In a world where authenticity is currency and every moment is content, Jo Piazza delivers her most electrifying thriller yet. Everyone Is Lying to You plunges readers into the cutthroat universe of social media influencing, where appearances deceive and everyone has something to hide.
A Story That Cuts Deep Into Modern Life
Piazza crafts a narrative that feels unnervingly familiar. Lizzie Matthews, a struggling magazine writer drowning in the mundane realities of modern motherhood, receives an unexpected lifeline from her college best friend Bex—now Rebecca Sommers, a traditional lifestyle influencer with millions of followers who worship her seemingly perfect ranch life. What begins as a career-saving exclusive interview transforms into a nightmare when Rebecca vanishes and her husband Gray is found brutally murdered in their barn.
The story unfolds with the precision of a master craftsperson. Piazza alternates between Lizzie’s bewildered perspective as she navigates the influencer conference MomBomb and Rebecca’s increasingly desperate attempts to escape her gilded cage. The author’s intimate knowledge of the influencer world, gleaned from her Under the Influence podcast, infuses every page with authenticity that makes the fictional nightmare feel disturbingly plausible.
Characters That Breathe and Bleed
Rebecca Sommers emerges as Piazza’s most complex creation yet. On the surface, she’s the epitome of the “tradwife” influencer—baking bread, homeschooling children, and promoting traditional values while her husband pursues political ambitions. Beneath this carefully curated exterior lurks a woman trapped by abuse, financial dependence, and the suffocating expectations of her brand. Piazza reveals Rebecca’s true nature through subtle details: the bruises hidden behind makeup, the staged perfection of her supposedly candid moments, and the desperate calculations required to maintain her image while protecting her children.
Lizzie serves as both narrator and reader surrogate, her cynicism about influencer culture gradually giving way to horror as she discovers the truth behind Rebecca’s pristine facade. Her journey from skeptical journalist to unwitting participant in Rebecca’s escape plan provides the story’s emotional anchor.
The supporting cast bristles with memorable figures. Veronica Smith Greer, one of the influential Smith triplets, carries secrets that reshape the entire narrative. Olivia, the puppet-master manager who orchestrates careers and scandals with equal skill, operates as a fascinating antagonist whose true motivations remain tantalizingly unclear until the final pages.
A Plot That Twists Like a Knife
Piazza constructs a mystery that rewards careful readers while delivering genuine surprises. The murder investigation serves as the story’s engine, but the real mystery lies in understanding how Rebecca became trapped and what she’s willing to do for freedom. The author skillfully plants clues throughout—Rebecca’s hidden pregnancy, the staged nature of her social media content, and the toxic masculinity that permeates the rural influencer community.
The revelation that Rebecca orchestrated the confrontation between Gray and Marsden Greer, not to commit murder but to gather evidence for her escape, demonstrates Piazza’s sophisticated understanding of victim psychology. Rebecca didn’t kill her husband, but she didn’t save him either—a morally complex position that elevates the story beyond simple victim-versus-villain dynamics.
Social Commentary With Surgical Precision
This novel succeeds not just as entertainment but as incisive social commentary. Piazza exposes the commodification of family life, the performance of femininity for profit, and the ways social media platforms can become prisons for the women who build their lives upon them. Her portrayal of the MomBomb conference—with its panels on monetizing motherhood and the cynical calculation of every Instagram post—serves as a brilliant satire of contemporary culture.
The author also explores themes of female friendship, examining how Rebecca’s abandonment of Lizzie in college connects to patterns of shame and secrecy that define her adult life. Their reconciliation feels earned rather than convenient, built on mutual understanding of how women survive in systems designed to exploit them.
Where the Formula Stumbles
Despite its many strengths, the novel occasionally buckles under the weight of its ambitions. The final act, while satisfying in its resolution, feels slightly rushed after the methodical buildup. Some secondary characters, particularly certain conference attendees, function more as types than fully realized individuals.
The book’s greatest weakness lies in its tendency toward expository dialogue. Characters sometimes articulate themes too explicitly, undermining the subtlety of Piazza’s social observation. When Rebecca explains the psychology of influencer culture or Veronica details the toxic dynamics between Gray and Marsden, the conversations feel more like author interviews than natural character interactions.
Additionally, while the multiple perspectives generally serve the story well, the shifts between viewpoints occasionally disrupt narrative momentum, particularly in the middle sections where the investigation stalls.
Piazza’s Evolution as a Storyteller
Everyone Is Lying to You represents a significant advancement in Piazza’s craft. Where previous novels like Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win and We Are Not Like Them (co-authored with Christine Pride) explored similar themes of female ambition and friendship, this latest work demonstrates greater confidence in balancing entertainment with social commentary.
The author’s journalism background shines in her meticulous research into influencer culture, but she avoids the trap of letting research overwhelm storytelling. Her prose has developed a sharper edge, particularly in depicting the violence that underlies seemingly perfect lives.
A Reading Experience That Haunts
Piazza writes with the authority of someone who has spent years observing the influencer ecosystem. Her descriptions of the staged perfection, the exhausting performance of happiness, and the financial pressures that trap women in cycles of content creation feel disturbingly authentic. The novel succeeds in making readers question every carefully curated social media post they’ve ever envied.
The pacing builds steadily toward multiple climaxes—the murder investigation, Rebecca’s confrontation with Marsden, and the broader exposure of the corruption within their community. Each revelation feels both surprising and inevitable, the mark of skillful plotting.
Similar Reads for Mystery Lovers
Readers who appreciate Everyone Is Lying to You should explore:
- Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty – for its exploration of domestic violence hidden behind perfect facades
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid – for its examination of public personas versus private truths
- Such a Pretty Girl by Catherine Ryan Hyde – for its unflinching look at abuse and survival
- In My Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead – for its college friendship reunion with dark secrets
- The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley – for its isolated setting and multiple suspects
The Final Verdict
Everyone Is Lying to You delivers exactly what its title promises—a world where truth becomes the most precious commodity. Piazza has crafted a thriller that works on multiple levels: as a propulsive mystery, a savage satire of social media culture, and a moving exploration of female friendship tested by trauma.
While the novel occasionally stumbles in its execution, its insights into contemporary life feel urgent and necessary. In an era where influence equals income and authenticity is performance, Piazza’s latest work serves as both entertainment and warning. This is a book that will linger long after the final page, changing how readers view every perfectly staged Instagram post.
For fans of psychological thrillers with bite and readers interested in the dark side of social media culture, Everyone Is Lying to You proves that sometimes the most dangerous lies are the ones we tell ourselves about the lives we think we want.