Liane Moriarty's 'Big Little Truths' Arrives, Laying Groundwork for Possible 'Big Little Lies' Season 3
Liane Moriarty's sequel novel Big Little Truths went on sale August 25, and the author says it is designed to lay the foundation for a potential third season of HBO's Big Little Lies — a season that HBO has not yet officially ordered (Variety, 2026-08-27).
The book jumps forward ten years from the events of the original Big Little Lies novel. Madeline, Jane, Celeste, Renata and Bonnie are back, and their children are now 15-year-olds navigating high school. The story opens with a severed finger sent to the school principal — a mystery that, as revealed in the novel, was sent by a former student named Clara Long, who cut it from the corpse of a local man named Ewan Drew to draw attention to a teacher named Melody (Variety, 2026-08-27).
This is Moriarty's first-ever sequel, according to her official website. She announced the book in March 2026 on her Facebook author page, sharing the cover and synopsis (Facebook, 2026-03-18). Crown Publishing promoted the release on its Facebook page in July (Facebook, 2026-07-28). The hardcover runs 464 pages and lists at $34.00, with an e-book edition at $14.99 and an audiobook narrated by Caroline Lee, according to Penguin Random House product listings.
The HBO Big Little Lies adaptation premiered in 2017 and won multiple Emmy awards. A second season followed in 2019. That adaptation is set in Monterey, California, while Moriarty's novels are set on the fictional Pirriwee Peninsula in Australia — a geographic split that has shaped how the book and the show relate to each other (Variety, 2026-08-27).
One notable bridge between page and screen: Big Little Truths incorporates elements from the HBO show's second season, including the character Mary-Louise, who was created for the television adaptation and played by Meryl Streep (Variety, 2026-08-27). The reader's guide published by Penguin Random House describes the women of the story as bonded by events that occurred ten years prior (Penguin Random House reader's guide, 2026-08-27).
For fans, the most relevant detail is straightforward: a third season of Big Little Lies exists only as a possibility. Moriarty has confirmed the novel sets up the story, but HBO has not given a green light. No production date, no cast announcements, no release window.
And Moriarty herself will not be involved in any third season. She told The Hollywood Reporter that she will not be working on the HBO series (The Hollywood Reporter, 2026-08-25). That means any future adaptation would rest in the hands of the show's producers and writers, building on a novel whose author has stepped back from the television side.
The book also carries a Reese's Book Club edition, listed on Penguin Random House's site — a selection that places Moriarty's sequel in front of a large readership already familiar with the Big Little Lies world. Whether that readership becomes an audience for a third HBO season is a decision that now sits with the network.
