Book Club Questions for The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark

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Book club discussion questions for The Lies I Tell by Megan Miranda delve into the intricate web of deceptions, hidden truths, fragmented memories, and identities that influence the relationships and past of the characters.

The book follows the story of Meg Williams, a skilled con artist who assumes different identities to carry out her schemes. When she returns to town after a decade, Kat Roberts, a reporter who has been waiting for the chance to expose Meg’s criminal activities, decides to befriend her to uncover her true intentions. However, as Kat gets closer to Meg, she starts to question her own assumptions about her.

The Lies I Tell is a gripping domestic thriller that delves into the psyches and motivations of two women on a quest for justice and revenge. The book keeps readers on the edge of their seats from the first chapter, with a well-developed plot and complex characters. Julie Clark’s writing is engaging and will keep you invested in the story until the very end.

If you’re interested in discussing The Lies I Tell with your book club, consider exploring themes of identity, revenge, and justice. You may also want to delve into the motivations and psychologies of the main characters, as well as the twists and turns of the plot.

This detailed reading guide includes more than twenty book club discussion questions to help guide your conversation. So, let’s dive into some book club questions for The Lies I Tell!

The Synopsis

Two women. Many aliases.

Meg Williams. Maggie Littleton. Melody Wilde. Different names for the same person, depending on the town, depending on the job. She’s a con artist who erases herself to become whoever you need her to be―a college student. A life coach. A real estate agent. Nothing about her is real. She slides alongside you and tells you exactly what you need to hear, and by the time she’s done, you’ve likely lost everything.

Kat Roberts has been waiting ten years for the woman who upended her life to return. And now that she has, Kat is determined to be the one to expose her. But as the two women grow closer, Kat’s long-held assumptions begin to crumble, leaving Kat to wonder who Meg’s true target is.

The Lies I Tell is a twisted domestic thriller that dives deep into the psyches and motivations of two women and their unwavering quest to seek justice for the past and rewrite the future.

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Book Club Questions for The Lies I Tell

I hope you and your book club will enjoy my discussion reading guide for The Lies I Tell by Megan Miranda. ✨

With the rise of social media, Meg has become a master at using it as a tool for her cons. In fact, it’s one of the most powerful tools in her arsenal. With just a few clicks, she can uncover a wealth of information about her targets, including their likes, dislikes, hobbies, and even their most personal moments. But what about Meg’s online presence? What can others learn about her through her social media accounts? From her carefully curated Instagram feed to her frequent tweets, there’s a lot to uncover about Meg. Do you think her online persona matches her real-life personality? What kind of image does she project online, and how does it affect her cons?
Both Kat and Meg have a complicated relationship with the truth. How do their views on honesty differ? How do these differences affect their lives and relationships?
Throughout the novel, we see the theme of identity explored. How does Meg’s ability to create new identities at will impact her relationships with others? How does Kat’s search for the truth about Meg impact her own sense of self?
Betrayal and deception are at the heart of Meg and Kat’s friendship. Despite knowing that they shouldn’t trust each other, they continue to work together, relying on their shared experience and their bond. As their friendship grows, they navigate a delicate dance of lies and half-truths, never knowing if the other is telling the truth or not. How do they manage to maintain their friendship under such difficult circumstances? What kind of impact does their situation have on their emotions and their trust in others?
In the book, the real estate industry plays a significant role. How does the industry serve as a backdrop to the story? How does it impact the characters’ lives and motivations?
The novel is primarily told from Kat’s perspective, but we do get glimpses into Meg’s thoughts and feelings. How does the alternating perspective enhance the story?
Meg is a master at exploiting the weaknesses of her targets, and ego is one of the most powerful tools in her arsenal. By playing on her targets’ insecurities, Meg is able to manipulate them into doing things they wouldn’t normally do. But how do her targets create openings for her in the first place? What kind of behavior makes them vulnerable to Meg’s cons, and how does Meg take advantage of it?
The idea of revenge is a central theme in the book. Do you think revenge is ever justified? Why or why not? How does the book challenge our preconceptions about revenge?
The Lies I Tell deals with the concept of trust in relationships. How do the characters struggle with trust, and what do their actions reveal about their beliefs on the topic?
After the incident with Nate, Kat initially blames Meg for what happened. But as time goes on, her feelings towards Meg begin to change. When do you think Kat stopped feeling that way, and what caused her to change her mind? Was it Meg’s actions, or did something else happen?
Meg’s ability to charm people and take on different personas is a key part of her con artist persona. Do you think it’s possible to change your personality to suit different situations, or is this something that only exists in fiction?
Meg’s career as a con artist is not without its drawbacks, and one of the biggest is the loneliness that comes with it. Moving from city to city every few years and not making any permanent connections can be difficult, and it’s something that Meg struggles with. But could she have kept in touch with her friends, even while scamming Cory? What kind of impact would that have had on her cons, and how would she have managed to maintain those relationships?
There are a lot of twists and turns in the plot. Were there any moments that surprised you? Which twists did you see coming, and which ones caught you off guard?
The novel deals with the idea of starting over and leaving your past behind. Do you think it’s possible to reinvent yourself and start fresh, or will your past always catch up with you?
According to Meg, scamming Phillip to return Celia’s cottage was a turning point in her career. But what made that job different from the others she had run? Was it the amount of money involved, or was there something else that set it apart? How did that job shape Meg’s future cons, and what lessons did she learn from it?
The Lies I Tell is ultimately a story about two women who are connected in ways they don’t expect. What do you think the book says about the nature of human connections and relationships?
It’s not always easy to recognize when someone you care about is struggling with addiction, and for Kat, it takes a long time to realize that Scott has relapsed. But where do you draw the line between supporting someone who is trying to overcome addiction and protecting yourself from their behavior? What kind of impact does Scott’s addiction have on Kat, and how does she navigate the difficult terrain of addiction and recovery?
When Kat expresses doubts about whether Scott will be investigated by his colleagues, it raises questions about the motivations of police departments. Is there an incentive for police departments to investigate their own officers and detectives, or are there reasons why they might want to sweep corruption and violence under the rug? What kind of impact does this have on the community and on the trust between police and civilians?
Meg believes that justice and revenge are subjective concepts and depend on the individual’s perspective. In her opinion, the line between the two often blurs because it’s the person telling the story who decides whether it’s justice or revenge. What is your take on this statement? Do you agree with Meg’s assessment of the situation? Can you think of any examples where justice and revenge have been confused?
As Kat embarks on a new mission to help those who have been scammed, she and Meg face new challenges and opportunities. What do you think is next for these two women? Do you think Kat will be successful in her new venture, and what obstacles might she face along the way? As for Meg, do you believe that she is truly done with cons, or will the lure of the game draw her back in? What do you think will ultimately happen to these two characters?

