between the different characters but overall the performance was good.
Tricia and Ethan were still in the honeymoon phase of their marriage. They recently started to look for homes in Westchester County so they could move out of their tiny apartment in New York City. Their real estate agent had recently sent them information about a new listing. Tricia and Ethan had driven Ethan’s BMW up to the showing. On the way, it began to snow and the intensity of the snow started to pick up rather quickly as they got closer to the house they were going to view. Tricia thought that Ethan had passed the street they were looking for a ways back but Ethan was insistent that he knew just where it was. I thought that was strange since supposedly he had never been to the house before. His instincts were correct, though. The only problem was that snowstorms and front wheel BMW’s don’t do well together. They had to leave the BMW at the bottom of the driveway and the couple trudged through the snow. Of course, Tricia was wearing expensive shoes not designed to wear in the snow so Ethan carried Tricia on his back to the front door. Tricia noticed an upstairs light on in the house but also noticed that the rest of the house was dark. Why would their real estate agent leave a light on upstairs but not turn on any lights downstairs? By the time Ethan and Tricia got to the front door the light was off. Did Tricia just imagine it? There was no sign of their real estate agent. Finding a hidden key to the front door, the couple let themselves into the empty house. When they tried to call their real estate agent to see if she was on her way they discovered that they had no cell service. Tricia and Ethan soon discovered that they were in Dr. Adrienne Hale’s home. Dr. Hale had been a prominent practicing psychiatrist who had just disappeared a little over four years ago. There had been a major investigation about her disappearance. The police believed that her boyfriend had killed her and had disposed of her body somewhere but her body had never been found. Who would enter an empty house without confirmation from the real estate agent that it was permitted? Why didn’t the couple just turn around and find a place where they had cell service to contact their agent and find out where she was?
Tricia and Ethan decided to stay in the house until the snow let up. They explored the house. Ethan was sure this was the house for them. It was perfect! Tricia wasn’t so sure. Ethan made himself right at home. He discovered fresh cold cuts and other items in the fridge and proceeded to make lunch for both Tricia and himself. This made Tricia even more nervous that someone else was in the house with them. Ethan even took a shower and helped himself to clothes that he found in the master bedroom. While Ethan showered, Tricia found a bookcase by the staircase. She decided to take one of the books to read. To her surprise, the bookcase moved and revealed a hidden room with recorded tapes of all Dr. Hale’s sessions with her patients. Tricia could not resist. She went to Dr. Hale’s office and over the course of the next few days and nights, she listened to all the tapes. More evidence started to materialize that made Tricia even more convinced that her and Ethan were not alone in the house. Were her suspicions correct? What would she learn from the tapes?
Never Lie by Freida McFadden was told from different points of view. Tricia represented the “now” and Dr. Adrienne Hale represented the “ before”. There were many inconsistencies throughout the book. It left me scratching my head and wondering. The ending was quite unexpected and yet based on the rest of the book, it fit. My feelings about this book were in the middle. It was not my favorite but I did not hate it entirely. Some parts just bothered me a lot. I look forward to reading her next book.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media LLC for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of Never Lie by Freida McFadden through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. -
I've heard a lot of great things about this book. It was an OK read for me. Didn't blow me away or knocked me off my feet. It had a small amount of thrill and tension which kept me from quitting the entire thing.
A remote manor miles away from anywhere captivated newly-weds, Tricia and Ethan while on a househunting. The castle-like estate once belonged to a renowned psychiatrist Dr. Adrienne Hale who vanished years ago. What they will find inside the mysterious abode is far more than the dream house they are looking for.
This was such a quick read. Fast-paced and slightly interesting from the get-go. I laughed a bit because of the "cashmere" thing. That one was a little silly for me. I think the main character paid too much attention to a really trivial clothing. Haha.
Overall. I don't really get why a lot of people are raving about this. It felt rushed to me. Yes, there were a couple of complex characters but they weren't likeble at all. A lot of twists were easy to figure out because the author threw a lot of obvious foreshadowing.
Not giving up on Freida, yet. -
This was a quick & easy read that kept me captivated the entire time! Just as you think you have it figured out twist number one takes you by surprise and after the first twist they keep coming! Another great book by Frieda! Would highly recommended! ⭐️💛
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3⭐ for the audiobook
Featuring ~ dual 1st person POV, dual timeline, snowed in, rich husband, psychiatrist, missing person, mystery
Told in the now by Trisha and in the before by Adrienne with some transcripts thrown in for fun.
So I am going to put this one in the middle. It wasn't a perfect thriller ~ I liked some things and didn't like some things. I'm still wondering how the twist didn't dawn on me sooner cuz it's rather obvious looking back. Interesting ending though.
