Never lie
Author - Freida Mcfadden
Publisher - Hollywood upstairs press
Language - English
Genre- Psychological thriller
About the Book:
Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are searching for the house of their dreams.
But when they visit the remote manor that once belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hale, a renowned psychiatrist who vanished without a trace four years earlier, a violent winter storm traps them at the estate… with no chance of escape until the blizzard comes to an end.
In search of a book to keep her entertained until the snow abates, Tricia happens upon a secret room. One that contains audio transcripts from every single patient Dr. Hale has ever interviewed. As Tricia listens to the cassette tapes, she learns about the terrifying chain of events leading up to Dr. Hale’s mysterious disappearance.
Tricia plays the tapes one by one, late into the night. With each one, another shocking piece of the puzzle falls into place, and Dr. Adrienne Hale’s web of lies slowly unravels.
And then Tricia reaches the final cassette.
The one that reveals the entire horrifying truth.
About the author:
Freida Mcfadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. She lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.
My take:
As usual, Freida takes her readers on a roller coaster ride of twists and turns with her latest book.
Tricia and Ethan, newly weds, get stuck in a palatial house they wanted to take a tour of for buying, as a blizzard rages around.
The house once belonged to a renowned psychiatrist and a famous published author, Dr. Adrienne Hale - a woman who disappeared without a trace three years before.
Tricia keeps feeling eerie and weird being around Dr Hale's things. The giant portrait of Dr Hale in the living room with its penetrating green eyes that follow her everywhere add to her apprehension. Tricia also begins to suspect that there is someone else in the house, but Ethan doesn't believe her and brushes off her concerns.
While exploring the house, Tricia discovers a hidden room that houses thousands of tapes recorded by Dr Adrienne Hale during her sessions with her patients over a period of time. Unbeknownst to Ethan, Tricia starts listening to the tapes one by one, and soon realises that the tapes reveal a lot of secrets about many people, something which could have led to Dr Hale's disappearance.
The story is smooth flowing and lucid. The POV shifts between Tricia and Dr Adrianne from three years back, interspersed with the audio transcripts of the patients. This combination makes the story more interesting and keeps the reader hooked to know more.
As usual, Freida doesn't fail to surprise us with a twist we never saw coming.
The cover design is apt and perfectly suitable for the story.
I rate it five stars.
