Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Seven Lies by Elizabeth Kay Narrator: Katharine Lee McEwan, Pearl Hewitt
Published by Penguin Audio on June 16, 2020
Genres: Mystery, Thriller
Length: 10 hours, 52 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible, Libro.fm, Barnes & Noble, Apple
Growing up, Jane and Marnie shared everything. They knew the other’s deep-est secrets. They wouldn’t have had it any other way. But when Marnie falls in love, things begin to change.
Because Jane has a secret: she loathes Marnie’s wealthy, priggish husband. So when Marnie asks if she likes him, Jane tells her first lie. After all, even best friends keep some things to themselves. If she had been honest, then perhaps her best friend’s husband might still be alive today…
For, of course, it’s not the last lie. In fact, it’s only the beginning…
Seven Lies is Jane’s confession of the truth—her truth. Compelling, sophisticated, chilling, it’s a seductive, hypnotic page-turner about the tangled, toxic friendships between women, the dark underbelly of obsession and what we stand to lose in the name of love.
The title, Seven Lies, means that someone isn’t telling the truth. I usually prefer those who tell the truth. But I understand the sort of white lie which is part of not hurting someone else’s feelings or even to allow them to express their own opinion separate from your own. We get the honest story from Jane about her lies.
I related to Jane. She works hard, treats others well and enjoys having a close, best friend. She finds the love of her life, only to lose him. Her family isn’t really a close connection for her, more like she is their support. Somehow she crosses into obsession of having that best friend and closeness, no matter the cost.
I felt Marnie was a bit callous to Jane at some points. While Jane did some bad things, Marnie didn’t know about them, but perhaps she sensed them or their attitude? I found it sad Jane couldn’t honestly express some of her feelings to Marnie, as her best friend. I wish things could have been different.
Narration:
McEwan was a new narrator for me, but I have listen to Hewitt before. I was so caught up, I barely paid attention to the narration but I think that’s a compliment to the narration keeping me focused on the story. I always appreciate voices which are clear to understand and feel appropriate to the characters. I listened comfortably at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip:
About Katharine Lee McEwan
Katharine Lee McEwan is an award-winning British actress, writer, and producer committed to creating quality, hard-hitting and issue driven content. Her films have been invited to over a hundred film festivals world-wide, including screenings in New York, Moscow, Sydney and Los Angeles. Katharine’s feature film “Solitary,” which she wrote, produced and starred in, won sixteen festival awards and opened both the Chelsea Film Festival in New York, and the London Independent Film Festival, where it won Best UK Feature.
Katharine was born in Redcar, Cleveland and spent her early years being home-schooled by her parents and acting in local productions. Deciding to forgo university and seek overseas adventure instead, Katharine traveled through Europe, Asia, South Africa and Australia. It was on these journeys, inspired by the stories of the many unique people she encountered, that she decided to return to her love of storytelling. Arriving in Los Angeles with a renewed passion and an even greater desire to study her craft, she enrolled at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. Upon graduating, Katharine started working in theatre and independent film, but soon realized that creating her own material would give her the opportunity to play the dynamic, rebellious women she most identified with.
In addition to her on-camera work, Katharine is also an award-winning narrator, having lent her voice to numerous titles spanning genres such as fiction, fantasy, and drama, and including works by New York Times best-selling authors. As a writer, she has created and performed stories with Snap Judgement Live and the Road Theatre in Los Angeles.
About Elizabeth Kay
Elizabeth Kay is the daughter of a Polish father and an English mother. She originally went to art school, and she is also an illustrator. She has an MA in Creative Writing, and does some teaching and editing. During a varied writing career – from radio plays and short stories to poetry and novels for both adults and children – she has won a number of prizes, including the Cardiff International Poetry Competition and the Canongate Prize for short stories. Elizabeth lists as her hobbies travelling to obscure destinations and trying not to get eaten by the local wildlife.
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- COYER-20
This sounds like a fantastic idea and framework for a story! Even though you don’t like lying (I don’t either), it sounds like you enjoyed the story?
It’s really creepy. But I liked the liar better than her friend.
i find even a good book can be better when it’s easy to relate to a specific characters
This one was creepy but compelling. I preferred the liar to her friend but it was all just sad.
Just the title pulls me in and makes me curious. Glad you were able to appreciate Jane as her story unfolded. Sounds like it wasn’t as simple as black and white lying.
Well, Jane definitely did some major lies about some bad things but I just liked her better. Which is crazy. I felt she got the short end of the stick as they say but better communication, honest communication might have improved things all around.