Adrienne and Trisha are our narrators and both have plenty of secrets. Adrienne is a psychiatrist and seemed a little cray cray. Trisha was really getting on my nerves being so scared of the house and she seemed a little cray cray. Also, if you're snowed in and don't know when you'll be able to get out for food why are you throwing away perfectly cooked eggs?? wasteful.
I must say that the dual timeline approach was a good call since it left the reader in suspense.
Narrated by Leslie Howard for 7 hours and 22 minutes, fine at 2x, but wish I could've sped it up some more without it skipping. Her voice was a little slow and I really wish there were 2 different narrators or some distinction between characters. I'm wondering if I would've enjoyed it a tad more if I read it rather than listened.
*Thanks to the author, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advance audiobook. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
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another 5 star read by the queen Freida ⭐️
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Freida McFadden- Never Lie -
Tricia and Ethan are newlyweds. After a whirlwind romance of nine months they get married. Six months later they are house hunting.
They end up at an old, gigantic manor, waiting for their realtor. But due to a blizzard she never shows. The the of them take shelter in the house.it turns out to be the house of missing Dr Adrienne Hall, bestselling author of “Anatomy of Fear”. Tricia already has a bad feeling about the house, something happened here. Then she stumbles across a secret room, filled of recordings of Adrienne’s sessions with her patients. That’s when the mystery unravels.
Random thoughts while reading:
* a couple of pages in and I am Googling “what to do when skidding on ice * thanks for the reminder, Freida, winter is coming! 😅🥶❄️🌨
* Who owns the house and who gets the money when it’s sold?
* How long do batteries last when they are not used? Unused batteries should last two to three years. Batteries in a device that’s not being used should be removed as they might leak. HAD to ask the nerd of the house. 😅
* Freida got me Googling… I always thought it was a myth they told teenagers that antibiotics and birth control pills don’t mix well together. The results I got were: “To date, the only antibiotic proven to impact birth control pills is rifampin. This drug is used to treat tuberculosis and other bacterial infections. If you take this medication while using birth control pills, it decreases the hormone levels in your birth control pills” so did Tricia have tuberculosis?! 😳🤔😅
I love Freida McFadden. I’ve read all her novels and liked them all. I have some favourites of course. I read many people saying online they thought they figured this one out early but they were wrong. There were some really obvious red herrings. Who is EJ? I think it was natural that we thought it is Ethan. But is it really Ethan? Not going to spoil this. It’s never that easy with Freida… this being said, I didn’t even try to figure the twist. It has no use anyway. I take the information as I am reading and just go with the flow. Freida is a comfort author. I can rely on being surprised anyway and getting a great story. For me, she can’t do wrong. Once again, she got me with the end, I would not have guessed it.
I had “fun” finding out what happened with Adrienne and Luke and the mysterious EJ.
I still say that “Suicide Med” holds the top position for me, I loved that book. But anyway, Freida did it again, another awesome thriller. -
★ 1 star
Absurd.
Not to mention dry and tedious.
Anytime someone goes house shopping and set their eyes on the people-may-or-may-not-have-died-here-but-you-can-get-it-for-a-low-low-price-of-uhmm-say-your-eternal-soul it's a plot hole for sure.
It's also very possible that this was written by two people who had very different ideas. You write the intro and the middle and I'll do the ending then we'll call it a book! Exciting!
Did the writer actually read the first 200 pages before she published it? —asking for a friend.
This book's saving grace is that these two dysfunctional human beings ended up together, saving the world from their chaos. Well done, they deserve each other.
Also, in this economy I can totally understand the urgency to close on a real estate property on a steal price and 100% get on board with living in a mcmansion in the middle of nowhere even if it's with dead corpses.
“Everyone dies eventually, right? So unless we buy a brand new house, you’re kind of guaranteed somebody has lived in it who’s now dead. So what?”
It's a good financial move. I can totally respect that.
Poor writing. If this tried to be a read-it-again-for-a-different-story type of book, it failed. Mood setting is lousy. And I never appreciated the inner dialogues that just keeps on going in circles which only serves to make the characters look dumber but I get it, it does help fill the word count. For once, if the floor creaks I'd want someone to actually investigate and not be like 'it be like that sometimes', 'that's just how it be' or not dismiss it with 'maybe that's just — ', 'i guess it's —', if not, you best believe I'll be rooting for your character to dies first.
I don't know about you but when I read psychological thrillers I crave for my brain to be challenged! I want it to be engrossing enough that I analyze everything and actually care about what happens next.
I believe that precisely to be the hallmark of attentive reading/listening — it's when your audience comprehend the story enough that they are able to make solid assumptions and predictions as the story progresses. Don't you love it when you try to figure the mystery out? It's gratifying when you're right and incredibly disappointing when you don't. That in itself I think is a rewarding feeling as an author/creator/producer, to have your audience care about your work enough to be feel satisfaction in experiencing your stories/art. And I believe that is how the author and their readers communicate through the pages — forgive me for saying this but I believe that's the magic of books!
