An engaging psychological thriller with plenty of twists that kept me wanting to pick up the book. At times, there was a lot going on, and it was a bit challenging to keep track of all the characters and shifting dynamics. Despite that, the suspense was well-maintained, and I genuinely didn’t guess the twists. While not flawless, it’s a solid read for fans of twisty thrillers with plenty of surprises. 3.75/5 ⭐️

I love a good physiological thriller. It has always been a good to of mine when I feel stuck in a reading slump. And this was the perfect choice. Claire Douglas did an excellent job with this book and it also had great plot Twists which I always love. Dont start this book at night because next thing you know the sun is coming up! I couldn't put it down! Thank you for the ARC!

This was an excellent, original story! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I can't wait to read more by Claire Douglas. I'll definitely be adding more books by this author to my TBR!

Emelia is one of those women you look at knowing that she has it all and wondering how she does it: she's a best-selling author of a beloved mystery series, she has a gorgeous husband and two wonderful children, she lives in a beautiful home in a desirable neighborhood, she has supportive friends and family. But just like anyone else, there are some flaws in the facade: her ex-husband had an affair with and is now married to one of her best friends, and Emelia cringes every time she has to see her former bestie. Even worse, at the beginning of Claire Douglas' The Woman Who Lied, Emelia's got a pretty wicked case of writer's block while working on her new novel, the one she's been waiting so long to write, and, oh, yeah, Emelia's got a secret that would ruin her if anyone found out.
Suddenly things begin happening that could just be coincidental, but are exact duplicates of things that have happened in her books. As the incidents escalate, they can no longer be considered coincidental, and, finally, Emelia realizes that whoever is doing this not only knows her secret but is also a killer and is obviously somebody extremely close to her.
Just when you think you've encountered every thriller trope, Douglas is able to come along and challenge that by putting in some unexpected twists. This book will appeal to those who have been waiting for a true successor to Gone Girl.
Highly recommend.
ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Big thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for the ARC copy of this one! It is out now!!

This one actually surpised me, I went in blind like usual and was shocked at how well this was written! I loved the twists and the way the story wound. I had some suspicions, which were incorrect. Douglas did a fantastic job at making all of these characters sketchy an blending everything together so wonderfully.

I would def recommend this read!

The Woman Who Lied is a super twisty and very well plotted thriller that grabbed my attention from the first page. It was really such a fantastic book. I absolutely couldn't put it down!

There were a few times while reading that I thought I had it all figured out but was always wrong. The eventual ending truly came out of nowhere and completely shocked me.

Claire Douglas is a new to me author, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of her books.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

3.75 stars rounded up.

Definitely original storyline. Not ever read anything quite like this. Emilia, an author, has things start happening to her from her series of novels she’s written. Odd but really strange when it happens from her unreleased book that only her closest family and friends have read. Full of suspense as Emilia goes through the list of who it could be and who can she really trust!? The serial killer plot of her novel was also super intriguing.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book so much I missed my train stop because I was reading it so intently! Claire Douglas creates plots and characters that feel so vivid.

What a book! This book kept me reading and I didn't want to put it down. A novelist has secrets and someone knows it. When someone she knows dies the same way as a character in one of her books, her life starts to unravel.

I love Claire Douglas and The Woman Who Lied just might be my favorite of hers to date! I loved the concept of an author's books coming to life, especially when they happen to be detective novels that include murder. It took me a minute to figure out there was an actual investigation going on in addition to the diary entries and our main POV for Emilia, but it was a great mix, and I loved the tension each viewpoint and element added to the storyline. If I hadn't been on vacation this would have been an easy one sitting read as it was perfectly bingeable.

I know I always say I prefer an audiobook with a full cast for multiple viewpoints, but I still loved Ayesha Antoine & Gemma Whelan as the narrators for The Woman Who Lied. It was nice to at least get two, and I enjoyed listening to both of them. I think this may have been part of the reason I didn’t grasp the full storyline at first, but I would still highly recommend audio if you like to listen. The conclusion of this book was downright 😱 and 🤯 and out of everything I had been expecting, it definitely wasn’t what I got. Read this if you enjoy books coming to life in books, detective fiction, and lots of unease!

I loved this book. I was totally engrossed in the story, the twists and turns it took. I liked the characters and thought they were well written. I will definitely read more from this author in the future.

