Where the Truth Lies by Rupert Holmes
📚 Where the Truth Lies by Rupert Holmes – Book Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5 out of 5 stars)
Genre: Mystery / Thriller / Locked-Room Mystery
✨ My Thoughts
This book was such a ride. I tore through it, laughing at Rupert Holmes’ sharp one-liners one moment and gasping at shocking twists the next. The premise itself — a compulsive liar journalist navigating the murky world of 1970s Hollywood while trying to solve a long-cold case — is irresistible.
What makes this stand out is the locked-room mystery at the heart of the story, wrapped in glitzy entertainment industry references. Vince and Lanny, a superstar comedy duo, are both larger-than-life characters who blur the lines between friendship, rivalry, and betrayal. The writing had me hooked, and the reveals were satisfying and, at times, jaw-dropping.
I only knocked off half a star because honestly? I didn’t get half of the ’70s pop culture references — and there are a lot. If you lived through that era (or are a big fan of it), you’ll probably appreciate those details way more than I did.
Overall, though, this is an awesome mix of humor, mystery, and tragedy.
📖 Spoiler-Filled Summary
👉 Stop here if you want to go in blind!
The story follows O’Connor, a young journalist, who sets out to write a book about famous actor Vince Collins. But soon she’s tangled up with both Vince and his estranged partner, Lanny Morris, who each want to control their own narrative.
As O’Connor interviews them (while juggling fake identities and messy deceptions), she becomes obsessed with the mysterious death of Maureen O’Flaherty, a hotel maid found dead in a bathtub back in the 1950s. Both Vince and Lanny were connected to her — but they’ve each spent 15 years believing the other killed her.
Through a mix of memoir excerpts, interviews, and her own digging, O’Connor learns that:
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Maureen wasn’t who she seemed — her real name was Moe Cohn, a journalist investigating Vince and Lanny.
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She died after a drug-fueled night with the duo. Everyone was passed out, and she was suffocated with a pillow.
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The locked-room setup was staged by Reuben, Lanny’s loyal assistant, who manipulated the situation to make both men doubt each other.
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Reuben blackmailed them for years, eventually driving Vince to suicide.
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O’Connor uncovers everything but chooses to keep the truth hidden until after Lanny’s death.
The book closes with O’Connor marrying Lanny, agreeing to publish the truth later, and Reuben shipped off to the Philippines as punishment.
A wild, twisty ending that totally fits the tone of the story.
⚠️ Trigger Warnings
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Drug use (quaaludes, marijuana, pills)
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Sexual content, including coercion and manipulation
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Suicide
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Murder / suffocation
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Blackmail
📚 If You Liked This, Try…
If you loved the blend of mystery, entertainment history, and unreliable narration in Where the Truth Lies, here are a few more you might enjoy:
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The Housemaid by Freida McFadden – another compulsive page-turner full of lies and shocking reveals.
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Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney – a locked-room family mystery with gothic vibes.
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The Maid by Nita Prose – quirky, sharp, and centered around another hotel mystery.
✅ Final Verdict: An original, funny, and twist-packed thriller that balances Hollywood glam with noir-style tragedy. The perfect pick if you like mysteries with flair.
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