hat is the title of your latest release?
THE LIE SHE WEARS
What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Museum curator Pearl Davis always had a strained relationship with her mother, Sally. Growing up, she rarely felt her mother’s love. So many things about her mother’s behavior never added up. But when Sally dies unexpectedly, she leaves Pearl a letter from the grave…confessing to murder.
How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I wanted to set another book in Portland, because it’s such a vibrant and quirky city. The possibilities are endless fun for plotting a thriller!
Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?
Yes, absolutely. I am fascinated by museum curation and Pearl, as an art museum curator of Asian masks, would have tomes of tidbits to share.
What are three words that describe your hero?
Determined, insecure, creative.
What’s something you learned while writing this book?
Portland, Oregon has over thirteen bridges within city limits.
Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I wait until I am completely done with a draft. Otherwise, I lose my momentum.
What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Omakase sushi.
Describe your writing space/office!
A desk and my laptop hooked up to a monitor, placed against my bedroom window.
Who is an author you admire?
Celeste Ng.
Is there a book that changed your life?
The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.
Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published). Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I’ve been with my publisher since my debut thriller, THE MISSING SISTER (6 books ago). When I got that call, I was crouched over at my desk at my corporate job, trying not to check my email every five seconds; I knew that my literary agent would be speaking to the editor that same day, and I was a bucket of nerves. When I saw my agent’s phone number light up my phone, I dashed to a private conference room and answered. I’m surprised HR didn’t hear my screams of joy, but no one was the wiser.
What’s your favorite genre to read?
Right now, it’s Fantasy. But I always love a good thriller.
What’s your favorite movie?
My Neighbor Totoro.
What is your favorite season?
Spring.
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
Surrounded by family, with a good bottle of wine, stinky cheese, and the best Cantonese steamed fish available.
What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
KPop Demon Hunters. It lives up to the hype, and the film mashes together two concepts that have no business being paired together, but which is absolutely brilliant.
What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Dim Sum.
What do you do when you have free time?
Hmmm before I had kids, when I had free time? I would happily binge-read a book with a glass of wine in hand.
What can readers expect from you next?
THE LIE SHE WEARS was a rollercoaster of ups and downs while I was writing it, so I plan to bask in the launch-glow a while. I’m incredibly happy with how this thriller turned out, as it contains one of my favorite twists that I’ve written. I will probably be posting all over social media about it, until my next book publishes from Thomas & Mercer in Fall 2026. Thank you, readers for following my writing journey!
A daughter inherits her mother’s deadly secrets in a chilling novel of psychological suspense by Elle Marr, the #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Alone Time.
Museum curator Pearl Davis always had a strained relationship with her mother, Sally. Growing up, she rarely felt her mother’s love. So many things about her mother’s behavior never added up. But when Sally dies unexpectedly, she leaves Pearl a letter from the grave…confessing to murder.
Suddenly, Pearl has even more questions than she has answers. She suspects the letter is just a sign of her mother’s diminished state of mind—until she finds human remains in Sally’s garden. With the help of a friend, Pearl begins searching for the truth of her mother’s actions—and as she does, more cryptic notes emerge. But these letters aren’t just clues behind a confession. They’re a warning. Sally was terrified of something.
When more remains are discovered, it’s clear whatever secrets Sally died with are now Pearl’s to bear. And as darkness closes in, Pearl fears that her mother’s past could be the death of her.
Thriller [ Thomas & Mercer, On Sale: November 18, 2025, Trade Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781662528330 / eISBN: 9781662528347 ]
Elle Marr strives to tell powerful and compelling stories of women who demonstrate resilience in the face of great obstacles. She is the author of two thrillers, THE MISSING SISTER (2020) and LIES WE BURY (April 2021).
THE MISSING SISTER was a #1 Amazon bestseller, #1 in the Kindle Store, an Amazon Charts bestseller, featured in Woman’s World, and named one of PopSugar’s “31 Thrillers of 2020.” Marr’s essays have been published in CrimeReads and Criminal Element.
Originally from Sacramento, Elle Marr graduated from UC San Diego before moving to France, where she earned a master’s degree from the Sorbonne University in Paris. When not working on her next book, she enjoys watching French Netflix shows with the subtitles off, in Oregon, where she lives with her husband, son, and one very demanding feline.
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