Brianna Labuskes returns with vengeance in her second Raisa Susanto novel, delivering a psychological thriller that cuts deeper than a scalpel and twists tighter than barbed wire. The Truth You Told proves that sometimes the most devastating revelations come not from what killers hide, but from what they finally choose to reveal.
The story erupts when Nathaniel Conrad, the notorious Alphabet Man who tattooed cryptic codes onto his victims’ bodies, drops a bombshell mere hours before his execution: he didn’t kill Shay Kilkenny, the wife of FBI forensic psychologist Callum Kilkenny. This revelation shatters the foundation of a case that consumed five years of Callum’s life and another ten years of his guilt.
The Architecture of Deception
Labuskes constructs her narrative with the precision of a master architect, building layers of deception that support an increasingly unstable tower of truth. The introduction of FBI forensic linguist Raisa Susanto as the co-protagonist creates a compelling dynamic that elevates the series beyond typical crime fiction. Raisa’s expertise in analyzing the linguistic patterns of Conrad’s letters provides the scientific backbone that transforms what could have been mere speculation into forensic certainty.
The author’s decision to structure the narrative through multiple timelines and perspectives initially feels challenging but ultimately serves the story’s complex emotional architecture. We witness Shay’s relationship with Callum unfold in reverse chronological order, creating an almost archaeological excavation of their love story. This technique allows Labuskes to subvert reader expectations while building genuine sympathy for characters who might otherwise feel like plot devices.
Particularly effective is how Labuskes handles the technical aspects of forensic linguistics. Rather than drowning readers in jargon, she seamlessly integrates Raisa’s analytical process into the investigation, making the science accessible without sacrificing authenticity. The dual-cipher revelation—where Conrad’s letters contained both an Alberti cipher and a hidden Vigenère code—represents a masterstroke of plotting that feels both surprising and inevitable.
Character Development and Psychological Depth
The psychological portraits Labuskes paints are richly complex, particularly in her exploration of trauma’s lasting impact. Callum’s decade-long journey through guilt and self-blame feels authentic, avoiding the trap of making him either too heroic or too damaged. His relationship with Raisa develops organically, built on professional respect and shared experience rather than forced romantic tension.
Raisa herself emerges as a fully realized protagonist, carrying forward the emotional weight from The Lies You Wrote while establishing her own investigative methodology. Her connection to her serial killer sister Isabel creates fascinating parallels with the case at hand, though Labuskes wisely avoids over-explaining these connections, trusting readers to draw their own conclusions.
The supporting characters, particularly Max Baker and Xander Pierce, are painted with enough moral ambiguity to keep readers guessing. Max’s transformation from suspected victim to calculated avenger represents some of Labuskes’ finest character work, presenting a morally complex figure whose actions challenge traditional notions of justice and revenge.
The Gothic Horror of Family Secrets
What distinguishes The Truth You Told from standard police procedurals is its gothic sensibility regarding family dysfunction and inherited trauma. The revelation that Dr. Tori Greene had been systematically targeting traumatized children to study the creation of serial killers transforms the narrative from a simple whodunit into a meditation on nature versus nurture.
Labuskes explores how childhood trauma creates ripple effects across generations, with particular attention to the ways victims can become perpetrators. The parallel stories of various traumatized children—Conrad, Isabel, Max, and even Kate Tashibi—create a disturbing pattern that suggests systemic failures in protecting the vulnerable. The author handles these sensitive topics with appropriate gravity while maintaining the thriller’s momentum.
The family dynamics between Shay, Beau, and Max form the emotional core of the story. Their fierce loyalty to each other, expressed through morally questionable actions, creates a compelling portrait of survival and protection. The gradual revelation that Beau, not Max, had been responsible for killing Max’s abusive father adds another layer to the family’s complex moral landscape.
Technical Mastery and Pacing
Labuskes demonstrates remarkable control over pacing, alternating between the urgent timeline of Conrad’s execution day and the slower revelation of past events. The decision to set much of the contemporary action within a compressed timeframe creates natural tension while allowing space for character development and emotional processing.
The author’s handling of multiple POVs could have resulted in confusion, but instead creates a kaleidoscopic effect that gradually brings the full picture into focus. Each perspective adds crucial information while maintaining distinct narrative voices. Shay’s sections, written in past tense, carry a bittersweet nostalgia that contrasts effectively with the present-day urgency of Raisa and Callum’s investigation.
The technical aspects of the investigation feel authentic without overwhelming the narrative. Labuskes clearly conducted thorough research into forensic linguistics, criminal psychology, and FBI procedures, integrating this knowledge seamlessly into the story’s fabric.
Connections to the Series Arc
Building on the foundation established in The Lies You Wrote, this second installment deepens our understanding of Raisa’s psychological landscape while advancing her professional relationships. The series benefits from having an episodic structure that allows each book to function independently while building character relationships across installments.
The upcoming third book, By the Time You Read This, promises to continue exploring the intersection of family trauma and criminal psychology that makes this series distinctive. Labuskes has created a fictional universe where past actions inevitably collide with present circumstances, creating opportunities for both redemption and reckoning.
Minor Criticisms and Areas for Growth
While The Truth You Told succeeds admirably in most respects, some elements feel slightly underdeveloped. Kate Tashibi’s motivation, while understandable, could have used more psychological depth to make her transformation into a potential killer more believable. Additionally, the resolution of Pierce’s subplot feels somewhat rushed, leaving questions about his ultimate fate and accountability.
The novel’s length occasionally works against it, with some sections feeling slightly padded. A tighter edit might have strengthened the overall impact without sacrificing the complex plotting that makes the book distinctive.
Final Verdict
The Truth You Told establishes Brianna Labuskes as a significant voice in contemporary psychological thrillers. The novel succeeds in creating genuine suspense while exploring meaningful themes about family, justice, and the long-term consequences of trauma. Readers who appreciated the psychological complexity of Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad series or the forensic detail of Kathy Reichs’ Temperance Brennan novels will find much to admire here.
The book works both as a standalone thriller and as part of the evolving Raisa Susanto series, promising rich territory for future exploration. Labuskes has created characters worth following and a world complex enough to sustain multiple investigations while maintaining emotional authenticity.
For readers seeking intelligent crime fiction that respects both scientific methodology and human psychology, The Truth You Told delivers a satisfying blend of intellectual rigor and emotional resonance. It’s a worthy successor to The Lies You Wrote and sets high expectations for By the Time You Read This.