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Beautiful Liars
Not yet published
Expected 11 Feb 27336 pages, ebook
Expected publication February 11, 2027
About the author
Amanda Cassidy
8 books46 followersAmanda Cassidy is a freelance journalist, commissioning editor and former Sky News reporter represented by Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency in London.
Shortlisted for the Irish Journalist of the Year Awards, and more recently the Headline Media writing awards, her features have clocked up over seven million readers.
She’s a frequent contributor to national radio, print and television and holds a BA in European Studies from Trinity College Dublin.
When she’s not on a plane, you’ll find her in her cottage in Dublin where she lives with her husband and three young children.
Breaking is Amanda’s first novel.
Shortlisted for the Irish Journalist of the Year Awards, and more recently the Headline Media writing awards, her features have clocked up over seven million readers.
She’s a frequent contributor to national radio, print and television and holds a BA in European Studies from Trinity College Dublin.
When she’s not on a plane, you’ll find her in her cottage in Dublin where she lives with her husband and three young children.
Breaking is Amanda’s first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 23, 2026
Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone | Century, the author and NetGalley for a DRC in return for an honest review.
Beautiful Liars is one of those novels where a quiet sense of unease settles in from the very first page and never truly leaves.
Set within an affluent gated community in Killiney, Amanda Cassidy peels back the polished veneer of wealth, status and carefully curated lives to reveal the fear, grief and secrets festering underneath. When teenager Saskia Foley disappears into the woods after a dare during a full moon gathering, the entire community begins to fracture under the weight of suspicion, guilt and long-buried lies.
What makes this novel so compelling is that it is about far more than the central mystery. Cassidy is deeply interested in performance - the roles people rehearse for years in order to present themselves as successful, untouchable and immune from tragedy. One passage in particular perfectly captures the novel’s central idea: people 'dressing their whole lives up like shop windows, exaggerating success and airbrushing all of life’s cracks.' The title Beautiful Liars refers not only to literal deception, but to people who have built entire lives around performance, denial and curated perfection.
A major thematic thread running throughout the novel is the way privilege creates the illusion that terrible things only happen to other people. Saskia’s disappearance completely shatters that fantasy. Wealth, status and perfectly arranged lives suddenly become meaningless in the face of grief and violence, and Cassidy explores that collapse brilliantly.
The comparisons that immediately came to mind while reading were the TV series Big Little Lies, Why Women Kill and Twin Peaks - which may sound like an unusual mixture, but the novel genuinely carries elements of all three. It has the glossy wealthy-community dysfunction and simmering female tensions of Big Little Lies, the biting observations about status, image and social performance found in Why Women Kill and the eerie undercurrent of Twin Peaks, where forests, folklore and whispered fears seem to press in on the edges of reality.
I especially loved the way Cassidy uses Irish folklore and wolf imagery throughout the novel. The references to moonlight, wolves and the woods create an almost folk-horror atmosphere without the story ever fully stepping into supernatural territory. The result is a thriller that feels uncanny and emotionally haunted, where the true danger comes not from mythological beasts but from the very human darkness hidden behind beautiful homes and designer clothes.
The setting is exceptional. Killiney becomes more than simply a backdrop - it feels alive with tension, privilege and repression. Cassidy captures perfectly the absurdity and fragility of these wealthy social circles, where parents compete over schools, brands, ski trips and appearances while convincing themselves that tragedy belongs to somebody else’s life.
The atmosphere is what truly elevates this book. It is immersive, melancholic and deeply bingeable. Even when the plot slows, the emotional tension and creeping dread keep tightening their grip. The characters feel intensely believable, flawed and emotionally messy in ways that make the unravelling all the more compelling.
Beautiful Liars is an elegant, unsettling and emotionally intelligent psychological thriller about grief, privilege, motherhood, social performance and the lies communities tell themselves in order to survive. Sharp, cinematic and quietly haunting, this is the kind of book that feels destined for a prestige television adaptation.
#BeautifulLiars #NetGalley
Beautiful Liars is one of those novels where a quiet sense of unease settles in from the very first page and never truly leaves.
