A Page-Turner
ABOUT THE BOOK
How far would you go to keep what’s yours?
Someone is hunting Cass.
Cass lives an enviable life: a successful career, two great kids, and a handsome husband. Then an email from her husband’s mistress, Emma, brings the façade of perfection crumbling around her, setting off a chain of events where buried secrets come back to haunt her.
A taunting email turns into stalking and escalates into much worse. Ethan and Cass try to move on, then Emma disappears.
No longer considered a victim, Cass finds herself the prime suspect and center of the investigation. Her dark secrets—including ones she didn’t know existed—threaten to destroy everything they’ve worked for.
A fast-paced psychological thriller with jaw-dropping twists, the novel examines buried family secrets and how desperation can lead to fatal mistakes when We’re All Lying.
- Publisher : Rising Action Publishing Co.
- Publication Date : March 14, 2023
- Paperback : 336 pages
This story grabbed my attention, and didn’t let go until the last page. However, one thing kept niggling at me as I began reading, the plot felt rather simple, at least most of the way through. Yet I kept being drawn to the story. Why? For me, there was only one answer: a talented author.
Marie Still used very few characters and a well-used plot of infidelity and revenge to weave a beautiful spider web of truth, lies, character weaknesses, and strengths.
When Cass, who appears to have a wonderful husband, two children, and a partnership at a successful agency, discovers that her husband is having an affair, everything goes downhill fast. How fast? When you, along with Cass, discover who he’s having the affair with I don’t think you’ll have any trouble turning the pages. Oh, and did I mention this person ends up disappearing?
The story is told through several viewpoints:
- Cass
- Ethan, her husband, and
- Alice, her employee
Though the plot feels simple and not overly unique, a cheating husband and revenge, the writing pulled me in and kept me guessing. My mistake was thinking that the plot would remain simple.
My Concerns
Ethan’s character development felt a little shallow. I would like to have known more about him.
Final Thoughts
This is a page-turner with some twists you will no doubt see coming, and many you won’t.
I highly recommend We’re All Lying by debut author Marie Still. She is now on my official watch list for upcoming books.
My thanks to Books Forward, Rising Action Publishing Co., and the author for an early review copy.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND INTERVIEW
MARIE STILL grew up obsessed with words and the dark and complex characters authors bring to life with them. Now she creates her own while living in Tampa with her husband, four kids, two dogs, and a very grumpy hedgehog. Her debut novel, “We’re All Lying” will be released March 14, 2023, from Rising Action Publishing. “Beverly Bonnefinche is Dead” “My Darlings” will follow in late 2023 and 2024, respectively. She also writes under Kristen Seeley. Find out more about Marie at mariestill.com.
Follow Marie Still on social media:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok
Interview
“We’re All Lying” is your debut novel. What was the process like getting your first book published?
I was in the process of querying “Beverly Bonnefinche is Dead” when I wrote “We’re All Lying.” I queried the book for two weeks and had13 agents show interest. On the third week, I received an offer from Rising Action Publishing for both books. I was drawn to their business model and passion for both stories, so decided to sign unagented. Since then, I’ve signed my third book “My Darlings” with them.
Jealousy is one of the key themes of the book. Why did you want to explore that emotion?
I’m drawn to human emotions, especially the darker ones. Jealousy can bore beneath people’s skin and change them as a person. It’s consuming and can make them act out of character — or bring a side of their personality to the forefront they wish would stay buried. Jealousy is often immediately associated with love and relationships, but it really extends beyond that.
We live in a world where people can curate the life they want people to see: They use social media to post the good, while hiding the bad. When you’re an observer of this, who may not be happy or comfortable with your life and in your skin, it can breed jealousy. The sad side of this is the detrimental effect it can have on mental health. The scary side is when people, driven by jealousy, act on it and do bad things.
The book also delves into the value of family
Family means something different to everyone. Some people are lucky enough to grow up in loving nurturing homes, and others don’t get that. But your family is your foundation, these people who you didn’t choose have a huge impact on the person you grow into. Even in the most stable of homes, we’re all human, and parents make mistakes. I think the other thing explored in “We’re All Lying” is what makes a family. Sometimes it isn’t blood, and rather the people who are there for you when you’re at your best and when you’re at your worst.
Without any spoilers: What parts of the book were difficult for you to write? Which sections came easier?
It was really important for me to write Cass’ pain, anger, hurt in a realistic way. This took me putting myself in her shoes and conjuring up every time I’ve had my heart broken. I cried with Cass while writing those scenes. I’ve had early readers contact me and tell me how raw and real the emotions felt. While the “I never saw that twist coming!” emails are always fun, those readers who really understood Cass have meant the world to me.
How is “We’re All Lying” different from some of the other domestic thrillers out there?
“We’re All Lying” isn’t an affair book; it’s not a stalker book; it’s not a missing girl book. It has all of those things that have been folded into a story with characters who are flawed and messy and real. There are characters you will hate, and that’s OK — you’re supposed to. I’m such a fan of the genre, I’d never want to say it’s better or worse than what’s out there. I’m just happy that it will find its home on shelves with readers who enjoy the ride as much as I enjoyed crafting it.
Did you learn anything about yourself throughout the process of writing and publishing the book?
When you are first starting as a writer it’s hard to believe in yourself. Writing is a lonely process. I have an amazing community of writing friends, but imposter syndrome is a sneaky little thing and can catch you off-guard.
Having a team at my publisher who believes in my stories, and now as it has started to make its way into readers’ hands, gives me the confidence to continue opening my computer and putting words to paper.
Also, publishing is slow. I have learned that I can (surprisingly) be patient(ish).
What do you hope readers gain from reading the novel?
An escape, a thrill, an unguessable twisty ride that keeps them flipping the pages, and a few sleepless nights. As an avid thriller reader, I hope to give my readers what so many authors have gifted me. I love thrillers because of the constant questions and revelations they create throughout the scenes for readers, those breadcrumbs and “OMG” moments you get until you reach the final big reveal.
And last but not least: What projects are you working on next?
My current work in progress folder is filled with 14 concepts that I’ll eventually get to. But right now, I have two main projects. “The Woman From 3A” (a working title) is a dual-timeline thriller where Arden has disappeared. It opens with incredibly odd footage of her taken from her apartment building’s security camera. With police not moving fast enough, and her best friend Kat fearing the worst, she takes matters into her own hands to find out what happened to Arden before it’s too late. My other work-in-progress is a story that’s been floating around my head for a few years now. It takes place in The Village of Lucketts (where my family lived before we moved to Tampa). A tight-knit community has been living there, hiding their dark and creepy ways in plain sight, since first settling there in 1718.
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