I wanted to like this one but unfortunately I didnt. I really struggled to connect to the main character and it was too predictable. It also was too jumpy.

Rating: 3.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the eARC!

This book had *so* much potential.

The premise? Pretty compelling.

A former Candy Girl (read: hostess for a very shady, very elite escort service) trying to keep her past buried while it slowly comes back to bite her—yeah, that had me hooked.

The dual timeline was intriguing, especially when Alexandra starts receiving creepy paper birds that hint her past isn’t as buried as she thought.

The Candy Girls plotline, especially the events from twenty years ago, was by far the most gripping part of the book. That whole “something terrible happened at the party and now the past is catching up” vibe? Loved that. Unfortunately, the pacing kept tripping over itself.

The flashbacks dragged a bit and got repetitive, and while Alexandra (aka Lexy aka Birdie) should’ve been a complex, compelling character… I just couldn’t connect. Honestly, I didn’t find *anyone* in this book very likable, and that made it harder to stay invested.

Also, Alexandra’s husband suddenly getting his own drama felt like a random subplot the book didn’t need. Less filler, more thriller, please.

Still, there’s a solid skeleton here—a strong setup, some real tension, and a few twists that definitely landed. With tighter writing and deeper characters, this could’ve been a knockout.

As is? It’s a decent read for suspense fans looking for something with a little grit and glamour.

First and foremost, a huge THANK YOU to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and author, D.E. White for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Everything we do has consequences.

It started out as an interesting premise, but in the end, the pacing and unnecessary storyline killed it for me.

Alexandra's worked hard – gaining her degree, starting her own business, marriage and family. Life as she knows it now is pretty great and for those on the outside looking in, she has it all. But it wasn't anything like this in the beginning….

For Lexy and her friends, the struggles of being a student were real – money was tight. When her best friend and roommate, Lana, presented her with the opportunity of joining the Candy Girls, Lexy thought it was easy money.

In short, the Candy Girls organisation was an escort service whose clients consisted of wealthy, powerful, and politically active men. The organisation hosted parties which the candy girls all attended. Money, alcohol and drugs were never in short supply. Unlike some of the other girls, Lexy mainly served as a hostess and bartender at these parties and never spent any one-on-one time with the clientele. She was making good money working these parties, but it all came crashing down one evening when Lexy saw something she was never meant to see.

Twenty years later – and a string of occurrences happening in the present are on a collision path which may implode the life as she knows it.

Things that worked:
👉 The storyline about the Candy Girls and Alexandra's involvement worked well and was an interesting premise. There were plot points regarding this story thread that engaged and surprised this reader.

Things that didn't work:
👉 The storyline lost a bit of its pacing when looping back in time from the present. The passages where Alexandra was 'remembering' back to that night in question became a little repetitive for this reader.

👉 Unfortunately, I didn't connect with our FMC. I found her to be frustrating and lacking depth. And indeed, I didn't find any likable characters at all (which is perfectly fine, except that I began to enjoy the story less as a result).

👉 The inclusion of husband Harlan's own 'issues' towards the end of the book could have been omitted entirely and I felt did nothing to the enhance the overall effect of the story except to increase the page count.

I think this novel had a good bone structure but wasn't built to its full potential.

I received this book free from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Written by D. E. White and published by Storm Publishing in 2025, this is a suspense/murder thriller set in Brighton, U.K. The Candy Girls is the name of an escort service (whorehouse, house of prostitution) and its female staff. It was located near Brighton. The ladies were good-looking young women who made a lot of money and shared drugs from their clients, and from the men (pimps) who ran the operation. Alexandra (Lexy) did not sleep with the clients. She served as a hostess and bartender in this large house with a basement swimming pool. Life was good. Everybody was having fun! Lexy and the other girls were making a lot of money.

Then, Alexandra, also known as “Birdie,” because she loved to sing and make small paper origami birds, discovered that all was not good in the Candy Girls organization. That was in 2004. Three of the girls were murdered within minutes of each other in the swimming pool by one of the clients. He was, and is, wealthy, related to Royalty, and politically active and powerful. His name is Thomas Blake. One of the pimps, a man known as Mac, urged Lexy to leave while she still could as he began burying three young bodies in the basement. Lexy has seen the body of Lana’s younger sister, Jess, so she knows that she is dead, but wonders about Lana, from whom she has heard nothing in the last twenty years. Lexy’s stepbrother Niall was also working at the Candy Girl house, and she saw him carry Jess’s body into the basement to be buried. She wondered about Mac but had heard nothing from any of them. Lexy left and never went back. She completed her degree in Nursing and began a new life, all the while wondering if her best friend and roommate, Lana, had also been murdered.

