This story starts off when two women celebrating their forty-fifth birthdays stumble across each other as they're celebrating their birthdays at a local pub. What starts off a a bit of a cringe-y one-sided friendship ends up spiralling into an outcome so much darker than the beginning would have you believe.

I buckled in thinking I was in for something like Ingrid Goes West, something about a mousy and unfulfilled character becoming increasingly obsessed with glamorous influencer-type, but it was just absolutely gripping and full of twists all the way through. Even the darkness of one of our protagonists/narrators feels disarmingly trickle-truthed to us - aspects of her life she first describes as a cheeky offhand comments become a bit more doubtful, then a bit uneasy, then properly concerning, until finally you realize exactly how horrific the situation is. The story-telling is just so so so good in this, and as always, I'm a sucker for an interwoven podcast storyline - it's just so evocative and spooky to have parts of the story advanced in that very evocative direct address we've all come to know and love in our podcasts.

This one is going to be a high recommend from me! I think it will be a hugely popular title upon release later this year.

Holy moly. What did I just read? Another winner from Lisa Jewell, this one will keep you guessing until the very last page is turned (and maybe even later!).

LISA JEWELL does it again. Oh my god was this a wild ride. While celebrating her forty-fifth birthday, Alix, a popular podcaster, meets her “birthday twin” Josie. As the two begin to talk, Josie’s dark past and buried secrets start to emerge and the podcast takes a sinister turn. Goosebumps seriously.

Absolutely one of the most unique thrillers I have read this year. So many books have a true crime podcast element but this was a new spin on that trope. There were twists that made my head spin. And as the title says you won’t be able to tell what is true and what is not.

That ending also. Full body chills.

Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks. This is out 8/8/23 and you are going to love it.

Excellent!

Alix Summers and Josie Fair are birthday twins who happen to meet each other in a pub on their 45th birthday. When Josie discovers Alix is a successful podcaster, she lobbies Alix to make a podcast about her, saying she’s on their verge of some big life changes. Despite her inner voice telling her she should be cautious, Alix dives in, fascinated by the darkness and weirdness surrounding Josie’s stories. Before long, Josie has completely wormed her way into Alix’s life and things start turning deadly.

No one does thrillers like Lisa Jewell does thrillers, and I couldn’t get enough of this dark couldn’t-put-it-down thriller! Josie is a deliciously unreliable character, and her obsession is creepy and unsettling in the very best way.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

None of this is true is the story of two women who meet unexpectedly in a restaurant when they discover they are birthday twins. One woman seems like a very put together person with a job and family while the other seems very needy. The needy one finds a way to insinuate herself into the other life and brings nothing but chaos.

Lisa Jewell's done it again! Her books never disappoint and this one was no exception. Sometimes I can find it jarring when there's an element of the story that's not just prose (like poetry, screenwriting tidbits, etc) however for this one it really works. The scenes of the Netflix show really add something to the story and set up the reader for what they'll experience. Even with all of that, I still found myself surprised by the ending. I would think I was coming towards the end only for something big to happen. I've only just finished the book and I'm still questioning everything, in a good way. I couldn't put this book down. Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC!

Lisa Jewell does it again! This is such a fun book that is set perfectly to the tone of our current culture. Podcasts + thriller + Lisa Jewell = perfection.

This is my favorite book I read from this author. Highly recommend this book, as well as her other books.

Wow wow wow! This book is my new favorite Lisa Jewell book! The unreliable characters kept the pages turning. I was hooked from the beginning!

Lisa Jewell does it again! I rolled my eyes a little when I saw that this was another "book about a podcaster" that's all the rage these days, but Jewell made it different, and I fell in love with Alix. She's the podcaster with the "everything looks perfect" life, while the reality is far from the truth. While out celebrating her birthday dinner, she meets Josie, also there for her birthday dinner. Josie approaches her in the bathroom and lets her know they are "birthday twins." When Josie and Alix cross paths again, Josie makes Alix an offer she can't refuse. She thinks Alix will find her story interesting, and it will allow Alix to reinvent her podcast and maybe take it to the next level. And boy is she right about that! The backstory of these two women is so perfectly drawn, you can't help but turn the pages to find out the next pieces of their stories. As far as I'm concerned, Lisa Jewell can't write fast enough!

