None of This is True is a story that unfurled slowly, methodically, and kept me turning the pages as that weird creeping feeling continued to grow in my gut.
We all have instincts. That deep down feeling that tells us that something is wrong—and None of This is True is what happens when Alix ignores her instincts and hopes to follow a new style of podcast—different than what she’d done before.
On her 45th birthday Alix meets Josie in a pub and finds out they’re birthday twins. For Alix, the encounter was brief and nearly forgettable, for Josie it became a pivotal moment in her life.
Josie tracks Alix down and convinces her she’s the next story that Alix needs to tell. Through a series of interviews, Alix becomes compelled with Josie’s life despite all the red flags and misgivings she feels around Josie.
The more Josie’s tale unfolds, the weirder things become—a missing bracelet, a magazine taken from the recycle bin. Small things that continue to build until one night, Josie shows up at Alix’s door covered in bruises and Alix lets her into her home, into her life, in a way that Alix could never have anticipated.
Told over interviews and podcasts, None of this is True is a beautifully crafted thriller with a woman who has an “elastic relationship” with the truth, and the other tangled in her web unaware of the danger lurking behind her guest room door.
Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada for the arc!!

4.25⭐️ okay, this book isn’t even out yet and ALL of the reviews I’ve seen for NONE OF THIS IS TRUE has been GLOWING! I just knew I had to read this right away! I’ve only read one LJ book and it wasn’t my fav so I’ve been nervous to read another one since, but I was pleasantly surprised by her newest book! This was such a quick, engaging, twisty turny book! I just couldn’t get enough and I kept reading and reading and reading until I got to the end!

Alix and Josie were born on the same day, in the same year, in the same hospital and at 45, they’re celebratiung their birthday… in the same place. Coincidence or fate???

Josie finds out Alix is a famous podcaster and wants IN – she wants to talk about HER life, and all the secrets and darkness that comes with it. Josie infiltrates herself into Alix’s life and while she was taken aback at first, Alix can’t help but want to know more about Josie.

This dual POV with such a great writing style – podcast elements as well as a Netflix doc!

I think this will be a win for so many when it releases in August!

I am not going to be able to do this review the way I want to without giving something away and I don’t want to .. so I’m just going to say

Holy hell. What a twisty, creepy, psychological thriller. It’s now in top place of my favourites by Jewell and going to be in my favourites list by the end of the year for thrillers

Top place
The End.

WOW. Lisa Jewell does it again and delivers yet another remarkable suspense novel with "None of This is True." As a devoted reader of Jewell's works, I can confidently say that this is my favorite novel by her to date. The book captivates with its intricate web of dark secrets, concealed pasts, dysfunctional families, and a constant sense of uncertainty.

Jewell's strength lies in her ability to craft deep and multi-dimensional characters, and this shines brilliantly in "None of This is True." The story unfolds gradually, I would call it a slow burn, allowing readers ample time to truly understand and connect with the characters. As morsels of the "truth" are revealed, the mind races to draw conclusions and determine who can be trusted or if any can be trusted. It becomes a thrilling challenge to decipher the authenticity of each character.

With its gripping narrative and skillful character development, "None of This is True" is a must-read for fans of suspense and psychological thrillers. Lisa Jewell's storytelling prowess keeps readers on the edge of their seats, questioning everything and everyone until the very last page.

You won’t be able to put it down!

If you like Lisa Jewell novels, you’ll definitely like “None of this is True”; if you’ve never read Lisa Jewell before this is a great introduction into the twisted world she creates. Highly, highly recommend.

Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
********************************************************
Lisa Jewell returns with a scintillating new psychological thriller about a woman who finds herself the subject of her own popular true-crime podcast.

Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summers crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins.

A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.

Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realize that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home.

But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family’s lives under mortal threat.

Lisa Jewell can always be counted upon to write an excellent book and this one did not disappoint at all. So popular that it's ridiculous TV shows based on podcasts: drama shows, documentaries, etc-etc-etc (A little "The King and I" reference there for you....) but to find yourself the subject of your own true crime podcast must be awful. The book was wonderful to read and kept me hanging until the last page I will highly recommend it to friends family patrons and book clubs alike. (BTW this is on Netgalley twice for some reason so it is reviewed there 2x) #shortbutsweetreviews

NONE OF THIS IS TRUE, Lisa Jewell
Pub Date: Aug 8, 2023

Lisa Jewell is back and in record time!

