Until the Truth Comes Out: A Novel

by Melanie Summers

A rockstar at the height of his fame.
A wife on the edge.
A secret that can’t stay hidden.
And a single night that will change everything.

In the spring of 1997, Zane McCreight and his wife, Sienna, appear to have it all—sold-out stadiums, magazine covers, and the perfect family. But behind the image, their marriage is fracturing, and a scandal is quietly spiraling out of control.

As Zane’s band prepares for a massive tribute concert in the desert—under the eerie glow of the Hale-Bopp comet—tensions rise. Lies are told. Loyalties are tested. And two women find themselves trapped between ambition, betrayal, and the impossible weight of motherhood.

Then, on the night of the show—while the world is watching the stage—the youngest two McCreight children vanish.

Emotionally complex and deeply character-driven, Until the Truth Comes Out is a gripping tale of fame, marriage, the devastating cost of keeping secrets—and the strength of the women left to carry it all.

436 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 5, 2026

About the author

Melanie Summers is a multi-award-winning, Amazon best-selling author of romantic comedies and women’s fiction. She’s written over thirty-five books for people who have 'had it up to here' with the real world and need to laugh, feel good, and sigh happily. When she’s not writing or reading, she's usually out for a walk with her adorable dog, Nelson, hanging out on the beach with her husband and their three almost-grown kiddos, or curled up on the couch for family movie night. Melanie resides on Vancouver Island, Canada where her life goal is to become one of those fabulous people who take daily ice baths in the ocean. So far, she can get in up to her ankles, which is not too shabby.

Melanie Summers also writes under the name M.J. Summers

Reviews

[Susan Z (webreakforbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Until The Truth Comes Out grabbed me from the very beginning, I was immediately invested in this story, in these characters. 


The story is about a rock band, The Vows, who rose to fame and stayed there from the 70s thru thr 90s. It's about their secrets, lies, indiscretions and betrayal but at its core, it's about family, a mother's love, the decisions we make and the ripple effect of thise decisions. 

This was such an immersive story, I can't believe it's fictitious.   

I think this would make a great book club read.

[Ayekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Melanie outdoes herself with an incredibly captivating read. I could not put this book down.
The book is set in the late 90's and takes us on a tour of the music world, a chart busting band called The Vows. Sex, drugs and rock and roll right there in print!
Mel did a great job showing life back in the 90's, places, cars and just life. We met each of the characters, their spouses, lovers and kids, and Sienna's bff Kylie, oh and then there is Angela, Zane's first wife. Taking center stage are Zane and his wife Sienna, their children along with a late addition to the band Claudia Crawford. The book opens with a short peek of Claudia and the night to end all nights, then goes back in time to those plot twists and turns that'll have you flipping the pages and yelling at your e reader. Lies, half truths, money, fame this book has it all and there were times along the way I wasn't really sure who I wanted to throat punch more. The members of the band Mike who is Zanes best friend since childhood plays a pivotal role along with the band manager Dean. There's Steven and Rusty also bandmates to Mike and Zane. When the pressure to perform brings a new singer-song writer Claudia into the story things take on a whole new twist with jaw dropping consequences. How one night of star gazing leads to unexpected events. Twist after twist (you'll get no spoilers from me) and insanely great writing kept me riveted to the pages wondering what in the hell would happen next. It's a mindblower. I'll just tell you straight out that I didn't like Kitty, Rusty's wife and older sister of bandmate Steven. Man, talk about a snake.
In closing I'm giving this one 5 rocking stars, you just have to read this one yourself. It is not to be missed. Honestly I'm a huge fan of Melanie and all of her books but this one may have nudged my number one favorite (Breaking Hearts) over just a little bit.
Highly recommend and a huge thanks to Melanie for the gift of an early release copy.

[Liv · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reminded me a lot of Daisy Jones and the Six, both in format and in story- it reads more or less like an alternate reality of if Billy had a baby with Daisy.

Zane is the frontman of the rock band, The Vows and from the outside looking in, has a seemingly perfect life with his model wife Sienna and three children. Enter Claudia, who joins the band and who he has an immediate connection with. Fast forward to years later and Claudia has a baby named Elliot. Zane is the father and lies and secrets begin to quickly unravel.