After graduation, Lexy started her own business which she named Glow. It is an aesthetics practice, and Alexandra has become a very successful aesthetician. Her clientele all want to be beautiful, and Alexandra is very good with cosmetics and the facial injections that can make women look prettier. She has married Harlan, a police officer who works rotating shifts, and has inherited a lot of money. They have two children, a boy named Tom and a girl named Sophie. Alexandra’s mother has Alzheimer’s Disease and lives in a nursing home, but Alexandra tries to visit her often. It is now twenty years later, and the suspense begins.

Alexandra awakens one morning and goes down to her kitchen to make breakfast for her family. On the table she sees a white envelope addressed to Birdie, and when she opens it, she finds a perfectly made little paper origami bird. Who has found her? How did they find her? How do they know about her past? Is her family in danger? How did they get into her house?

The suspense builds relentlessly from this point in the story onward until it reaches an unexpected climax. A few questions to ponder: Did Harlan really inherit his money? If not, where does it come from? Is Lana really dead. How about Mac? Is he dead also? Who has broken into her house and left the origami bird? Will she be arrested and jailed because she did not report the twenty-year-old murders to the police?

You can find the answers to all these questions, and more, by reading this excellent book. It is well-written, suspenseful and entertaining. I award all five of the five stars available for this novel along with my recommendation.

Everyone Is Lying by D E White. Wow! This was a twisty one. We meet Alexandra who is living her best life with a successful husband and two perfect children. She is a long way from a past she got away from. Then one day she find an origami bird on her Kicthen table. Who was in her home and how did they find her? The bird symbolizes a message and a threat. It also symbolizes who she was before when her nickname was Birdie. Years ago, at a party, three girls died and Alexandra (Birdie) saw what happened. Now someone wants answers. Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the arc.

What an amazing book this is! I could not put it down - read it in one breathless sitting! Loved, loved, loved this one and I very highly recommend it.

I’m giving this book 4 stars, but it’s lacking something for me to be fully 4 stars. It seemed like the story was unfolding quite slow in the beginning, and it took me a little while to get into the book, but then towards the end, when I had about an hour of reading left, it seemed that everything unfolded, and there was so much happening. I enjoyed the story and how it was written. I almost didn’t need the epilogue part 6 months later - I thought it was a good ending for the book without it (some books leave me questioning, and I feel that there is no completeness, but not with this one). It was a quick and easy read, and I would recommend it.

Everyone is Lying is a great read! This is the first book I've read from this author and I can't wait to get my hands on more. I was hooked from page one and didn't put this book down until I was done! The story is written well, I enjoyed the mystery and characters. The FMC's life was going good until she had jury duty then things started getting interesting! I highly recommend adding this book to your TBR!

I received an advance ebook copy of Everyone Is Lying by D.E. White from netgalley.

This thriller will hook you from the start and you won't want to stop. It's fast paced and a quick read.

The character development, back stories, and location/event descriptions are so well written.

This is a must read if you like psychological thrillers.

Everyone Is Lying by D. E. White is a gripping psychological thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The story follows Alexandra, a woman who seems to have it all – a successful business, a loving husband, and two children. However, her perfect life is threatened when she finds a mysterious origami bird on her kitchen table, a symbol that brings her back to a traumatic event from her past.

The bird is more than a simple reminder; it’s a warning. Alexandra’s past is intertwined with a devastating tragedy from twenty years ago, one where three girls died at an exclusive party, and Alexandra harbors a secret that could shatter the lives of some of the country’s most powerful men. As she is forced to confront the dark truths of that night, the tension builds, and her once-perfect world begins to unravel.

D. E. White does an excellent job of weaving suspense and mystery throughout the narrative, with plenty of twists and turns that keep the reader guessing. The story explores themes of guilt, secrets, and the lengths people will go to protect their own interests. Alexandra is a well-developed character, and the author effectively builds her internal conflict as she grapples with the truth she’s been hiding for years.

With a fast-paced plot, intriguing characters, and plenty of surprises, Everyone Is Lying is a thrilling read for fans of suspenseful mysteries and psychological dramas. If you love a good twist and a story that keeps you hooked from start to finish, this book is for you.

