Penguin Books, 2023
Book Review by K.S.Loganathan
Sara Cohen, better known as Freida McFadden, is a bestselling American novelist and a practising neurologist. ‘Never Lie ‘ is a psychological thriller about a young couple, Tricia and Ethan, who are stranded in a remote mansion during a blizzard. The estate previously belonged to a famous psychiatrist, Dr Adrienne Hale, who had vanished mysteriously a few years before. Tricia discovers the doctor’s audiotapes of her past therapy sessions, which could shed light on the doctor’s mysterious disappearance.
The story is told by Tricia and Dr Hale and her transcripts of her sessions with her patients. The narration proceeds at a sedate pace. The mystery revolves around hidden motives and identities as well as blackmail, but the motivating factors are underwhelming, and the ending is not satisfactory. It is not McFadden’s best effort.
