Brianna Labuskes ventures into fresh territory with The Lies You Wrote, launching her new Raisa Susanto series with a psychological thriller that weaves together forensic linguistics, family trauma, and the dangerous power of words. While the premise holds tremendous promise and showcases Labuskes’ evolution as a storyteller, the execution reveals both the author’s growing sophistication and some persistent challenges that prevent this from reaching the heights of her previous work.
A Linguistic Detective Story With Bite
The novel centers on FBI forensic linguist Raisa Susanto, called to investigate a brutal double murder in the small Washington town of Everly. The crime eerily mirrors a twenty-five-year-old murder-suicide where teenager Alex Parker allegedly killed his parents before taking his own life. Labuskes demonstrates impressive research into the field of forensic linguistics, crafting a protagonist whose expertise in analyzing language patterns, idiolects, and written communication feels authentic and compelling.
Raisa’s partnership with forensic psychologist Callum Kilkenny provides the investigative backbone of the story, though their dynamic occasionally feels more functional than organic. Kilkenny carries the weight of past trauma—his wife was murdered by a serial killer he eventually caught—which should create rich psychological depth but sometimes reads more like convenient plot mechanics than genuine character development.
The technical aspects of linguistic analysis prove to be one of the novel’s strongest elements. Labuskes clearly invested significant effort in understanding how forensic linguists work, from analyzing contraction patterns to identifying unique phrasal constructions. The explanations of idiolects—individual language fingerprints—are fascinating without becoming overly academic, though some readers may find the technical exposition occasionally slowing the narrative pace.
The Architecture of Deception
Where Labuskes excels is in constructing a mystery that operates on multiple levels of deception. The introduction of Delaney Moore, a Flik content moderator with her own shadowy agenda, adds complexity to what could have been a straightforward copycat killer narrative. The “Alex is Innocent” conspiracy theory thread provides contemporary relevance, tapping into our current obsession with true crime podcasts and online detective work.
Jenna Shaw, the true crime podcaster character, represents one of the novel’s most successful creations. Her manipulation of the conspiracy theorist community while harboring her own dark secrets showcases Labuskes’ understanding of how modern media can be weaponized. The author’s portrayal of online communities and their capacity for both collective investigation and dangerous groupthink feels particularly timely.
However, the revelation of the true relationships between the main characters—specifically the familial connections—strains credibility despite the careful setup. While the twist is genuinely surprising, it requires such an elaborate series of coincidences and hidden identities that it threatens to collapse under its own complexity. The concept of the three Parker sisters, separated and renamed after the original tragedy, is emotionally powerful but logistically implausible.
Character Development and Psychological Depth
Raisa Susanto emerges as a compelling protagonist with genuine expertise and personal vulnerability. Her background as a foster child who lost her parents in a car crash provides emotional depth, though Labuskes sometimes relies too heavily on trauma as character motivation. The revelation of Raisa’s true identity as the youngest Parker sister works thematically but feels contrived in execution.
The supporting cast varies in effectiveness. Amanda, the sheriff’s department receptionist, provides local color and insider knowledge but never quite transcends her function as an information source. Sheriff Samantha Mason carries the burden of covering up the truth for twenty-five years, and while her motivations are understandable, her character development feels somewhat superficial.
Isabel Parker, revealed as the adult Jenna Shaw and the true architect of the murders, presents a fascinating study in manipulation and calculated revenge. Labuskes portrays her as a “puppet master” personality type—someone who needs to control every aspect of their environment and the people in it. This psychological profiling adds depth to what could have been a simple revenge plot, though Isabel’s near-supernatural ability to anticipate and manipulate events occasionally strains believability.
Technical Craftsmanship and Pacing Issues
Labuskes demonstrates clear growth in her technical writing abilities since her earlier works like It Ends with Her and Girls of Glass. The prose is more confident, the dialogue feels more natural, and the integration of technical expertise into the narrative flows more smoothly. However, pacing remains an inconsistent element throughout the novel.
The first half builds tension effectively, introducing the various players and their hidden connections with patience and skill. The middle section, where the true scope of the conspiracy begins to emerge, maintains good momentum. However, the final act rushes toward its conclusion with a series of revelations that feel both inevitable and somewhat unearned.
The alternating perspectives and timeline structure generally works well, though some chapters feel more essential than others. The excerpts from diaries, podcast transcripts, and official reports add authenticity and provide crucial background information, though they occasionally disrupt the narrative flow rather than enhance it.
Comparative Analysis Within the Crime Fiction Landscape
Within Labuskes’ broader body of work, The Lies You Wrote represents both an evolution and a departure. Her previous psychological thrillers like A Familiar Sight and Black Rock Bay focused more heavily on psychological manipulation and small-town secrets. This new series attempts to blend those elements with procedural investigation and technical expertise, with mixed results.
The forensic linguistics angle sets the series apart from typical police procedurals, offering something genuinely fresh in a crowded genre. Readers familiar with authors like Tana French or Gillian Flynn will find similar psychological complexity, though Labuskes hasn’t quite achieved their level of literary polish. The technical aspects recall the expert-driven mysteries of writers like Kathy Reichs or Patricia Cornwell, though without their established authority in the field.
Series Potential and Future Prospects
The Lies You Wrote serves as the foundation for what promises to be an intriguing series. The upcoming The Truth You Told and By the Time You Read This suggest that Labuskes is committed to exploring Raisa’s character and expertise across multiple cases. The groundwork laid here—establishing Raisa’s methods, her partnership with Kilkenny, and her personal demons—provides a solid foundation for future development.
The series concept has genuine potential to carve out its own niche in the crowded crime fiction market. Forensic linguistics remains relatively unexplored in popular fiction, and Raisa’s specific expertise offers opportunities for unique case types and investigation methods. However, future installments will need to address some of the structural issues present in this debut, particularly around plot credibility and character development.
Final Assessment
The Lies You Wrote succeeds as an ambitious, technically sophisticated thriller that introduces genuinely fresh elements to the crime fiction genre. Labuskes demonstrates clear growth as a writer and researcher, creating a protagonist with unique expertise and compelling personal stakes. The exploration of how language can reveal hidden truths and manipulate perceptions feels particularly relevant in our current media landscape.
However, the novel is hampered by an overly complex plot structure that prioritizes surprise over plausibility, and character relationships that feel more engineered than organic. While the forensic linguistics elements are fascinating and well-researched, they sometimes compete with rather than complement the psychological thriller aspects of the story.
For readers who enjoy technically sophisticated crime fiction with psychological depth, The Lies You Wrote offers enough innovation and expertise to warrant attention. Those seeking a more straightforward thriller experience may find the linguistic focus and complex family relationships more challenging than rewarding. As a series opener, it establishes strong foundations while revealing areas for future growth and refinement.
The novel stands as a solid, if imperfect, entry in the psychological thriller genre that suggests Brianna Labuskes is continuing to evolve as a storyteller. With refinement of the elements that work and addressing the structural issues that don’t, the Raisa Susanto series has the potential to become a distinctive voice in contemporary crime fiction.