Set within an affluent gated community in Killiney, Amanda Cassidy peels back the polished veneer of wealth, status and carefully curated lives to reveal the fear, grief and secrets festering underneath. When teenager Saskia Foley disappears into the woods after a dare during a full moon gathering, the entire community begins to fracture under the weight of suspicion, guilt and long-buried lies.
What makes this novel so compelling is that it is about far more than the central mystery. Cassidy is deeply interested in performance - the roles people rehearse for years in order to present themselves as successful, untouchable and immune from tragedy. One passage in particular perfectly captures the novel’s central idea: people 'dressing their whole lives up like shop windows, exaggerating success and airbrushing all of life’s cracks.' The title Beautiful Liars refers not only to literal deception, but to people who have built entire lives around performance, denial and curated perfection.
A major thematic thread running throughout the novel is the way privilege creates the illusion that terrible things only happen to other people. Saskia’s disappearance completely shatters that fantasy. Wealth, status and perfectly arranged lives suddenly become meaningless in the face of grief and violence, and Cassidy explores that collapse brilliantly.
The comparisons that immediately came to mind while reading were the TV series Big Little Lies, Why Women Kill and Twin Peaks - which may sound like an unusual mixture, but the novel genuinely carries elements of all three. It has the glossy wealthy-community dysfunction and simmering female tensions of Big Little Lies, the biting observations about status, image and social performance found in Why Women Kill and the eerie undercurrent of Twin Peaks, where forests, folklore and whispered fears seem to press in on the edges of reality.
I especially loved the way Cassidy uses Irish folklore and wolf imagery throughout the novel. The references to moonlight, wolves and the woods create an almost folk-horror atmosphere without the story ever fully stepping into supernatural territory. The result is a thriller that feels uncanny and emotionally haunted, where the true danger comes not from mythological beasts but from the very human darkness hidden behind beautiful homes and designer clothes.
The setting is exceptional. Killiney becomes more than simply a backdrop - it feels alive with tension, privilege and repression. Cassidy captures perfectly the absurdity and fragility of these wealthy social circles, where parents compete over schools, brands, ski trips and appearances while convincing themselves that tragedy belongs to somebody else’s life.
The atmosphere is what truly elevates this book. It is immersive, melancholic and deeply bingeable. Even when the plot slows, the emotional tension and creeping dread keep tightening their grip. The characters feel intensely believable, flawed and emotionally messy in ways that make the unravelling all the more compelling.
Beautiful Liars is an elegant, unsettling and emotionally intelligent psychological thriller about grief, privilege, motherhood, social performance and the lies communities tell themselves in order to survive. Sharp, cinematic and quietly haunting, this is the kind of book that feels destined for a prestige television adaptation.
#BeautifulLiars #NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Beautiful Liars is one of those novels that feels mist‑wreathed from the very first page — elegant, unsettling, and threaded with a quiet ferality that grows with every chapter. Amanda Cassidy takes the glossy perfection of Killiney, with its cliff‑top mansions and manicured lawns, and lets something darker pulse beneath the surface.
The disappearance of Saskia Foley — magnetic, adored, impossible to forget — casts a long, cold shadow over the story. Five teenagers go into the woods under a full moon; only four return. What follows is a beautifully layered exploration of fear, privilege, and the instinct to protect our children at any cost. Three mothers, each carrying their own fractures and secrets, find themselves circling the truth while trying to shield the teenagers who were with Saskia that night.
Cassidy’s writing has that lovely, atmospheric quality that makes the ordinary feel uncanny. The folkloric whispers — wolves, moonlight, the idea of something wild stalking the edges of suburbia — sit deliciously alongside the very human predators who hide behind perfect doors and perfect lives. The tension comes not from the supernatural, but from the knowledge that the real danger is always closer, always more familiar.
What I loved most is how the novel peels back the mask of privilege. Beneath the curated façades lies something raw and desperate, and Cassidy captures that slippage with real finesse. The dread creeps in quietly, like fog rolling in from the sea, until you realise you’re completely enveloped.
