If You Lie
Olivia escaped a nightmare seven years ago, but the trauma never truly left her. Now, a true-crime podcaster dedicated to exposing darkness, she’s burnt out and haunted by her own past. So when her estranged sister Quinn invites her on an exclusive cruise, Olivia jumps at the chance for a relaxing escape.
But the luxurious yacht is a gilded cage, and paradise has a sinister undertow. Quinn isn’t the sister Olivia remembers, and the ship’s perfectly friendly passengers are unsettlingly devoted to a new-age wellness company. As strange events echo Olivia’s buried past, a chilling truth begins to surface.
When someone vanishes without a trace, Olivia realizes she’s trapped on a floating prison with no way off. The relaxing vacation has become a dangerous game of cat and mouse, where the cult’s grip tightens with every passing wave. To survive, Olivia must untangle the lies before she becomes the next missing person lost at sea.
- Olivia - Podcaster, Quinn’s sister
- Nina - Olivia’s research assistant
- Quinn - Olivia’s sister
- Bryce - Quinn’s fiancé, Xclivity member
- Sean - Olivia’s kidnapper
- Alex - Liam’s boyfriend
- Liam - Alex’s boyfriend, Xclivity member
- Tim - Kerry’s husband, Xclivity member
- Kerry - Tim’s wife, Xclivity member
- Darren (Diego) - Tim and Kerry’s adopted son, Margaret’s biological son
- Elena - Margaret’s daughter
- Caprice - Chaz’s twin sister, Xclivity member
- Chaz - Caprice’s twin brother
- Carmela (Margaret) - Xclivity slave
- Julianna - Former Architect of Xclivity, Quinn’s birth mother
- Marco - Julianna’s security
- Olivia hosts a true crime podcast called Living With Olivia that she started a year after her kidnapping and attempted murder.
- Olivia and Quinn’s mother died giving birth to Olivia.
- Quinn invites Olivia on a cruise to repair their relationship after years of estrangement.
- Olivia boards a yacht with Quinn and her friends.
- Julianna announces that the Xclivity members on the cruise are on a journey of transcension and that Olivia, Alex, Darren and Chaz were each chosen by a family member to help them on their journey.
- Quinn says she brought Olivia there to rebuild their relationship, but Olivia needs to trust Xclivity’s process.
- Olivia recognizes Xclivity for what it is, a cult, but agrees to go along with the process because she wants Quinn back in her life.
- Olivia talks to Carmela, who reveals that her real name is Margaret and that she was once a prosecutor.
- Margaret investigated a company called Consumer Advocates and discovered it was a pyramid scheme targeting vulnerable people. The company was also involved in money laundering, tax evasion and weapons trafficking.
- Margaret put together a suit against Consumer Advocates but before she could file it they kidnapped her, killed her husband and threatened to kill her two children if she didn’t comply.
- Consumer Advocates became Xclivity, forcing Margaret to help restructure the organization and making her a slave.
- Her children were given to Xclivity members to raise, and she didn’t see them again until this trip - Darren is Diego.
- Olivia sees Marco toss Margaret overboard.
- Olivia tells Quinn about Margaret’s murder.
- Quinn tells Olivia that she initially loved Xclivity because it helped her heal from past trauma, but as she rose through the ranks she was subjected to bizarre sex ceremonies and branded.
- Olivia manages to send Nina an e-mail with everything she knows, asking her to send help.
- Marco supposedly shoots Quinn and throws her overboard.
- Olivia, Alex, Chaz and Darren are taken to the transcension ceremony.
- Each Xclivity member must pledge their allegiance to the cult before sacrificing their loved one by pushing them overboard.
- Liam pushes Alex overboard.
- Caprice refuses so Julianna pushes Caprice overboard and Marco pushes Chaz into the water.
- Quinn appears looking radiant, and Olivia realizes everything Quinn did was an act; pretending to be shot, pretending Bryce abused her and pretending she wanted to leave the cult.
- Quinn always hated and resented Olivia for being born and taking away their mother.
- Quinn admits that she paid Sean to kidnap and kill Olivia seven years ago.
- Julianna reveals that she is Quinn’s birth mother and that she recently made Quinn the Architect of Xclivity.
- Olivia tells Darren that Margaret was his mother and gives him a letter she asked Olivia to pass on to him.
- Olivia shoots and kills Marco.
- Julianna cuts Tim’s throat, killing him.
- Olivia shoots and kills Julianna.
- Darren stabs Quinn in the neck, killing her.
- A US Coast Guard helicopter carrying Alex rescues Olivia and Darren.
- One year later: Bryce is in prison for murder, human trafficking and several financial crimes related to Xclivity.
- Liam and Kerry are also in prison.
- Alex stays friends with Olivia and becomes friends with Nina.
- Alex is attending law school.
- Darren changes his name back to Diego.
- Olivia finds Elena and reunites Diego with his sister.
I got pulled into If You Lie right away, and the story kept me guessing about who could be trusted and what secrets people were hiding. The biggest source of tension came from watching Olivia slowly realize she might actually be in danger while she tried to piece everything together.
The short chapters kept things moving, and I liked how the mystery unfolded as more and more pieces fell into place. This was a fast-paced thriller with plenty of action that kept the tension high throughout the story. The relationship between Olivia and her sister Quinn added an emotional layer, especially as Olivia kept pushing forward in hopes of fixing things between them, even though it was pretty clear something was off. The book also had some big twists near the end that made the story even more impactful.
If you like cult thrillers, and twisty psychological suspense, you will love this book.
- Sean - Dead - Shot by police
- Olivia - Alive - Continues pursuing justice through her podcast
- Darren - Alive - Reunited with Elena
- Margaret/Carmela - Dead - Tossed overboard by Marco
- Alex - Alive - Attending law school
- Quinn - Dead - Stabbed by Darren
- Chaz - Dead - Pushed overboard by Marco
- Caprice - Dead - Pushed overboard by Julianna
- Marco - Dead - Shot by Olivia
- Tim - Dead - Throat cut by Julianna
- Julianna - Dead - Shot by Olivia
- Bryce - Alive - In prison awaiting trial
- Liam - Alive - In prison awaiting trial
- Kerry - Alive - In prison awaiting trial
- Infertility
- Domestic abuse
- Suicide
- Kidnapping
- Gun violence
- Assault
- Slave labor
- Murder
- Loss of a parent
ISBN: 9798991461009
Publication Date: November 1, 2024
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