I completely and thoroughly enjoyed this stand alone book. It is a bone chilling thriller. It is about Alexandria who had a different life before now. Only four people knew her nickname Birdie, and one of them is dead. Someone broke into her house and left a origami bird on her kitchen counter. Who is the question?

Truly a great read! One you can not put down!

Happy reading!!

A strong thriller that kept my interest from start to finish.
Well written characters and the everyday setting added together to keep the tension high as Alexandra tries to find out who is threatening to unravel her perfect life.
Everyone is lying is a stand-alone novel that keeps you guessing until the satisfying end..

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this eCopy to review

Everyone Is Lying follows Alexandra, who seems to have the perfect life with a successful business, a loving husband, and two beautiful children. However, her seemingly idyllic life is shattered when she finds a perfectly folded origami bird on her kitchen table one morning. This bird is a chilling reminder of a dark secret from her past, a secret that only four people knew about—one of whom is dead.

The story takes us back twenty years to a night when three girls died at an exclusive party. Alexandra witnessed something she was never meant to see and has been running from that night ever since. The origami bird is not just a reminder but a warning that someone knows what really happened and is willing to destroy her life to keep her quiet.

The plot is gripping and filled with twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. The suspense builds up nicely, and the author does a great job of keeping the reader guessing about who is behind the threats and what their motives are. The characters are well-developed, and I found myself empathizing with Alexandra as she navigates the dangerous waters of her past and present.

Overall, Everyone Is Lying is an entertaining psychological with complex characters and a lot of suspense.

I enjoyed Everyone is Lying. The mystery kept me interested, and the pacing was good. The ultimate solution to the mystery wasn't super surprising, but it was still satisfying.

A well written thriller with an excellent storyline. Alexandra has everything she wanted in life, until something in her past threatens to destroy it. The author sets the pace for this psychological thriller, taking you on a seemingly never ending ride of deceit and half truths. Highly recommended.

Past secrets will catch up to you eventually no matter how far you run, as Alexandra soon learns in the beginning pages of this book.

This psychological thriller was full of mind bending twists and suspense that keep you on the edge of your seat. This cleverly written thriller will shock you. It will suck you in from the beginning chapter as the author does a great job of pulling you into the story hook, line and sinker.

Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Everyone Is Lying
by D. E. White
Pub Date: Mar 31 2025

Everyone Is Lying is a psychological thriller about a woman with a secret that eventually catches up with her. The story started out slow but picked up the pace and was a real page turner. Filled with mystery, tension, lots of twists and turns. If you're looking for a great read, this is it!

Synopsis: Alexandra has the perfect a successful business, a loving husband, and two beautiful children. But twenty years ago, she witnessed something she was never meant to see. When she finds a perfectly folded origami bird on her kitchen table one morning, she knows someone from her past is after her. Only four people knew her nickname – Birdie – and one of them is dead.

I would like to thank #EveryoneIsLying #NetGalley and #StormPublishing for giving me the opportunity to read an E-ARC of this 5 star book.

Everyone Is Lying is a newly released novel, March 31, 2025, by D. E. White. Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and the author for the opportunity to read an ARC; my review reflects my honest opinion. Alexandra is a successful business woman, happily married to Harlan, a Brighton policeman and loving mother to 10 year old Sophie and 7 year old Tom. She has worked hard for all she has achieved including being able to place her mom in a highly respected care home. In spite of this almost idyllic life, she worries that facts from her late teens and twenties could come back and possibly destroy her life. And one day that happens; she is selected to serve on the jury for the murder trial of Gareth Sellers, a man from her past. Everyone Is Lying is a compelling book that takes the reader through Alexandra's past from the trial to its aftermath. Can a person escape their past? Can a good woman bring down powerful men without jeopardizing her family? Do the mighty ever fall? Initially the book moved a bit slowly, yet certainly picked up momentum and had me hooked. It's a very suspenseful and intriguing thriller. 4 stars.

Everyone is Lying is a suspenseful psychological thriller by D.E. White. What would you do if you saw something you weren't meant to see and after 20 years someone from your past is now after you?

I found myself caught up in this thriller right off the bat. It’s definitely a “Can’t run from your past forever” type of book. Alexandra once lived a very different life than she currently does and it’s one she has worked to maintain. When she starts receiving an origami bird, she realizes someone out there knows.
It’s a fast paced novel with twists and keeps you gripped until the end. I would definitely recommend to those that enjoy thrillers!

Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the digital ARC