Truth Be Told: A Novel

Kathleen Barber

Aug 2017 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

Now a major Apple TV+ series starring Octavia Spencer and Aaron Paul—produced by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine!

Serial meets Ruth Ware’s In A Dark, Dark Wood in this inventive and twisty psychological thriller about a mega-hit podcast that reopens a murder case and threatens to unravel the carefully constructed life of the victim’s daughter.

The only thing more dangerous than a lie…is the truth.

Josie Buhrman has spent the last ten years trying to escape her family and with good reason. After her father’s murder thirteen years prior, her mother ran away to join a cult and her twin sister Lanie, once Josie’s closest friend and confidant, betrayed her in an unimaginable way. Now, Josie has finally put down roots in New York, settling into domestic life with her partner Caleb, and that’s where she intends to stay.

The only problem is that she has lied to Caleb about every detail of her past—starting with her last name.

When investigative reporter Poppy Parnell sets off a media firestorm with a megahit podcast that reopens the long-closed case of Josie’s father’s murder, questioning whether the wrong person may be behind bars, Josie’s world begins to unravel. Meanwhile, the unexpected death of Josie’s long-absent mother forces her to return to her Midwestern hometown where she must confront the demons from her past—and the lies on which she has staked her future.

Ratings and reviews

Ms. Barber has written a book that seems to have been ripped from the pages of the news - that is, it's so well written and the characters are fleshed out to seem real. The people are both likeable and and at the same time infuriatingly obtuse. Of course as the reader we're privy to info they have yet to discover. They only character I found truly unlikable, was Poppy Parnell, however without her obnoxious probing, there would have been no story. I highly recommend Truth Be Told if you enjoy unraveling a mystery, that could have happened. It's that good folks!

To be honest, I never listened to Serial. But that may be good, because I came into this book without a basis for comparison. The excerpts from the podcasts were some of my favorite parts of the book. If someone would make a transcript of Serial, I'd read it now. In Josie, Barber gives us a heroine it's impossible not to root for: her father was murdered, her life is now being shared with the public, and now her mother has committed suicide. She's not a perfect character, but she's certainly interesting. The book is fast-paced and well-written. I loved the book and can't wait to see what Barber comes up with next.

I would like to thank the author, publisher, and netgalley for the advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. If you enjoy suspense novels, this is one you shouldn't miss! A great psychological thriller that kept me turning the pages well after bedtime. A well written story that kept me on the edge of my seat. Josie attempts to leave her past behind after her Father's murder and her Mother joins a cult. But as we all know, the past always finds a way to catch up to you. When a journalist starts a podcast to investigate the murder and it goes viral, it becomes impossible for Josie to keep her secret past buried.

About the author

Kathleen Barber’s first novel, Truth Be Told (formerly titled Are You Sleeping), has been adapted for television by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine. Kathleen was raised in Galesburg, Illinois, and is a graduate of the University of Illinois and Northwestern University School of Law. She lives in Washington, DC, with her husband and son. Follow Me is her second novel.