Shari Lapena is one of my fave authors. I don't read the synopsis of Lapena's books before I dive into reading, as I like to be surprised. Everyone Here is Lying has just released and it was a surprise - a very good one!

From the outside - a nice neighbourhood. From the inside, not so much....

Everyone Here is Lying opens with a bang. A nine year old girl goes missing - seemingly without a trace. The police start their investigation by interviewing family, then friends and then the neighbours. And...you guessed it, there's more than one liar.

But everything is not revealed right away. Lapena slowly and deliciously discloses the secrets of the residents through their own thoughts and the police interviews.

The two police are characters I would be happy to see again - especially Gully. The neighbours? Not so much. Lapena does a great job building the characters, giving them realistic emotions and actions.

I have to say I was caught off guard with the unexpected development in part three. What a good twist! A few details ask the reader to suspend disbelief, which I happily did.

If you like their psychology suspense and unreliable characters, you'll enjoy Everyone Here is Lying.

A wonderful easy domestic thriller with many characters and interweaving stories. I was hooked from the first chapter and was very entertained with the twists and turns this story took. This neighbourhood thriller kept me guessing who was guilty the entire time! I always enjoy Shari Lapena's captivating thrillers. I love the relationships and connections she builds between her characters. This book is great for thriller lovers AND thriller newcomers.

EVERYONE HERE IS LYING by SHARI LAPENA

William Wooler is a family man, on the surface. But he is having an affair, an affair that ended horribly this afternoon at a motel up the road.

So when he returns to his house, devastated and angry, to find his difficult nine year-old daughter, Avery, unexpectedly home from school, William loses his temper .

Hours later, Avery’s family declares her missing .

As usual, I loved this book. Shari Lapena does not disappoint. This a real page turner.

This was published July 25, 2023.

Thank you to @netgalley and @penguinrandomhousecanada for the advanced reading copy.

#everyonehereislying #sharilapena #netgalley #newlypublished

Everyone Here is Lying is a domestic suspense thriller. This is my seventh book by this author.

This book has a lot of 3rd person POVs. But the story is very easy to follow. The main characters are William and Erin Wooler (and their two kids Avery and Michael). And Al and Nora (their kids are Ryan and Faith) There are also two detectives who interview everyone on the street.

Pretty much everyone involved in this story lives on the same street, where something bad occurs.

There are married people having affairs. And there are so many secrets and lies. And there is at least one character under 18 who blew my mind!

The story is at times a bit disturbing. But it is also a very interesting read. I was so curious to see how things would play out. The author does something after the halfway point that she does quite often in her books. I was extremely invested by this point. And could not wait to finish the story. And the end was absolutely riveting. And now I want more!

William Wooler is a family man on the surface but he has been having an affair that ended terribly in a motel. When he comes home, he is irritated to find his difficult 9 year old daughter home from school early. William unexpectedly loses his temper with her and hours later, Avery is declared missing. William isn’t the only one on the street hiding a lie. The neighbours become more unhinged as more information comes out. Who took Avery Wooler?

Shari Lapena is one of my favourite authors, I love her writing style and I have read all of her books so far. She really is the queen of suburban suspense! 👑 I finished this in one day, I couldn’t put it down. I was so invested in all of the neighbours backgrounds! There were so many possibilities, I didn’t quite see the twist coming but it wasn’t overly shocking. I loved the ending though! This was just a good edge of your seat suspense novel! (5 ⭐️)

✨ Thank you NetGalley for an ARC to review in exchange for my honest thoughts ✨

Trigger warning: missing child, adultery

I really enjoyed this realistic suspense story about a missing nine year old girl and the web of lies that slowly come to light. It was my first time reading one of Shari Lapena’s novels, and I really liked her writing style and how effortlessly the story flowed.

The last 40% of the book brings you on quite a journey with some great and unexpected twists that will truly surprise you, in the best of ways. If you’ve been waiting for this novel, I think you‘ll find it was worth the wait!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this eARC.

