This was so twisty, but nothing felt so crazy that it wasn't realistic. I did predict a few twists, but usually they were followed with something that I literally never saw coming so it balanced out. I did kinda guess the end, but the build-up to it definitely threw me off of it.

I really like how "normal" Amelia and her family were. I feel like in a lot of thrillers, even ones with similar general ideas, the main character or family are either deeply unhappy or their lives just aren't actually realistic. The family actually liking and respecting each other made this feel so much better than some others where it's "I'm married but I hate my husband and/or my kids and/or my job".

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the advanced copy of this book!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

I had high hopes since I really enjoy books by Claire Douglas. But I am so sad to say this one had me bored. Maybe it was just me but I will not give up on this author. I would suggest give it a try maybe it was just me.

•I love reading books about books and books about authors. I think it’s so fun and this one was no exception.

•Author Emilia Ward is a bestselling author of a series about a detective named Miranda Moody. Over the span of nine books, Miranda has solved countless crimes. It was all fictional until one day, Emilia begins having strange things happen to her and her family. These things just so happen to be incidents from her books. Recognizing this, it seems odd but doesn’t immediately cause alarm. That is, until she realizes that the latest incidents are things from her unpublished tenth book.

•I couldn’t get enough of The Woman Who Lied. I was hooked from the very beginning. I kept making predictions on the outcome, and I was wrong every single time.

•Thank you to Claire Douglas, NetGalley, and Penguin Books for a copy of this book. It became available on July 6, 2024.

I really enjoyed this book and had trouble putting it down. It centers on Emilia, an author who has just finished the 10th book in a series she writes when things start happening around her that mirror things that happened in her books in a way that is too unique to be a coincidence. Even scarier, some of the stuff that happens comes from her newest book which hasn’t actually been released yet, making it clear that the culprit is in her inner circle.

This book was super tense with many believable red herrings. I thought I had it figured out multiple times, only to be proven wrong when a new piece of evidence was uncovered. Emilia was a likable and realistic character who I thought acted the way someone in her position would. Her relationship with her family, ex, and friends also felt authentic to me. I saw some reviewers say that the storyline felt convoluted and/or unrealistic but I didn’t feel that way at all. I thought it was a solid story, only made better by the chapters that were not told from Emilia’s POV, which added to the mystery and provided valuable background information. I liked the ending and thought it was a perfect way to end the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would strongly recommend it to those who like psychological thrillers and have a hard time finding a book with true surprise twists. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this one. It was fresh and not too predictable. The writing was stellar and it kept me on the edge of my seat. Though, the ending did bum me out a little because it turned out to be too convoluted. Overall, it was a good, quick read.

This book was so great, I read it back to back and bought the physical copy! I love this author, she never disappoints.

The story had me from very early on and I was super invested in finding out what was going on. I love the plot line of a serial killer copying an authors work. I wonder if this actually happens or has happened in real life.

The twists and turns never stopped and as always, it was not the person I thought it was. I felt so bad for Emilia, every time she thought she solved something, three more things happened and she was (as we all were) suspecting everyone!

This book made me glad I am not a public figure of any kind, I just couldn’t. But reading about it is so much fun. This book was a ride and a must read

I enjoyed the mystery within the mystery of this book. The resolution was satisfying, the plot was intricate and moved at a clip, and I liked that the main character had flaws for which she had to take accountability. This has been my favorite of Douglas’s books, many of which I’ve read.

NetGalley and Harper Collins sent an ARC of this book at my request, for which I thank them. But because I split my time between US, UK, and EU and it was published in the UK first, I had already read this book months ago. Once I started reading though, I immediately recognized my mistake and could recall the plot and the main character of this book. I say all this as an endorsement. I read hundreds of books a year and this stuck with me. 4/5 stars.

DNF'd around 20%. I have previously read from this author and enjoyed it. But I just couldn't get into this one. It never really gripped me or sparked my interest and I found myself not wanting to pick it up again. I never felt connected to the main character or engaged with the plot.

