If you’re looking for a popcorn thriller set behind the scenes of the music industry, Famous Last Lies delivers enough twists to keep the pages turning, even if it never quite reaches the emotional highs it aims for.
The story follows two sisters whose lives take dramatically different paths after winning a singing competition in the UK. Charismatic music mogul Julian discovers Haley, whisks her away to Los Angeles, and transforms her into a solo star, while her older sister, Anna—a gifted songwriter—finds herself left behind. The novel opens eight years after Julian’s disappearance when his body is finally discovered in the desert, then unfolds through multiple timelines that revisit his rise, his disappearance, and the fallout that follows. Interspersed throughout are chapters from the killer’s point of view, with their identity remaining a mystery until the end.
The music industry setting was easily my favorite part of the novel. Between recording contracts, celebrity mentors, rivalries, and life behind the scenes in Los Angeles, it offers a fun backdrop that helps distinguish it from more traditional domestic thrillers. The dual timelines also worked well, gradually revealing what happened while maintaining plenty of suspense.
Where the book fell a little flat for me was in its characters. Considering the story is built around two sisters, I expected their relationship to carry much more emotional weight. Instead, they spend so much of the novel on separate paths that I never felt particularly invested in either of them or their bond. The characterization overall is fairly light—I didn’t actively like or dislike anyone, which made some of the bigger reveals land with less impact than they could have.
The pacing was also uneven. The middle section slowed considerably before the ending accelerated through a series of twists that mostly worked for me, even if everything wrapped up a bit too quickly. Fans of authors like Jeneva Rose will probably appreciate the emphasis on plot over deep character development.
One unexpectedly funny observation: if you’ve ever seen the Saturday Night Live sketch The Californians, you’ll know the running joke about everyone obsessively discussing which freeway they’re taking. This book had me thinking about that sketch more than once because there is an awful lot of conversation about Los Angeles freeways, traffic, and driving routes. It isn’t necessarily a criticism—just something I couldn’t help noticing!
Overall, this was a perfectly solid, but ultimately forgettable thriller. If your TBR is already towering, this probably isn’t one I’d move to the top of the pile. But if you enjoy female-driven mysteries, entertainment industry settings, dual timelines, and plenty of twists, it’s an entertaining way to spend a few hours.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3/5)
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing an advance reader copy. Famous Last Lies publishes February 23, 2027.
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