The ever masterful domestic thriller writer Shari Lapena has done it again. She has crafted a novel that drew me in on the first page and kept my mind in overdrive the whole way through. Everyone Here is Lying is definitely my favourite Shari Lapena book. Although I do say that about every book of hers I read, but this time I really mean it.

9 year old Avery goes missing. The last person to see her was her father, William a prominent and well respected doctor. The only problem is, when the Police arrive to investigate Avery’s disappearance, William neglects to tell the police and his family that he saw Avery at home after school. You William has a secret and if he confesses to being the last one to see Avery alive, it will ruin him. But William is not the only one keeping secrets and telling lies but he is the one who has the most to loose if his lies come to the surface.

This book is full of classic Shari Lapena twists and turns, fast paced plot and suspense. There were several unlikeable characters, which was definitely the authors intent. I was definitely surprised by the plot twist. I didn’t think the book would end the way it did. If you love a fast paced, who done it, page turning thriller then I highly recommend you read Everyone Here is Lying.

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada, Netgalley and Shari Lapena for my electronic arc.

Pub date: July 25, 2023

I dislike leaving less than glowing reviews and will be the first to admit that I am not very good at it. This book left me feeling like I'm looking at a couple of families in a neighbourhood I care nothing about. The "twists" amount to little more than scenarios to pack more lies into. I see more relatable "drama" in shopping trips into the city.

This story starts with the end of an affair, the man going home early to find his nine-year-old daughter after she walked home alone from school instead of waiting for her older brother. They end up fighting and he leaves the house leaving her on her own again. The story then becomes a search for the missing daughter and the police question the family and all of the neighbours uncovering many secrets they'd rather keep to themselves.

There was a big twist that I didn't see coming but the story ended with me feeling like I was missing a few chapters. It just felt like there were too many loose ends. It was still enjoyable though.

Avery is quite the clever and scheming nine year old girl! Who saw that coming?

The Wooler Family daughter goes missing.
Not one person is to be trusted. Everything is unraveling. Everyone is becoming unhinged. And yet The Woolers live on a quiet, safe, friendly neighborhood street. Where did Avery go?

Shari Lapena does a great job at pacing the story and revealing the plot bit by bit.

You should suspend reality… to enjoy this mystery thriller; otherwise you will spend most of your energy on feeling incredulous. While all the characters are having internal struggles, no one is having actual conversations to solve the mystery. Instead of focusing on finding a missing child, the characters are worried about publicly tainting their image. Really tapping into what happens nowadays. How will this be perceived online?

Loved the ending.

DNF @30%

I am really having a hard time enjoying this book. Usually Lapena is an author that I enjoy reading, but this one is not original or interesting. I am sure that others will find it enjoyable. Just not for me.

This author is quickly becoming one of my favourites! Her writing style and ability to immerse readers in the worlds she creates is unmatched. I genuinely had no idea where this one was going and enjoyed every minute.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

This was the first time I've ever picked up a book by Canadian author Shari Lapena (it was long overdue) and it did not disappoint! It had everything I look for in a thriller: easy to follow, short chapters, fast paced, and with a good dose of messed up characters and circumstances!

Everyone Here Is Lying is the story of an incredibly egotistical, despicable, narcissistic child who goes missing under sketchy circumstances. Almost each person involved or interviewed tells a lie at one point in the investigation, misleading the detectives' investigation and search.

If you're looking for a quick, thrilling read this weekend, Everyone Here is Lying is a great recommendation!

Read if you like:
🔎 Missing person investigations
🏘 Domestic thrillers
😈 Unlikable characters

⚠️ Potential trigger warnings: missing person investigation, infidelity, child abuse, child abuction, domestic abuse (may not be an exhaustive list)

🙏 Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the gifted electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First I will say, I love the cover. I love treehouses, and the colours of the background, gorgeous! That being said, it's an odd choice for a cover, since the treehouse barely plays a part in the story at all. Wouldn't a motel with a dumpster near it have been more appropriate?

Anyway! I enjoyed this story. It was an interesting complex web of lies, betrayals and relationships. The first 70% of the book felt a little slow to me. It was mostly "what if this" and "what if that". There were also some minor plot holes and things that were unrealistic, but they can be easily overlooked for the sake of the story.

Overall, a good read!

Another great thriller from Shari Lapena! There were so many great twists and turns. A child goes missing and a frantic search begins. What happened in the hours before she went missing and who last saw her? Her father definitely has a lot of secrets as do many of their neighbours. This one definitely kept me guessing. The story is fast paced and I didn’t want to put it down. Another great thriller to add to your reading list.

I want to thank NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for allowing me the opportunity to review Everyone Here Is Lying.

This was my first Shari Lapena novel, and don't think this will be the last.

Everyone Here Is Lying is one of those thrillers and mysteries that will keep you guessing. I loved the complexity of the book and the numerous theories of what happened.

Synopsis:

William Wooler appears to be a family man, but he's been having an affair, one that ended horribly this afternoon. So when he returns home, devastated and angry, he loses his temper on his difficult 9 y/o daughter, Avery. Hours later, she's declared missing. Suddenly, their town doesn't feel so safe and William isn't the only one on his street keeping secrets. As witnesses come forward with information, neighbours become unhinged.

Review:

This was a page turning read. I've seen this book everywhere and I can see why! It kept me intrigued and it's one of those awful cast of characters where pretty much everyone is out for themselves... but it keeps you reading and intrigued. These are the types of books where they make you wonder who you can really trust, if even your own family could lie to you to this degree. Highly recommend!

I read and enjoyed all of Shari Lapena books but I was disappointed in this one and did not finish. From the get go I did not like the plot, too many characters to keep track of and I didn't care about any of them, they were not interesting at all. Writing is repetitious and this book was just not as gripping as Shari's other books. No suspense whatsover.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with with advance copy of the book.

William is having an affair with his neighbour. After she breaks it off with him, he comes home to find his daughter home when she shouldn’t be. They get in a fight, he leaves her alone at the house, and his son comes home to find his sister is now missing.

One of those stories that you have no idea who to trust and suddenly suspect every character.

I was pretty glued to this novel. I finished it a lot quicker than I have others lately! I found it very reliable - written perfectly to keep you engaged. It wasn’t really anything super special, but was still a good read.

I did have one major issue with one of the characters in the book (just found it not believable), but I can’t go into detail with that without giving spoilers.

Overall, a good read! It did however remind me of another popular thriller.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I flew through this book and was completely hooked until the very last page. One of the best suspense reads in a while! I have enjoyed all of Lapena’s books, and this was no exception.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an ARC of this novel!
4.5/5

WOW! Throughly enjoyed this latest from Shari Lapena! She does not disappoint. A doctor having an affair. His 9 year old daughter goes missing after he argues with her, when he finds her, at home alone. Everyone is suspect, including him. His daughter Avery, is a handful at the best of times, with her behavioral issues. So many secrets and lies in this storyline, He tries to cover up, lies to police. Things just go from bad to worse. His wife finds out about his affair. Who took 9 year old Avery??? Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read this book in advance. It did not disappoint. Loved the ending. 4 out of 5.

Just finished reading “Everyone Here is Lying” by Shari Lapena.

The book starts off with a couple having secrets. The couple, who are having an affair, are keeping secrets from their family and friends.

But that’s not what the novel is about. After a fight with her father, 9 year old Avery goes missing. As the police get involved, everyone is a suspect and everyone is lying.

This was a fantastic thriller that you will find hard to put down. The twists you don’t see coming. I highly recommend.

Love Shari Lapena and will continue to pick up every book she releases but this one I found too predictable and weirdly paced.

What a great thriller! It was a very quick read that I just couldn't put down. Like always, I try to figure out the twists and turns before they happen, but with this read, I wasn't able to figure it out!
Another great read by Shari Lapena
4.5 stars

4.5/5
I love Shari Lapena. Her books are engaging and constantly have me guessing. This one had me from cover to cover.
9-year-old Avery goes missing and in the search for her, it reveals lies, secrets, and drama from many POVs. Characters are added as the story progresses, keeping you guessing throughout. Absolutely binge-worthy and Lapena has continued her streak of great thrillers.
**Here is where I took off half a star. I couldn’t really believe that Avery was 9 years old. I feel her thoughts and actions were maybe of a young teen. It just didn’t sit right that she was only 9.
Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the ARC of this book in exchange for my review. Everyone Here Is Lying is now available for purchase.

Entertaining thriller! It kept me guessing until the reveal and then kept me on the edge of my seat to see how it would all tie up. There were some shady people in the story and lots of lies to untangle for sure.

William Wooler, respected family man and doctor, is not so great underneath the surface. He's having an affair with Nora, a beautiful hospital volunteer, and is prone to use aggression when dealing with his difficult daughter. This all comes to head when Nora ends the affair and William explodes on his daughter in a rage upon finding her at home. Shaken, he leaves the house, but his daughter is reported missing just hours later. In a community full of lies and secrets, the police work to discover who took Avery.

Pretty straightforward mystery thriller. Never felt too high angst, but was fast paced. I enjoyed the multiple POVs to help mix in perspectives and add to the intrigue.

I do feel we were shorted some conclusions. I really wanted to see the true mastermind go down. It was hinted at in the very end, but it's more satisfying to read in my opinion than be left open-ended. Also why did nothing really happen to William despite him hitting his child on more than one occasion? It really bothered me how terrible he was, but then nothing really came of it.

**spoilers below**
My other big complaint was the narrative of ADHD. Thought not explicitly stated, it was implied that Avery's ADHD was really part of her evil downward spiral. It felt uncomfortable to read. Autism was handled more respectfully, but still focused more on a sympathetic mother raising another "difficult child". Honestly someone reading this book without knowledge of neurodivergence could have some damaging opinions about autism and ADHD.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!