Thank you to Shari Lapena, Penguin Random House Canada, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced ebook copy or Everyone Here is Lying for me to read and review. This was a fast paced mysterious thriller with tons of twists and turns. There was a large cast of characters with a wide variety of personalities and roles that inspired feelings anywhere from sympathy and care all the way to disgust. The chapters being short helped keep the pace of the story fast, but the constant switching between points of view without true distinction was a bit difficult to follow at first. However, I came to really enjoy the small insights into each point of view and they truly helped make the story keep you guessing with the different perspectives throwing theory after theory and suspect after suspect at the reader. The portrayal of ADHD was done poorly in my opinion. The writing of this character makes it seem like every person diagnosed with ADHD will have the same type of challenges and behaviors which is very inaccurate and paints ADHD with an unnecessarily negative brush. This could have been researched better and either made more clear that not all people with ADHD are anywhere near as challenging or a different diagnosis used that would be more singular to the type of personality and behaviors shown by this character. Also, the ending seemed very rushed and ended super abruptly. It was such a quick sudden end that I was left feeling like that wasn't an adequate conclusion and maybe I was missing a few pages. For the most part it was a great, enjoyable story and I would read another by this author in the future.

When reading this domestic thriller, my mind kept quoting Sir Walter Scott: “Oh what a tangled web we weave/When first we practice to deceive.”

Nine-year-old Avery Wooler goes missing. The last known person to see her was her father William who lost his temper with his difficult daughter and slapped her. He claims to have left the house so he could go cool off, but then she disappears. As the police investigate, a lot of secrets are uncovered and many lives are turned upside down.

The novel offers multiple perspectives: Avery’s parents and brother, several neighbours, a police detective. Because there are so many characters, all of whom seem to lie about something, the suspect list is long. Most of the people are not particularly likeable. Neighbours even turn on neighbours. The problem with having such a large cast of characters is that many remain rather one-dimensional.

The pace is fast with new revelations and twists so I found my interest never wavered. The ending is abrupt and leaves loose ends, but I thought it appropriate. Anything more would be superfluous.
My issue is with the thought processes, dialogue, and behaviour of one character. Given the person’s age, the sheer wickedness and manipulation are not believable. The reader must be willing to suspend disbelief.

This lack of realism is a flaw, but otherwise the book is very good. It highlights the many secrets that can be hidden in a neighbourhood and the lies people will tell to protect themselves and others they love. With short chapters, it’s a quick read that definitely entertains.

Small town suspense thriller !!
What could go wrong in a small town. A missing child is not what the Woolers anticipated dealing with after what should have been a normal day.
So many secrets. Everyone is lying about something but what you do to protect those secrets?
This book was an easy read. Short chapters. A page turner bc I needed to know what the heck was going on! Where did Avery go???

I’ve read a few other books by Shari Lapena and she’s very good at keeping you guessing. I enjoyed this book.
4 stars

Thank you to Random house and NetGalley for this ARC and the opportunity to read and review this book before it’s released. Available today to everyone. Small town suspense thriller !!
What could go wrong in a small town. A missing child is not what the Woolers anticipated dealing with after what should have been a normal day.
So many secrets. Everyone is lying about something but what you do to protect those secrets?
This book was an easy read. Short chapters. A page turner bc I needed to know what the heck was going on! Where did Avery go???

I’ve read a few other books by Shari Lapena and she’s very good at keeping you guessing. I enjoyed this book.
4 stars

Thank you to Random house and NetGalley for this ARC and the opportunity to read and review this book before it’s released. Available today to everyone.

i went into this one with high expectations but it fell a bit short for me. i really like that it was set in a neighbourhood & it felt like every single person was hiding a big secret which made it more interesting. i love thrillers that have big, shocking twists & there just wasn’t any of that for me in this book. i like the ending but it felt a bit rushed. even though this book wasn’t anything crazy for me, i would recommend it as a simple, entertaining & easy to follow thriller

thank you to Netgalley & Penguin Random House canada for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

A nine year old girl goes missing and there was many different suspects and witnesses that come forward as the story progresses. But, who is telling the truth and who..is lying?
The story was interesting, I had literally no idea who was responsible for the missing girl. All the characters being unreliable made the twist all the more shocking to me once it was finally revealed!
I have another book by shari lapena so now I’m looking forward to reading it as well!

Shari Lapena has done it again! Her new book Everyone Here is Lying is gripping, propulsive and guaranteed to keep you up way past your bedtime.

William Wooler is a well-respected doctor. He has two children with his attractive wife. Together in a lovely home in Stanhope, a safe neighbourhood where nothing ever happens. Only everything isn’t quite as it seems.

