The Lying Club: A Novel

by Annie Ward

Overview

"If you loved Big Little Lies and Little Fires Everywhere, allow me to introduce you to your next obsession. —Kim Liggett, New York Times bestselling author of The Grace Year

A tangled web of lies draws together three women in this explosive thriller of revenge, murder and shocking secrets

At an elite private school nestled in the Colorado mountains, Natalie, an office assistant, dreams of having a life like the school moms she deals with every day. Women like Brooke—a gorgeous heiress, ferociously loving mother and serial cheater—and Asha, an overprotective mom who suspects her husband of having an affair. Their fates are bound by the handsome assistant athletic director Nicholas, whom Natalie loves, Brooke wants and Asha needs.

But when two bodies are carried out of the school one morning, it seems the tension between mothers and daughters, rival lovers, and the haves and have-nots has shattered the surface of this isolated, affluent town—where people stop at nothing to get what they want.

Don't miss Annie Ward's other twisty and utterly original thriller, Beautiful Bad!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780778389408
Publisher:	Park Row Books
Publication date:	03/22/2022
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	432
Sales rank:	590,652
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.70(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

ANNIE WARD has a BA in English Literature from UCLA and a MFA in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute. Her first short screenplay, Strange Habit, starring Adam Scott was an official selection of the Sundance Film Festival and the Grand Jury Award winner at the Aspen Film Festival. She has received a Fulbright Scholarship and An Escape to Create Artists residency. She lives in Kansas with her family.

Editorial Reviews

01/17/2022

Pill-popping Natalie Bellman, the protagonist of this disappointing psychological thriller from Ward (Beautiful Bad), wakes up early one morning in her car in the parking lot of the Falcon Academy, an elite private school in the Colorado mountains where she works as an administrative assistant. Vaguely thinking she’s done something regrettable, she wanders over to the gym. Through a window, she spots a body in a pool of blood and wonders, “What the hell did I do?” Flash back six months. Natalie is over the moon when she hooks up with ladies’ man Nick Maguire, the highly sought-after academy coach. Despite Nick’s desire to keep their relationship a secret, she believes he’s serious about her, especially after he breaks up with his girlfriend. But when she presses Nick about going public with their relationship, he breaks up with her. Natalie then self-medicates and stalks Nick. Meanwhile, she also cultivates relationships with two mothers who have hired Nick to give their daughters private soccer lessons. The three soon learn Nick isn’t who he seems. Stock characters match the predictable plot. Readers can safely skip this one. Agent: Madeleine Milburn, Madeleine Milburn Literary. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"If you loved Big Little Lies and Little Fires Everywhere, allow me to introduce you to your next obsession. Wildly addictive, smart, and chilling, The Lying Club will have you on the edge of your seat, guessing until the very last page. —Kim Liggett, New York Times bestselling author of The Grace Year


"Layers of deceit and intrigue explosively unravel at an elite private school in this dark and compelling must-read. A master of misdirection, Ward takes the reader on a continual roller coaster ride with one shocking twist after another." —Liv Constantine, International bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish


“The Lying Club is a stunning whodunnit that will keep readers captivated until its final page. Ward has created characters so real you’ll feel like you’re a member of their dark and twisted world where everyone is a suspect, and everyone has a motive. The Lying Club is an edgy, addictive read about the lengths people go to in the name of love, no matter the consequences. Fans of Big Little Lies will revel in this dark, pacy page-turner.” —Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of Before She Was Found

"Annie Ward ratchets up the tension in this tantalizing story of jealousy, privilege, lies and murder. With breakneck pacing and one shocking revelation after the next, The Lying Club will absolutely wow readers of domestic suspense." —Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of Local Woman Missing

"Annie Ward's The Lying Club paints a frightening picture of a toxic prep school shrouded in layers of manipulation and secrecy. Her novel gives the reader a window into a world of privilege gone horribly awry. You will not be able to put it down." —Mary Dixie Carter, author of The Photographer

“Dark and disturbing…This book will likely appeal to readers who enjoy stories ripped from current headlines as well as to fans of Megan Abbott, Layne Fargo, Elizabeth Thomas, and Christopher Yates.” —Booklist

From the Publisher

10/01/2021

An office assistant at a fancy private school in Colorado, Natalie has nothing in common with wealthy school moms Brooke, a controlling heiress, and perpetually worried Asha—except that all three are attracted to the school's dashing young assistant athletic director, Nicholas. What's that got to do with two deaths at the school that eventually overturn the entire community? Ward is back after debuting with the LibraryReads pick Beautiful Bad.

Library Journal