Saturday 15 July 2023

Book ~ "Everyone Here is Lying" (2023) Shari Lapena

From Goodreads ~ Welcome to Stanhope! A safe neighborhood. A place for families.

William Wooler is a family man, on the surface. But he's been having an affair, an affair that ended horribly this afternoon at a motel up the road. So when he returns to his house, devastated and angry, to find his difficult nine-year-old daughter, Avery, unexpectedly home from school, William loses his temper.

Hours later, Avery's family declares her missing.

Suddenly Stanhope doesn't feel so safe. And William isn't the only one on his street who's hiding a lie. As witnesses come forward with information that may or may not be true, Avery's neighbors become increasingly unhinged.

Who took Avery Wooler?

Nothing will prepare you for the truth.


William is a doctor who is having an affair with a neighbour who is a volunteer at the hospital. Both have families to consider and the woman breaks it off. When William goes home broken-hearted, Avery, his nine-year-old daughter, is unexpectedly there. She has deemed "difficult" by everyone and does what she wants (her family lets her get away with it). She provokes William's anger, he slaps her, apologizes and then he leaves. When the family gets home, they discover that Avery is missing and contact the police. As the police investigate, they discover there are many who could have made Avery disappear ... her father, a couple older boys who live on the street, perhaps a stranger, and more.

I've read a few other books by this author and thought this one was okay. I would have enjoyed it more except I disliked Avery immensely and found her character way over the top and unrealistic ... I was hoping the kidnapper would kill her (nasty to say about a child, I know). It's written in third person perspective with a focus on wherever the action is. It ended abruptly ... I turned the page expecting a new chapter to start but there were only blank pages. As a head's up, there is swearing.

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