William is having an affair. An affair that has ended that afternoon. Craving peace and quiet, he heads home. But when he discovers his difficult nine-year-old daughter, Avery, is home early from school, William loses his temper.

Later, Avery is declared missing…

I can’t tell you some of my favourite aspects of this novel without revealing spoilers. So I’ll say this, if you enjoyed Shari Lapena’s other books, you will love this one. It is equally as anxiety inducing as her others. Oh, and the classic Lapena twist? It is well and truly in affect with this one.

I love that Shari Lapena’s books are written in the present tense. It makes the novel feel immediate and alive. I also appreciate her ability to dip in and out of point of views frequently without it feeling the least bit jarring or confusing for the reader.

I’m not sure if there is anyone out there who fits this category… But! If you haven’t read anything by Shari Lapena and you enjoy thrillers, I highly recommend giving this one a go! And then why not read the rest of them? An Unwanted Guest is my favourite. It brings to mind Agatha Christie’s manor house mysteries, only in a contemporary setting and with — dare I say it — even more twists than a Christie.

Doubleday Canada provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. To both, thank you thank you thank you! I’m thrilled to have the privilege of reading this book ahead of its release date!

Everyone Here is Lying comes out today, 25 July. Happy Publication Day Shari Lapena!

On the outside, William Wooler looks like a devoted and loving husband and father. Little does anyone know, he's been having an affair that is, until his partner ended the affair this afternoon. He returns home desperate for alone time, to deal with his emotions and get his anger in check. When he notices his 9 year old daughter who has behavioral issues is unexpectantly home, he loses his temper and leaves the house. Not long after, she's reported missing.

Everyone Here is Lying is twisty and suspenseful, page turner of a domestic thriller told via alternating POVs and short chapters. The drama and secrets revealed were juicy which I love in a domestic thriller and Shari certainly knows how to drop them in and shake up the entire story. Highly recommend it!

This was a fun book to buddy read and I can't wait to chat about it with @elliottreads!

Thank you, @penguinrandomca & @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of one of my most anticipated releases of the year. This did not disappoint.

Everyone is lying in this book and I love the way Shari Lapena is able to introduce more and more characters without confusing the reader. ( I sometimes find thrillers with a lot of characters to be too confusing.).

Avery has gone missing. The reader knows a few things that the police doesn’t know at the beginning but you are learning most of this stuff about Avery, her family, her friend Jenna, her dad’s affair, the mistresses family and it just unfolds from there.

I love when you find out one thing and then a few chapters later you find out that’s false. And the ending did that in a way that in my opinion was very satisfying.

This author is one of my fave, her writing is always so captivating. This book is no different, I was hooked right from the start. While there were a lot of characters, it was easy to tell them apart and it worked for this story. I loved how everyone was unreliable and guilty of something. The ending was a little abrupt and I felt a bit disappointed that it was left so open-ended.. I even thought I was missing a few pages from my book at first. Overall it was a really good read but it was definitely heavy at times so I suggest checking out the trigger warnings before picking it up.

Thank you to the publisher and @netgalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book and ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Shari Lapena is typically a guaranteed auto buy, as her books are usually enjoyable, quick reads. While they won’t be super memorable or top my favourites lists, I always enjoy them and read them fairly quickly.

Everyone Here Is Lying was unfortunately a huge miss for me. I think maybe I’m in the minority here, but the plot didn’t sit well with me at all. To avoid spoilers I won’t go into many details, but it just gave me the ick and I found myself grimacing through most of the book. The ending left a LOT to be desired, which was just another hit to this book. It was still a fairly binge-able read, but all the characters were horrendous and the plot was not my favourite. Check it out and let me know if we have the same opinion or if it worked for you!

An affair ends.
A young girl goes missing.
A community rallies together to bring her home- but how well do you really know your neighbours?
As the clock ticks on, 9 year old Avery Wooler’s chance of survival diminishes and her family’s desperation reaches all time highs.

This domestic thriller was intriguing from the get go- I will admit that I somehow missed it was about a young child going missing, or I probably would have skipped this one as I don’t handle the topic well. That being said, this was presented in a way that was mysterious and unexpected, but not devastating.

The amount of secrets that are uncovered just on one small street in a community was so interesting- the threads that tied strangers together, the secrets that had to be held back to protect someone’s safety- all seemingly ‘innocent’ separately but together being incredibly troubling.

