Lizzie and Bex were best friends in college. After graduation, Bex vanished, leaving Lizzie confused and devastated.
Fifteen years later, Bex is now Rebecca Sommers, a “traditional” Instagram influencer with millions of followers who salivate over her perfect life on her ranch with her five children and handsome husband, Gray. Lizzie is a struggling magazine writer, watching reels while her young children demand her attention.
One night out of the blue, Bex calls Lizzie with a career-making proposition—an exclusive interview with her about her multimillion-dollar business venture and an invitation to MomBomb, the high-profile influencing conference.
At the conference, Bex goes missing and Gray is found brutally murdered on their ranch. Lizzie finds herself plunged into the dark side of the cutthroat world of social media that includes jealousy, sordid affairs, swingers, and backstabbing. She must learn who her old friend has become and who she has double-crossed to try to find her, clear her name, and maybe even save her life.
Everyone Is Lying To You is a unique psychological domestic thriller that delves into the world of tradwife social media influencers and their secrets. The story follows two former college friends, Lizzie, a journalist and mother, and Bex (now Rebecca Sommers), a glamorous tradwife influencer, who are reunited when Rebecca invites Lizzie to report on her lifestyle brand at the influencer event MomBomb. But soon after the event starts, Rebecca vanishes, and her husband, Gray, is found brutally murdered on their ranch. Then, Lizzie is sent cryptic messages to help prove Bex’s innocence and thrust into a dark, deceptive world of social media façades and hidden lives.
This book is satirical and dark and offers a glimpse into social influencer culture, especially the tradwife movement—a curated blend of idealized mothers and ultra conservatism monetized via social media. There’s nothing really groundbreaking or surprising here that we haven’t seen in other books or movies—under the glossy social media facade lies manipulation, selective storytelling, and hypocrisy. But what’s fresh about this book’s take on this is the forum of a social media convention where the influencers get to interact with each other—it’s compelling to see how easily the cracks beneath their false personas are revealed and how outwardly manipulative they can be!
The story has mostly a dual POV, alternating between Lizzie and Rebecca, with additional POVs of Detective Walsh and another tradwife, Veronica, at the beginning and end. Both Lizzie and Rebecca are unreliable narrators, which adds suspense to the unpredictable storyline. There’s a constant sense of mistrust between them and a foreboding betrayal waiting just around the corner. Their dual narratives really emphasize the complexities of female friendship and the aftermath of betrayal.
Lizzie is a methodical, intelligent protagonist who’s willing to take risks—much of this stems from her being a successful reporter and doing what it takes to get the story she wants. Her close relationship with her husband, whom she confides in several times in the story, and the concern for her children make her feel authentic and relatable.
Rebecca is an equally bold character who’s on a mission for vengeance and independence. She’s quite flawed and initially unlikable, but it becomes easier to empathize with her once truths of wrongdoings done to her are revealed. Many of the supporting characters, such as Detective Walsh, Veronica, and the other tradwife influences that Lizzie interacts with, are underdeveloped and feel more like plot devices than substantial characters—and this reduced their emotional resonance in some scenes.
The story has a slow-burn start and initially feels more like a drama than a thriller. In the first half, the backstory between Lizzie and Rebecca is established via dual timelines, and their brief reconnecting at the MomBomb conference sets up the suspense to come. Once Rebecca is reported missing and her husband is found murdered, the pacing and intensity improve, and the book becomes more of a page-turner. There are some clever twists towards the end, along with 3 epilogues from the POVs of Lizzie, Rebecca, and Veronica that give some pleasing resolution and a final twist that readers won’t see coming—but prepare to suspend your disbelief as its plausibility feels strained.
The strengths of this novel are the immersive, juicy storytelling, well-executed twists, and social media satire—the social media revelations are not original, but the angle from which the author dismantles the fantasies of influencer life is very entertaining and insightful. As for weaknesses, side characters aren’t well developed and the pacing is uneven. From a slow-burn first half to relentless pacing towards the end, this is a book that readers will need to be patient with (and see through until the very last chapter) before giving it a grade!
Overall, Everyone Is Lying to You is a satirical domestic thriller with a unique take on influencer culture. It will especially appeal to fans of female-centric mysteries, satirical comedy, and stories about the truths behind the facades of social media. It’s also a great option for anyone looking for their next juicy, bingeable summer thriller!
Narrator Performance
The audiobook of Everyone Is Lying to You is a high-quality production, narrated by four talented narrators: Rachel F. Hirsch, Sarah Reny, Saskia Maarleveld, and Vas Eli! Each narrator provides a distinct voice for their character, and they’re all easily distinguishable.
The transitions between narrators and chapters are seamless, constantly maintaining an immersive and cinematic listening experience. The book has a slow-burn start and a fast-paced second half. Main narrators Rachel F. Hirsch and Sarah Reny provide dynamic pacing—allowing listeners to reflect on scenes that establish backstory and character development and to feel thrills during high action sequences—such as when Lizzie is hiding in the ranch and has to make a dangerous escape.
