Never Lie is a thriller and maintains many of the common conceits of the genre. The narrative includes red herrings, or false clues, to lead the reader astray. For example, many details in the book suggest that Ethan and the mysterious EJ (named as Edward Jamison only in the final chapters) could be the same person. The author drops breadcrumbs to guide the reader to this incorrect assumption, such as noting that both Ethan and EJ like cabernet sauvignon from South Africa and including the detail that both men are good-looking but shorter than average. Such false clues are unveiled as the truth comes out, creating twists and turns that heighten the suspense. The heightened narrative suspense is mirrored by escalating pacing, especially in the final chapters, when surprise revelations—like the fact that Luke is living in Adrienne’s house—emerge to keep the reader turning the pages.

Never Lie is also suggestive of a “locked-room mystery,” although it does not fully meet the criteria of the genre. In a traditional locked-room mystery, a murder occurs under circumstances that make it seem impossible for a criminal to have entered the crime scene, killed the victim, and then left the crime scene again undetected.