Never Lie by Freida McFadden: audiobook vs book, which should you choose?
Newlyweds view a remote manor where a psychiatrist vanished four years ago, and a snowstorm traps them inside with her tapes. It leans to print, for the two time periods.
Content note: sources list murder, drugging and coerced sexual demands among the novel’s themes. This page does not describe them.
Read it on Kindle
Read Never Lie for the way it moves between two time periods. Tricia’s snowbound present-day chapters alternate with Dr Hale’s chapters from before she vanished, and on the page the “Present Day” and “Before” labels show where you are at a glance. It only leans to print: Leslie Howard reads every strand, the taped sessions included, and the audio reviewer at Jessica’s Reading Room calls her “superb”.
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The audiobook at a glance
| Recording | UK edition, our verdict | US edition |
|---|---|---|
| Narrator | Leslie Howard | Leslie Howard |
| Length | 7 hours 20 minutes (7h 20m), unabridged | 7 hours 20 minutes (7h 20m), unabridged |
| At 1.5x | about 4h 53m | about 4h 53m |
| At 2x | about 3h 40m | about 3h 40m |
| Audio publisher and date | Hollywood Upstairs Press, 8 November 2022 | Hollywood Upstairs Press, 8 November 2022 |
| Audiobook price | £12.60 on Audible UK | $17.43 on Audible US |
| Kindle price | £2.97 on Amazon UK | Not listed |
| Poisoned Pen Press paperback, 320 pages, 2023 | Not listed | |
| Listener rating | Performance 4.42 from 1,307 ratings | Performance 4.59 from 20,876 ratings |
Leslie Howard’s reading is the only English recording. The UK and US listings have the same narrator, publisher, date and length, so the UK listing is the one scored. We couldn’t confirm whether they are the same master recording.
A Spanish translation, Nunca mientas, is read by Kerygma Flores and Aressi Suástegui and is not scored. No full-cast or dramatised version was found. Ratings and prices checked 6 November 2026. Prices change often. US Kindle prices are left out, as Amazon only shows them to US visitors.
Lengths checked 6 November 2026. Speed times are calculated.
Never Lie
Freida McFadden
- Genre
- Psychological thriller
- First published
- September 2022
- Length
- 320 pages (UK paperback)
- On audio
- 7 hrs 20 mins, Leslie Howard
- On screen
- Netflix adaptation in development
On this page
Why we reached this verdict
Every book on this site is checked against the same thirteen questions. They are based on research into what most people find easier to follow in each format, not on whether the book is any good.
Checked, not a factor here (12)
The two alternating time periods (8) give reading 8 points. That puts it at 65%, leaning to print. Nothing scores for listening, but a clear-cut verdict needs more than 8 points on one side.
Every book gets the same thirteen checks, set in advance. Verdicts are never paid for or influenced by affiliate links. Last edited 6 November 2026, and rechecked every year as editions and narrators change. Read the checks in full · Is listening the same as reading? See what the research says.
The recording in detail
- Scored
- Leslie Howard, Hollywood Upstairs Press, 2022, 7h 20m, unabridged
- Critic review
- No critic review of this recording found
- Alternatives
- None in English: Spanish translation, Nunca mientas, not scored
- What you miss
- Nothing printed only, but the “Present Day” and “Before” labels make the switches easier to see
What this book actually is
Never Lie is a standalone psychological thriller by Freida McFadden. Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan view a remote manor that once belonged to Dr Adrienne Hale, a psychiatrist who vanished four years earlier, and a snowstorm traps them there. In the house, Tricia finds the tapes of Dr Hale’s patient sessions.
It was first self-published on 19 September 2022 and reissued by Poisoned Pen Press on 5 December 2023. It includes murder, stalking, drugging and threats of violence.
The case for reading it
The book moves between two time periods: Tricia’s chapters in the present, during the snowstorm, and Dr Hale’s chapters from the months before she vanished. The Bibliofile says the chapters are tagged “Present Day” and “Before”, and in print those labels make each switch easy to spot.
The taped sessions are set out as transcripts, labelled with patients’ initials, so on the page you can flick back to an earlier session when a detail starts to matter. At 320 pages it is a quick read.
The case for listening to it
Leslie Howard reads every strand, the present, the past and the tapes. The audio reviewer at Jessica’s Reading Room calls her “superb”, says she “just pulls you in to the story even more” in the tape sections, and says audio is “the best way” to take in this book.
Listeners rate her performance 4.42 on Audible UK and 4.59 on Audible US. At just over seven hours, it is a thriller you can finish in a few commutes.
The audiobook in detail
Leslie Howard reads the whole book alone, unabridged, in 7 hours 20 minutes (Hollywood Upstairs Press, 8 November 2022). The same reading, at the same length, is sold on Audible UK and US.
The taped sessions are read as part of the story, with no music or extra voices. No critic review of the recording was found, and no PDF comes with it.
Who should ignore this verdict
The gap between the formats is small. If you like to see where each time period starts, read it; if a thriller with taped sessions sounds like it belongs in your ears, Leslie Howard’s reading is well liked.
Kindle
- 320 pages (UK paperback)
- See each “Present Day” and “Before” switch
- About 5½ hours to read (our estimate)
Related verdicts
The Teacher
Another McFadden standalone, with alternating chapters.
The Housemaid
McFadden’s best-known thriller.
The Witch
More McFadden suspense.
The Housemaid Is Watching
McFadden with two narrators.
Verity
A found manuscript alternates with the present day.
Gone Girl
Alternating timelines, but better on audio.
Start hereHow we decide
The thirteen questions behind every verdict on this site.
Questions people ask
Who narrates the Never Lie audiobook?
Leslie Howard reads the whole book on her own, including the taped sessions.
How long is the Never Lie audiobook?
7 hours 20 minutes, unabridged. That is about 4 hours 53 minutes at 1.5x speed and about 3 hours 40 minutes at 2x (calculated).
Is the Never Lie audiobook abridged?
No. The UK and US listings are unabridged.
How many pages is Never Lie?
The UK Poisoned Pen Press paperback (ISBN 9781464221361) has 320 pages.
How is Never Lie structured?
Tricia’s present-day chapters alternate with Dr Adrienne Hale’s chapters from before she vanished, along with transcripts of her taped patient sessions.
Is Never Lie part of a series?
No. It is a standalone and is not part of The Housemaid series.
Is Never Lie being made into a film?
An adaptation is in development. Netflix bought the rights in July 2024, with Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps producing. Flickering Myth calls it a film, but other reports mention only the rights, so the format isn’t settled. No cast, director or release date had been announced as of November 2026.
When did Never Lie come out?
It was first self-published on 19 September 2022 and reissued by Poisoned Pen Press on 5 December 2023.
Is Never Lie scary or violent?
It includes murder, stalking, drugging and threats of violence.
Should I read or listen to Never Lie?
Read, leaning to print. Tricia’s present-day chapters alternate with Dr Hale’s “Before” chapters, and the labels on the page make each switch easy to follow. Listening is a good choice too: Leslie Howard reads every strand, and an audio reviewer calls her “superb”.
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