Unfortunately, some thriller writer have become so invested in surprising their audience — so many twist!, woahhh the twist!, wait for the twist!— they try outmaneuver their audience that they messed up the story they had been building. This is exactly what happened here. Even worse is the story completely ignored earlier events and details to fit the twist into its narrative! That's just mean and disrespectful.
A good twist rewards the most attentive audience and while it's true that the most satisfying twist are the ones you figure out seconds before it's revealed, it's also imperative that the details and foreshadowing clicks into its place otherwise it's all just a big fat scam. As they say, the devil is in the detail.
It's dark-lite. Not exactly addictive. It's a psychological thriller by virtue of it being sensational. Popcorn thriller for sure.
Good thing it's short.
I rated it 2 star and I explained my whys in great details. Avid fans can be so rabid sometimes.
Edit: I was being generous by giving it a 2-star rating. It's a 0-star. I'm sorry but everything she puts out deteriorates my braincells from the cosmic amount of stupidity. Pure lazy stupid writing. -
A wonderfully tangled psychological thriller!
I’m so excited to have recently discovered Ms. McFadden. The few books I’ve read are exceptionally twisted and she has many more that I’ve added to my TBR list. She’s amazing at fabricating tangled psychological thrillers!
A newlywed couple drives through a snowstorm to look at a house in a remote location. Most people would check the weather when driving a BMW way out to the boondocks, but not them! When the agent doesn’t show up, they find a way into the house to get out of what has become a blizzard. Ethan immediately falls in love with the beautiful, enormous house but Tricia thinks it’s creepy. The house has been empty for a few years and is still filled with the previous owner’s belongings. Everything suggests she left the house, intending to return. After some snooping, they find the house was owned by a famous psychiatrist—Dr. Hale—that went missing years earlier. And Tricia found a secret room where Dr. Hale stashed audio tapes of all of her client sessions. Tricia starts listening to them and can’t stop until she unravels some of the mysteries surrounding the house and the previous owner.
My last two reads were intense so this was fun and light in comparison.
#NeverLie #freidamcfadden #dreamscapemedia #kindleunlimited #netgalley #audiobook #audiobookreview #honestreview #bookreviewer -
Bon Appétit! 😳😯🤯😳😯
When McFadden asks you personally if you'd like to read an ARC of her upcoming book, what do you do? You put everything... and I mean EVERYTHING on hold (This may or may not also include bathroom breaks 🫢) and down (dog included!), to dive right in! As always, McFadden never lets me down, and every freakin' time I'm suckered by how she takes twists and turns into a direction I never could've come up with on my own! I mean for freak sake! You'd think by now after reading every single book by her, I'd have an idea but it never turns out how I predicted. And it takes A LOT to undermine my brain, LOL! This novel was luscious with its darkness, devious and appetizing plot and deliverance. McFadden writes books equal to major big time names and this one is no exception. Always taking the wind right out of my sails, & the cookies out of the jar, once again she's crafted a stupendous & gratifying thriller with major fire-cracking revelations. Hold onto something solid because she's gonna yank the rug from right out under you!
Mყ 𝐒ყɴ𝐨ρѕιѕ: Tricia and Ethan are newly married and searching for just the right house to make their own. When they battle a snowstorm to visit an epic house that's secluded for sale, an adventure turns deeply dark when they have to stay due to being snowed in. The house used to belong to a psychiatrist, Dr. Hale, that disappeared a few years ago. Tricia does a bit of snooping and comes across a secret room of patients tapes recorded. Like anyone, curiosity gets the better of her and decides to listen to some. But she'll soon realize that the glimpse into some of the patients lives, will lead to a very twisted, sinister ending.
Thank you to Freida McFadden personally for this ARC.
Release Date: September 19, 2022
𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭: 4.5 / 5 Autumn Leaves! 🍂 -
Totally ridiculous, popcorn thriller. Do not take this too seriously. Fun, fast read that holds up to ZERO scrutiny. See GirlWithThePinkSkiMask for an accurate and scathing review.
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WOW! I love Freida McFadden books, but I think this one easily slid into my second favorite from her! Told from both the present perspective through Tricia, and the past through Dr. Hale, Never Lie keeps you guessing as to what was happening. I REALLY thought I figured it out, about 28% into the book. I was just waiting to prove myself right by continuing to read. Boy, was I wrong! I didn’t see that twist coming from a mile away! Then, I was really shocked when there was another twist! This really is one of the best Freida McFadden books. This book is perfect for any McFadden fan, or any fan of psychological thrillers. 5 giant stars!
