This “touching, insightful, and gripping story” (Sophie Kinsella, New York Times bestselling author) from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of None of This Is True follows a young woman searching for answers about her mysterious past.

When she was a child, Melody Browne’s house burned down, destroying all her family’s possessions and her memories. Ever since this tragic event, Melody has had no recollection of her life before she was rescued from the flames.

Now in her early thirties, Melody is a single mother, living in the middle of London with her teenaged son. She hasn’t seen her parents since she left home at fifteen, but she has no desire to reconnect until one night, while attending a hypnotist show with a date, she faints. When she comes around, she is suddenly overwhelmed with fragmented memories of her life before that fateful fire.

Slowly, she begins the arduous process of piecing together the real story of her childhood. Her journey takes her up and down the countryside, to seaside towns to the back streets of London, where she meets strangers who seem to love her like their own. But the more answers she uncovers, the more questions she is left with, and Melody can’t help but wonder if she’ll ever know the whole truth about her past.

Filled with “classic storytelling” (Elle) and unforgettable characters that will stay with you long after the final page, The Truth About Melody Browne is “an absolute must-read” (Cosmopolitan, UK).

About The Author

Photograph (c) Andrew Whitton

Lisa Jewell

Lisa Jewell is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twenty-three novels, including None of This Is True, The Family Upstairs, and Then She Was Gone, as well as Invisible Girl and Watching You. Her novels have sold over ten million copies internationally, and her work has also been translated into twenty-nine languages. Connect with her on X @LisaJewellUK, on Instagram @LisaJewellUK, and on Facebook @LisaJewellOfficial.

Product Details

Publisher: Atria Books (July 21, 2020)
Length: 352 pages
ISBN13: 9781982129408

Raves and Reviews

“Lisa Jewell’s writing is like a big warm hug and this book is a touching, insightful and gripping story which I simply couldn’t put down.” —SOPHIE KINSELLA

“Full of heart and humour, this will move you to tears. An absolute must-read.” —Cosmopolitan UK

“Classic storytelling.” —Elle

“What is revealed is a network of rewardingly complex characters, a dramatic, suspense-filled explanation of how [Melody] ended up where she did, and a family tragedy that is profoundly moving.” —Telegraph

“A refreshing departure from the usual girl-in-search-of-boy template… Jewell has a convincing eye for detail, and throws in a roller-coaster-worth of attention-grabbing twists and turns.” —Guardian

“Sincere and engaging with a great plot and believable characters.” —Daily Mail

“Moving and dark.” —The Times Summer Reading Selection

“This will make you laugh, cry—then tell all your friends about it.” —Daily Record

Praise for Watching You:

“Quickly and assuredly, Jewell builds an ecosystem of countervailing suspicions…Tricky, clever, unexpected.”

– New York Times Book Review

“A twisty British mystery...Brace yourself as Jewell stacks up the secrets, then lights a long, slow fuse.”

– People

“Page one intrigued me. Page three hooked me. By page five, I was consumed. This compulsive, propulsive novel is both a seize-you-by-the-throat thriller and a genuinely moving family drama. Stellar.”

– A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window

"A twisty whodunit."

– Cosmopolitan

"Big Little Lies-esque small town drama with stakes as high as Amy from Gone Girl's IQ, Lisa Jewell's latest thriller is not to be missed."

– InStyle

"Watching You takes the idea of obsession to chilling heights."

– PopSugar

"This suspense is going to have you turning the pages all night long."

– Bustle

"Stellar domestic drama...Expert misdirection keeps the reader guessing, and the rug-pulled-out-from-beneath-your-feet conclusion—coupled with one final, bonechilling revelation—is stunning. Best not to bet on anyone. A compulsive read guaranteed to please fans of A. J. Finn and Ruth Ware."

– Booklist (starred review)

"Jewell weaves a taut multiperspective, domestic/community suspense story that is sure to please fans of Ruth Ware and A.J. Finn."

– Library Journal (starred review)

"[A] spine-tingling thriller...Lisa Jewell’s gripping novel Watching You unravels a tangled web of rumors—and a shocking twist."

– Real Simple

“Eerie and bone-chilling…this page turner surprises and stuns.”

– Woman's World Magazine

"A juicy new page-turner."

– Brit+Co

“[A] crafty conundrum…the author smoothly juggles multiple story lines…prepare to be blindsided by the murder victim’s identity, not revealed until late in the game—and an even more stunning final surprise. Jewell does a masterly job of maintaining suspense.”

– Publishers Weekly

“Jewell adeptly weaves together a complex array of characters in her latest thriller. The novel opens with the murder investigation and deftly maintains its intensity and brisk pace...Jewell's use of third-person narration allows her to explore each family's anxieties and sorrows, which ultimately makes this novel's ending all the more unsettling. An engrossing and haunting psychological thriller.”

– Kirkus Reviews

"A master at unspooling tightly told tales, Jewell specializes in perfectly-pitched thrillers without sacrificing a drop of her characters’ complexities, secrets, and desires, and this latest one is no exception."

– The Seattle Review of Books

"Jewell excels in creating complex characters, building tension and keeping readers in the dark yet riveted until the "Aha!" moments...this thriller unfolds and concludes in a very satisfying way."

– Shelf Awareness

"In her latest mystery, bestselling author Lisa Jewell combines the cloistered charm of a small English village with the curiosity, paranoia and nosy fatalism of Rear Window. Then comes a dose of lust and lies and the sinister pursuit of Fatal Attraction. It’s a thrilling trifecta...With 16 novels to her credit and more twists up her sleeve than a master magician, Jewell is sure to keep you up at night."

– Minneapolis Star Tribune