ARC Review: A Lie for a Lie by Ren DeStefano

A Lie for a Lie
Author: Ren DeStefano
Publication: Berkley (March 10, 2026)

Description: A deadly game of cat and mouse unfolds when a housewife with a secret life takes on a tech billionaire with secrets darker than her own . . . from the author of How I'll Kill You.

Margaux leads a double life that would make most people dizzy. By day, she's a seemingly ordinary interior decorator with a picture-perfect marriage. By night, she works for a mysterious employer known only as Mr. X. Her specialty: infiltrating the lives of dangerous targets, gaining their trust, and ultimately exposing their crimes.

Her latest assignment: unraveling the reclusive life of Bertram Casimir, a billionaire tech CEO whose career is as mysterious as his past. His sister claims he stole her app to build his fortune. Not only that, his girlfriend may or may not have recently gone missing.

Bertram sees through Margaux’s carefully constructed facade, matching her move for move. As the lines between hunter and prey blur, Margaux finds herself unexpectedly drawn to Bertram. They share more than she'd like to admit—a dangerous intelligence, a taste for high-stakes manipulation. When the evidence begins to shift, threatening to destroy everything she knows, Margaux realizes this is far more than just another job.

Her hidden past—and her life—are now on the line. One lie remains, and it might just save her.

My Thoughts: A LIE FOR A LIE was an engaging and twisty thriller. Margaux is leading a double life. By day, she's an interior decorator with a ten-year-old daughter and a devoted husband. By night, she's a vigilante working for the mysterious Mr. X to bring down criminals who got away with their crimes. 

Her latest case has her investigating whether or not tech billionaire Bertram Casimir stole the app the made him his billions from his sister who didn't get any of the proceeds. But there is also a question about what happened to his latest girlfriend who seems to have disappeared.

Margaux is teamed up with Elodie whom she knows as the officious parking manager at her daughter's school. Elodie proves to be an unexpected partner with hidden depths and a desire to be Margaux's friend. Since Margaux has been living a life of lies since her childhood, she isn't quite sure what to do with a friend. 

The case quickly gets complex. Bertram doesn't fit the mold of a man who'd stiff his sister or murder his fiancée. And their client is proving elusive and very shifty. Then Mr. X goes off the radar adding more stress to Margaux who is already dealing with a husband who wants her to give up her vigilantism. 

Tensions build as does the danger before a satisfying resolution. I enjoyed this twisty thriller.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.