I loved this! I have liked all of this author’s previous books, and I think this one is my favorite. I loved the alternating viewpoints, and the setting. I also love the podcast aspect, and that is quickly becoming one of my favorite tropes in the past year or so. Going in just based on the title, I doubted the truth of everything I was reading, wondering what was true and what wasn’t. I was shocked by the ending! I can’t wait to read the next one by Lisa Jewell!

I felt like I held my breath during every reading session! I hesitated, going to sleep normal hour, because a plethora of predictions swirled in my mind. The heart wrenching, heartbreaking story. Josie tells .Alix rants attention with every word. This psychological thriller wrapped my attention ; Roxy,Nathan, Pat and others play a minor role in the plot, they play a major role in the jigsaw puzzle of Josie’s life. The suspense contained in the story caused me to read during any moments of free time in order to find out how it ends. With half closed eyes.,I felt the urge to turn another page, turn another page, turn another page. Yes, she makes the story that riveting! I appreciate the fact that quality of the story remains until the last page.

I loved this twisted thriller from Lisa Jewell! The story left me riled up, frustrated, and torn in all the best ways! I would definitely recommend it for an original mystery/thriller, Lisa Jewell is great.

If you are a fan of Lisa Jewell you will love this book. Alic Summer is a popular podcaster who decides to work on a new podcast featuring the story of Josie Fair. Josie turns out to be a very complicated character that you initially feel sorry for but as the book goes on, you are not sure what to think or believe about Josie. This book has so many twists and turns making it the perfect psychological thriller. This story is one that will stay with me for a longtime, especially with a great ending that left me with goosebumps! A five star read! Thank you net galley and Atria books for sharing this digital book with me in exchange for my review!.

Wow wow wow! Lisa Jewell, I’m in awe and also slightly scared of you! You are either a truly phenomenal thriller writer or a serial killer LOL! This book was fast paced and I lost sleep over needing to find out what was going to happen next. Such an interesting format to tell the story through the lens of a podcast made into a documentary. I loved it!

This is my first Lisa Jewel novel. I’ve bought some of her other books as gifts for my family, knowing they would love them and now I’ll have to go borrow those books and read them too. 😆 None of This had an eerie vibe from the very first chapter. As the storyline develops it’s fast and furious — hooks you hard. And then you start dissecting any wee bits of sinister behavior. Simultaneously wanting to devour the pages and feeling uncomfortable with what’s coming next. A riveting novel filled with intrigue, toxicity, and subterfuge. It’s brilliant and terrifying, delivered in a highly digestible format that’s very 2023.

A mystery so full of plot twists. In the flavor of Gone Girl (who's good? Who's bad? What even is good or bad anymore?) This book kept me raptured from the first page to the last page. I was emotionally invested in each of the main characters, their good decisions, their bad decisions.

This book is a-ma-zing!!! It might just be my new favorite Lisa Jewell book!

Such a clever premise: Alix Summers and Josie Fair are birthday twins who happen to meet each other in a pub on their mutual 45th birthday. When Josie discovers Alix is a successful podcaster, she lobbies Alix to make a podcast about her, saying she’s on their verge of some big life changes. Despite her inner voice telling her she should be cautious, Alix dives in, fascinated by the darkness and weirdness surrounding Josie’s stories. Before long, Josie has completely wormed her way into Alix’s life and things start turning deadly.

No one does thrillers like Lisa Jewell does thrillers, and I couldn’t get enough of this dark, twisty, can’t-look-away, couldn’t-put-it-down thriller! Josie is a deliciously unreliable character, and her obsession is creepy and unsettling in the very best way. This book is a perfectly paced, intense, wild ride that had me on tenterhooks the entire time!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

I am currently diving into ANY book that revolves around a true crime documentary/podcast and I'm thrilled that Lisa Jewell's newest thriller is a fantastic addition to this sub genre.

The plot moves quickly while feeling a bit disorienting. Josie is a very strange character but the reader is forced to slowly realize, bit by bit, just how off she really is. The plot takes plenty of dark, tense and disturbing twists and I found myself questioning which narration to believe.

An oh so aptly named thriller and my new favorite from Lisa Jewell.

Wow! My first Lisa Jewell novel, but it certainly won't be my last. I couldn't put it down. I loved the format with the podcast records and the Netflix special script. It made the story seem even more real. Making Alix's marriage not-so-perfect also gave an element of realism to the story. I absolutely enjoyed this novel.