Atmospheric, sharp, and quietly haunting, Beautiful Liars is a story about the lies we tell to protect our families, the truths we bury to protect ourselves, and the feral edge that emerges when the perfect world begins to crack. A beautifully crafted, unsettling read that lingers long after the final page.
With thanks to Amanda Cassidy, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
The disappearance of Saskia Foley — magnetic, adored, impossible to forget — casts a long, cold shadow over the story. Five teenagers go into the woods under a full moon; only four return. What follows is a beautifully layered exploration of fear, privilege, and the instinct to protect our children at any cost. Three mothers, each carrying their own fractures and secrets, find themselves circling the truth while trying to shield the teenagers who were with Saskia that night.
Cassidy’s writing has that lovely, atmospheric quality that makes the ordinary feel uncanny. The folkloric whispers — wolves, moonlight, the idea of something wild stalking the edges of suburbia — sit deliciously alongside the very human predators who hide behind perfect doors and perfect lives. The tension comes not from the supernatural, but from the knowledge that the real danger is always closer, always more familiar.
What I loved most is how the novel peels back the mask of privilege. Beneath the curated façades lies something raw and desperate, and Cassidy captures that slippage with real finesse. The dread creeps in quietly, like fog rolling in from the sea, until you realise you’re completely enveloped.
Atmospheric, sharp, and quietly haunting, Beautiful Liars is a story about the lies we tell to protect our families, the truths we bury to protect ourselves, and the feral edge that emerges when the perfect world begins to crack. A beautifully crafted, unsettling read that lingers long after the final page.
With thanks to Amanda Cassidy, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I found Beautiful Liars to be a really intriguing and atmospheric thriller that pulled me in straight away. Set in an affluent gated community on the outskirts of Dublin, the story begins with a beach party where five teenagers head into the woods, but only four come back. From there, the tension and unease build beautifully and kept me hooked.
Amanda Cassidy does such a strong job of slowly peeling back the layers of these families and exposing the secrets hidden beneath the polished surface. The dynamics between the parents, the teenagers, and the community itself kept me constantly questioning who knew more than they were admitting. What really stood out for me was the eerie atmosphere running throughout the book. There’s a subtle supernatural edge woven through the story with Irish mythology and folklore lingering in the background, giving it an unsettling almost haunting feel without overpowering the mystery itself. The setting, the secrets, the grief, and the growing paranoia all made this a really immersive read. It gave me slight Big Little Lies meets Picnic at Hanging Rock vibes with that same feeling of tension simmering underneath every interaction.
This was a compelling and addictive thriller that keeps you guessing right until the end. Definitely one I’d recommend picking up when it releases so add to your tbf asap 📚✨
Amanda Cassidy does such a strong job of slowly peeling back the layers of these families and exposing the secrets hidden beneath the polished surface. The dynamics between the parents, the teenagers, and the community itself kept me constantly questioning who knew more than they were admitting. What really stood out for me was the eerie atmosphere running throughout the book. There’s a subtle supernatural edge woven through the story with Irish mythology and folklore lingering in the background, giving it an unsettling almost haunting feel without overpowering the mystery itself. The setting, the secrets, the grief, and the growing paranoia all made this a really immersive read. It gave me slight Big Little Lies meets Picnic at Hanging Rock vibes with that same feeling of tension simmering underneath every interaction.
This was a compelling and addictive thriller that keeps you guessing right until the end. Definitely one I’d recommend picking up when it releases so add to your tbf asap 📚✨
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book is set in what sounds like a beautiful place in Ireland close to Dublin. There are three main families who live next to each other in a gated community and on the whole they all get on very well. The Goulds have two children as have the Foleys. The Hunters have one son who finds it difficult to mix with others. Aaron and his mom, Thorne, came to live in Ireland after meeting her husband in the States. Aaron and his step dad do not get on which does not help the situation. Traditionally they celebrate the full moon and the families spend it on the beach with a barbeque. A little Irish folklore is talked about. The adults and children are apart on the beach. Aaron poses a truth or dare scenario. Saskia Foley chooses a dare and she disappears to complete this but never returns. Eventually her body is found and then the book gets really interesting. Wolves had been reintroduced into the National Forest and this is the way the Gardia follow what they think are clues but, of course, as in any good book, this is not the case. The death of Saskia opens many issues in the families and secrets begin to pour out some years old and some recent. I really enjoy reading this book and as always love a story that you think you know how it will end – it does not
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Killiney is one of South County Dublin’s most coveted postcodes. Home to cliff-top views, perfect lawns…and secrets buried deep.
