🔍 Book Review: Please Don’t Lie by Christina Baker Kline & Anne Burt
A chilling psychological thriller that turns a fresh start into a nightmare.
In Please Don’t Lie, bestselling author Christina Baker Kline teams up with award-winning writer Anne Burt to deliver a stylish, serpentine thriller that explores grief, deception, and the terrifying question: Do we ever truly know the people closest to us?
🏔️ Plot Summary
Two years after losing her parents in a tragic fire and her sister to an overdose, Hayley Stone is desperate for a reset. Her new husband Brandon suggests relocating to the remote Adirondacks, where anonymity and quiet promise healing. But the idyllic mountain town quickly reveals its darker side.
Brandon becomes distant and volatile. A local widow makes cryptic accusations. Even the seemingly friendly couple next door can’t shake Hayley’s growing unease. As winter closes in, Hayley uncovers secrets that suggest her past may not be the only danger—her present could be far more deadly.
🧠 Themes & Tone
- Isolation & Paranoia: The novel masterfully uses its wintry setting to amplify Hayley’s psychological unraveling.
- Grief & Trauma: Hayley’s emotional journey is raw and relatable, adding depth to the suspense.
- Marriage & Trust: The story probes the fragility of relationships and the masks people wear.
📚 Early Praise
Critics and fellow authors are already buzzing:
- “Psychologically rich and bone-chilling… makes you question everything you think you know.” — Megan Abbott
- “Unsettling, atmospheric, and propulsive.” — Mary Kubica
- “Twisty-turny and impossible to put down.” — Lisa Scottoline
⭐ Reader Buzz
Though not yet published (expected release: September 1, 2025), the book has already garnered attention on Goodreads with a rating of 3.86/5 from early readers. Fans of domestic thrillers and psychological suspense are especially excited about its layered storytelling and eerie setting.
🏁 Final Verdict
Please Don’t Lie is a gripping exploration of how trauma can distort reality—and how lies, even well-intentioned ones, can become deadly. If you enjoy thrillers with emotional depth, unreliable narrators, and a creeping sense of dread, this one should be on your radar.
