Surviving the Lie: A Russell Avery Novel by Queally, James

From the critically acclaimed author of Line of Sight and All These Ashes comes the exciting final installment of the Russell Avery series, a trilogy of "turnpike noir" that brings the neighborhoods of New Jersey to life (CrimeReads)

After the death of his two oldest sources, Russell Avery trades in his life as a former journalist turned private investigator for peace and quiet at home. Aside from the occasional online reporting under the safety of an alias, Russell is enjoying being a normal guy with a normal girlfriend and suburban bliss just within reach. Until his onetime mentor disappears. Russell soon learns that other journalists in the area have gone missing, too, all under mysterious circumstances. Unable to resist the pull of a good story, he quickly finds himself at odds with a violent band of conspiracy theorists and ex-cops convinced that reporters are the "enemy of the people." Russell sacrificed two careers to the belief in the power of truth. But now, face-to-face with an America where facts are more fluid than Newark's Passaic River, he must decide if the truth is still worth fighting for.

Author: James Queally
Publisher: Counterpoint LLC
Published: 08/11/2026
Pages: 320
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.06lbs
Size: 8.51h x 5.69w x 1.10d
ISBN: 9781640097216

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 04/01/2026 pg. 46
Booklist 05/01/2026
Publishers Weekly 05/11/2026

About the Author
JAMES QUEALLY is a Pulitzer prize-winning criminal justice reporter for the Los Angeles Times and the author of the Russell Avery series, which has garnered starred reviews and praise from best-selling authors Michael Connelly and S.A. Cosby. His journalism has exposed racist police officers, gotten corrupt law enforcement leaders fired, and put professional wrestling on the front page of a national newspaper (he's really proud of that last one). He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, son, and entirely too many half-filled notepads.