Truth and Other Lies

By: Maggie Smith

Narrated by: Amy McFadden

The Devil Wears Prada meets All the President's Men

Megan Barnes' life is in free fall. After losing both her job as a reporter and her boyfriend in the same day, she retreats to Chicago and moves in with Helen, her overprotective mother. Before long, the two are clashing over everything from pro-choice to #MeToo, not to mention Helen's run for US Congress, which puts Megan's career on hold until after the election.

Desperate to reboot her life, Megan gets her chance when an altercation at a campus rally brings her face-to-face with Pulitzer-prize-winning journalist Jocelyn Jones, who offers her a job on her PR team. Before long, Megan is pulled into the heady world of fame and glamour her charismatic new mentor represents.

Until an anonymous tweet brings it all crashing down. To salvage Jocelyn's reputation, Megan must locate the online troll and expose the lies. But when the trail leads to blackmail and circles back to her own mother, Megan realizes if she pulls any harder on this thread, what should have been the scoop of her career could unravel into a tabloid nightmare.

Listeners who love Jodi Picoult's topical plot twists and Liane Moriarty's character-driven novels will devour this fast-paced tale of three women whose lives converge as one fights a devastating accusation, another campaigns for a contested seat in Congress, and one, the young reporter with ties to both, navigates the tricky line between secrets and lies.

©2020 Maggie Smith (P)2022 Maggie Smith

Had me walking my dog just to keep listening

If you are a fan of women’s fiction, this book is for you. Nothing is missing. Strong female protagonists and antagonists. Mother daughter, grandmother-mother, boss-subordinate relationships. Politics and social issues… it’s all here. The plot grabbed me at the beginning and didn’t let go. I listened to this book on Audible, which made my dog very happy. I walked longer than usual just to keep listening.

Outstanding Debut!

Truth and Other Lies by Maggie Smith spotlights media, spin, and the tenuous trust between reader and journalist. Smith tells her story through the lens of Megan, a recent graduate with a keen desire to make her mark as a newspaper reporter. Megan is like a recently opened package of chest-thumping ambition. She wants a seat in the pressroom, to work alongside the truth-tellers, to take on the time-honored role of a news writer. It is from that implicit trust in the Fourth Estate, the unshakeable belief that a free press will always deliver the truth, that Megan discovers that true and false isn’t always black and white, what is right isn’t always good, and the power of spin can make the blackest lies palatable. The writing in this book is so good, it’s hard to believe this is a debut author. Five stars for this one.

Memoir Themes Throughout Novel!

I enjoyed this novel and I am hoping for a sequel. If you read the author’s memoir, you’ll notice many similar themes. Every time I noticed a new one, I wanted to take a shot to reward myself! Making the connection between the author and the character made listening to the book even more enjoyable. This book has romance, mystery, and social justice elements woven throughout the book. One disclaimer: conservatives will probably find this book too liberal for their liking. Also, listen to the audio sample before using a credit because the narration may be a bit irritating to many. The reader’s pitch was too high for my liking but it wasn’t enough for me to stop listening.