Never Tell a Lie - by Hallie Ephron (Paperback)

About the Book

Reminiscent of "Single White Female" and the best of gothic thrillers . . . Ephron quickly builds a foundation of psychological terror that doesn't let up until the last surprise twist.--"Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel."

Book Synopsis

"[A] richly atmospheric tale. You can imagine Hitchcock curling up with this one."
--USA Today

Author Hallie Ephron's fast paced and disturbingly creepy Never Tell a Lie is a page-turning thrill ride that maestro Alfred Hitchcock would have been proud to call his own. A descent into gripping suburban terror, this stunner by the Ellen Nehr Award-winning mystery reviewer for the Boston Globe has been called "a snaky, unsettling tale of psychological suspense" by the Seattle Times. Fans of Mary Higgins Clark, Harlan Coben, and classic gothic mystery will adore this supremely suspenseful and consistently surprising story of a yard sale gone terribly wrong.

From the Back Cover

It all started with the yard sale . . .

Eight months pregnant and nervous about the future, Ivy Rose doesn't recognize the woman approaching her and husband David as they attempt to rid themselves of the decades-worth of junk cluttering up their suburban home. The woman says she's Melinda White--their former high school classmate, now pregnant also--and asks if she might revisit the old Victorian house she recalls playing in as a child. David takes her inside. But Melinda never comes out.

With her husband a suspect in the bizarre disappearance and probable murder of the near-stranger he claims not to remember, Ivy must now dive into a deadly whirlpool of deceit, betrayal, and terrifying alternate histories in pursuit of a shocking truth--a truth that could destroy everything . . .

Review Quotes

"Chilling, complex, and insidiously creepy. Hallie Ephron's skilled storytelling produces the perfect suburban couple, then relentlessly twists their lives into distrust, deception, and danger. This compelling thriller proves: when secrets and lies fester into obsession, there's no statute of limitations on revenge." - Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha Award-winner and bestselling author of Prime Time
"NEVER TELL A LIE takes us into a totally familiar, sharply drawn, ordinary suburban world -- and then, like the best of Hitchcock, begins to turn the screws until the suspense becomes unbearable and you can't stop reading until the last, ingenious twist." - Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of Power Play, Killer Instinct, and Paranoia
"Hallie Ephron's NEVER TELL A LIE is a great discovery, compelling and chilling and all too credible. Someone once coined the word unputdownable to describe a James M. Cain novel, and this is one of those rare books that actually meets that standard." - Laura Lippman, author of the New York Times bestseller Another Thing to Fall
"It's impossible to combine ruthlessness, duplicity, a heinous crime and a heroic escape--if the protagonist is a 33-year-old woman nine months into a high-risk pregnancy. It's impossible, unless you're Hallie Ephron . . . You'll hate to see this one end." - Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author of The Deep End of the Ocean and Cage of Stars
"NEVER TELL A LIE should come with a warning label: You will not play with your children, cook your dinner, or go to sleep once you start reading Hallie Ephron's debut novel!" - Ann Hood, author of The Knitting Circle
"A slick little study in malevolence . . . wrenching . . . What makes the book memorable is its sharp characterization of a woman tormented by possibilities that she doesn't want to consider." - Washington Times
"The plot is as cleverly structured as one of Mary Higgins Clark's, but Ephron's writing is vastly better." - First Things
"[A] fast-paced, exceptional tale that's likely to keep you quickly flipping pages until the wee hours of the morning." - Lansing State Journal
"[A]n entertaining read with a strong ending and a great lead character in Ivy." - Library Journal
"Lovers of classic mysteries will adore Hallie Ephron's NEVER TELL A LIE . . . [A] richly atmospheric tale. You can imagine Hitchcock curling up with this one." - USA Today
"[A] snaky, unsettling tale of psychological suspense." - Seattle Times
"Suburban noir has rarely been done with such psychological insight or plot-twisting suspense." - Boston Globe
"Hallie Ephron's NEVER TELL A LIE is a gripping, chilling, fast-paced psychological thriller, engrossing enough to stay with you long after you turn the final page. Truth be told, I'm still sleeping with the lights on!" - Claire Cook, bestselling author of Must Love Dogs and Wildwater Walking Club
"Hallie Ephron keeps this exciting story whipping along while keeping the reader in delicious supense. Recommended to all lovers of suspense fiction." - Anne Bernays
"Stunning . . . Ephron doesn't miss a searing beat . . . A surprise toward the end provides the perfect twist to this deliciously creepy tale of obsession." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"[A] page-turner with a Hitchcockian opener." - Sacramento Bee
"Reminiscent of Single White Female and the best of gothic thrillers, NEVER TELL A LIE delivers a tale about obsession, relationships and forgiveness. Ephron quickly builds a foundation of psychological terror that doesn't let up until the last surprise twist." - Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel