Every Lie I Told

by Hilary Davidson

From bestselling and award-winning author Hilary Davidson, Every Lie I Told is a propulsive, twisty thriller about the devastating consequences of the lies we tell to protect others—and ourselves.

How far would you go to protect a killer?

Jackie Swift does whatever it takes to succeed. At work, she spins lies to protect questionable clients at a shady public-relations firm. At home, she helps her younger sister, Madi, evade consequences for dangerous choices she’s made about friends and drugs. But Jackie’s professional and personal worlds collide one night when she gets a call from Madi telling her she overdosed. Rushing to the rescue, Jackie stumbles on an awful scene at an Upper East Side mansion. Madi is nowhere to be found, but she’s left behind a dead body.

Worse for Jackie, she knows the dead man all too it’s her former boss and mentor, and she’s been paid to cover up his crimes in the past.

Jackie is willing to do anything to protect her missing sister, even as the NYPD builds a case against Madi, who may be involved in the deaths of other sexually abusive men. As Jackie searches for her sister—and sets up plausible suspects to take Madi’s place in the eyes of the police—she’s haunted by the terrible things she’s done in service of her career. And she soon discovers there are people who’ve been waiting in the shadows for a chance to take her down.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery Thriller

371 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication June 16, 2026

About the author

Hilary Davidson was a journalist before she turned to the dark side and started writing crime fiction. Her novels include the award-winning Lily Moore series—The Damage Done, The Next One to Fall, and Evil in All Its Disguises—the bestselling Shadows of New York series—One Small Sacrifice and Don’t Look Down—and the standalone novels Blood Always Tells and Her Last Breath. She is also the author of some fifty short stories. Her fiction has won two Anthony Awards, a Derringer Award, and a host of other accolades. Toronto born and raised, she moved to New York City in October 2001. She is also the author of 18 nonfiction books. Her next novel, Every Lie I Told, will be published on June 16, 2026, by Blackstone.

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jackie Swift works for a ruthless PR firm, and she’ll say and do whatever is necessary to protect her clients. One evening, she receives a call from her sister Madi, telling her she’s overdosed and needs help. But when Jackie arrives at the scene, her sister is nowhere to be found, and she finds her ex-boss dead in a freezer. How far will Jackie go to protect her sister? Every Lie I Told is more soap opera than thriller, with enough villains to fill a bus. While the plot is enticing, the story just drags on far too long, with Jackie frantically trying to find her sister while trying to misdirect the police to focus on other suspects, but putting herself squarely in their sights as she tries to unravel the mystery, as well as battling her own demons. It’s hard to root for anyone in this book, as they’re all miserable people, but it’s an entertaining read, if a bit drawn out. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Michelle Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Hillary Davidson and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This story blends elements of police procedural with family drama, creating an investigation that unfolds alongside complex personal dynamics. While the premise was intriguing and there were a few well executed twists that added interest, the pacing felt slower than expected, particularly in the first half.

At times, the narrative became weighed down by an abundance of secondary characters, some of whom did not significantly impact the overall plot. Streamlining the cast may have strengthened the story and allowed the central threads to shine more clearly.

Overall, this was a solid read with some compelling moments, particularly in its twists and investigative elements, though the pacing and character density impacted my overall enjoyment.

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publishes Aug 2026

[Kelly Veit · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one didn’t quite work for me. I feel like the same things were repeated again and again. The story should have wrapped up much sooner than it did. I did find myself turning the pages quickly to discover how all of the dastardly deeds unfolded. But there were so many players in the story, it was hard to keep track. None of them were in the least bit likeable, so I really wasn’t invested in any of them. The premise sounded interesting, and at times it was, but the plot felt disconnected and clunky. If you like sleuthing murder mysteries with many suspects then Every Lie Told might be for you. Thank you to Blackstone Publishing via NetGalley for the advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m rounding this up to 4. This was like a 3.75 for me.

This was very solid. I like a book that I can’t figure out the secrets. Keeps me engaged.

That being said, most of the characters were very unlikable. And the most unlikable was the main character which I genuinely can’t tell if that was intentional or not. There were baby holes in the story and some characters I felt were a bit too one dimensional.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an ok read. A lot of things are thrown at you plot wise. Lots of red herrings and unreliable characters and information to weed through. The narrator is a also a bit unreliable herself, hence the title "Every Lie I Told."

I think my main issue is that I didn't feel connected with any of the characters. I didn't understand why Jackie was so defensive of Erick, or even really care.

Even with all of the red herrings, the ending was still predictable.

[Jolynn Englund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly I would say I rated it 4.5. It was really good, and kept me wanting to turn the page. I will definitely be recommending this book to anyone that likes a twist.

[Cari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing me an ARC for my Booklist review.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Psychological thriller about what happens your livelihood involves lying.

Jackie Swift tells lies for a living - she spins lies for her shady clients. In her home life she tries to help her sister, Madi (Madison), stay clean and away from questionable people. Her worlds collide when her sister calls for help as she’s ODing. Rushing to get to Madi she arrives at the house on the Upper East Side to find a grizzly scene and a dead man. Worse yet she knows the man, her former employer, for whom she helped cover up many sketchy things. Jackie has to work hard to avoid arrest and prove her sister is innocent.

The lines of morality are gray in this story. While flawed as a protagonist, Jackie has had to do some bad things as part of her job but she justifies her decisions as being done to protect her family. How far should someone go to protect the ones you love? That’s the heart of the book.

The book is fast paced with lots of twists and turns. New York City’s glamor comes through. This is a book for fans of dark propulsive thrillers.

My thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for granting me access to this ARC.