Two Truths and a Lie

Written by April Henry

Narrated by Christine Lakin

In this chilling mystery from a New York Times bestselling author, a storm strands a group of teens in a creepy motel—leaving them trapped with a killer.

Nell has always wanted to be an actor, but doubts her ability. As a member of her school’s theater program, she prefers working backstage. On the way to a contest, an unexpected blizzard strands her acting troupe in a creepy motel. Soon they meet a group of strangers from another high school—including the mysterious and handsome Knox, who insists they play the game Two Truths and a Lie. When it’s Nell’s turn, she draws a slip of paper inked in unfamiliar handwriting:

I like to watch people die.
I’ve lost count of how many people I’ve killed.
 

Suddenly a night of harmless fun turns into a matter of life and death. As guests go missing, it becomes clear that a murderer is hiding in their midst ready to strike again. In a room full of liars and performers, the truth is never quite what it seems. Nell is going to have to act like her life depends on it—because it does.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hachette Audio
• Release date: May 24, 2022
• ISBN: 9781668604939

April Henry

April Henry is the New York Times bestselling author of many acclaimed mysteries for adults and young adults, including the YA novels Girl, Stolen; The Girl I Used to Be, which was nominated for an Edgar Award; The Night She Disappeared; and Body in the Woods and Blood Will Tell, Books One and Two in the Point Last Seen series. She lives in Oregon.

Reviews for Two Truths and a Lie

[ewyatt_16 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A blizzard side tracks a group headed to a theatre competition. They stop for the night at a run-down motel. The hotel is a step away from closing, in disrepair. Another group of teens going to a competition shows up too. As the storm gets worse, power goes out, things start to spiral out of control. People go missing, the bodies pile up. A page turning thriller.

[karensiddall · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Some of the most fun I've ever had reading a book!

This fun and scary story has all the best elements of a great teen horror flick, and I enjoyed every single minute. Nell and her friends are a cozy group; they know each other and have each other's back. Knox's group felt secretive and strange from the start. They created an immediate feeling of the unknown and suspicion. I was hooked by foreboding, worried when Nell and her friend, Min, were interested in Knox and Valeria.

I thought it was odd that Mrs. McElroy didn't insist that all her students' rooms be adjacent to hers and not spread out across the old maze of a hotel. Her first night's absence is well explained, though I questioned whether she would have left her students alone and on their own. But it definitely allows the story to kick up a notch! I liked that I never felt sure about Oscar Ewing, Knox's faculty sponsor. He seemed weak and ineffective, but this gave Knox and the other students in his group the leeway they needed for the story to progress as it did.

I liked that there was tension among the other adult strangers stranded at the hotel as well. It was an intriguing distraction from some of the other things going on and raised my suspicions, too. And, of course, the staff at the hotel itself are not just regular Joes. Both are awkward with social interactions but for very different reasons.

The Travel Inn and Out conference hotel is practically a character in its own right. I loved the oddities of the floor plan, the facility's layout, and its tarnished and faded glory. Its quirkiness multiplied the feeling of foreboding and suspense as the young guest struggled to find their way around the place, especially after the power goes out. But the place sounded massively confusing and wonderful! I also appreciate the excellent map the author provides at the beginning of the book.

The action is continuous, and tension constant with many twists and turns deftly worked in that kept me guessing until the very end of the book. I recommend TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE to readers who enjoy YA horror stories, those summer teen horror flicks, and tales of being stranded in a creepy, run-down hotel with no way out.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the publisher through TBR and Beyond Tours.

[lostinalibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A group of teens are on their way to a drama competition when a sudden blizzard forces them to pull into a creepy old motel. Shortly after, another group of teens as well a few adults also find themselves stranded in the same place. When the two groups of teens meet in the common room, they decide to entertain themselves with a game of two truth and a lie.Someone suggest they make it a little more difficult by writing down their responses on slips of paper and placing them in a basket, then randomly drawing them out so they have to guess not only which is the lie on each slip but who wrote it.

It is all going well until a very strange and frightening slip is pulled out and no one will admit to being the author. If that isn’t scary enough then the caretaker tells them about a murder that took place in the motel twenty years ago. To everyone’s horror, the next day, one of the kids is found dead with a signed pinned to her with the words all in capital letters THIS IS THE FIRST..

Two Truths and a Lie by April Henry is a YA thriller that reads like a homage to Agatha Christie’s famous play, Then There Were None. The story moves at a fast pace thanks to Henry’s use of short paragraphs and dialogue and there were plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing right to the final twist at the end. I am way past the intended audience but I was completely drawn into the story right from the first page and it kept my interest throughout, A fun fast read and one I recommend to anyone who enjoys YA thrillers.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review