I really enjoyed this one!

The only thing that prevented me from giving 5 stars, was that Avery’s character- I kept getting distracted from the storyline because to me, a lot of her decisions and thoughts didn’t seem in line with a 9 year old. This could be one of her exceptionalities, which Lapena does a good job of presenting while also leaving a bit ambiguous, but for me, it was a bit distracting.

This one was hard to put down - I read it in a day . It was fast paced and well everyone was lying 🤷🏼‍♀️ instead of the traditional POVs, this was told almost like a movie - where we would switch from one scene/ character to the next even within the same chapter - I make is sound complicated but it worked really well !

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I have been seeing so much hype around this book on Instagram, sadly I don't think this book lives up to it.

I really enjoyed the dual POVs, they gave me insight into each character's thoughts and how they were affected during Avery's disappearance. The characters were built very well and were believable. Except Avery's character.

I feel that this book is trying too hard to be The Push by Ashley Audrain. Avery is written as a brilliant mastermind despite being nine years old. This plot point could have been done really well, however it easn't properly executed in this book. We learnt through other character POVs that Avery was a difficult child that often acted out, but I never got the sense that she was sly, cunning, or evil just a misbehaved child. I feel that the ending was not properly foreshadowed throughout the novel and as a consequence, I felt that it was unbelievable and even laughable at parts.

This was my very first Shari Lapena book, though I’ve heard good things. I’m all for picking up a tried and true thriller author and Everyone Here Is Lying did not disappoint.

The family at the centre of this story is William and Erin and their children Avery and Michael. William is a well-respected doctor, however, he is having an affair with a neighbour and mom of two, Nora. On the day that Nora decides to prioritize her own family and break it off with William, William returns home to find Avery, his difficult nine-year-old daughter at home, when she was supposed to be at school. William loses his temper and leaves, only to get a phone call from his wife later saying that Avery is missing. Where is Avery? This book is a family psychological suspense with some police procedural tied in, and it is clear from the title that none of the characters are meant to be trusted.

I read this as an eARC so the typical thriller book spacing isn’t as clear when flipping through an uncorrected proof file compared to flipping through short chapters and lots of blank space on pages. However, I was still able to zoom through this book. The writing is clearly designed to be quick and snappy, keeping readers in as many parts of the story as possible at any given time.

I personally struggled with the omniscient narration that quickly jumped between points of view. While it kept the story moving, I really struggled to follow it at times and would find myself going back to situate myself in a new character’s perspective. I am seeing a lot of praise for this literary device in reviews, but for me, it didn’t work as well. Perhaps there weren’t as many visual cues that a POV change was happening in my eARC and I would have experienced a smoother reading process with the published book, so take my complaint with a few grains of sand.

With the quick writing, there is no real very little space for character development, but what is explored in the characters of this book is the unlikability of characters. We are invited into the family dynamics of multiple households in this neighbourhood and it becomes clear that families are made up of flawed individuals who all have a perspective on a story that centres themselves. Even without agreeing with their choices, readers can experience some empathy for families whose lives are being torn apart, in at least some part due to the consequences of their own actions.

Dr. William Wooler is the character who ties much of this story together, and so his name is mentioned often in reviews for this book, but one common thread I saw throughout the telling of this story was how isolated yet connected the women in the book were. Erin and Nora are of course set up at odds with one another, as one is William's wife and one is his mistress. They are even physically at odds in some scenes of the book, and yet these two women are experiencing similar things throughout the book. There is Jenna’s mom, who points fingers in order to protect her own children, and there is Adam’s mom who, while mostly keeping to herself can understand Erin’s experience raising a neurodivergent child. Even the female detective seems to have a different level of empathy than her male counterpart and these two police perspectives are often compared. What we see through this theme is a blurring of who is safe and who to trust.

In fact, perhaps the resolution of this theme does show some character development, despite what I wrote above. The home that Erin walks into at the end of the book (before the epilogue) represents this growth. And before even the end, it was her choosing to leave her home and go speak to other women that have one of the biggest positive impacts in this book. I appreciate that Shari Lapena seems to be doing more in this book than just giving us a plot, and I like what she's trying to show us through this theme.

I really did like this book's critical yet empathetic examination of motherhood, but the truth is, it is also just a good thriller.