Selected Reviews for The Lies I Tell

“A meticulously plotted mindbender, with a last page I can only describe as a triumph. Do not miss it.” ― Jessica Knoll

“Clark knocks it out of the park with The Lies I Tell. A modern-day Robin Hood with a feminist twist. This is one of the best books you’ll read this year. Unputdownable!” ― Liv Constantine

“Julie Clark has done it again! In her latest riveting domestic thriller, Clark takes you straight into the collision course of two dynamic, complicated women―who will go to any length to fix their past and find their way to a different future. The Lies I Tell is a winner!” ― Laura Dave

“Intriguing…Clark skillfully fleshes out the strong, multifaceted characters. The story nicely mixes brisk plot points with slow burning reveals as it builds to a satisfying conclusion. Clark doesn’t disappoint.” ― Publishers Weekly

Additional Recommendations

Hope you enjoyed my book club discussion questions and reading guide for The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark!

Here are some more of my book club recommendations:

The Last Flight by Julie Clark

Two women. Two flights. One last chance to disappear.

Claire Cook has a perfect life. Married to the scion of a political dynasty, with a Manhattan townhouse and a staff of ten, her surroundings are elegant, her days flawlessly choreographed, and her future auspicious. But behind closed doors, nothing is quite as it seems. That perfect husband has a temper that burns bright and he’s not above using his staff to track Claire’s every move.

What he doesn’t know is that Claire has worked for months on a plan to vanish. A plan that takes her to the airport, poised to run from it all. But a chance meeting in the airport bar brings her together with a woman whose circumstances seem equally dire. Together they make a last-minute decision.

The two women switch tickets, with Claire taking Eva’s flight to Oakland, and Eva traveling to Puerto Rico as Claire. They believe the swap will give each of them the head start they need to begin again somewhere far away. But when the flight to Puerto Rico crashes, Claire realizes it’s no longer a head start but a new life. Cut off, out of options, with the news of her death about to explode in the media, Claire will assume Eva’s identity, and along with it, the secrets Eva fought so hard to keep hidden.

For fans of Lisa Jewell and Liv Constantine, The Last Flight is the story of two women—both alone, both scared—and one agonizing decision that will change the trajectory of both of their lives.

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of…

Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea

Avery Mason, host of American Events, knows the subjects that grab a TV audience’s attention. Her latest story—a murder mystery laced with kinky sex, tragedy, and betrayal—is guaranteed to be ratings gold. New DNA technology has allowed the New York medical examiner’s office to make its first successful identification of a 9/11 victim in years. The twist: the victim, Victoria Ford, had been accused of the gruesome murder of her married lover. In a chilling last phone call to her sister, Victoria begged her to prove her innocence.

Emma Kind has waited twenty years to put her sister to rest, but closure won’t be complete until she can clear Victoria’s name. Alone she’s had no luck, but she’s convinced that Avery’s connections and fame will help. Avery, hoping to negotiate a more lucrative network contract, goes into investigative overdrive. Victoria had been having an affair with a successful novelist, found hanging from the balcony of his Catskills mansion. The rope, the bedroom, and the entire crime scene was covered in Victoria’s DNA.

But the twisted puzzle of Victoria’s private life is just the beginning. And what Avery doesn’t realize is that there are other players in the game who are interested in Avery’s own secret past—one she has kept hidden from both the network executives and her television audience. A secret she thought was dead and buried…

Accused of a brutal murder, Victoria Ford made a final chilling call from the North Tower on the morning of 9/11. Twenty years ago, no one listened. Today, you will.

Thank you for reading my book club discussion questions and as always, happy reading! ❤️