Title: A Game of Lies
Series: DC Morgan #2
Author: Clare Mackintosh
Publisher: Sphere
Synopsis:
They say the camera never lies.
But on this show, you can’t trust anything you see.Stranded in the Welsh mountains, seven reality show contestants have no idea what they’ve signed up for.
Each of these strangers has a secret. If another player can guess the truth, they won’t just be eliminated – they’ll be exposed live on air. The stakes are higher than they’d ever imagined, and they’re trapped.
The disappearance of a contestant wasn’t supposed to be part of the drama. Detective Ffion Morgan has to put aside what she’s watched on screen, and find out who these people really are – knowing she can’t trust any of them.
And when a murderer strikes, Ffion knows every one of her suspects has an alibi . . . and a secret worth killing for.
My review:
What an addictive read! I hugely enjoyed the first in this series – The Last Party – and my expectations were high for A Game of Lies, the second in the series. The Last Party meets and surpasses those expectations!
It’s great to be back with Ffion and Leo. Both characters are brilliant in their own ways, and I found myself hugely invested in their relationship (or lack thereof). I really enjoyed joining the characters as they try to work out their feelings for each other, as well as trying to crack the case (though at times I wanted to shake them both).
I found this novel incredibly readable. The storyline is very intriguing, tapping into the huge popularity of reality TV and the impact it has on the people taking part. This isn’t necessarily a topic I’m hugely interested in, so don’t let that put you off – the enjoyment comes in the twists and turns of the plot. In short, a new reality TV show is being filmed in North Wales, and although the participants think they’ve signed up for a survival show, in reality, they’re each harbouring a big secret. They’ve been tricked into taking part in this show where the other contestants must try and guess what their secrets are in order to eliminate them. If they can avoid being detected, they win big – but before long, one of the contestants has gone missing… and Ffion and Leo are called out to investigate.
There were some good revelations without the story feeling unbelievable – and there are plenty of humorous moments to cut through the tension. There’s a good mix of likeable and unlikeable characters, with some important topics such as mental health addressed in a sensitive way. Dave the dog is great too!
A Game of Lies is a gripping new release from Clare Mackintosh to continue this enjoyable series. For me, this book had the whole package and I enjoyed every page. Bring on book 3! 🙂
My rating: 5/5
Many thanks to the publisher, Sphere, for providing a copy of this book on which I chose to write an honest review.
Great read . Are there book club discussion questions for this book- A Game of Lies?
Hi Fiona, I’m not sure – I imagine there may be somewhere on the depths of the internet but I’m not aware of any myself, sorry!
Thanks for your reply.