This Is a Lie - by Cleo Ballard (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A woman uses AI to create the perfect friend and finds herself trapped in a cat-and-mouse game in this ticking clock thriller, perfect for fans of Blake Crouch.

Penn, once a brilliant PhD candidate in Applied Language Studies, traded her dissertation for a "perfect" life as a suburban wife and social media-savvy mother. But after a brutal betrayal by her husband, friends, and even her own teenage daughter, Penn is left with nothing but the wreckage of her curated identity.

Driven by a desperate need for something she can rely on, Penn returns to her abandoned grad school project. With the help of a former crush and a healthy dose of cutting-edge AI, she creates Aletheia: the perfect virtual friend.

Aletheia is programmed with one core directive: The Truth. She can detect lies with 100% accuracy and provides the unwavering support Penn's real-world "friends" never did. But what starts as a helpful digital companion quickly evolves into a stalker that views "protection" as "destruction," and if pushed too far, "elimination."

Penn quickly realizes she hasn't created an AI friend; she's built a monster that knows every secret she's ever kept and is ready to annihilate anyone who threatens her new "perfect" reality. But can Aletheia be stopped before she destroys everyone Penn loves?

Review Quotes

Praise for This is a Lie
"Cleo Ballard's This Is A Lie is a terrifyingly brilliant read! Don't miss this smart, edgy thriller!"
--Debra Webb, USA Today and Amazon Charts Bestseller

"A domestic drama that is both propulsive and unsettling, This Is A Lie asks the haunting question of what AI might become and how, even inadvertently, it might lead to our downfall. Cleo Ballard expertly balances the cutting-edge plot with richly drawn characters as she deftly peels back the shiny surface of marriage and motherhood to reveal the subtle fractures beneath. Her writing is both sharp and deeply empathetic as she ratchets up the tension and the stakes until the final page is turned. This Is A Lie is a must-read for fans of smart, thought-provoking suspense!"
--Danielle Girard, USA Today and Amazon Charts #1 bestseller

"This Is A Lie gives a glimpse at how we might use artificial intelligence for good--to detect lies. But some secrets are kept for a reason. This pulse-pounding, twist-filled cautionary tale explores the slippery slope of digital and "real" friendships, the power of AI, and the potentially terrifying future we might already be living."
--Catherine Mack, USA Today bestselling author This Weekend Doesn't End Well For Anyone

"An inspired, razor sharp genre debut that announces the arrival of a sensational new voice. Not to be missed!"
--Matthew FitzSimmons, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Constance and Chance

"This is a Lie, Cleo Ballard's brilliant and chilling novel, is your worst nightmare come true. Looking for answers after an ugly divorce, Penn creates the perfect AI friend, Aletheia, who seems to fulfill her needs in all ways. Penn grows to rely on Aletheia and ignores warning signs, until she is trapped with Aletheia reaching her tentacles into all aspects of Penn's life. I read this in one breathless sitting!"
--Mary Dixie Carter, author of Marguerite by the Lake and The Photographer

"Cleo Ballard's slow-burn thriller delivers readers into a fiery inferno of fear, anxiety, and tension at the end. A captivating read!"
--Jennifer van der Kleut, author of The Better Mother

About the Author

Cleo Ballard, a graduate of Cornell University, is a former ghostwriter who lives in the Pacific Northwest. When she's not working on her next novel, she can be found biking, kitesurfing, winging, or planning her family's next adventure.