It was a slow start for me and confusing on different POVs at first. I understand all of them when the second half began and everything else picked up at that point as well. Enjoyed the book!

The Woman Who Lied
Claire Douglas

First, this thriller kept me reading to the very end. Emilia, an author of crime thriller series, seemingly becomes embroiled in plot lines on her own making. When I finished, I pondered can you trust someone with your heart but not your life or with your life but not your heart? Can you trust someone with both? The Woman Who Lied , well you will figure that out and more by the end.

I liked how the timeline was mostly clear and in order and how I didn’t dislike anyone immediately in the believable inner circle. I liked learning some new UK terms and that Emilia didn’t know herself or others as well as she thought. Emilia, this family gal from the UK seemed to have it all ( seemed swell to me) should be confident and appreciate and trust those around her but what would be the fun in that? I get her trust issues. I have some myself.

I say read this novel. I recommend and would read more from this author.
I would like to thank HarperCollins, NetGalley and the author for an advanced copy.

Emilia Ward is the bestselling author of a popular detective series. She has just finished writing the tenth book in the series and has decided that it is time for her readers to say goodbye to the beloved main character, Miranda Moody. This book will be the final installment and will end with Miranda dying. Shortly after finishing the final book of the series, strange things begin happening to Emilia that mirror the plots within her book series. She initially shrugs it off as a coincidence, but the more it happens, the more unsettled she feels. It isn't until someone close to her ends up dead (and in the same manner as a character in her latest book) that she realizes just how terrifying all of it is. She only gave an advanced copy of her book to her closest friends and family, which can only mean one thing... someone in her inner circle is targeting her. Can she figure out who it is and put an end to it all before she ends up just like Miranda?

This book had me on the edge of my seat! It was SO good!! The author did such a great job of building suspense and tension. While reading, I felt myself getting more and more creeped out and anxious along with Emilia. It's been a minute since a mystery/thriller has pulled me in like this. This story had so many layers and was full of clever twists and curveballs. Every time I thought I had figured out who the culprit was, I was left back at square one. This book kept me on my toes. I couldn't put it down. Overall, I gave this book five stars and highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

This was a compelling read that had me hooked. I couldn’t wait to find out who was taunting Emilia and why. I enjoyed all the characters and the red herrings throughout.

Emilia Ward always dreamt of becoming a crime writer but, after leaving university and being flat broke, she chose to be a journalist instead. Unfortunately, having then met and married her first husband Jonas – after unexpectedly becoming pregnant – she soon found there was little time to pursue either career. However, when Jonas then decided to leave her for her best friend Kristin, Emilia used the time she had while her daughter Jasmine was at school to start writing her first detective novel, which culminated in the success of her DI Miranda Moody series. Finally, she had achieved her dream.

Now, happily married to her second husband Elliot, with whom she has a son Wilfie, Emilia has decided to kill off her detective heroine and concentrate on a standalone novel – a concept she is not sure will go down well with her publisher. However, while she waits for a verdict on her latest manuscript, she begins to experience a series of strange incidents, all mimicking events from her new novel. It is only when she realises that the manuscript had only been read by a few close friends and family, that she begins to suspect someone close to her must be responsible and that, if they stick to the story, it will ultimately end in the death of DI Moody … and therefore potentially her own.

I really enjoyed this novel as its complicated format challenged my powers of deduction. Once the initial mystery has been established, the story then divides into three threads. The first follows Emilia’s gradual decline into paranoia as she struggles to understand who is threatening her. The second thread follows a storyline from Emilia’s manuscript, while the third follows the investigation of Emilia’s stalker through the eyes of the detective in charge of her case. This might sound confusing but as the story nears its conclusion, everything falls into place.

‘The Woman Who Lied’ is written in such a clever way that everyone is a plausible suspect. Each time I thought I knew the guilty party, another plausible suspect presented itself to change my mind, keeping me engrossed to the very end when all is revealed. The whole novel is a rollercoaster of action and suspense, and one which I can thoroughly recommend.

Ultimately I found this one hard to follow. It was a story within a story within a story. The twist was too confusing and it was full of red herrings

I really enjoyed this book. The author has a way of capturing my attention instantly. I had to keep reading just one more chapter. It was a hard one to put down. Highly recommend.

The Woman Who Lied is a very clever mystery in which a writer starts having things happen in her life that happened in books she's written. Emilia Ward is a successful author who is married for the second time with 2 children, a teenaged girl from her first marriage and a young son from her current marriage. Her popular book series is about a detective who solves mysteries. She's on her tenth book in the series and Emilia decides it's time to kill off her main character. She wants to write something new and fresh. She's already finished the first copy of her tenth book, has sent it to her publisher, a couple of friends, and a few family members.

Emilia is torn about ending the series as she doesn't want to lose her fans. She just can't face continuing the series past 10 books though. As she's waiting to hear from people about the book, disturbing things begin happening. Events that happened in the book series start happening to Emilia. Someone is trying to send her a message, but who? When things escalate and things get more upsetting, Emilia is concerned. The things that are now happening are from her tenth book and only a select few people have a copy of it. Is this person that's tormenting Emilia someone close to her? Why would someone close to her try to scare her? Will Emilia and her family be okay? The threats are getting more serious and a family member goes missing. The suspense builds and builds and I couldn't guess who was doing this!

Stop what you're doing and get this book! I absolutely loved The Woman Who Lied by Claire Douglas and rate it 5 stars with my very highest recommendation. I was hooked from the start when you find out the things happening are from Emilia's book series. What a clever twist to a mystery! I'd like to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishing for an advanced copy of The Woman Who Lied in exchange for a fair review.
I can't wait for the next Claire Douglas book! #TheWomanWhoLied

3.5 ⭐️ I had a really slow start on this one, and the first half felt very long, but as things picked up at the halfway make with a twist, the ending can quick and was pretty satisfying!

I was riveted by this book! Every aspect of the story is written to keep the reader’s interest, from the “pranks” targeting Emilia to the slow revelations about her book and finally, the revelation of the killer. The pacing was just right and the twists were unexpected and just kept coming!

The Woman Who Lied by Claire Douglas is a recommended psychological thriller.

Emilia Ward lives with her second husband, Elliot, their son Wilfie, and Jasmine, her teenage daughter from her first marriage. She is also the bestselling author of the Miranda Moody detective novels who is about to publish her 10th book in the series. Then strange things begin to happen and Emilia suddenly becomes aware that the incidents resemble scenes from her books. As it continues, she begins to become concerned for the safety of her family. Once something from her current unpublished novel occurs, she realizes that whoever is doing this is among her trusted group of friends.

The narrative follows Emilia in the present day, excerpts from her latest book, and later, a third story line. Emilia's concern for her family is real. Along the way, Douglas includes plenty of red herrings and clues to follow that point to the guilt of different characters. The multiple story lines all come together at the end, but for me this wasn't a successful plot device. At first the pacing seemed slow for a thriller, but it does pick up. I enjoyed the thriller, but not as much as other novels Douglas has written. Thanks to HarperCollins for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

if there’s one thing I gravitate to in thrillers, it’s a dual timeline POV - and this one worked out so perfectly!

when a crime writer starts to notice events happening around her that are straight out of her books, she immediately goes into panic mode (and tbh, who wouldn’t) on who is out for her 😳 as the story escalates, the reader is treated to excerpts of the book within a book, occurring at the same time as the real events!!

in theory, this would be a fantastic twist and fast paced story. in actuality, the sheer amount of characters that were introduced once by a single sentence and promptly had no effect on the plot whatsoever was astonishing. I immediately lost track of every single person as the characterization was bare minimal except for the main character. the writing itself, when there was characterization, was so simple and juvenile it made my heart hurt - a clear example of telling rather than showing.

my brain physically was spinning in circles when I read this one 😵‍💫 like I couldn’t wrap my head around one topic before it bounced to another one… I think with a little more trimming and editing, it could achieve the same purpose without a ton of confusion on the readers’ end

all in all, the bones of the story were excellent and unique, but sadly, it fell victim to too many stories and characters happening at the same time to feel any sort of impact.

thank you to netgalley and harper collins for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

rating: 2.5 stars
wine pairing: australia malbec

The Woman Who Lied by Claire Douglas is a thriller which keeps you guessing till the very end. With two sub-stories running along with the main story, it can be a little confusing at the beginning but everything brilliantly came together in the end. The head-spinning twists keep you engrossed and make it difficult to put the book down. So good. Thank you, Netgalley and Harper Paperbacks for giving me the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

I’ve read so many cozy mysteries lately, I needed a good thriller, and this was it!!! I didn’t know who the murderer was until the last few pages! Emilia, the mc, is a well loved thriller writer, with 9 books published so far in a very successful detective series. She’s just finished writing her tenth, and final, book. Only a few people in her circle have read it, but some strange things start to happen. Events from her book series begin to happen in real life. First small things, from her first few books, but then things from her unpublished book begin to haunt her. And then someone close to her is murdered. Who can Emilia trust? And time is running out, because only a few people know how the book ends. I loved this one!!! 5 ⭐️

Thank you @harperbooks #partner for the gifted eARC.

Yay! Yay! Yay! This was such a great crime thriller and police procedural! This ultimately follows our main character Emilia who is a writer wrapping up the last book in her “Miranda Moody” detective series. She came up with the ending for it in an unconventional way and now…she regrets it. Shockingly she discovers that someone is copying incidents that she’s written in her past books. And all hell breaks loose when details emerge from her unreleased book! There are only so many people in her small circle that know that information. 😳 So just who is behind this or is it sheer coincidence?

Although several of Claire’s books are on my TBR list this was the first I had read and it made me even more excited to read her others! This characters and the happenings were layered perfectly together. This book felt so real, like maybe something you’d see on a crime show which I think made it even more scary! Claire does a great job building tension and suspense while peppering in some stressful scenes (my fav!) This one was addicting, entertaining, and a thrilling rollercoaster! I simply loved it and will definitely be back for more!

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. Based on the synopsis, it had the potential to be a fantastic read. But 1/3 of the way through and the biggest mystery is who showed up on the Ring camera? Next.

Have you read anything by Clarie Douglas? She is a very good author and whenever I see a new book from her, I try to get it. Her latest is The Woman Who Lied.

I liked the premise of the main character being an author whose detective novels are starting to come to life. How creepy, right? It was a great story, written well and I can’t wait to see what Claire writes next.

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?

This book kept me up well past my bedtime. I loved how twisty it was, and the structure was really fun and engaging as well! I will definitely be picking up Claire Douglas again.

Claire Douglas belongs up there at the top of the greatest! Her books have you guessing constantly and her tension is palpable. This was her best to date! If she writes it, I will read it!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was a slow start for me, but I ended up really enjoying it. Several unexpected turns and the letter at the end was perfection!!