The Next Lie
Surviving their daughter’s kidnapping was supposed to be the hardest test of Sadie and Allen Wilson’s marriage. But just as their lives finally begin to stabilize, their neighbor is found murdered, and Allen vanishes without a trace. Left to navigate the police investigation alone, Sadie uncovers a chilling trail of deceit. As the body count rises and dark secrets from Allen’s past come to light, Sadie is forced to question if she ever truly knew the man she married.
- Sadie - Allen’s wife
- Allen - Sadie’s husband
- Emma - Sadie and Allen’s daughter
- Teresa - Allen’s ex-wife
- Forrest - Teresa and Allen’s son, 12
- Cass - Sadie and Allen’s neighbor
- Diane - Allen’s former girlfriend, Kate’s sister
- Kate - Diane’s sister
- Robin - Cass’s sister
- Bobby - Allen and Cass’s daughter
- Cass is found dead in her home.
- Allen goes missing.
- Diane tells Sadie that Allen tried to kill her years ago and that he killed Cass.
- The police find Allen’s fingerprints on a wineglass in Cass’s home.
- Allen slept with Cass while he was married to Teresa.
- Allen goes to his parent’s cottage on the lake and disposes of a baseball bat in the lake.
- Cass had an overdose of Ambien in her system when she died.
- Police find fabric from Sadie’s sweater in the broken window from Cass’s crime scene.
- Diane’s parents kidnap her and take her to a cliff to kill her because they are angry she faked her death when she was a teenager.
- Cass and Allen had a daughter named Bobby but Cass never told Allen about her. Bobby is being raised by Robin and her husband.
- The police find and identify Diane’s body.
- Diane and Kate’s parents are found dead in their home from gunshot wounds.
- What really happened the night Diane disappeared as a teenager – she wanted Allen to run away with her to escape her abusive home, but he refused. She spent years claiming he tried to kill her because she believed he ruined her life by refusing to run away with her.
- The night on the cliff, Diane escapes from her parents and later sneaks into their house and shoots them.
- Diane throws herself off a bridge into the water in order to avoid going to prison.
- Allen disappeared and disposed of the baseball bat because he found Cass dead and believed Sadie had killed her with it.
- Kate wears a wire, goes to Teresa’s office, and gets her to admit she put Ambien in Cass's coffee.
- Teresa didn’t intend to kill Cass – she wanted to frame Allen for attempting to murder Cass to punish him for not loving her and to punish Sadie for being the woman Allen loved instead of her.
- Cass died from falling and hitting her head on the coffee table, but if she hadn’t, the Ambien overdose would have killed her.
- Allen and Sadie take in Forrest and form a relationship with Bobby.
- Teresa argues she had a mental breakdown and is institutionalized instead of imprisoned for Cass’s death.
Camden Baird delivers a standout sequel with The Next Lie. As the second book in the series, it does a great job of catching the reader up on the events of the first installment without relying on a heavy information dump. While I think it is best to read the first book first to fully appreciate the stakes, the transition here feels natural and well-paced.
The structure makes the story super engaging, using very short chapters and multiple timelines to keep the momentum high. The narrative is told from several points of view, which adds layers to the suspense and mystery. Several of the characters are likable, but because everyone is so suspicious, it’s difficult to truly root for anyone. Despite the large cast, they are not hard to keep track of if you have already laid the groundwork with book one. I flew through this book very fast and was sad when it ended!
- Cass - Dead - Poisoned with Ambien by Teresa
- Diane - Dead - Jumped off a cliff, suicide
- Diane and Kate’s parents - Dead - Shot by Diane
- Teresa - Alive - Institutionalized for Cass’s death
- Blackmail
- Murder
- Stalking
- Infidelity
- Infertility
- Suicide
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
ISBN: 9781662530265
Publication Date: July 14, 2026
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
