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February 2, 2026
  • Sarina Bowen
  • August 5, 2024

The Five Year Lie

3.5
Kathleen Early (Narrator), Jason Clarke (Narrator), Gary Tiedemann (Narrator)
A mysterious text, a lost love, family secrets, and creepy technology collide in Sabrina Bowen’s debut thriller. Have you ever received a text that made no sense? What if that text was from someone you believe died five years ago? In 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘓𝘪𝘦, we follow Ariel, a single mom and artist working at her late father’s security firm, as she reopens old wounds and attempts to find the father of her child and what led him to ghost her. The vibe was a cozy thriller crossed with a romance. Each of the three points of view, Ariel in the present, Drew in the past, and a creepy unknown third, were differentiated by a different narrator. I felt the narration changes helped highlight each chapter’s short nature. The well-done narration, in combination with Bowen’s writing, made both timelines easy to follow, and I liked that the changes in POV signaled a shift in the timeline. The audio was clear; I never needed to consult a text version. This wasn’t spooky, with just enough suspense to keep me returning to it each time I got into the car. Being the romantic I am, I found the romance subplot sweet and unexpected bonus. Bowen’s previous novels are romance/ steam, and her expertise in crafting relationships is evident. While both the beginning and end 25% of this book were fast-paced and engaging, I felt like the discovery of evidence in the middle was a bit strung out. I predicted most of the twists, so there was almost no suspense. Moreover, I wish we had more explanation at the end, as things wrapped very quickly after the climax. That said, the chapters were short, and the plot focus on the use of video technology was both frightening and eerily believable. I would recommend this for those who like thrillers lite and those who enjoy a cross-over between suspense and romance. I wouldn’t go out of my way to read it, but it is a solid Kindle Unlimited pick.
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A mysterious text, a lost love, family secrets, and creepy technology collide in Sabrina Bowen’s debut thriller.

Have you ever received a text that made no sense? What if that text was from someone you believe died five years ago? In 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘓𝘪𝘦, we follow Ariel, a single mom and artist working at her late father’s security firm, as she reopens old wounds and attempts to find the father of her child and what led him to ghost her.

The vibe was a cozy thriller crossed with a romance. Each of the three points of view, Ariel in the present, Drew in the past, and a creepy unknown third, were differentiated by a different narrator. I felt the narration changes helped highlight each chapter’s short nature. The well-done narration, in combination with Bowen’s writing, made both timelines easy to follow, and I liked that the changes in POV signaled a shift in the timeline. The audio was clear; I never needed to consult a text version. This wasn’t spooky, with just enough suspense to keep me returning to it each time I got into the car. Being the romantic I am, I found the romance subplot sweet and unexpected bonus. Bowen’s previous novels are romance/ steam, and her expertise in crafting relationships is evident.

While both the beginning and end 25% of this book were fast-paced and engaging, I felt like the discovery of evidence in the middle was a bit strung out. I predicted most of the twists, so there was almost no suspense. Moreover, I wish we had more explanation at the end, as things wrapped very quickly after the climax. That said, the chapters were short, and the plot focus on the use of video technology was both frightening and eerily believable.

I would recommend this for those who like thrillers lite and those who enjoy a cross-over between suspense and romance. I wouldn’t go out of my way to read it, but it is a solid Kindle Unlimited pick.

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