None of this is True by Lisa Jewell : REVIEW

None of this is True by Lisa Jewell

Release Date: 20th July 2023

Publisher: Century

Genres: Psychological thriller

Celebrating her 45th birthday at her local pub, podcaster Alix Summer crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie is also celebrating her 45th.

A few days later, they bump into each other again, this time outside Alix's children's school. Josie says she thinks she would be an interesting subject for Alix's podcast. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.

Alix agrees to a trial interview and indeed, Josie's life appears to be strange and complicated. Aix finds her unsettling but can't quite resist the temptation to keep digging.

Slowly Alix starts to realise that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it Josie has cajoled her way into Alix's life - and into her home.

Soon Alix begins to wonder who is Josie Fair really? And what has she done?

This book was recommended reading in my book club and oh boy was it a good choice. Alix is celebrating her birthday in a swanky restaurant. Also there is Josie with her husband, a much older man than Josie. She and her husband are slightly out of their depth coming to such a place but this is where Alix and Josie meet and realise they are both sharing a birthday, born on the same day in the same hospital. Birthday twins.

When they meet again, Alix has the fabulous idea for Josie to appear on one of her podcasts. She is after all looking for something a little different to do and Josie would just be perfect for this new direction she wants her podcasts to take. However, Alix gets more than she bargains for when Josie begins to tell her story. Despite being birthday twins, their lives couldn't have been any more different. Josie is not all she seems and there is darkness lurking in every corner of her life. A darkness that Alix doesn't see until it begins to consume her own family and marriage which has its own problems.  The people in Josie's life have secrets and soon those secrets are revealed slowly, bit by bit to paint a very dark picture.

This book has that drip drip drip effect that eats into your brain and makes you question everything! Just when you think you know what's going on it throws a curveball at you and suddenly you begin to doubt the information you've been given about the characters. I literally could not put it down. Its totally gripping and I was completely hooked. I alternated between the audible version and paperback so that I could always be immersed in it no matter what I was doing. I absolutely loved it.  With an ending I did not see coming, I have no problem highly recommending this amazing book. Well written, perfectly paced and full of shocks and surprises. What's not to love!

 

'Gloriously dark' Lucy Foley
'A moody, slippery novel' Gillian McAllister
'One hundred percent brilliant' Clare Mackintosh
'Shocking and creepy and glorious' Nicola Walker
'Utterly addictive' Claire Douglas