One Of Them Is Lying
Hired to salvage the scandalous reputation of Alan Titheridge, Stella organizes a high-stakes weekend retreat at Titheridge Farm for his family and five VIPs. Shortly after the guests arrive, a massive storm traps them on the property—and within forty-eight hours, one of them turns up dead. With hidden agendas, a deceiver in their midst, and an imposter hiding in plain sight, the survivors must identify the killer before time runs out.
- Stella (Abigail) - Alan’s public relations manager
- Alan - Owner of Titheridge Farm
- Rhonda - Alan’s wife
- Romilly - Alan and Rhonda’s daughter
- Alistair - Romilly’s husband
- Renee - Alan and Rhonda’s daughter
- Leo - Renee’s husband
- Elsie - Renee and Leo’s daughter
- Tom - Activities coordinator at Titheridge Farm
- Miriam - Alan’s personal assistant
- Pete - Editor at the Redmere Gazette
- Jamie - Journalist at the Redmere Gazette
- Jane - News presenter at NorthBeat
- Govider - Police wildlife crime officer
- Terri - CEO of Beyond the Silence, a charity for battered women
- Martin - Abigail’s father, worked for Alan
- Margie - Abigail’s mother
- Part I
- Alan needs Stella to help restore his reputation after he was accused of allowing badger-baiting on his land and cheating on Rhonda.
- Stella plans a party at the farm to help repair Alan’s reputation.
- Alan is arrested for drunk driving, but he insists he had not been drinking and that someone is setting him up.
- Alan collapses and Miriam says she thinks someone has been poisoning him.
- Part II
- Guests arrive for the party and a rainstorm begins.
- Govider tells Stella he was first on the scene when they got news of the badger-baiting, and there was no evidence to justify the claim, but the Redmere Gazette ran with the story anyway, so everyone assumes it is true.
- The storm takes out the power.
- Alan tries to assault Stella while they are outside, but she pushes him and he falls on a sharp rock and appears dead.
- Rhonda witnesses it and says she’s glad he is dead.
- Rhonda reveals she knows that Stella is really Abigail.
- Part III: Abigail’s story
- Martin worked for Alan when Abigail was young.
- One weekend, Alan invites Martin, Margie and Abigail to stay at the farm.
- Abigail saw Alan assaulting Margie in the barn.
- Afterwards, Margie makes Abigail promise not to tell anyone what she saw, then takes off into the woods.
- Martin drives into the woods behind the house looking for Margie, crashes into a tree and dies.
- Margie falls into a deep depression after Martin’s death.
- When Abigail is twenty-four, Margie is diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer and dies soon after.
- Abigail decides to get her revenge on Alan, blaming him for Martin and Margie’s deaths.
- Abigail begins stalking Alan online and in real life.
- Abigail is the one who called into the paper about the illegal badger-baiting.
- Abigail uses pictures of Alan and AI to create a fake video of him with a woman and sends it to the papers as well.
- Abigail spikes Alan’s coffee, leading to his drunk driving arrest, and has been feeding him laxatives, which is why he seems ill.
- Part IV
- Rhonda tells Abigail she knew what Alan was like but was too weak to stop him.
- Rhonda and Abigail go back in the house and pretend nothing is amiss.
- Alan returns to the house and tries to attack Abigail, and she runs outside.
- Alan runs outside after her and someone shoots him, killing him.
- Police are called.
- Part V Renee
- Alan started sexually abusing Renee when she turned six.
- Renee never told anyone until after she and Leo had Elsie, then she finally tells him.
- The night of the party, Renee is in her room and sees Alan in the yard trying to drag Abigail to the barn to assault her.
- Renee is the one who shot Alan so he could not hurt anyone else.
- She hides the gun under the floorboards.
- Epilogue Seven months later
- Police wind down the investigation into Alan’s murder when they cannot find any evidence or the murder weapon.
This one ended up being quite a bit darker than your typical thriller so if you have triggers I suggest you check trigger warnings before diving in. The chapters are medium-length but the book is broken down into five parts, which keeps the story moving at a fast pace.
The narrative is mostly told from a single point of view. The character development is strong, but I didn't find myself getting emotionally invested in anyone. Even with that slight disconnect, the plot is engaging and I really enjoyed the book overall.
The twist at the end was surprising and written very well. The ending of the book however did feel a little abrupt, but it is still a solid read that keeps you hooked from start to finish. I recommend this book for anyone who likes a book with darker themes and who wants a plot that feels fresh and new for this genre.
- Martin - Dead - Crashed his car into a tree
- Margie - Dead - Ovarian cancer
- Alan - Dead - Shot by Renee
- Rape
- Death of a parent
- Depression
- Terminal illness
- Stalking
- Sexual assault of a minor
- Murder
Publisher: Boldwood Books
ISBN: 9781836032342
Publication Date: May 10, 2026
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