On the night of a full moon, five teenagers go into the woods for a game of dares. Saskia Foley – bright, magnetic and unforgettable – doesn’t come back. Now three women must navigate their worst fears and darkest instincts to protect their children who were with Saskia the night she vanished.
Saskia’s mother thinks she could have been taken by a wolf. Which is surely impossible. Because in Killiney, the predators don’t have claws. They have keys to perfect homes. And everything to lose.
I couldn't put this down, so many secrets and lies that gradually emerge over the days following Saskia's disappearance. Each reveal sends the reader down a different track as the mothers struggle to understand and protect their children at any cost. And underneath the emerging truths crawls the supernatural as Irish myths possibly may be becoming truth.
Great personalities and back stories and the only thing that could possibly have improved it IMHO is a little more magic.
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin RandomHouse UK for an advance copy in return for an honest review.
On the night of a full moon, five teenagers go into the woods for a game of dares. Saskia Foley – bright, magnetic and unforgettable – doesn’t come back. Now three women must navigate their worst fears and darkest instincts to protect their children who were with Saskia the night she vanished.
Saskia’s mother thinks she could have been taken by a wolf. Which is surely impossible. Because in Killiney, the predators don’t have claws. They have keys to perfect homes. And everything to lose.
I couldn't put this down, so many secrets and lies that gradually emerge over the days following Saskia's disappearance. Each reveal sends the reader down a different track as the mothers struggle to understand and protect their children at any cost. And underneath the emerging truths crawls the supernatural as Irish myths possibly may be becoming truth.
Great personalities and back stories and the only thing that could possibly have improved it IMHO is a little more magic.
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin RandomHouse UK for an advance copy in return for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Set in an exclusive gated compound - The Rockys - on the edge of Dublin, Beautiful Liars involves the lives three families: the Goulds, the Hunters and the Foleys. With the exception of Thorne Hunter, all the others in the group are local and have grown up together.
One evening, as the adults damce under the full moon at a beach barbeque, their five teenagers head into nearby woods. While five go in, only four return. There is a widespread search for the missing girl, Saskia Foley, but it's not until two months later a body is discovered. The presence of a wolf is suspected, causing concern and warnings to keep out of the nearby woods which although part of the National Parks, have always been the subject of myths and legends.
Saskia's death brings with it unwanted change within The Rockys, where tensions develop within long term friendships as everyone suspects everyone else might know more than they are willing to admit. A dark, atmospheric story of secrets and lies, laced with a sprinkling of supernatural.
An excellent read.
My thanks to Penguin Random House, the author and Netgalley for an ARC of Beautiful Liars in exchange for an honest review.
One evening, as the adults damce under the full moon at a beach barbeque, their five teenagers head into nearby woods. While five go in, only four return. There is a widespread search for the missing girl, Saskia Foley, but it's not until two months later a body is discovered. The presence of a wolf is suspected, causing concern and warnings to keep out of the nearby woods which although part of the National Parks, have always been the subject of myths and legends.
Saskia's death brings with it unwanted change within The Rockys, where tensions develop within long term friendships as everyone suspects everyone else might know more than they are willing to admit. A dark, atmospheric story of secrets and lies, laced with a sprinkling of supernatural.
An excellent read.
