The Language of Lies

Brought to you by Penguin. How can you tell if someone is lying to you? Is it possible to separate the truth from lies in what people say? And when should you trust what you hear? Everyone lies. We lie to our family, friends, colleagues and strangers. But some lies are extremely damaging. They can destroy relationships, ruin lives and create distrust and discord. These lies need to be detected. And they can be, if we know how to listen out for them. Forensic linguist Dr Kirsty King knows that, as convincing as some liars might be, their lies can be exposed by paying close attention to the language they use. It is possible for us to detect whether someone is being deceptive by listening out for key linguistic indicators in the way that they speak and the things that they say. Drawing on research from forensic linguistics and psychology, this book presents real-life case studies and stories to show you how language can reveal the liars amongst us: from partners or colleagues misleading us to killers trying to get away with murder. The Language of Lies is an accessible toolkit that will help you decide whether to believe what you hear or not. © Kirsty King 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026