“Never Lie” by Freida McFadden

“Never Lie” from Freida McFadden, the author of “The Housemaid” series is a standalone psychological thriller that is set in a deserted manor. Tricia and Ethan, newlyweds decide to visit a manor they are interested in buying. The manor is huge and is situated in a secluded place that is cutoff from the city. The real estate agent who was supposed to show them around doesn’t turn up and it starts to snow heavily when they reach the place. They are stuck in a blizzard and forced to stay in the manor. 

They come to know that the house was previously owned by Dr.Hale, a psychiatrist who went missing few years back. There are also rumours that she was murdered by her boyfriend. Tricia accidentally stumbles upon a secret room full of tapes containing the recordings of patients of Dr.Hale. As she starts listening to the tapes, she learns about the chain of events that lead up to the mysterious disappearance of Dr.Hale. With this solid premise, does “Never Lie” live up to the hype?

The novel starts off with a striking resemblance to Alice Feeney’s “Rock Paper Scissors”. Most of the action happens inside the manor and the interesting sequence of events told in a non-linear fashion sets up a brilliant cozy mystery. The different POVs of the primary characters keeps the novel moving, but the novel picks up rapid pace once the mysteries start to unravel in the second half. Everyone holds a secret and tries to protect it no matter what. The events unfurl in a seamless fashion and keeps us guessing until the climactic end. There are few instances where the happenings are logically unsatisfying but that doesn’t reduce the tension building up. Despite some logical flaws, this novel is intriguing and has some genuine twists!