Seven Lies

Starred review from March 16, 2020
There are unreliable narrators and then there’s Jane Baxter, the self-proclaimed prevaricator who anchors the pseudonymous Kay’s debut, an electrifying psychological thriller. Speaking with eerie calm to a listener whose identity will only be revealed in the chilling penultimate twist, Jane spins the story of how the friendship she forged at 11 with polar opposite Marnie Gregory—“She is light where I am dark”—mutates over two decades into an obsessive, jealously defended lifeline she would do anything to preserve. Just how dark the perennially anxious young woman is capable of being becomes apparent as she charts the course of the pair’s relationship from halcyon post-university days sharing a South London flat through the point where their trajectories start to diverge. Blindsided by tragedy, Jane finds her world shrinking at the same time Marnie is succeeding as a food blogger and cooking video star. And then there’s Marnie’s romance with a wealthy, self-important man Jane instantly loathes. But she doesn’t dare tell Marnie how she feels for fear of destroying the friendship she craves more desperately than ever, instead taking the first step onto the slippery slope of deceit. Even readers who suspect where the story is heading should brace themselves for a wild and surprising ride. Kay, a British publishing professional, is off to an impressive start. Agent: Madeleine Milburn, Madeleine Milburn Literary.

April 15, 2020
An obsessive friendship leads to tragedy, one lie at a time. Jane Baxter and Marnie Gregory were the best of friends until Marnie's marriage drove them apart. Jane hated Charles from the beginning, but to avoid a confrontation with Marnie, she told her she thought they were good together--the first of seven lies that led to Charles' death and Jane's undoing. The story begins with this plot spoiler and counts down to the moment when it happened. It's as if Jane is begging the reader to get through the first few chapters. Fortunately, there's more drama to follow. Jane's own husband, Jonathan, died a while ago in a terrible accident. And the coincidence of two best friends losing two husbands in close succession has a nosy reporter scrambling to do the math, but with little evidence, the accusation doesn't stick. Jane isn't an especially likable character. The value she places on her friendship is relatable right up to the point when it leaves her morally bankrupt. It's no surprise when Jane's frantic efforts to keep her friend close after Charles' death pushes her away instead. The real tension lies in learning the truth about Jane's intentions--and the person who hears her confession. Frustrating, fascinating, and wicked entertainment.

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May 15, 2020
Best friends since childhood, Jane and Marnie have always shared everything, and neither of them would have had it any other way. Then Jane falls in love and gets married, but ends up losing her husband all too quickly in an accident. Not soon after, Marnie falls in love and marries, and, still-heartbroken, Jane thinks it is far too soon. Jane despises Marnie's husband, Charles, not only for the person he is, but for how he has taken Marnie away from her, closing off their friendship. She loathes him so much that she wishes him dead. Then she begins lying to Marnie. Jane is a creepy, unreliable narrator who speaks directly to the reader in this chilling, hypnotic book. An alibi, a journalist in hot pursuit of the truth, and two women being torn apart as they attempt to differentiate their friendship from the romantic love of their husbands: these are all pieces that haunt those looking for the truth. This novel turns female friendship on its head as its obsessive narrator builds her story one lie at a time.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)