My thanks to Penguin Random House, the author and Netgalley for an ARC of Beautiful Liars in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A story about friendships, neighbourhood secrets, and how the past always comes back to haunt you. Killiney is a wealthy suburb in south county Dublin where all the local children go to school together and socialise on the beach in summer and Barbecues are abundant. But behind the perfect facade, secrets threaten to destroy the community. A local politician married to an American Woman with a stepson, a Widow and her 2 daughters, and a Judge with a wife who is determined that their son will be an Olympian. But these people are not just connected because they are neighbours but because of the secrets that bind them. Then one night, one of the children goes missing in a local conservation forest. What happened to Saskia? And what secrets does the forest hide? Thanks to the author and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Set in a wealthy Dublin suburb, Beautiful Liars starts with a beach party. Five teenagers head into the woods - but only four return. After a search, Saskia's body is found two weeks later, but it will take a lot longer for the truth to come out. Three families are torn apart and struggle to come to terms with the loss. And several deeply held secrets come to the surface in the aftermath.
There are a lot of supernatural undertones to the narrative, with many Irish legends referred to. But was Saskia killed by some sort of mystic beast - or a human predator? The tale progresses slowly, the character development outpacing the plot. Ultimately it becomes clear that everyone has secrets and past indiscretions they would rather hide.
There are a lot of supernatural undertones to the narrative, with many Irish legends referred to. But was Saskia killed by some sort of mystic beast - or a human predator? The tale progresses slowly, the character development outpacing the plot. Ultimately it becomes clear that everyone has secrets and past indiscretions they would rather hide.
June 2, 2026
Beautiful Liars by Amanda Cassidy is a thriller set in a rich, suburban area in Ireland.
A group of young friends hold a full moon ceremony that goes wrong with one young woman going missing. Every in the area is under suspicion, secrets are revealed and lives are permanently changed as a result. It’s an eye opening insight into wealth and privilege and gets you rooting for characters that you don’t expect to root for!
The book was a thoroughly enjoyable pacy page turner and my first book by Amanda Cassidy. I will definitely look out for others by her.
Thanks to Amanda Cassidy, Random House UK and NetGalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.
A group of young friends hold a full moon ceremony that goes wrong with one young woman going missing. Every in the area is under suspicion, secrets are revealed and lives are permanently changed as a result. It’s an eye opening insight into wealth and privilege and gets you rooting for characters that you don’t expect to root for!
The book was a thoroughly enjoyable pacy page turner and my first book by Amanda Cassidy. I will definitely look out for others by her.
Thanks to Amanda Cassidy, Random House UK and NetGalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was asked by NetGalley to review this book.
The setting is in the outskirts of Dublin and begins with a beach party. With the feel of Picnic at Hanging Rock - five go into the woods and only four return. A body is found, three families are devistated and it is difficult to xome to terms with the loss and what happened.
Secrets are evident after this, a supernatural layer is hinted at who or what was the killer
A really interesting and intruging story
Readers will have to wait for publication date of February 11th 2027. A really recommended read.
The setting is in the outskirts of Dublin and begins with a beach party. With the feel of Picnic at Hanging Rock - five go into the woods and only four return. A body is found, three families are devistated and it is difficult to xome to terms with the loss and what happened.
Secrets are evident after this, a supernatural layer is hinted at who or what was the killer
A really interesting and intruging story
Readers will have to wait for publication date of February 11th 2027. A really recommended read.
May 28, 2026
In a privileged gated community, sordid secrets are kept well hidden behind a facade of friendliness and fellow feeling. But what lies below is laid bare when a group of teenagers leave the parents enjoying a beach barbecue and enter the woods, one of their number failing to return...
Amanda Cassidy invariably delivers an enjoyable read, and this one is a thriller that leans heavily on its folkloric roots. Definitely worth checking out.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Amanda Cassidy invariably delivers an enjoyable read, and this one is a thriller that leans heavily on its folkloric roots. Definitely worth checking out.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Beautiful Liars is a darkly emotional novel about loss, love, the secrets we keep and just how far we'll go to protect our children.
Atmospheric setting and an edgy fairytale vibe keeps you involved throughout.
One to watch in 2027.
Atmospheric setting and an edgy fairytale vibe keeps you involved throughout.
One to watch in 2027.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews