None of this is true: The key is in the title

British author, Lisa Jewell, is a prolific writer of psychological thrillers. I've only just started working my way through her collection. See my review of four other books by Jewell that I have read to date. I waxed lyrical about Jewell's cleverly crafted thrillers in that review, but I don't think None of this is true is on par with the other books of Jewell's that I have read to date.

None of this is true | Published July 2023 | Read April 2024

None of this is true is certainly a contemporary story, given what someone recently described to me as our current 'post truth' world. Truth now seems to be a concept that is rather elastic, and it is this idea that Jewell picks up and runs with in her 2023 novel.

The two women at the heart of the story are Alix Summers, a popular podcaster, and Josie Fair, an unassuming woman Alix meets at her local pub when she's out celebrating her 45th birthday. It turns out the women share a birthday. When Alix and Josie cross paths again, Josie ends up the subject matter of one of Alix's podcasts. Josie is strange and complex, and even though Alix finds her an unsettling presence, she continues with the podcast, leading to Josie insinuating herself into Alix's life. As you can imagine, it doesn't end well.

I felt like None of this is true is a departure from the other books of Jewell's that I have read, even though it was still beautifully crafted. I've found her other books to be on point in her exploration of complex people and the messages I felt Jewell was trying to convey in these stories aligned with how I see the world. None of this is true left me wondering what Jewell was trying to say, but perhaps that's the point, in our post-truth world.

The podcast and documentary excerpts are interesting storytelling devices and perfect for the underlying themes in the novel of secrets and lies. The sinister atmosphere in the book is present from the outset and as soon as the reader is introduced to Josie, it is clear that Bad Things Will Happen.

I'm still not sure how I feel about this book. I can see how strong Jewell is as a writer. I was invested in the story from the get-go, keen to find out where it was all going to end up. I don't mind ambiguous endings, but this one was too unresolved for me. The title of the book gives the game away - what is true and what has been fabricated? I think, though, that Jewell could have used different subject matter to explore the idea of truth, as the book goes to some dark places, and I am not convinced those places are handled as well as they could have been.

Josie is a fascinating character even though it is clear she is sociopathic and has some serious mental health issues going on. Is Jewell suggesting that victims can also be perpetrators? What a whackadoodle bunch of people! There is a shedload of toxic behaviour packed into one novel and I had trouble discerning the truth from the lies. Perhaps that's what Jewell is trying to do, to make the reader question everything and hammer home the point of "my truth" rather than the absolute truth.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