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We're not lying when we tell you One Of Us Is Lying is going to be your new TV obsession. In the new Peacock series based on Karen M. McManus' novel of the same name, five students—an athlete, an academic whiz, a "princess," a criminal and a "basket case"—enter detention...but only four of them live to tell the tale. Think The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars with a dash of Gossip Girl. Like we said: Prepare to become addicted.
And for fans of the 2017 novel (and its 2020 follow-up, One Of Us Is Next), it's just as thrilling to see the deadly mystery and compelling characters jump from the page to the screen.
Of course, One Of Us Lying is just the latest twist-filled novel to come out this year—and dare we say some of our recommendations below would make the perfect TV or movie adaption.
Whether you prefer print, Audible or Kindle (or Kindle Unlimited), stock up on several books to cozy up with while you wait for the next episode of One Of Us Is Lying.
Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus
For even more of McManus' thrilling writing, may we recommend her book about a small town with deadly secrets? Ellery is forced to move to Echo Ridge—the place where her aunt went missing plus where a homecoming queen was murdered five years ago—to live with her estranged grandmother. To say she's not happy about it is an understatement, especially when another girl disappears and everyone becomes a suspect.
The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell
Choosing a single novel from the reigning queen of thrillers was even harder than not staying up all night to finish one of her books. So we'll just go with her most recent release, which features a gripping mystery that will have your pulse and mind racing. One year after a young couple disappeared at a country estate's party, a writer moves into a cottage near the woods that borders the same property. The forest is known as the Dark Place, which makes it fitting that it's exactly where she stumbles upon a clue, a note that simply reads, "DIG HERE."
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
The one thing you can expect from Foley's novels? That you'll never guess the twist...or should we say twists? The Guest List finds all the partygoers at a wedding in danger when one person turns up dead at the exclusive nuptials held on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. Alternating between the bride, the maid of honor, the wedding planner, the plus one, the best man and the groom, you'll never see the ending coming. RSVP at your own risk.
One By One by Ruth Ware
The modern-day Agatha Christie's latest bestseller centers on a group of co-workers at a tech start-up who are snowed in at a luxurious, rustic ski chalet high in the French Alps. While that may sound charming, the elements—natural and human—aren't ideal, with the group dwindling, as you may have guessed, one by one as the storm continues to rage both inside and outside of the chalet.
Luckiest Girl Alive
With Mila Kunis currently filming Netflix's adaptation of the 2015 bestselling novel, you're going to want to add this to the top of your pile ASAP. The Bad Moms star will play Ani FaNelli, a sharp-tongued New Yorker who appears to have the perfect life until the director of a crime documentary invites her to tell her side of the shocking incident that took place when she was a teenager. Ani is forced to confront a dark truth that threatens to unravel her meticulously crafted world.
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
Do yourself a favor and read this ASAP 'cause it'll likely be everyone's next binge-worthy TV obsession next year. The author of Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers returns with another unputdownable book about what it really means to be family. The four Delaney siblings are divided into pairs when their mother goes missing and their father is the prime suspect. Which siblings are right? What is their dad hiding? And did he actually do it?
Survive the Night by Riley Sager
Your heart will be racing and your mom's head will likely be shaking thanks to the Home Before Dark author's tale of a movie-obsessed college student who finds herself locked in a car with the potential "Campus Killer." Will she become the serial murderer's fourth victim? Or will she be able to do what the title suggests? You'll have to turn the page to find out—and you'll never guess what happens once you the credits start to roll.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Even if you've read the 2014 phenomenon that has become the gold standard of psychological thrillers—and was turned into a hit movie starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike—it's worth another visit to truly appreciate just how chilling, cutting and well-crafted the love-story-gone-seriously-wrong is.
Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay
When a family made famous by a Netflix true crime documentary is found dead, the surviving son sets out to figure out what happened to them, as well unravel the original mystery of that night his now-imprisoned older brother's girlfriend was murdered. This delicious debut is a must-read for those who mainline true crime podcasts and can't resist an episode of Dateline.
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder</> by Holly Jackson
This thrilling YA trilogy centers on high school senior Pip, who decides to start a true crime podcast to reexamine the five-year-old murder-suicide that still haunts her small town. But when the seemingly closed case turns out to be a very much active one, she discovers that the killer is out there...and he's listening to her show.
All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda
Prepare for more twists than a bag of pretzels. Nicolette Farrell returns to her rural hometown for the first time in a decade after her best friend disappeared without a trace. But when her young neighbor who happened to be dating her ex-boyfriend goes missing, shocking truths about her friends, her family and what really happened ten years ago are revealed.
They Wish They Were Us by Jessica Goodman
Gossip Girl but make it a juicy murder mystery. That's the gist of this irresistible YA novel set at a prep school on Long Island. After her best friend was brutally murdered by her boyfriend during their freshman year, Jill is now just trying to enjoy her senior year and role in Gold Coast Prep's secret society…until she receives a text insisting the killer is still out there and begins her own investigation. Basically, imagine Blair Waldorf and Veronica Mars in one body.
And like GG, They Wish They Were Us is also set to hit HBO Max, with Euphoria's Sydney Sweeney and Halsey tapped to star in the series, titled The Players Table.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelidis
We're not being hyperbolic when we say Michaelidis delivered one of the best twists in recent literary history in his 2019 book about a criminal psychotherapist who becomes obsessed with understanding a patient who hasn't spoken a word since shooting her husband five times in the face.
The Good Girls by Claire Eliza Bartlett
Three Jefferson-Lorne High School students find themselves under investigation after their classmate is murdered: Claude, the notorious partier; Avery, the head cheerleader; and Gwen, the would-be valedictorian. But, like in any high school hallway, appearances can be deceiving and you won't see the twists and turns in this feminist thriller, tailor-made for the #MeToo era, coming
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
Just how anticipated was the Eight Hundred Grapes and Hello, Sunshine scribe's latest release? Well, it's already being adapted into an Apple TV+ starring Julia Roberts. NBD! The gripping novel follows Hannah Hall as she deals with the disappearance of her new husband on the same day that the FBI raids his software startup on suspicion of fraud. The only breadcrumb she has to follow is a note from her M.I.A. man, asking her to protect her teenage stepdaughter.
Verity Colleen Hoover
If you've yet to experience the delight that is reading one of Hoover's novels, we suggest starting with this 2018 fan-favorite. Prepare for your pulse to race and palms to sweat as you devour the story of a struggling writer hired to finish an injured bestselling author's remaining books by her husband. But everything changes when an unfinished autobiography filled with bone-chilling admissions and familial secrets is discovered.
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Kindle)
Before diving into this popular young adult series, we suggest clearing your schedule because you will not be able to stop reading the tale set in the dangerous world of Texas elite. Avery Grambs is surprised when a billionaire she's never met dies and leaves her his fortune. But there's a catch: She must move into a house with his four spurned grandsons. Think Knives Out, but with teens and even more family secrets.
One Of Us Is Lying is streaming on Peacock.
If you're looking for more reading recs, check out our picks for October's best new releases.
(E! and Peacock are both part of the NBCUniversal family)