Holly Down is the author of three novels. Everyone is Lying was published last February. It is the 15th book I completed reading in 2025.

Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence, I categorize this novel as R.

Jil Vincent wakes up in a strange bedroom. She does not even know her own name. Then, she meets Rachel, a woman claiming to be her sister. Over the next few days, Rachel slowly introduces Jil to her former life. Jil is told that she is 41, unmarried, and without children. She suffered an auto accident and has been in a coma for six months. But things do not feel right to Jil. Down deep Jil feels that she does have a husband and child.

Her nurse, Bryce, has been taking good care of her, but Jil questions why she is in her home instead of a hospital. And she doesn’t remember ever being seen by a doctor. Other than Bryce and Rachel, her only other contact is with Cathy, a nosey neighbor, and her mother, who is suffering from dementia. Jil actually learns more of her life from Cathy’s teenage son, Ian.

But things still don’t add up for Jil. She thinks she is being lied to. She keeps looking for answers. Finally, the truth starts to come out. Not all at once, but gradually, Jil learns some of the truth. Rachel, Bryce, the husband she was told didn’t exist. They have all been conspiring and lying to her.

How will Jil adjust to the life that has been revealed? Is something still being held back? Will she ever discover the whole truth?

I enjoyed the 6+ hours I spent reading this 278-page mystery. I categorize this as a mystery, but it is more psychological than crime-solving. It does have an interesting plot twist at the end, which saves the novel from scoring less than 4. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4.2 (rounded to 4) out of 5.

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Book was very enjoyable definitely a page turner completely, had me hooked in the first couple pages

Thank you to NetGalley & Bookoture for the Advanced Reader Copy!

The premise behind this one was so intriguing. Jen wakes up after a six month coma with zero memory of her past. We find out she’s been in terrible car accident and is dealing with a bad case of amnesia. She learns that her sister, Rachel, and a nurse, Bryce, have been taking care of her in hopes she would eventually wake up.

As Jen begins to become reacquainted with the world, she starts remembering bits and pieces of a life with a husband and child… but Rachel assures Jen that neither of the two exist.

As time goes on, Jen’s mistrust of Rachel grows, and she takes more risks in search of the truth.

This was a fun, engaging thriller and I would recommend if you’re looking for a quick and entertaining read!

This book was a good slow burn. If you like a story with plenty of guessing who to believe, this is a great book for you! It really picked up towards the end. I always love a good twist and turn ending that keeps me on my toes! I love the cliffhanger type ending as well. This was my first book by Holly Down, and I will happily be checking out more books by her!

This book is an absolute rollercoaster of a read, and you need to be prepared to cancel everything because you won’t want to put it down!

Jen has just come out of a coma and is understandably confused, but even so, a lot of things don’t add up. There are little clues along the way, with some memories that she doesn’t know if they are real or imagined, and it makes her distrustful of everyone.

I had to idea what had happened and who was lying, but it certainly made me suspicious of everyone. Jen is vulnerable and I found myself really invested in her story.

There are so many twists and revelations in this book, and the ending is truly spectacular.

One to keep you enthralled right to the end, I was thoroughly gripped by this excellent and thrilling novel

Wasn’t able to read this one digitally but I did order a copy of the book so will be reviewing it after I’ve read it. I’m really excited for it as I’ve only heard great things about it.

“ It’s always the people we love the most who hurt us the most.” This thriller hooked me immediately. The main character, Jen, has lost her memory and has no idea who she is, where she is, and how she got there. I was invested in Jen’s pursuit of the truth. Unfortunately at about the halfway mark, the plot felt like it slowed down and lost some of its momentum. I was still interested in Jen’s plight and the story kept me intrigued. If you are new to thrillers, you would probably enjoy it a little more than I did. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my copy..

4.5 stars for Everyone Is Lying by Holly Down.

I received an advance ebook copy of this book from netgalley.

I felt like my own memory was unreliable while reading this.

The end? What a twist! I didn't see that coming at all. If you think you can guess some things here and there throughout the book, that's fine, you probably did guess correctly. BUT I think that's the point. AND you'll never guess how it ends.

This is a must read.

Thanks to NetGalley & Bookouture for the chance to read the MOST MIND SCRAMBLING BOOK OF THE YEAR?! HOLY COW....

Like What just happened?!!?! It was going great then bam bam BAM BAM smacked in the face with twist after twist after twist then what you think is happening isn't even what's happening!?!??!

Like this is all because of one man's hissy fit !?!!?!? I'm not sure of anything anymore, I loved this book it was VERY fast paced and GREAT... But honestly by the end of it I'm not sure I like ANYONE in this book anymore. Just when I thought my family was the most dysfunctional. I'm just gonna go ahead give it 5 stars just for the amount of surprising it did, I usually guess everything before i get to the twist But I'm not sure anyone but the author is predicting this train wreck Jaw dropping Monstrosity

This is an amazing read for those who enjoy the memory loss/amnesia trope. This author created a very engaging and edge-of-your-seat domestic thriller where you won't know who to trust, and everyone is suspicious. This was unpredictable and shocking, the twists hitting at just the right time, leaving the reader reeling. I really enjoyed this one and give it four stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Bookouture, for this ARC.

