HarperCollinsPublishers, Australia 2026
Cover design Maya Abraham
Cover images Jimena Roquero/stocksy.com /5852005; ohlamourstudio/stocksy.com/4516591; shutterstock.com
In She Lied First point of view is not merely the dominant story telling technique – it is indeed a large part of what the book is about. Dinuka McKenzie has deftly controlled her readers’ understanding of events in this thrilling psychological work by carefully filtering what we learn from the first to the last page.
Sisters Devika and Kalyani are in a constant dance of truth and lies throughout the twists of this dark tale. Devika is determined to shake free of the controls and culturally traditional expectations of her mother Rupa. Kalyani is desperately in need of connection and love, of knowing of who she is and where she belongs.
Their lives become entwined in a most troubling way as they grapple with the moral questions of what truths we should tell those we love the most. It is in both their interests to keep secrets from one another, but therein lies the path to the fatal outcome of this tale.
Another perspective is provided via Nate, the main male actor for most of the book. Devika’s efforts to reveal what she believes to be his toxic behaviour are a sub-plot and major distraction for the reader – again our view of this man fluctuates the more we realise how narrowly we are allowed to see him at first. As with the other characters, he does not necessarily cover himself with glory for most of the story, but is eventually somewhat redeemed.
The mother figure Rupa is another interesting one. Because so much of what we believe about her first comes from Devika, it is only as we see her history from her own point of view that we once again realise how skewed our view of her has been.
Sri Lankan cultural issues inform so much of Rupa’s behaviour, and the generational conflict between mother and daughter creates ongoing tension. In part, this provides the opportunity for subtle commentary on racism and Australian society in general.
This book goes well beyond its crime thriller genre. It is an insightful psychological study of human behaviour. It is also a study of the complexities of family, matters of the heart (and body) and the constraints placed on us all by obligation and, indeed, love. It’s a very clever mix of tightly controlled obfuscation and ripping yarn.
Tantalisingly, She Lied First is one of those books where the reviewer can reveal almost nothing of plot, needing to be as secretive as the characters of the story. It’s engrossing fiction, unsettling until the last climactic revelation.
Thank you to HarperCollinsPublishers for my review copy and to Dinuka for a conversation abut this intriguing work – so much to talk about and so much we couldn’t say!