Claudia, Zane and Sienna share the main POVs, and there is a LOT of jumping back and forth in time, often multiple times in the same chapter. I'm usually relatively good at this but honestly it was a little hard to keep track of timelines- not between past and present but the years in the past that jump around so much in relation to what's going on in the present (if that makes sense?). 

I enjoyed this for what it was but DJATS is one of my favorite novels of all time so it was really hard not to compare it. That being said, regardless of the constant time jumping, the writing was strong and felt very cinematic. It definitely will have an audience and I think it has definite re-readability, which is a huge plus. 

[Leora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Until the Truth Comes Out is very reminiscent of Daisy Jones & The Six, with its varied perspectives and shifts between past and present. Centered around a band and their rise—and ultimate fall—from fame, the story begins with a bang in the present timeline, immediately pulling the reader in before circling back to reveal how everything unraveled.

While the opening chapter is gripping, the pacing slows noticeably afterward. The remainder of the book unfolds more gently, which may feel a little slow for readers expecting the same intensity throughout. Still, the characters are well developed, and you truly get to know each one. Their individual perspectives weave together a layered narrative exploring friendship, marriage, and the sacrifices that come with following your dreams.

Though the momentum dips at times, the emotional depth and interconnected stories make it a compelling, character-driven read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to preread and review this book.

[Sheri P · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an intriguing story set mainly in the 90’s. The opening scene pulled me in, fraught with emotion and also leaving a lot of blanks that are be filled in throughout the book.
We learn about the rise of a popular rock band, told from a variety of PoV’s. The timeline jumps around a bit and not in a predictable pattern. This does lead to some satisfying “ah-ha” moments but also, at times, was confusing because I had to go back and look at where the date referenced fit into the overall story.
The author explores so many facets of human behavior-motherhood, grief, love, fear, mental health struggles and more. The characters were flawed and realistic, though sometimes not likable. The growth of the two main female characters was well developed. I found this to be a well fleshed out and thoroughly balanced researched tale. It’s not a light read but I do recommend it for fans of women’s fiction with drama.
Thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an early copy via NetGalley, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow Melanie outdid herself with Until the Truth Comes Out!! I knew going into the novel that it was historical fiction, and I’d seen some reviews saying it was reminiscent of Daisy Jones and the Six but apart from that I went in blind and was so captivated I read it in just a couple of sittings!

While I understand the Daisy Jones reference, it pretty much stops being comparable apart from UTTCO also largely centering the story around a rock band of the past (80’s and 90’s mostly). The story is told in the past and very near present and as a mom of a young kid that opening chapter had me immediately hooked and wanting to unravel the mystery.

I found all of the characters and POVs so interesting and compelling, and the ending was satisfying. I cried and laughed and felt like I’d lived a life by the end of the book, and really loved all of the stories and themes explored!

I originally rated the book 4 stars but came back and changed my rating to 4.5 rounded up, because I think The Vows and their story will stay with me for a long time.

Thanks so much to Melanie for sharing an arc with me. I hope you keep branching out and writing more women’s historical fiction. All thoughts are mine.

[Reading Xennial · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I enjoyed this book, it had an interesting and unique premise. Told with multiple POVs, and multiple timelines. With all of the POVs and timelines, I did need to stop and evaluate who I was reading from and when, which was jarring and took me out of the story a bit. That did impact my overall rating. I did like how the pieces all fell into place eventually. This is a book where you need to trust the process but the flow is uneven. The main characters had depth, with their flaws and ability to be unlikeable at times. The dialogue felt natural and the writing was good. I would read from this author again and I recommend this book.

Thank you, NetGalley and Gretz Corp for allowing me to read this early. The opinion in this review is my own.

[Claudete Takahashi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Until the Truth Comes Out is a story about the rise and fall of a rock band and how personality crashes, envy, lies, deceit can put an end to everything. Relationships exist because one depends on the other not because there's real feeling, marriages are to be seen and exposed as perfect as well as the children, women have their main role as wives/mothers, husbands can cheat, money buys it all until it doesn't anymore. It's not easy to relate to the characters because they are mean and too self centered, but the story is well written and entertaining even though the theme has already been explored in movies and books.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Until the Truth Comes Out was a complex and well thought out and executed story. The character development allowed the reader to understand what each person in the book was feeling, while simultaneously liking and disliking the main characters. The story does make you think twice about what you would do if you were in any of their shoes, and not to judge people’s choices without knowing what they’re going through. There were some similarities to Daisy Jones and the Six, but I would definitely recommend this book. Well done Melanie!

