Book: Never Lie by Freida McFadden 

Format Read:  Audiobook (~7 hours, 20 minutes long) 

My Rating: ⭐️✨ (1.5/5) 

 

Freida McFadden’s Never Lie had a promising premise, but its execution was riddled with inconsistencies, plot holes, and forced red herrings.  While the pacing was solid, the muddled twists and lack of subtlety turned his popcorn thriller into a disappointing mind game. 

 

I wanted to like Never Lie, as I’m typically a fan of Freida McFadden’s work, but this one fell disappointingly short.  While the pacing and premise were promising, the frequent inconsistencies, plot holes, and outright contradictions made it a frustrating read. 

 

The narrative might have benefited from a third-person perspective, which could have also better accommodated the dual timeline and helped clarify the muddled twists towards the end.  Though there were some clever red herrings, others felt forced, repetitive, and overwhelmingly obvious, making subtlety sorely lacking.  While the concept had potential, the execution was flat and frustrating, turning what could have been an exciting thriller into a chaotic, irregular mind game.