Her latest psychological thriller was written during the span of 6 months during lockdown in 2022. While she worried it would feel rushed and stray a bit from her usual elements, None of This is True delivers with a warped tale proving we never really know a person or if their tales are more fiction than fact.

In this story two strangers' lives converge on a simple premise - sharing a birthday. What ensues after two women share brief birthday pleasantries is a series of forced happenstances edged on by one. And, unknowingly lapped up by the other who just so happens to run a podcast and in search of new subject material. This will become Alix’s best series yet!

I enjoyed the twists, unreliable narration, and cast of supporting yet unsupportive characters where no one is as it seems. This was a page turner that kept my interest as the story continued to twist and turn with each chapter. Drawing on coincidences, sleight of hand and subtle plot diversions, Jewell brought to life one’s worst imagining of how making new friendships might not always be a good thing.

Cleverly, Jewell may have just reaffirmed it’s likely best to stick to books!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for my advanced digital copy!

Lisa Jewell’s latest is top-tier. An absolutely chilling and devastatingly riveting read. I struggled to put it down.

Do yourself a favour and pre-order this. Run, don’t walk. It’s that good.

NONE OF THIS IS TRUE is a psychological thriller where Alix, a renowned podcast host, finds herself as the subject of her own true crime podcast. Alix encounters Josie on her 45th birthday at her local pub where they discover that they share the same birthday. Josie bumps into Alix a few days later and tells Alix that she would make for a very interesting podcast subject, as her own life is on the cusp of big changes. Alix finds Josie a bit unsettling but can’t get over the temptation of wanting to know more… until suddenly she finds herself entrapped in Josie’s wake of terrible secrets.

NONE OF THIS IS TRUE is the third novel that I’ve read of Lisa Jewell’s and by far my favorite to date. She has truly outdone herself with this one. This is an addictive and riveting page-turner from the get-go, told in alternating perspectives (Alix and Josie’s). Alix’s chapters are a bit on the duller side but lend a moment of stability and normalcy to the story. Josie’s story is odd and a bit cringey but so captivating as she gives off an air of unreliability. The unreliable narrator can be a tricky line to walk but Lisa Jewell handles this masterfully and creates an enrapturing perspective.

The theme of a podcast has been cropping up a lot of late in thrillers but NONE OF THIS IS TRUE adds the twist of snippets of a Netflix series which add another layer to the plot without giving much context to the bigger picture until the end.

The tension builds as more secrets are unraveled over the course of the novel and culminates to a showstopper of an ending. The plot is rife with lies, half-truths, and multiple secrets that come together expertly. I loved that the ending wasn’t too neatly packaged leaving me with chills long after I was done.

Of note: this is a dark and sinister read with several triggers.I highly recommend checking the trigger warnings before picking this up!

<i>I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher, Atria Books (Simon & Schuster Canada), of this advanced digital copy for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed are my own.</i>

I’ve read other Lisa Jewell books in the past and they’ve been hit or miss for me but this one was so good! I don’t normally like unreliable narrators but this book did it so well and had me guessing to the very last page. I think I read this one in under 24 hours just to find out how it ended

An interesting psychological thriller that I can see being a big hit with book clubs.
Thanks for the opportunity to read and review!

It is full of creepy weirdos and it was a page turner for the gods!
I needed something fun and light and to me Lisa Jewell always delivers that promise.
Will I remember it forever? No.
Did it entertain the hell out of me? Yes.

Comes out in August.

"None of This is True" takes readers on a gripping journey through the twisted lives of Josie Fair and Alix, two women whose chance encounter as birthday twins sets off a series of events that lead to murder. Josie, a 45-year-old seamstress seeking a fresh start, finds the perfect outlet to share her intriguing story when she meets Alix, a podcast host. As their lives intertwine, the narrative alternates between their perspectives, keeping readers on the edge of their seats.

Josie's character is simultaneously alluring and unsettling, captivating readers with her intensity and peculiarities. Throughout the story, doubts arise about the reliability of her account, leaving readers wavering between belief and skepticism. In contrast, Alix's chapters provide a stable anchor in the narrative, though not as engrossing as Josie's side of the tale.