[Cj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping from the start - a behind the scenes look at the music industry.

In a word WOW. Be warned this is not a romcom. However I love this author's books and have read every single book of hers. I had to give this a go. It was so good, that I was reading it in the wee small hours. There are twists and turns and heartbreak. You have to read to the end, to see what happens. There are so many emotions in this book. A wee word of warning, someone does pass away (not a spoiler, as is mentioned in foreword). I real eye opener

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Until the Truth Comes Out is not Melanie Summers usual lighthearted romantic faire. Instead, she delves into the nitty gritty world of rock and roll. Fame, populariy, sex, drugs, alcohol, groupies, infidelity, the constant pressure of touring, performing, staying at the top of their craft and the lengths they will go to remain there, are examined. It's an interesting character study of how one band member's indiscretion affects his marriage, his family and his bandmates. It's told from multiple points of view and is intriguing in the way things all play out.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a multiple points of view and a multiple timeline and this had both, so off to a great start. I had seen others comparing this book to Daisy Jones and The Six (which wasn't one of my faves) but I'm glad I took a chance on it!

I was hooked from the beginning - there's rags to riches, some thoroughly unlikeable characters, rock star fame, family life, twists and turns, and a surprising (but satisfying) ending.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Viktoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m honestly such a sucker for a good duo, and Sara and Mauzzy just hit the spot every time. Until the Truth Comes Out was the perfect weekend palette cleanser—super lighthearted but with enough of a hook to keep me from putting it down. It’s so rare to find a 'New Adult' mystery that actually feels relatable and not cringey, but Polcari really nails the humor. If you’re looking for something that’s equal parts funny and suspenseful (with a very good dog involved), definitely add this to your TBR.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

A riveting romance mainly set in the 90's. The opening scene will captivate you with its emotion. Told in multiple points of view as well as different time periods, this book follows the rise and fall of a rock band and reveal how it all fell apart. Well written and character driven, this book will pack and emotional punch as we're privy to the individuals and their unique characters and outlooks. Definitely glad for the opportunity to read and review.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nati · Rating 4 out of 5]

The night that changed everything, the night of the concert in the desert, had been brewing for a long time. From this moment and with flashbacks from the past, Melanie unravels the story of a rock star, the long term friendship between the member of the band, their families and secrets kept from the past that have the potential of destroying everything. A powerful story about trust, fidelity, friendship, fame, money and so much more. Brilliant. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

[Lauren Kotrys · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

A story about a rock and roll lead singer, his wife and his mistress, and the topic of betrayal

If you liked the format of Daisy Jones I think you would like this one too! I liked the writing style and although the characters were pretty unlikable (intentionally) it kept my interest enough to see how the betrayal would pan out.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc! I recommend if you want a messy, toxic drama.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it too early to declare my favourite book of the year? I read this in January and decided this is it!! Such a fabulous and engrossing story. When not reading, I was missing the characters and the setting. Loved the pre-millenium vibes, as I believe the late 90's was peak humanity. There wasn't a character I didn't like...until the end. The world of this book is one I want to return to again and again.

[Sandy memybooksandI · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hooked quite quickly and enjoyed most of this read but the more I read, the less I liked the two main characters.
I did not like the end in particular and did not find the ending realistic or even satisfying.

[Kristi]

One of my women's fiction edits, publishing February 5, 2026!

http://editsbykristi.com/until-the-tr...

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first, I felt like this book read very similarly to the premise of Daisy Jones and the Six, but I stuck with it and was captivated by the way the story unfolded. It was at times hard to keep up with the time jumps but the story was gripping enough that I wanted to know what was going to happen next. Melanie did an excellent job of hiding away just enough of the feelings of the main characters, and there were quite a few to keep you in the dark about the truth until the end.