Everyone is Lying really had me hooked from the beginning. You think it's just got to go a certain way but it definitely did not! Jen wakes up from a coma and everything seems to have changed...she can't remember much but eventually it seems clear everyone is just lying to her. I was riveted and kept turning the pages. I read a lot of domestic thrillers and found the unpredictability refreshing.
And just when I thought I was sure how it would all wrap up, there was a bombshell ending! A sequel would be amazing to see just how things develop in the aftermath.
Very clever writing, guaranteeing I'll be picking up more of Down's work. Highly recommended. I'm a big fan of Lisa Jewell and this was every bit as good as one of hers.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC. All opinions are mine.

Big thanks to Bookouture for a copy on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Everyone Is Lying is a mystery thriller.
Jen has an accident and loses her memory.
She can’t remember anything.
When she wakes from a coma after six months, Jen is at home being looked after by her sister Rachel and a nurse, Bryce.
As Jen begins to questions it all and starts to remember little things here and there, she wonders what is the truth.
Who do you trust when you feel everyone is lying?
Then it comes crashing down and all is unraveled.
The story is engaging and entertaining but it’s a little slow in places.
It’s a good read and at times repetitive.
The ending is quite good and the twist is favourable although predictable.
Three and a half stars rounded up……just!

I’d like to extend a huge thank you to @bookouture, @HollyDown, and @NetGalley for providing me with this ARC, which I received free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, I’m so glad I requested and received this book, as I’m not sure I would have come across it otherwise. I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for both Holly Down’s current and future works.

As you can probably tell, I absolutely loved this book. It was so easy to read, and I didn’t want to put it down. Although it wasn’t a long read, I would have finished it in one sitting if I didn’t have to sleep! However, the following day, I picked it up as soon as I could and quickly finished it.
One of the reasons I enjoyed it so much was because I found the main character to be incredibly believable, with thought processes that made sense to me. She acted in completely understandable ways throughout the book, which I thought was a huge credit to the author. In many short, fast-paced thrillers, the characters often make decisions that I simply can’t understand or relate to, forcing me to suspend my disbelief. This usually leads to me not enjoying the book as much. However, that was definitely not the case here.

I also didn’t foresee the direction the story would take at all. My guesses were completely wrong, and I thoroughly enjoyed how the plot twisted and turned, leading to an ending that I loved.

I found the writing style to be very engaging, with the character’s surroundings vividly clear in my mind thanks to the concise and well-crafted descriptions.

I went into this story blind, having not read any other reviews and only briefly scanning the blurb when I requested the book. I initially expected a story with little substance and high predictability – but that was absolutely not the case!

I’m so pleased to be able to give this book 4.5 stars. The only reason I’ve marked it down is because I’m not sure I’d ever re-read it, and re-readability is a personal requirement for any book I award 5 stars to.

I would highly recommend this to anyone seeking a quick, easy-to-read, and thoroughly enjoyable psychological thriller.

4.5 Stars ( deserved to be rounded up instead of down due to sheer enjoyability)!

this is the first book that I have read by this author and won't be my last. It centres around a young woman called Jen who wakes up to find herself in a bed with no memory of who she is. A woman who says she is her sister wont tell her much and feels that she is hiding something, Only time will tell.
A fast paced book throughout with plenty of suspense.

This book was so good and very engagingly. The book was full of twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. The ending was great and sad not anticipated. Great read!

Imagine waking up in a strange bed, completely disoriented. You don’t know where you are, who you are, or why you’re hooked up to tubes and needles. But one thing is clear—you’re not in a hospital. That’s exactly how Jen’s story begins. Then, a woman named Rachel enters the room and claims to be her sister.

Jen learns she’s been in a coma for six months after a car accident, and Rachel, along with a nurse named Bryce, has been caring for her. But something feels off. Jen has flashes of memories—a husband, a child—yet Rachel insists she’s never been married, never had kids. As Jen pieces together fragments of her past, doubt creeps in. Why does Rachel lock her in the house? Why isn’t she in a real hospital? And why does everything unravel even more when she meets her neighbor, Cathy?

One thing is certain—someone isn’t telling the truth.



So many thrillers follow a predictable formula, but this book? Nope! Holly Down masterfully kept me guessing from start to finish. Just when I thought I had it figured out—BAM! Another twist knocked me sideways. It’s packed with suspense, manipulation, and secrets that had me flipping pages like my life depended on it.

This book is fast, gripping, and totally unputdownable. If you love thrillers that mess with your head in the best way, this one’s for you. Add it to your TBR now.

Everyone Is Lying by Holly Down was a brilliant psychological domestic thriller with excellent twists and turns, throughout It was a great page turner from start to finish that had me reading it until I had finished it. I loved it.

I highly recommend Everyone Is Lying. Great holiday read.

Big thank you to NetGalley, Holly Down, and Bookouture for my ARC.

What an intense psychological thriller! This was a roller coaster ride from start to finish, with the twists and secrets unraveling to a startling conclusion.i honestly couldn’t predict anything that happened, i felt Jen’s tension and fear as she was trying to figure out what was going on around her and who to trust.. A truly great book!

Thanks so much for the opportunity to read!

Big thanks to NetGalley, Holly Down, and Bookouture for the ebook! This thriller was a whirlwind—fast-paced, full of twists, and completely gripping. It took me on an emotional rollercoaster, leaving me frustrated, drained, bewildered, and ultimately satisfied. Such a fantastic read!

A fascinating psychological domestic thriller. There are many twists and turns that will keep you reading all day. There are many end surprised me.