Everyone Is Lying to You by Jo Piazza
Jo Piazza’s Everyone Is Lying to You may be labeled a mystery, but at its core, it’s a piercing piece of women’s fiction. It explores womanhood in its many raw, relatable layers — friendship, motherhood, ambition, grief, betrayal — with a clarity that feels deeply personal.
The main characters, best friends Lizzie and Bex, were inseparable until Bex suddenly cut off all contact. Fifteen years later, Bex is now a glamorous “tradwife” influencer, while Lizzie is a struggling journalist. Out of the blue, Bex reaches out, inviting Lizzie to an exclusive influencer event … And that is where the drama begins.
Not Your Typical Murder Mystery
From the very first page, it felt like this story was written for women, about women, and by a woman who truly gets it. It’s been a while since a book made me feel this seen. Fully seen, as a woman in a world that constantly asks us to carry more than we can bear, and still smile through it.
What I loved most was, it wasn’t your typical murder mystery led by a brooding male detective. In fact, the story barely centers on the dead victim at all. Instead, the story unfolds through the perspectives of two women — one of whom has become the prime suspect in her husband’s death.
Despite a dual narration style — which you’d think would reveal any and all secrets — the book keeps the mystery vibe till the very end. There is tension all through every chapter, not just about the crime, but about secrets, fear and the messy layers of women’s lives and friendship.
Strong and Realistic Women
Lizzie’s journey to uncover the truth while also writing about the case becomes a layered exploration of grief, anger, memory and identity. And Bex isn’t just a character; she’s a reflection of real women, caught in phases of life with no clear escape route.
Every female character in this book felt intentional. From Lizzie and Bex to Olivia and Veronica, even the women at the conference, each one represents a different version of womanhood
Piazza perfectly captured the silent wars women fight: the pressure to perform femininity, to keep a home, the struggle of surviving a misogynistic partner — or the tension of “having it all” with a seemingly progressive partner — the guilt of caregiving, and the quiet grief of something unknown and wishful that often goes unspoken. You name it. She covered it all.
And she does all this without ever catering to the male gaze.
Tense and Emotional Writing
Pacing was what stood out to me most. That careful build-up lets the emotional weight land so well and subtly. You don’t even realise how deep you are into the book until much later.
Stick with it, and you’ll be rewarded with a satisfying, thoughtful ending that ties both the mystery and the emotional arcs together.
Toward the end, I found myself holding my breath. I thought, “That can’t be it. There has to be more.” And Jo Piazza delivered. She gave a perfect, subtle twist that made it just satisfying. It stayed honest to the story she was telling, and that made it more powerful.
A Story That Stays with You
This is something I don’t often get with thrillers. So many of them end with a dramatic moment that ties the plot together but leaves the characters and the reader … hollow and needing more.
But Everyone Is Lying to You never forgets its emotional core. It’s not just about what happened. It’s about why, and what that means for the women involved.
And it stays with you. Because beneath the murder and media frenzy, there’s a quiet ache that mirrors real life. It reminded me how often women do everything right, try to be kind, perfect and responsible, and still end up burned simply because they’re entangled with someone unreasonable.
I kept thinking how unfair it is that so many women are expected to just endure it. I felt that ache in the characters. I saw it. And I desperately wished, as I closed the book, that more women had the freedom to choose better.
Perfect for Thrill Seekers and More
If you enjoy thrillers with heart, feminist undercurrents and characters who feel like real women — flawed, complicated, trying their best — this one’s for you.
Jo Piazza didn’t just write a good mystery. She wrote the perfect women’s fiction. One that respects its readers. And in doing so, she gave us something far more lasting than a twist: she gave us truth.
About Jo Piazza:
Jo is the national and international bestselling author of The Sicilian Inheritance, We Are Not Like Them, You Were Always Mine, Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win, The Knockoff and How to Be Married. Her work has been published in ten languages in twelve countries, and four of her books have been optioned for film and television. Jo’s podcasts have garnered more than 25 million downloads and regularly top podcast charts. An editor, columnist and travel writer, her work has also appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, New York magazine, Marie Claire, Glamour and many other publications. She lives in Philly with her husband, Nick Aster, and three feral children.
