Two Truths and a Lie: A Novel

by Meg Mitchell Moore

Overview

A NATIONAL BESTSELLER

From the author of The Islanders comes a warm, witty and suspenseful novel filled with small-town secrets, summer romance, big time lies and spiked seltzer, in the vein of Liane Moriarty.

Truth: Sherri Griffin and her daughter, Katie, recently moved to the idyllic beach town of Newburyport, Massachusetts. They’ve been welcomed by Rebecca Coleman, unofficial former leader of the Newburyport Mom Squad, and her teenage daughter Alexa, Katie’s new babysitter.

Truth: Alexa has time on her hands after a falling-out with her friends involving her popular YouTube channel. Katie can’t be left alone because of nightmares that don’t jibe with Sherri’s vague story about her past. Rebecca Coleman has been spending time with someone she doesn’t want people to know about just yet.

Lie: There’s no new man in Rebecca’s life, and it’s definitely not one connected to the Mom Squad. Alexa isn’t seeing anyone new herself and plans on shutting down her YouTube channel before leaving for college. Sherri Griffin’s real name is Sherri Griffin, and a bad divorce is all she’s running from.

A blend of propulsive thriller and gorgeous summer read, Two Truths and a Lie reminds us that happiness isn’t always a day at the beach, some secrets aren’t meant to be shared, and the most precious things are the people we love.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062840097
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	06/16/2020
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	842,045
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 5.90(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Meg Mitchell Moore worked for several years as a journalist for a variety of publications before turning to fiction. She lives in the beautiful coastal town of Newburyport, Mass., with her husband and their three daughters. A Future So Bright is her ninth novel.

Editorial Reviews

03/30/2020

Moore (The Arrivals) serves up an uneven tale about a group of privileged mothers and the secrets they keep. Sherri Griffin and her 11-year-old daughter, Katie, move to Newburyport, Mass., where the drinks always flow and the gossip runs rampant. Sherri and Katie are running—but from what? Meanwhile, rising high school senior Alexa can’t wait to leave Newburyport for Los Angeles—but after reading the explosive secrets in Katie’s diary during a babysitting gig, she has drama to spare. Alexa’s mother, Rebecca, is still mourning her late husband when she starts a relationship with Daniel, one of Alexa’s high school teachers, while trying to keep tabs on Alexa and her fifth-grade sister, Morgan, one of Katie’s besties. While the author’s elegant prose shines, the plot meanders, and the frequent shifts in point of view make it difficult to forge a strong connection to any of the characters. A subplot emerges when Alexa finds clues that suggest Sherri and Kate are in the witness protection program, but it never takes off, and the book fades to a whimper. Frequent texts, social media posts, and bursts of first-person-plural narration add to the cacophony. Moore is talented, but this isn’t her best. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"This fast-paced, witty beach read has all the elements of a great drama, including a Greek chorus of second-grade moms providing color commentary. Perfect for fans of Big Little Lies and Little Fires Everywhere."

Booklist

Meg Mitchell Moore fills [Maeve Binchy’s] big shoes. . . . If you’re feeling landlocked and water-deprived, The Islanders is the ticket to the getaway you need.

New York Times Book Review

2020-03-15
A single mom and her 11-year-old daughter, who are trying to start over, move to a small New England town, but it’s harder to leave their pasts behind than they thought.

Sherri Griffin has just moved to Newburyport, Massachusetts, with her daughter, Katie, and has somehow gotten her a spot in one of the more coveted summer surf day camps, much to the surprise of the long-term town moms. The first day of camp marks the beginning of Sherri's and Katie’s individual efforts to make new friends and redefine themselves—Sherri among the Mom Squad, aka The Group, which rules the social scene among the rising sixth grade parents in their little town, and Katie among those moms’ daughters. Author Moore offers a relatively standard narrative structure of rotating between a number of main characters’ points of view to tell the story. In addition to Sherri and her murky past, there is Rebecca Coleman, a second grade teacher on summer break who is struggling with grief over the sudden death of her husband 18 months before, guilt over her desire to make new friends and start dating, and irritation at her old friends; and Alexa Thornhill, Rebecca’s 17-year-old daughter, who is planning for her post–high school future on her terms and not those of her mother. Refreshingly, however, Moore also employs a breezy style to share the gossipy feel of the groupthink of the Mom Squad as an additional point of view. This is a book that tiptoes between genres. Is it a mystery? A thriller? A teen coming-of-age exegesis? A beach read that leans into a potential romantic fairy-tale ending? Surprisingly, the story elements that successfully create narrative tension and draw the reader through the volume are discarded at the close. Instead, the reader is given an ending that is as capricious as life itself.

A crackling narrative that starts strong and ends abruptly.

Kirkus Reviews

"This fast-paced, witty beach read has all the elements of a great drama, including a Greek chorus of second-grade moms providing color commentary. Perfect for fans of Big Little Lies and Little Fires Everywhere." — Booklist

“[A] scintillating, dishy, and dark novel perfect for those who enjoyed Never Have I Ever and Big Little Lies.” — Bookreporter.com

“Meg Mitchell Moore fills [Maeve Binchy’s] big shoes. . . . If you’re feeling landlocked and water-deprived, The Islanders is the ticket to the getaway you need.” — New York Times Book Review

“Moore’s narrative is fast-paced, and her lead characters are flawed and believable. Readers looking for an emotional tale will find much to enjoy.” — Publishers Weekly

“With complex characters and vivid landscape descriptions, this fun beach read from Moore has just enough drama to keep readers wondering how the story will unfold. For fans of women’s fictions such as the works of Elin Hilderbrand and Nancy Thayer.” — Library Journal on The Islanders

“A beautifully in-depth novel chronicling the intersection of the lives of three strangers during one fateful summer. [Moore’s] characters are strong, and the realistic situations are both heartfelt and heartbreaking. An excellent combination of character exploration and intrigue.” — Booklist

From the Publisher

[A] scintillating, dishy, and dark novel perfect for those who enjoyed Never Have I Ever and Big Little Lies.

Bookreporter.com

"This fast-paced, witty beach read has all the elements of a great drama, including a Greek chorus of second-grade moms providing color commentary. Perfect for fans of Big Little Lies and Little Fires Everywhere."

Booklist