This Family Lies

By: J.M. Cannon

Narrated by: Whitney Dykhouse

Iris Adler was supposed to be killed.

In their home in southern Louisiana, Iris and her husband Joseph were both shot point-blank in the head by an unknown assailant.

While her husband is killed, Iris survives, but only by a ricochet.

She wakes with her memory fractured. She doesn't remember her husband's family, eager as they are to take her into their world of marble, maids, and prim Southern manners.

Not long after Iris goes to heal at the family's historic plantation, a girl is found dead in the sugarcane stalks nearby. And of these wealthy, strange people Iris is surrounded by, she realizes one of them might still be trying to kill her.

The only thing certain is not everyone is getting out of this alive.

©2024 J.M. Cannon (P)2024 Podium Audio

I loved how the unraveling story sucked me in

I couldn’t put this down. I had to hear life at the plantation as it unfolded. The twists and turns were surprising, and it has an unexpected ending. Overall, a great book!

A great listen!!

I really enjoyed this and the storyline was quite different. It wasn’t the typical run of the mill mystery and suspense. It has some great twists and turns and even surprises up right to the end. Would love to see a second book with some of the same main characters to continue the story. It ends in a way that sets it up for a perfect continuation. I also loved that the storyline took place in Louisiana.

I recommend this book. It’s a great listen from the very beginning all the way through to the end.

The plot didn't develop until the last two hours of the book

The plot was a good one but there was too much running around in circles. The story didn't develop until the very end.

Great Suspense and Anticipation

I am glad I read this in spite of the occasional negative reviews. The political and social issues are de rigor for many of today’s stories of corruption and greed. The story unfolds at a perfect pace and with enough distractions to keep you guessing. Well worth the credit and the time. (I also didn’t think there was really a “cliff hanger.” ). Happy reading!

A Southern Gothic Thriller You Can Feel in Your Bones

From the first chapter of This Family Lies, I was completely spellbound. There’s something intoxicating about the way J.M. Cannon layers mystery, memory, and menace — it feels less like listening to a book and more like being pulled into a humid Louisiana dream you can’t quite wake up from. Iris, the main character, survives a shooting that leaves her husband dead and her own mind scattered. What follows is a haunting unraveling — part family secret, part psychological suspense — as she’s drawn into a world where truth feels as slippery as the Southern heat.

But let’s talk about the narration — because wow. Whitney Dykhouse doesn’t just read the story; she embodies it. Her voice moves like a river — calm and graceful one moment, cold and dangerous the next. The subtle tremor in her tone when Iris questions her own memories, the quiet edge when suspicion creeps in… it gave me chills more than once. Every accent, every pause, every whisper feels intentional. She brings each character to life so vividly that you forget you’re listening to just one person.

By the time the family’s secrets start cracking open, I wasn’t just invested — I was inside that house, hearing every creak, feeling the dread crawl up my spine. The tension, the emotional depth, the twists I didn’t see coming — all of it stayed with me long after the last word.

This Family Lies is the kind of audiobook that reminds you why storytelling still matters — not just to entertain, but to immerse. It’s rich, eerie, and beautifully performed. If you love psychological thrillers with southern gothic undertones and narration that feels like fine art, this one deserves a spot at the top of your Audible library.