Emilia Ward is a famous author who is on the brink of publishing her last novel in a series of ten about DI Miranda Moody and an elusive killer dubbed the praying-mantis murderer. When strange things start happening in Emilia's life that closely resemble events from her previous books, she starts fearing for the safety of herself and her family.

This was a twisty, complex mystery with a story within a story and every character very suspicious. I honestly didn't particularly care for the protagonist or any of the supporting characters, but the story itself I did. It was written so meticulously, to the point that I couldn't fathom how an author can put so many seemingly different pieces together to make them whole. Never once did I guess who the culprit was, and there were many. Overall, I really enjoyed this one and give it four stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for this ARC.

#TheWomanWhoLied #NetGalley
Wow!!! A fun read. 5 ⭐
Emilia Ward lives in suburban London with her husband, their young son, and a teenager from her first marriage. Emilia is an ordinary mom—and she’s also the bestselling author of the Miranda Moody detective novels.
But when writing her tenth—and most difficult—book, life takes a disturbing turn: an incident mimicking the plot of one of her novels occurs in real life. Just an unsettling coincidence, right?Until it happens again. And again. Then someone she knows dies in the same way as a victim in the book she's currently writing. Why is someone doing this? What do they want? How could they possibly know what she’s thinking—and writing? Is Emilia and her family next?
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for giving me an advance copy.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

An excellent mystery by a talented, writer who writes dependable addictive psychological thrillers, and this one is no exception.

A stellar mystery about an author being stalked by a fan who is mimicking the author's mystery series. Great premise!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

This is my first book by Clair Douglas and won’t be my last. I truly enjoyed this book, I finished it in one sitting. I liked how there was a "book" inside this book. It was written very well and easy to follow even though it was essentially 3 different narratives. Highly recommend.

I enjoyed this book. I thought it was clever and well thought out.

The book follows Emilia. A suburban mom with two children, a doting husband and a revolting ex husband. She is a bestselling author and has just finished her 10th book. She gives an advanced copy to some of her close friends and family to read and provide feedback. Suddenly she has a stalker that is taunting her. Sending her flowers, breaking into her house, messing with her stuff. At first it seems childish but then the stalker ups the antics and things get interesting. There were quite a few suspects and I was guessing the whole time who was the culprit.

Thanks to netgalley for an arc of this book. This is my first time reading this author and I will definitely check out her other books.

Actually really happy and thankful that NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers gave me an opportunity to read this book months before it is to come out. (Dated for a July 2024 release as of now) It feels like it has been awhile since I’ve read a thriller where I actually liked the plot and the ending. It feels even longer since I’ve read one that I would actually recommend . I would definitely recommend this though as it’s a twister. I felt like that gif of Charlie Day in front of the conspiracy board as I tried to connect everything that was happening. Even if you think you have something figured out, it might switch back and forth several times. I was doubting my own accusations! I would suggest if you aren’t familiar with British police acronyms to go ahead and start keeping a list of them to refer back to. (That’s my one complaint, but my sister pointed out maybe books set or written by Americans have acronyms a lot too and we just don’t notice them? So, I’ll be trying to pay more attention in future books. ) I think I might have to look into more Claire Douglas books as well now ! Keep an eye on this one to drop!

This was a great book! There are so many twists, turns, suspects and red herrings that your head will be left spinning. Every time you think you have it figured out something new happens, and you realize you have no idea what's going on. There was a huge twist at the end of part one that left me reeling. It was brilliantly executed! I do think there were some parts that were repetitive, and the pace lagged at times. Perhaps some of that will be fixed before publication. Overall though, I really enjoyed The Woman Who Lied and look forward to reading more books by Claire Douglas. Highly recommended!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for the ARC!.

This was such an interesting and addicting read!

Emilia Ward is a mom of two and a bestselling crime writer. She is currently in the process of writing her 10th novel in her bestselling series when things start to get interesting. Imagine what would happen when the things that are happing in your books start happening to you in real life.. and imagine if they start happening when your book hasn't even been published yet... meaning someone you know is messing with you.

This was a fast paced read with a lot of "whodunit" and "who can I trust?" and you will be asking questions all throughout this story!

I recommend this for anyone who loves a fast paced, addicting, and a little creepy read, and a lover of twists!

This book was equivalent to driving up a mountain with so many twists and turns it leaves you a little dizzy - in a good way of course. Just when you think you have figured out “whodunnit”, another possible candidate would pop up. There were some parts that left me a little confused, but it all ended up being tied together nicely. This book will keep the pages turning - that’s for sure!

This is my second Claire Douglas book. While the first wasn’t my favorite, this one definitely hit harder.

I loved the overall concept. Any book about an author or just books in general makes it feel like a double whammy in the book lover department.

This one has multiple layers and wasn’t your run of the mill thriller. The ending was not glaringly obvious which is always appreciated to a veteran thriller reader.