Rachel F. Hirsch portrays Lizzie with a tone infused with introspection, mistrust, and unease, capturing the character’s reflection on her relationship with Rebecca and her suspicions about the communication she receives after Rebecca disappears. Sarah Reny portrays Rebecca with a bold, determined voice, authentically conveying a woman who’s planned out her route to independence and vengeance. Both narrators have clear, engaging voices and strong emotional ranges and provide convincing performances—especially during high-tension or introspective scenes.
Vas Eli and Saskia Maarleveld narrate the secondary roles of Detective Walsh and Veronica. Eli uses his smooth, commanding voice to perfectly convey the police interview transcripts during the prologue and throughout, giving the audiobook a more cinematic and interesting feel. Maarleveld gives a multi-dimensional performance of Veronica using different tones and pacing to portray this “social chameleon” character. Even though Veronica’s parts are few, Maarleveld brings her vividly to life, especially during the character’s epilogue, when the character’s true nature is revealed and her dramatic flair is emphasized!
Overall, the audiobook edition of Everyone Is Lying to You offers a top‑tier listening experience that elevates the story to another level. Fans of satirical thrillers and multicast audiobooks, where the narrators transform an already juicy narrative into an immersive, character-rich experience, should definitely give this a listen!
Narrator Performance
The audiobook of Everyone Is Lying to You is a high-quality production, narrated by four talented narrators: Rachel F. Hirsch, Sarah Reny, Saskia Maarleveld, and Vas Eli! Each narrator provides a distinct voice for their character, and they’re all easily distinguishable.
The transitions between narrators and chapters are seamless, constantly maintaining an immersive and cinematic listening experience. The book has a slow-burn start and a fast-paced second half. Main narrators Rachel F. Hirsch and Sarah Reny provide dynamic pacing—allowing listeners to reflect on scenes that establish backstory and character development and to feel thrills during high action sequences—such as when Lizzie is hiding in the ranch and has to make a dangerous escape.
Rachel F. Hirsch portrays Lizzie with a tone infused with introspection, mistrust, and unease, capturing the character’s reflection on her relationship with Rebecca and her suspicions about the communication she receives after Rebecca disappears. Sarah Reny portrays Rebecca with a bold, determined voice, authentically conveying a woman who’s planned out her route to independence and vengeance. Both narrators have clear, engaging voices and strong emotional ranges and provide convincing performances—especially during high-tension or introspective scenes.
Vas Eli and Saskia Maarleveld narrate the secondary roles of Detective Walsh and Veronica. Eli uses his smooth, commanding voice to perfectly convey the police interview transcripts during the prologue and throughout, giving the audiobook a more cinematic and interesting feel. Maarleveld gives a multi-dimensional performance of Veronica using different tones and pacing to portray this “social chameleon” character. Even though Veronica’s parts are few, Maarleveld brings her vividly to life, especially during the character’s epilogue, when the character’s true nature is revealed and her dramatic flair is emphasized!
Overall, the audiobook edition of Everyone Is Lying to You offers a top‑tier listening experience that elevates the story to another level. Fans of satirical thrillers and multicast audiobooks, where the narrators transform an already juicy narrative into an immersive, character-rich experience, should definitely give this a listen!
The audiobook of Everyone Is Lying to You is a high-quality production, narrated by four talented narrators: Rachel F. Hirsch, Sarah Reny, Saskia Maarleveld, and Vas Eli! Each narrator provides a distinct voice for their character, and they’re all easily distinguishable.
The transitions between narrators and chapters are seamless, constantly maintaining an immersive and cinematic listening experience. The book has a slow-burn start and a fast-paced second half. Main narrators Rachel F. Hirsch and Sarah Reny provide dynamic pacing—allowing listeners to reflect on scenes that establish backstory and character development and to feel thrills during high action sequences—such as when Lizzie is hiding in the ranch and has to make a dangerous escape.
Rachel F. Hirsch portrays Lizzie with a tone infused with introspection, mistrust, and unease, capturing the character’s reflection on her relationship with Rebecca and her suspicions about the communication she receives after Rebecca disappears. Sarah Reny portrays Rebecca with a bold, determined voice, authentically conveying a woman who’s planned out her route to independence and vengeance. Both narrators have clear, engaging voices and strong emotional ranges and provide convincing performances—especially during high-tension or introspective scenes.
Vas Eli and Saskia Maarleveld narrate the secondary roles of Detective Walsh and Veronica. Eli uses his smooth, commanding voice to perfectly convey the police interview transcripts during the prologue and throughout, giving the audiobook a more cinematic and interesting feel. Maarleveld gives a multi-dimensional performance of Veronica using different tones and pacing to portray this “social chameleon” character. Even though Veronica’s parts are few, Maarleveld brings her vividly to life, especially during the character’s epilogue, when the character’s true nature is revealed and her dramatic flair is emphasized!
Overall, the audiobook edition of Everyone Is Lying to You offers a top‑tier listening experience that elevates the story to another level. Fans of satirical thrillers and multicast audiobooks, where the narrators transform an already juicy narrative into an immersive, character-rich experience, should definitely give this a listen!
