None of This is True: The new addictive psychological thriller from the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The Family Upstairs

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In what ways are we encouraged to see Josie in a sympathetic light in the early chapters? How does Lisa Jewell’s characterization lead us to think of Josie as just a little quirky or lonely—and ultimately harmless? Alix felt a little smug, I think, about her perfect life and she makes a good foil for Josie, whose life is so chaotic. I had a sense of panic from the beginning when the "birthday twins" Alix and Josie unexpectantly meet. The story became darker than dark the further I read. It was quite unputdownable and going places that gave me anxiety. I think Alix felt it too, I wanted to shake her!! Tell her to just R-U-N 🏃‍♂️

Even though Alix finds Josie's vibe unsettling, she admits there's something fascinating about her. She is intrigued. so we know I loved it… I am going to bet you will too!! Have you read this? THOUGHTS??? Is this on your list??? What is your favorite @lisajewelluk book? Lisa Jewell is the queen of neighborhood, domestic thrillers and i love her writing so much. she’s truly an all time fave author and will always remain that way. i was actually DMing with her about this book because she was replying to my IG stories and i just haaaaad to ask her questions about the ending and that just made me love her even more.Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summer crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins.

Here’s where I had to drop a star, though, and I’ll admit it was personal. One of the characters is an alcoholic, and it felt like they were given a free pass for their bad behavior, like I was expected to sympathize with them and understand why they behaved so poorly. Having grown up in such a household, I fully understand people being broken and needing help, but I found it a little insulting to be asked to see the character as a "good person" in light of the damage done. That’s a me thing. Plus she had all those weird conversations with Alix about how much better off she’d be if he was dead. So I’m not sure I buy her story that it was an accident. What was Josie’s Endgame? Alix Summer has a successful podcast that features women who have overcome extreme difficulties and hardship, to lead happy and successful lives.

Alix’s head spins. Tequila slammers at midnight. Too much. Nathan is pouring himself a Scotch and the smell of it makes Alix’s head spin even faster. The house is quiet. Sometimes, when they have a high-energy babysitter, the children will still be up when they get home, restless and annoyingly awake. Sometimes the TV will be on full blast. But not tonight. The softly spoken, fifty-something babysitter left half an hour ago and the house is tidy, the dishwasher hums, the cat is pawing its way meaningfully across the long sofa toward Alix, already purring before Alix’s hand has even found her fur. The police call and say that Josie’s elder daughter, Roxy, has been located. Roxy claims that she was in love with Brooke and that her father never harmed anyone. Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realize that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home. Alix Summer is a popular podcaster who is celebrating her 45th birthday when she meets Josie, also celebrating her 45th birthday. Birthday twins! How fun. (Or not!)

This is my first Lisa Jewell novel, and I enjoyed it very much. It is definitely NOT a police procedural with limited police characterization in the story. It follows Alix, who is celebrating her 45th birthday and encounters Josie, who is at the same restaurant. They discover that not only were they born on the same day but at the same hospital. Alix does podcasts, and Josie worms her way into Alix's life and asks her if she would like to tell Josie's story in a podcast. Alix is game and the podcast, so to speak is afoot. Dapple (in comments) has a really intriguing theory on Brooke: that Josie killed Brooke and then told Walter that Roxy did it. Walter, wanting to protect Roxy, helped Josie hide the body. That would explain a) what Erin heard, b) Walter not wanting to go to the police and c) Josie saying she has to tell Alix “what we did,” meaning she wanted to tell Alix that they covered up Roxy’s crime. Few New York Times best-selling novelists can say their career was launched with a bet, a handshake, and the promise of a good meal. And yet, that’s precisely how Lisa Jewell came to write her 1999 debut novel, Ralph’s Party. What becomes of this unwanted house guest? That’s the mystery, and it’s a good one! This started very slow for me, and I wasn’t sure I was going to like it, but once Alix’s podcast about Josie got underway, things started to get juicy! The full-cast audiobook narrators did a wonderful job capturing the personalities at play. Josie’s flat, subdued voicing performed by Nicola Walker added a particular menace to things. She creeped me out! Jewell's writing is strong and I was thoroughly invested. I could not stand Josie, but that was totally the point. The ending is interesting and really got me thinking. My recommendation is to just go into the reading of this book with an open mind and without any preconceived notions as to what you think is going on, because that will probably change many times throughout.SE: I had a hard time letting go of these characters, which to me is a sign of a great book. Do you feel that way when you write a novel? Is it hard for you to let go? Or are you just done? It means she’s wrong, that everything, literally everything, about her is wrong and that she’s running out of time to make herself right. I am a huge fan of Lisa Jewell, and this was right up there in terms of thrill, fast pace, plot, writing style and characterisation – yes but that doesn’t mean I liked the characters. Josie in particular was detestable. And she was born at St. Mary’s too. Funny, you know I always thought I was meant to be one of two. I always wondered if my mum had left the other one at the hospital. Maybe it was her?” SE: This book has multiple layers of storytelling. There’s the narrative, but then there’s also the podcast that Josie and Alix do, and interspersed throughout the book are scenes from a Netflix show based on the podcast. Why did you decide to write the story in that way?

Q: None of This Is True includes podcast interviews throughout. What were you excited to explore by including a podcast within the structure, as well as by having one of the narrators be a podcaster?And it’s trademark Lisa Jewell. I’ve read enough of her novels to know she has a type. Meaning, the bad guys are really bad and often guilty of some sort of abuse, and the good guys are quirky and tend to make horrible decisions.