Interspersed between chapters are insightful interviews filmed for the Netflix series "The Birthday Twin," offering glimpses into the unfolding events. These snippets gradually reveal the truth, adding another layer of complexity to the story, which reaches its chilling climax in the final pages.

This addictive page-turner had me hooked from start to finish. Josie's train wreck of a character is both captivating and repelling, making it impossible to look away. However, it's important to note that the novel delves into challenging themes such as pedophilia, alcoholism, and abuse, making it a dark and intense read rather than a lighthearted one. The suspense throughout the book, coupled with its eerie atmosphere, generates a palpable sense of unease, culminating in a spine-chilling ending.

Having had mixed feelings about some of Jewell's recent works, "None of This is True" marks a return to her compelling storytelling form.

Celebrating her 45th birthday, quiet and unassuming Josie Fair meets her birthday twin: glamorous podcaster Alix Summers. Not only was Alix born the same day as Josie was; she was also born at the same hospital, and the coincidence makes Josie wonder about fate, and how her life would've been if she'd been born into Alix's. Slowly, she maneuvers her way into Alix's life, convincing the podcaster to interview her for the show as a middle-aged woman on the cusp of turning her life around. Except that Josie's motives are a lot more sinister than merely becoming the subject of a podcast, and soon, she creates far more trouble than Alix ever anticipated.

None of This is True is an interesting read. Despite the intriguing hook, it started off really slowly for me. The set-up of Josie manipulating her way into Alix's life -- to the point of randomly stealing Alix's garbage and hand soap -- wasn't as compelling as I'd hoped. I think part of it is that Josie acted creepy from the very beginning, so it was hard to see how an otherwise intelligent and successful woman like Alix would've let herself get entangled with her as badly as she did. The book tried to explain it away as journalistic curiosity, but considering that Alix's recording studio was in her own home, the fact that she let someone with as many red flags as Josie presented so close to her family and their personal lives was just odd to me.


And if Josie's initial creepiness wasn't enough to raise any red flags for Alix, surely her over-familiarity should have been. She later makes some really judgmental comments about Alix's husband Nathan's drinking. Even if Alix agreed with her statements, those were things only a really close friend had a right to say, so the fact that Alix pretty much just lets it go was frustrating, especially since Alix didn't fully agree with Josie's statements in the first place!

So for much of the first half, this was turning out to be a fairly disappointing read. Except that I I got to the halfway point shortly before bed and found that I kept wanting to read just one more chapter. And when I finished that chapter, I figured I may as well read just one more. And so on and so forth, until I finished the book late into the night.

The ending was a bit of a letdown, and the final big reveal was anticlimactic, but my goodness, Lisa Jewell can write. For all my underwhelmed responses to elements of the book, the fact remains that it kept me turning the pages. The story hooked me, and made me want to find out what happens next. And for that reason, I ultimately think this is a good book. Just suspend your disbelief a bit, and hold out for the much more compelling latter half.

+

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for an e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was so good. Brilliant really. I’m still grappling with the revelations and the real truth.

Great character development, I never had Josie figured out she was layers upon layers of sociopathic goodness.

The modern addition of Netflix docuseries and podcast brought this to a wide audience.

Completely unputdownable.

From the very first pages of None of This Is True, Lisa Jewell had me hooked - and that's something that IS true.

The third-person narrative alternated focus from Josie to Alix, and it worked incredibly well in providing & withholding certain bits of information to support the plot twists. What I found most endearing about the story is that from the outside, Josie is your average, middle-aged mother and wife. Josie works as a seamstress, has a pet dog, and by all accounts, lives a mundane life - but Josie herself is far from normal, and nothing about her life is as it seems. You could live next door to a Josie and never know it - that's what's so terrifying about this concept, and why it worked so well for me.

I loved the formatting of the book, and how fragments of it were presented to us through the lens of a Netflix documentary series on Alix's podcast on Josie, Hi! I'm your birthday twin! For me, this formatting adds to the realism of the book, and the plausibility that this story could happen - or could have already happened - in real life.

One thing that I will say, is that it took me quite a bit to get fully invested in the story - this may be personal to me as a reader, though. However, like Josie, the book is deceptively simple from the get-go, but that changed in the blink of an eye, and I was absorbed in the plot. The ending of Part 3 and all of Part 4 were by far the best parts of the book, where everything came together seamlessly in a satisfying climax. And that ending? In that final letter to Alix, is Josie really telling the truth, or is 'her truth' really another fragment of her warped reality? I'm inclined to believe Roxy and Erin, but the book being open-ended really worked for me. After all, none of this was true.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of None of This Is True to review. All thoughts are my own and are not influenced by any third party.

I’m speechless after reading this bone chilling, dark, twisty, mind bending thriller which is one of the best works of Lisa Jewel. None of This is True is a psychological thriller about two women who, through a chance encounter, learn they are birthday twins. Their unlikely meeting turns into a podcast in which shared confidences become the motive for murder.

The characters are chefs kiss! Dark and complex, just the way I like 'em. Let me be clear, this applies to fictional characters only, ha! The storyline pulled me in and I found myself invested immediately. A true crime podcast!? Amazing!

This is my new favourite Lisa Jewell book! If you love murder mystery books with unreliable narrators and podcast elements, you HAVE to pick up this book. I haven't felt a sense of dread this strong from reading a book in a long time. I was so creeped out that I felt I shouldn't read this book before bed but it was so good that I couldn't help myself. I can't wait to recommend this to my friends who like true crime.

Do you ever read a book and instantly stare at the wall, wondering what you just finished? This is that book.

For fans of true crime podcasts and thriller novels, this book is your next favourite dark thriller read. The book starts off a bit slow, pulling you into the weird character of Josie. Josie is out for dinner on her birthday when she spots Alix, who seems to be celebrating her birthday too. They meet in the bathroom, and Josie instantly feels a connection between them. Throughout the book, you follow the weird friendship between the two as they make a podcast about Josie’s life. This book will leave you speechless, wondering what is true and what is not. Instantly a new favourite of mine and definitely something to look out for if you love thrillers!!

Thank you, NetGalley, for sending me an eArc in exchange for an honest review.

Well, what can I say other than...Lisa Jewell has done it again!
None Of This is True is a thriller you absolutely won't be able to put down, jam packed full of twists, turns and moments that make your mouth drop.
Josie and Alix meet each other on their 45th birthday, discovering that they're birthday twins. After a few chance encounters Josie suggests that Alix (a fairly successful podcaster) do a podcast about her life, promising that she had an interesting story to tell. And boy did she.
From there the story delves into absolute chaos in the best possible way.
I know this is a book that people will be talking about all year!
Also, please find attached my spoiler free youtube review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPr1SGGvRv0

Do you ever read a book and instantly stare at the wall, wondering what you just finished? This is that book.

For fans of true crime podcasts and thriller novels, this book is your next favourite dark thriller read. The book starts off a bit slow, pulling you into the weird character of Josie. Josie is out for dinner on her birthday when she spots Alix, who seems to be celebrating her birthday too. They meet in the bathroom, and Josie instantly feels a connection between them. Throughout the book, you follow the weird friendship between the two as they make a podcast about Josie’s life. This book will leave you speechless, wondering what is true and what is not. Instantly a new favourite of mine and definitely something to look out for if you love thrillers!!

Thank you, NetGalley, for sending me an eArc in exchange for an honest review.

This was an absolute treat to have this ARC. Lisa is one of my favourite authors! This made my day seeing this.

That being said this book had me hooked from the start. I really couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I loved the premise of the birthday twins doing a podcast together and oh what a wild ride it was. I love a story about a crazy character and this book did not let me down.

At first you feel sorry for Josie. She's a bit odd but maybe she's just a bit lonely. You wish the best for her and her new friend Alix. It seems like they are on the same page. They could be the best of friends. But would Josie make for an interesting enough podcast subject?

My heart was racing as josie became more and more intertwined in alixs life. Her control levels ramping up.

I won't give away much else except I LOVED the format and the different interviews with key characters for the podcast. You NEED to pick this book up. Lisa has done it again.

A BIG thanks to netgalley and Simon and schuster canada for this perfect thriller.