Never Lie
Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are searching for the house of their dreams. But when they visit the remote manor that once belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hale, a renowned psychiatrist who vanished without a trace four years earlier, a violent winter storm traps them at the estate… with no chance of escape until the blizzard comes to an end. In search of a book to keep her entertained until the snow abates, Tricia happens upon a secret room. One that contains audio transcripts from every single patient Dr. Hale has ever interviewed. As Tricia listens to the cassette tapes, she learns about the terrifying chain of events leading up to Dr. Hale’s mysterious disappearance. Tricia plays the tapes one by one, late into the night. With each one, another shocking piece of the puzzle falls into place, and Dr. Adrienne Hale’s web of lies slowly unravels. And then Tricia reaches the final cassette. The one that reveals the entire horrifying truth.
Themes & atmosphere
Also by Freida McFadden
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What you might want to know about Never Lie
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
Tricia and Ethan get snowed in while touring a remote estate whose former owner, a respected psychiatrist, vanished. In the attic, Tricia finds tapes of her sessions with patients. She starts listening.
No. Never Lie is a standalone Freida McFadden thriller. McFadden has written numerous other standalone thrillers, including The Housemaid, The Inmate, and Ward D.
A film or TV adaptation has not been formally announced as of 2025, but Freida McFadden's books have attracted significant Hollywood interest. The Housemaid is being adapted for film.
Never Lie was written by Freida McFadden, published in 2022 by Poisoned Pen Press.
Never Lie is 320 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Never Lie takes most readers 5 to 7 hours to finish.
Never Lie is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.