I was really looking forward to this one after reading the book blurb. Emilia is a wife, mother, and author of a very successful detective book series. When she decides to kill off her main character and end the series, strange things start happening. Are they just coincidences or is something sinister going on? Who is targeting Emilia and when will it end? The book dragged on a bit too long in my opinion and the promised twists were just okay. I would rate this as an average mystery. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either. Maybe give it a try?

I'd give this book 3.5 stars, but since I can't give a half I round up to 4. The book has multiple POVs, which later turns out to be part of the main character's book. I didn't pick up on this until more than halfway through and then it really clicked into place. Claire does a great job making you second guess all the supporting characters and the "who dun it" aspect. You can feel the questioning from the main character and the thought process of why she is second guessing all the other characters as to who could have actually been behind the tormenting and the killing. There was so much going on at times though that it was a little hard to follow along. The ending was also anti-climatic for me and didn't really clarify how it all lead to be.

The Woman Who Lied by Claire Douglas is a suspenseful and intricately plotted psychological thriller that will have readers questioning everything. The story follows Emily, a woman whose seemingly perfect life begins to unravel when secrets from her past resurface, threatening to destroy everything she holds dear. Douglas masterfully builds tension, keeping you hooked with unexpected twists and unreliable characters that make you constantly doubt what’s true. With its clever plotting and emotional depth, this book explores themes of trust, betrayal, and the lengths we go to protect our secrets. A must-read for fans of dark, twist-filled mysteries that keep you guessing until the last page. Thank you Claire Douglas, Harper Perennial and Paperbacks, and NetGalley for this ARC!

Manu thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the gifted eARC.

This was a great thriller that kept me guessing the whole time. I definitely recommend this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Paperbacks for this ARC!

I was a big fan of Claire’s other books and I really enjoyed The Woman Who Lied. Like her other books this thriller is full of twists and red herrings! I really thought I had the killer figured out but I was wrong. I really enjoyed the use of a serial killer trope and the ‘mixed media’ with excerpts from Emilia’s book throughout.

Fans of domestic thrillers will love this one!

Emilia is the bestselling author of the DI Miranda Moody series. She has found success in her writing and is living a happy life with her second husband and two children when her life suddenly takes a turn and starts to imitate her art. Incidents from her books are being replicated in real life, including scenes from her most recent manuscript, which has not yet been published. The list of people with access to the unpublished manuscript is small, contributing to a downward spiral where Emilia doesn’t know what’s real or who to trust.

This was an intriguing premise and snagged my interest almost immediately. It is a story within a story as well as dual POV, which I typically enjoy. In this case the format did contribute to a few confusing moments in the first part of the story, but any confusion was ultimately cleared up by a surprising twist at the end of Part One of the book.

Claire Douglas does a great job of giving us a front-row seat to Emilia’s thoughts and feelings. We could sense her fear and confusion and were on that downward spiral alongside her, falling into paranoia and despair not knowing who to trust or where to turn. Any one of the people we meet in the book could be the killer. There is no one who is above suspicion, including those closest to Emilia.

There is a nice sized cast of characters and it does take a minute to get familiar with who is who, but the larger cast is another one of the positives in the book. There are a lot of suspects to choose from. As hard as it is for Emilia to trust anyone or to figure out who could be doing these things, it’s just as hard for the reader to pinpoint one motive or to settle on one suspect.

The story moves a little slower in the second half and it does get slightly convoluted in a couple of places, but it is all very much worth the payoff. Some of the twists and turns weren’t totally shocking but the final reveal was a complete surprise.

This was my first Claire Douglas book. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of her writing.

Thanks NetGally and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for the copy.

This was a phenomenal book! The plot was so interesting and really kept me engaged. The characters were so well developed and deep. The relationships were worth the read, never mind the fantastic mystery!!

Oh, this was SO good! I'm on a big thriller kick this year and couldn't put this one down -- my first read by Claire Douglas but absolutely not going to be my last. I loved the "secret author" plot line, it was very interesting to see how someone so successful could also live a relatively "normal" life, where few know of her success. Emilia was a super relatable main character, and I found myself super tense on the edge of my seat through several moments here where I thought one thing was going to happen and tried to prepare myself for it, only for a twist to come by and sweep my "preparation rug" out from beneath me! Loved that, excellently done and will definitely be looking for more from Douglas in the future.

First time reader of Claire Douglas and won't be my last. Great story line with strong characters. It was a creative ending that left you guessing until the very end. I LIKED IT!! The twist and turns have you coming to your own conclusion just to be smashed and thrown in your face. I found myself not wanting to put it down. So if your looking for a great murder mystery book look no further! A++ rating 5 Stars. Highly recommend to all.