The Lies You Wrote

Labuskes (author of the Gretchen White novels) debuts another psychological suspense series featuring forensic linguist Raisa Susanto, with a relentlessly gripping take on cybercrime, copycat killing, and family secrets. After social media moderator Delaney Moore alerts the FBI to a series of what seem like copycat killings in Everly, WA, Raisa and forensic psychologist Callum Kilkenny are assigned to the case. Twenty-five years earlier, the most prominent family in Everly had experienced a murder-suicide when the oldest son supposedly murdered both of his parents and then killed himself. Now, a couple who were close to the Parker family have been killed in a strikingly similar fashion. Delaney occasionally narrates chapters, revealing that she is not who she seems to be and may even be complicit. The tension builds inexorably, leading to a real shocker of a denouement. Caroline Hewitt’s narration is superb, clearly conveying Raisa’s confusion and the psychic wounds she carries. Hewitt depicts Delaney’s chilling ability to justify her actions with impeccable timing and careful modulation.