Emilia, an established author, is writing her final book in a much-beloved murder mystery series where she plans to kill off her main character, a seasoned Detective. As the story enters final edits, she starts to notice strange and ominous occurrences that mimic the events in her previous novels. Only a few people know the fate of her main character in her most recent story… So who is after her, why are they doing this, and is she safe?

The first half of the story thoroughly creeped me out to the point where I actually had a nightmare… and I loved it.

The second half was a whirlwind of who-dun-its, and every time I thought we (we OBVIOUSLY being me and our main character, Emilia) had figured it out, the rug was pulled and new information surfaced.

This was suspenseful, at times thoroughly creepy, and fun. I had whiplash in the best possible way and the twist had me rereading entire chapters to see how I missed it. If you’re looking for quick-paced thrill, this should be your next read!

With a web of stories and a mysterious plot, Douglas's latest novel does not disappoint. Through twists, turns, and a whole lot of mystery this novel keeps the reader engaged throughout the entire book. With clues of a mystery unfolding on every page, the author keeps the reader in the loop as more and more details of this mystery become obvious.

The Woman Who Lied has such a great premise, but every time I put it down, I didn't feel compelled to pick it back up. I'm not sure exactly why, but the present tense made the narration feel stilted and forced. With so many other promising books on my TBR list, I couldn't convince myself to stick with this one. However, it got such glowing reviews from other readers that I'm confident it will find its audience.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

This book follows an author whose newest, not-yet-released, crime thriller starts coming to life. The target? The author herself.

I really loved this book! While I picked up on a few of the small details/hints, I was truly kept guessing the entire book. The subtle details kept my mind whirring and wheels turning with every page. Usually there’s a suspect and a red herring, but in this thriller every single person is a suspect. I felt really aligned with the MC and her emotions felt so real and genuine.

The thing I liked most about this book was that there was great communication (for about 90% of the book, at least). I often get frustrated by the miscommunication/no-communication trope that’s so common in thrillers (not sharing their suspicious, not calling the police, not sharing where they’re going). However, the protagonist actually communicated like a non-fictional person would! It felt realistic which allowed me to feel more immersed in the story.

The only item that kept it from being 5 stars was the “secret” that kept being hinted at and not disclosed in the latter half of the book. It felt like a bit too much lead-up for an underwhelming disclosure.

Overall, this was a delightful, well-paced thriller that held my attention the entire time. It was remarkable detailed, yet still easy to follow. I finished feeling satisfied and wanting to read more by this author as soon as possible!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Perennial and Paperbacks, and the immensely talented Claire Douglas for an ARC of this book! I thoroughly enjoyed reading and giving my honest feedback!

I think I’ve read every Claire Douglas book and after I finish each one I say, “ This one is my favorite!” As someone who exclusively reads thrillers and mysteries I thought I had it figured out and I was wrong in the best way! I couldn’t put this book down, I had to know what was going on. I loved going back and forth between the book and present day. This was a fast-paced, what the heck is happening, I need to inhale this book immediately type of read.

The Woman Who Lied by Claire Douglas was a fast read for me. It was a good, twisty mystery with some gripping scenes.

I liked how there was a "book" inside this book. I liked the Emilia character and her daughter Jasmine. I kind of had a feeling about the culprit, but the story was still good and held my interest.

I would recommend this book.

#TheWomanWhoLied #NetGalley @HarperPerennial

I love books within a book! Emilia Ward is the author of Miranda Moody book series about a DCI and a serial killer. She finished Book 10 and sent it to her friends and family to read. Coincidentally Emilia has experienced strange pranks that also happens in Book 10! The premise is great! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC to review.

Emilia is working on her 10th and final book of the detective series that made her a household name. Her excitement to move on from it is overshadowed by strange things happening; someone is leaving her strange messages, making it clear she has a stalker. Things take a troubling turn when it occurs to her that the person terrorizing her has read the draft of her last novel – one she’s only shared with a select few. Why would someone close to her want to hurt her?

As the novel plays out and Emilia tries to piece together clues, it becomes clear she has a big secret she is hiding. The book within a book aspect adds a nice element to the mystery and the twists and turns of the plot keep the reader guessing. The result is a smart thriller with a relatable, albeit sometimes frustrating, protagonist.

This would make a great choice for a book group, as there would be plenty of topics to discuss (trust, loyalty, mistakes people make when they are desperate). It is sure to please fans of mysteries and thrillers, especially if those without gratuitous violence are preferred.

I received this book from NetGalley.
When I first started reading, I was able to put the book down to do things I needed to do, but by the second half, I found myself unable to go to sleep until I finished it! It was a constant whiplash on who was causing all the trouble in Emilia’s life. She had me second guessing every character in the book! Emilia is a writer and I did really enjoy getting to read parts of her book to follow along with what was happening in Emilia’s life. Great read for sure!

3.7
The concept has potential but the execution falters and shakes like an old rope bridge. I wasn't invested enough to reread for accuracy, but that shouldn't have been necessary in the first place.