What Happened to Lucy Vale

The twisty new mystery from bestselling author of BEFORE I FALL

By: Lauren Oliver

Narrated by: Emily Lawrence, Eva Kaminsky

'A sharp and harrowing mystery for the digital age . . . I inhaled this book like a gulp of fresh air after a long swim' LAUREN THOMAN

FROM THE NYT BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF BEFORE I FALL

When true-crime writer Rachel Vale and her daughter, Lucy, move into the abandoned Faraday House at the end of Lily Lane, they already know its tragic history . . . That's why they came. Rachel hopes that untangling the muddled case of the Faradays might help her solve another puzzle: her daughter.

But the small Midwestern town of Granger remembers the Faradays, and the residents do not take well to strangers pulling apart their mysteries. They will do whatever it takes to protect their own.

As Rachel ignores the threatening notes on the doorstep and her daughter's increasingly erratic behaviour, she unwinds a case of old money, historic rivalries and online abuse. But soon it becomes clear that she might be investigating the wrong story after all . . .©2025 Laura Schechter

Critic reviews

PRAISE FOR WHAT HAPPENED TO LUCY VALE

A sharp and harrowing mystery for the digital age . . . An immersive and captivating reading experience. I inhaled this book like a gulp of fresh air after a long swim (Lauren Thoman, acclaimed author of I’ll Stop the WoRLD)

A brutally funny satire with a dark mystery nestled in its core. A Lauren Oliver novel is always a page-turner, but this one is uniquely ambitious, complex and comic (E. Lockhart, New York Times bestselling author of We Were Liars and Genuine Fraud)

Formally inventive, swimming in the murky waters of the Discord server and the true crime podcast, this novel will have you thinking twice about girls who disappear. This book is absolutely not to be missed (Hayley Scrivenor, internationally bestselling author of Dirt Creek)

PRAISE FOR BESTSELLING AUTHOR LAUREN OLIVER

Oliver handles her characters with an impressive lightness of touch and writes evocatively about youth... a clever, funny, insightful and utterly addictive novel

Beautifully written, compelling and poignant, a truly memorable read

A beautifully written and outrageously weepy tale

A startling piece of writing that is utterly believable and beautifully told... If you only read one book this year, it should be this one

Tender, funny and raw

This book will take your breath away

Original, compelling, and memorable. Especially recommended (Midwest Book Review)