For readers who love a twisty psychological thriller with a touch of domestic drama, All Her Lies by Matt McGregor is one that will feel both familiar and addictive in equal measure.
We meet Brie (yes, “Brie-like-the-cheese”), a woman on the cusp of reinvention. Freshly single after leaving her boyfriend Neil and newly thirty, she’s determined to take control of her life and embrace her independence. So when a job opportunity pops up at a university campus working at a house called Pine Ridge with free accommodation included Brie jumps at the chance. No questions asked. And if you’re anything like me and a seasoned thriller reader, you’ll already be sensing those early warning bells ringing.
From the outset, this novel gave me strong vibes of The Housemaid by Freida McFadden, blended with the dark, tangled relationships found in Verity by Colleen Hoover. It’s that delicious mix of unease, secrets, and morally grey characters that keeps the pages turning.
At Pine Ridge, Brie becomes entangled in the lives of Grace, a successful author, and her husband Bradley, a university professor. It doesn’t take long before things begin to feel… off. Strange occurrences escalate, and Brie becomes increasingly convinced that Grace may be trying to harm her. But in true psychological thriller fashion, nothing is ever quite as it seems.
Then comes the inevitable complication when Brie and Bradley cross a line, and suddenly the tension ramps up tenfold. With betrayal, suspicion, and shifting loyalties in play, it becomes clear that revenge is simmering just beneath the surface. And when Grace turns up dead, the stakes skyrocket.
While parts of the storyline may feel predictable for avid thriller readers especially given how popular this trope has become lately , there’s still plenty of intrigue to keep you hooked. The pacing is sharp, the drama is high, and the characters are flawed in all the best ways.
Now, with Grace gone, Bradley appears to have found the perfect scapegoat. But Brie isn’t the kind of woman willing to sacrifice her hard-won freedom especially not for a murder she didn’t commit. The question is: will she outplay him, or will she become just another victim in a house full of lies?
If you’re after a fast-paced, drama-fuelled read with plenty of tension and a satisfying dose of suspicion, All Her Lies is well worth adding to your TBR.