‘Big Little Lies’ Is Getting a Book Sequel — and It’s a Major Clue for Season 3 of the Show

Ever since Reese Witherspoon announced that “Big Little Lies” was returning for a third season, fans of the hit HBO series have been clamoring for details. Now, we finally know more about the plot.

On March 19, Penguin Random House announced that author Liane Moriarty’s sequel to “Big Little Lies,” entitled “Big Little Truths,” will come out this summer and will be the basis of the third season of “Big Little Lies.”

Viewers may have to wait a while to find out when a third season will premiere, but the book release is right around the corner and is slated for Aug. 25, 2026.

Below, we’re sharing everything we know about the new book and Season 3 of “Big Little Lies.”

What Is the Plot of ‘Big Little Truths’?

Liane Moriarty’s bestselling 2014 novel “Big Little Lies” inspired the HBO series of the same name.

“Big Little Truths,” announced in 2026, marks the first time author Liane Moriarty has written a sequel, according to Penguin Random House.

According to the official synopsis, the book flashes forward.

“The last time we saw Madeline, Celeste, Jane, Renata, and Bonnie, their children were just five years old. But now the kids are in high school, with all of the drama that accompanies teendom (goodbye playdates, hello drugs, sex, and alcohol),”a press release reads.

In the book, a “strange man” starts lurking around the school asking “supposedly innocent questions,” then the principal receives a severed human finger in the mail. Naturally, the community “is in an uproar.”

“This tightly connected group will finally have to face the full repercussions of the big little truths they have — and haven’t — shared with their kids, with each other, and with themselves,” the book description reads.

For those who haven’t read “Big Little Lies,” the publishing house says the sequel “stands entirely on its own.” It’s described as “a nuanced, sharply observed exploration of contemporary womanhood, rich with insight into human behavior and social dynamics — and laced with Moriarty’s signature wit.”

What Has Moriarty Said About the ‘Big Little Lies’ Sequel?

In a statement, Moriarty described the experience of returning to her bestselling book to write a sequel.

“It felt like I was catching up with old friends. I really hope readers experience that same sense of a reunion. Of course I’ve changed since I wrote Big Little Lies, and the world has changed, so it was fascinating to think about how these characters might have changed too especially as they deal with the challenges of raising teens,” she said.

In an interview with USA Today, the author explained why she waited so long to write a sequel.

“Right from the beginning, because of the show, there was talk about writing a sequel, but I was never interested right away because you put your characters through so much and it just didn’t make sense to me to write something that followed on directly,” she said. “A time jump always made sense to me.”

In a case of life imitating art, Moriarty also wanted to wait for her own children, who were young when she wrote “Big Little Lies,” to become teenagers.

“And there was a wealth of new material there,” she said.

What to Know About Season 3 of ‘Big Little Lies’

The first season of “Big Little Lies,” which debuted in 2017, was adapted from Moriarty’s book of the same name.

Now, the HBO series is returning for Season 3, which will take inspiration from “Big Little Truths.” Per Penguin Random House, the full cast is “expected to return.”

In an interview with USA Today, Moriarty said she’s “very hands off” with the show.

“I always said I only ever wanted to be an interested bystander,” she said.

However, the author said the hit show influenced the sequel, particularly Laura Dern’s character Renata.

“It’s all Laura Dern’s fault because she was so amazing as Renata, it was impossible for me to not give her a bigger role also in this book,” she said. “You couldn’t put Renata in a corner.”

Dern previously commented on the possibility of a third season of “Big Little Lies” during a 2023 interview with TODAY.com, saying “there would be nothing more fun for all of us.”

“You know, we would have the time of our lives,” she added.

In October 2025, Witherspoon appeared on TODAY with Jenna & Friends and teased the upcoming third season while reflecting on the impact the first two seasons had on the cast.

“It’s one of those shows where the cast, we’re just all so close and we text each other all the time and we’re just always hanging out with each other, so it was a really special show,” she said.