The Lies We Trade

Author: Kristine Delano
Genre: Suspense
Pages: 368
Release Date: January 20, 2026
Publisher: Tyndale Fiction

A high-powered Wall Street career, a beautiful family in a quiet suburban neighborhood—she seems to have everything. Which means she has everything to lose.

Meredith Hansel should be having the best week of her life. After establishing herself as a portfolio manager at a prestigious Wall Street firm, she’s in the national spotlight for the innovative funds she created. But as Meredith prepares to celebrate, the plates she’s kept spinning for years begin to crash: Her strained marriage reaches a breaking point. Her conscientious teenage daughter acts out under mysterious pressures. Someone vandalizes her home with disturbing graffiti. And Betsey, her most trusted ally at the financial firm, goes rogue, and Meredith is forced to sign a restraining order against her.

Then her worlds collide when she receives a thumb drive and a cryptic note from Betsey threatening to reveal a secret that could have devastating effects on Meredith’s family . . . unless she can figure out what Betsey wants and deliver it in time.

As Meredith begins to dig into the data, however, she begins to suspect that it’s no coincidence her life is crumbling. That maybe what’s happening to her family is connected to what’s boiling beneath the surface at her investment company. Soon Meredith realizes there’s only one way to avoid taking the fall, and it all hinges on Betsey’s true motives. Was she really threatening Meredith or trying to warn her?

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Reviewer: Mindy Houng

 “Time is the valued currency of a wise life.”

This is my first foray into suspense involving the financial world, and it was so fascinating. I know nothing about this world, but the author explained enough for me to understand the basics and stay hooked while not losing me in the details. I have had trouble following military suspense and legal suspense because I could not comprehend the lingo or procedures. Here, some of the non-financial secondary characters served to ground the reader. 

Meredith’s first person voice was intelligent, innovative, and driven yet tender and compassionate. I loved how her analytical mind worked and empathized with her desperate attempts at finding a work-life balance. She embodied all of the professional women who are wives and mothers; her struggles were so real and relevant. 

The suspense was crazy intense, and I honestly had no idea who the villain was and how the story would end. Those plot twists were quite awesome and kept the story moving at a fast pace. 

Meredith’s family was far from perfect, but her husband and children were lovable. Addressing forgiveness and faith added a deeper layer to the characters’ development and storyline.

A great debut novel from Kristine Delano. 

I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Tyndale Publishers via Interview & Reviews and NetGalley. I was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.

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