An Instant  New York Times and USA Today  Bestseller A Best Novel Finalist in the International Thriller Writer Awards A Bookspan  International Book of the Month A CBS  Best Summer Read A Cosmopolitan Hot Book A New York Post (Page Six) Hottest New Thriller A BookSense Best Book of the Month An Amazon Top Ten Thriller of the Year What if your family was a lie? What if your name was a lie? What if your whole life was just a pack of Beautiful Lies? If Ridley Jones had slept ten minutes later or had taken the subway instead of waiting for a cab, she would still be living the lie she used to call her perfect life. Instead, she's in the wrong place at the right time to unleash a chain of events that begins with a mysterious package on her doorstep. A package that informs her that her entire world is just an illusion. Forced to question everything she knows about herself, Ridley wanders into dark territory, where everyone is hiding something. Sexy and fast-paced, Beautiful Lies is a true literary thriller. Lisa Unger takes us on a breathtaking ride in which every choice Ridley makes creates a whirlwind of consequences that are impossible to imagine. “This mystery’s surprising twists will make your jaw drop.” — Cosmopolitan “Suspenseful, sensitive, sexy, subtle.” —Lee Child, author of The Hard Way “A tightly written thriller . . . Maintains a high adrenaline level throughout . . . The book’s characters are fully formed, and the action is depicted with satisfying breathlessness.” — San Francisco Chronicle “Perfect pitch, characters we can recognize as versions of ourselves, a plot in which a vague sense of suspense almost instantly appears and then grows with the speed of a waterslide. . . . Lip-smacking good.” — Chicago Tribune “Harlan Coben has a new rival for his thriller crown.” —John Connolly, author of The Black Angel and Bad Men “A stunning, powerful novel! Lisa Unger’s taut prose grabs the reader from word one and never lets go. In this tantalizing tale of family suspense, beware of who you trust and be forewarned about what might happen next.” —Lisa Gardner, author of Alone and The Perfect Husband “A high-wire balance of tension and resolution. . . . Unger’s exploration of deeper themes like frayed family ties makes this a memorable effort.” — Baltimore Sun “[Unger’s] engaging narrative wins us over.” — Entertainment Weekly “Unger’s plot twists and turns will force you to stay up past your bedtime, just as you do with the books of a more seasoned James Patterson or Michael Connelly.” — Richmond Times-Dispatch “A high-velocity plot that pulls the reader along on Ridley’s dangerous quest, and Unger skillfully keeps her, and us, guessing about whom to trust. . . . Ridley is a smart, engaging narrator, charming but not cloying, courageous but not foolish about it. . . . Unger also paints a convincing, affectionate portrait of New York City. . . . A complex and gripping story about the dark side of the best intentions, Beautiful Lies is a satisfying thriller.” — St. Petersburg Times “With breathless speed, Unger is off on an action-packed journey of treachery and intrigue—and sex and romance. . . . Deep as well as clever, and Unger plays it out thrillingly.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Unger’s ability to generate spine-tingling suspense while evoking the danger and glamour of New York City is matched by her skill in creating memorable, realistic characters. . . . Unger takes readers on a pulse-pounding ride through the Big Apple. . . . Will please both pace-obsessed thriller fans and those who want to savor the more subtle aspects of character development.” — Booklist (starred review) Lisa Unger is an award-winning  New York Times  and internationally bestselling author, published in 26 languages worldwide. Chapter One It's dark in that awful way that allows you to make out objects but not the black spaces behind them. My breathing comes ragged from exertion and fear. The only person I trust in the world lies on the floor beside me. I lean into him and hear that he's still breathing but it's shallow and hard won. He's hurt, I know. But I can't see how badly. I whisper his name in his ear but he doesn't respond. I feel his body but there's no blood that I can tell. The sound of his body hitting the floor minutes before was the worst thing I've ever heard. I feel the floor around him, looking for his gun. After a few seconds I feel the cool metal beneath my fingertips and I almost weep with relief. But there's no time for that now. I can hear the rain falling outside the burned-out building, its loud, heavy drops smacking on canvas. It's falling inside, too, trickling in through gaping holes in the roof down through floors of rotted wood and broken staircases. He moves and issues a low groan. I hear him say my name and I lean in close to him again. "It's okay. We're going to be okay," I tell him, even though I don't have any re