Jane and Marnie have been friends since they met in school…they shared everything, including secrets. But when Jane lies to Marnie about how she feels about Marnie’s new husband, it creates a wedge that only grows with each successive lie.

While a narrator-centric story can be very compelling, in the case of Jane, most of what she does is predictable and you certainly know it’s coming. You soon learn how she is going to react in any situation.

Marnie is not an interesting enough character that you believe Jane could do what she’s done to impress her. Jane never seems to understand she’s only in Marnie’s adult life to prop her up and constantly does whatever Marnie needs to make herself a part of Marnie’s life. A sister and mother are included in the story, but Jane (and thus the reader) only sees them in a one-dimensional way. A journalist who stalks Jane, striving to reveal her deepest secrets, suddenly decides Jane will self-destruct and just disappears from the story. And, in the end, the final crisis is not a surprise.

Seven Lies fell short for me as a psychological thriller.

2 stars