Behind Every Lie

October 28, 2019
At the start of this intriguing suspense novel from McDonald (The Night Olivia Fell), artist Eva Hanson is struck by lightning near her mother’s Seattle home. Eva later wakes up in a hospital with no memory of recent events, including the stabbing murder of her mother, Kat. The detective working the case thinks Eva killed Kat, but he doesn’t have enough evidence to arrest her. Eva is sure she didn’t do it, and after she finds a shocking letter in her mother’s house, she’s determined to find out who did. The letter leads her to London, where Kat lived when Eva was a child. As her memory starts to return, Eva discovers shocking secrets about her mother and herself—and a killer may still be on the loose. McDonald weaves together Eva and Kat’s narratives, which span past and present, to create a compulsively readable and fast-paced yarn that explores the lingering effects of trauma and abuse as well as the complex bonds between mothers and daughters. Readers who enjoy character-driven thrillers will be pleased. Agent: Carly Watters, P.S. Literary (Canada).