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that was freakin bonkers and i loved it
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If you like horrible writing and a plot that makes no sense then this is for you
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4 out of 5!
What I Liked:
-Setting: Isolated house + Snowstorm 🌨
-Fast pacing/Short Chapters
-Characters
-Two POVs: Present with Main Characters, Tricia & Ethan, and Past with Main Character, Dr. Adrienne Hale. (I think two POVs are my limit.)
-The chapters featuring audio transcripts of Dr. Hale's sessions with her patients. (Loved these!)
-The suspense!
-The twists/reveals
-The ending... which is rare for me with mystery/thriller books.
What I Didn't Like:
-What led to Dr. Hale's "web of lies".
-I feel like some things didn't make sense in the end. 🤔
Even with the things I had questions about/didn't like I still highly enjoyed this mystery/thriller and look forward to more from Freida McFadden.
Full Thoughts in Wrap Up Video:
https://youtu.be/bIkUNNC5ka8 -
This was entertaining, I liked it more than The Housemaid. I was trying to guess what the roles of the characters were. I didn't expect that I got them wrong so it was brilliant of Freida McFadden.
The begining of the book started well, the transcripts weren't that interesting but they served their purposes. Freida McFadden tied up everything neatly at the end.
3.5 stars. The writing needed some work, this would be an easy and quick read if one could overlook that. -
3.5* Another easy, quick “popcorn” thriller that was super entertaining. Just when I thought I had it all figured out..🤣
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the secluded mansion
theme is timeless - and
crafted by brilliant freida
mcfadden's clever hands
it's also unputdownable. ♡ -
Hm… damn. Well, this book is clearly a hit. Just not for me. I don’t really know what I was expecting. I really don’t even know why I wasn’t thrilled. The twist came, and I just said. “Oh. So that’s what it’s gonna be.” Maybe I’m burnt out? Maybe I’ve read too many thrillers? I’m trying to pinpoint exactly what it is that I didn’t love about this book, but I’m not sure. I guess I didn’t like any of the characters. It was well done, I can say that. It gave me a nightmare, so it IS creepy- for sure. I can see why the twists are and will continue to be raved over. But still… I just wasn’t excited over it. 🤷🏻♀️
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I loved the setup of this story, the atmosphere, the tension, the pacing, and the short chapters intermixed with tape recording from psychiatric appointments.
I didn’t love the writing, the over-the-top red herring, or the way the big twist works out and then the final resolution scenes of the book. Because of the way the book is written, the big twist doesn’t really work. I didn’t see it coming, but that’s because it doesn’t really make sense. Then the story is conveniently and quickly tied up with a pretty bow, which I wouldn’t mind as much if everything before it added up cleanly, but it just read kind of messy.
Overall I had fun with the story and I read it insanely quickly, but the way it all worked out was a let down. -
Being this is my 8th book by the brilliant Freida McFadden, she just gets better and better and better!!! Never Lie is an addictive, heart-pounding cannot put down psychological thriller. From the very first page, she ropes you in and you just put everything aside for that day so you can enjoy every word of this book! Tricia and Ethan are newlyweds searching for their dream house when they get caught in a blizzard at one of the mansions they’re looking at. Then everything that can and will go wrong - does!! Nothing is as it seems and the twists throughout the book gave me whiplash !!!! Loved it and highly recommend this soon to be #1 thriller!
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Freida McFadden is fast becoming my favorite author when I want a fast-paced, addictive read and Never Lie was no exception. I tore through this story from page one right to the shocking ending. An easy read and total thrill ride.
* Consider yourself forewarned--if you're looking for something heartwarming with lovable characters, this one probably isn't for you. -
Wow! That was totally twisted, and I loved every creepy minute of it. I thought I had completely guessed the twist, but the actual twists were unexpected even though the author provided subtle clues throughout the fast paced plot. I enjoyed how the story was told by alternating POVs and the taped sessions of Dr. Hale. I always enjoy how Freida McFadden adds just enough “crazy” to all of her psychological thrillers. This is over the top, extremely suspenseful and utterly addictive. The narrator Leslie Howard expertly brings the characters to life while adding an element of intrigue and intensity. Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my audiobook.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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wow. every single twist in this book was unexpected. i thought i knew how it would end, and i don’t think i’ve ever been more wrong about the ending of a book. im not giving this 5 stars because the main characters were kind of annoying, but otherwise this was so well done.
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Let me first start by saying, that I enjoy reading Freida McFadden.
Her voice, easy style and surprising twists are something I look forward to.
This book opens with the following: 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒔.
I guess that includes Freida herself.
If this had been written in third person, I would have given it more stars.
Unfortunately, I feel Freida wasn't playing fair.
Reread the opening chapters after you're done, and see for yourself.
