None of This is True - Lisa Jewell

Oh. my. gosh. I've read and enjoyed all of Lisa Jewell's books. But her latest - None of This is True - is crazy good!! 

Take a second look at that cover. The same image, but with one turned upside down. And that's what you'll find - everything you thought you read, will be turned topsy-turvy.

Alix and Josie are both out for dinner to celebrate their 45th birthday and discover they are 'birthday twins' both born on the same day and in the same hospital. Until tonight they've never met before. Another chance meeting brings an unusual request. Alix is a well known podcaster and Josie would like Alix to document her life as it changes. It's an odd request, but Alix is intrigued...

If you can, I recommend going into this book blind. There are many twists and turns and discovering them as I read was a treat. The plotting is fabulous - unpredictable over and over again. (And had me shouting out loud more than once!)

The two lead characters are very well drawn, but do we really know them? Their inner dialogue belies the faces they show the world. There's a number of supporting players that may or may not be unreliable as well. Who to believe? 

I loved the epistolary element of the podcast episodes. A story within a story.

Kudos to Lisa Jewell for such an addicting, unpredictable read. I couldn't put it down. An easy five stars! See for yourself - read an excerpt of None of This is True.

Gentle readers, there are some triggers.

The Cage - Bonnie Kistler

The premise of Bonnie Kistler's new novel, The Cage, really grabbed my attention. And held it through all 352 pages - I honestly couldn't put it down!

What's the premise? 

"Leaving at the same time, the two women, each preoccupied by her own thoughts, enter the elevator that will take them down from the 30th floor. When they arrive at the lobby, one of the women is dead. Was it murder or suicide?"

Now, you would think that the answer to that question would be quite easy, don't you? It's anything but. The lead character is Shay, a lawyer - and the survivor. The story unfolds through her eyes, but can we trust her? Her story changes a number of time as the tale progresses. We're also aware of other narratives and these factions have their own agenda as well. 

The Cage is a legal thriller that benefits so much from Kistler's own legal expertise. The machinations of all the characters is more than a little frightening. (And I'm sure there is lots of truth there as well.) The plotting is detailed and devious, going in a direction I hadn't foreseen. And I loved how the burning question of innocence or guilt is flipped back and forth, keeping me guessing. 

Kistler's writing makes for addictive reading. I look forward to her next novel. See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Cage. I can absolutely see this one as a movie. And check out the 'behind the book' inspiration here.