Actual Rating 3.5

This work includes interludes between some chapters that are used to build tension in the primary timeline and were mostly used quite well. I enjoyed Emilia as a protagonist and appreciated that she was relatable and well written. It was also interesting to watch her fall apart as the book went on and things escalated, and it certainly added to the tension.

The author did a great job including misdirection and twists that didn’t feel too absurd and were things that I didn’t see coming. I enjoyed not knowing where this story was going for the most part. This is a bit of a slow build, but I think the author balanced the slower pace with the increase of tension relatively well.

If you’re interested in psychological thrillers that stay away from many of the overused tropes of the genre, then I recommend checking this one out. I’ll definitely read more from this author. My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed this book! I thought the story line was unique and the "killer" was copying her books. I couldn't put this one down.

The woman who lied is a crime novel that follows an author who is being targeted by a stalker. The stalker is following the plot lines of her books and doing stuff to her. She has to figure out who is stalking her before something happens to her or her family.

I thought this book was just ok. I liked the book plot line and that kept me interested. However, i feel like the plot was just far fetched. A lot of things that happened just didn’t seem realistic to me. It also felt slow and dragged a bit for me.

This book wasn’t bad but not amazing either.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Emilia is a writer and things from her books start happening in real life. You don't know who is guilty or who to trust. I thought I knew for a bit but things started to lead me in a different direction only for me to then realize I was right haha I love when the writing makes me second guess everything. Very clever storyline. I can't wait to try out more by this author.

This book! I was at the edge of my seat. It was a more original premise than I'm used to seeing, and I was here for it. It was all about a mystery writer who is having her murder stories come to life around her. The MC was relatable, and I cared about what would happen to her and her family, which is no small feat for me. I liked trying to solve the mystery and the storylines weaving together. Wow! Solid 4.7, rounded.

An unusual premise as someone starts re enacting scenes from a murder mystery author's books. Lots of twists in this one as she identifies suspects one by one. Definitely didn't see the ending coming. A repeat reader of Claire Douglas!

Emilia has just finished her latest book in her popular detective series entitled “Her Last Chapter”. When things start happening from her book series in real life, Emilia soon realizes she has a stalker. When scenes from her yet to be released book happen, Emilia realizes her stalker is much closer than originally thought and when someone dies, Emilia knows that’s she’s the next intended victim. Will she be able to figure out who wants her dead before it’s too late? Douglas has us questioning everyone from start to finish and with her many twists and turns, you might just stay up all night to finish this one. Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

While this book doesn't feel particularly unique or totally out of this world, it is a solidly-paced thriller that kept me intrigued and wanting to find out what happens. 4 stars for being the kind of thriller that will make all readers happy to spend some time guessing whodunnit.

This was my first book by Claire Douglas but it certainly won't be my last

I really enjoyed this twisty thriller.

Emilia is an author of a detective series, she is just about to publish the final book when crimes begin happening around her that follow the storylines of her books,

This is a great read, a little slow at the start but after about 40 pages I was engrossed. I loved the dining and didn't guess what was going on. An added bonus was that it is set really locally to me!
Certainly recommend this for psychological thriller fans and am definitely going to check out the authors other books.

Thank you to netgalley and harperperennial for the gifted e-copy.

This book didn't work for me. Too many characters with superfluous details. Didn't care about the main character. No atmosphere, or tension, or suspense of any kind. Weak dialogue. Even the premise is something I have already seen before, but done better. By the 30% mark I skim read the rest. This book was boring and forgettable.

What happens when a mystery author's real life starts to imitate the tense plotlines of her beloved book series?? Everyone, even those closest to her, become suspects! I love the book within a book plotlines, and this thriller really delivered. While I have read books with similar themes, this one is well-written, has developed characters, and builds palatable suspense as the book progresses. I was on the edge of my seat to reach the conclusion!

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the plot of this book! It’s been done before many times but if written well, can still feel new and intriguing. A novelist starts experiencing troubling occurrences having to do with her best selling books and plays detective herself to figure out who is behind it. The story was well written and the characters were deep and complex, with nothing being quite as it seems. I would recommend to anyone who likes mysteries and thrillers inspired by detective novels!