One text " I need you" has Isa, Kate, Fatima and Thea reuniting. The 4 women meet in their youth when they attend a boarding school known as "Salten House", while residing their played, The Lying Game. It consists of 5 rules. The are:
1. Tell A lie.
2. Stick to your story.
3. Don't get caught.
4. Never lie to each other.
5. Know when to stop lying

A lie they told many years ago is being unearthed and the consequences are dire. If their truth surfaces their lives will be over. T

hey reconvene in under 24 hours and their story unfolds in a typical whodunit fashion. The story flips between past and present. The characters are well developed and the story moves along at a fast enough pace. Isa our narrator is unreliable, which is often one of my favorite things when reading mystery/suspense novels.

The flashback portions are my favorite and the ending was fitting. This is my most favorite of Ruth Ware's novels. If you haven't picked up anything by her yet.. I suggest you start with this book.

Book review: Intrigue never stops in 'The Lying Game'
By Sandy Mahaffey For The Free Lance–Star Jul 29, 2017 (0)

Lying Game
The text said “I need you.” Isa dropped everything, packed for herself and her 6-month-old daughter and left her partner behind with little explanation except that Kate needs her, and she needs her now. Two other women also dropped everything to head to Kate’s side as soon as they received the same text. They have not seen each other for 15 years. This is how Ruth Ware’s “The Lying Game” begins. The intrigue does not stop until the end.

The four met at Salten, a boarding school in England, and became a clique with their own game. They called it “the lying game,” and it was just as it sounds. The idea was to lie to others, and amass points for everything which passed as the truth. The game has five rules: 1) Tell a lie; 2) Stick to your story; 3) Don’t get caught; 4) Never lie to each other; 5) Know when to stop lying. As the story unfolds, the reader learns that not everyone has been following the rules.

Isa is a lawyer, Fatima a physician and practicing Muslim, whose faith is new to the others, Thea is a practitioner of self-harm, and Kate is an artist. They meet at Kate’s home, a decaying old house where they all gathered while in school. They seem to have been under the spell of Kate’s father, an art teacher at Salten, and Kate’s stepbrother. There they strengthened their bond and their isolation from others, so that when something went terribly wrong, they had no one to turn to but each other. When forced to leave the school, they promised to rally if they ever received that text from Kate.

The women are now strong career women who find themselves reliving a nightmare and still trying to figure out exactly what happened when Kate’s father died. Bones have been found in the marshland between the house and the school.


The plot is as intoxicating as the alcohol consumed both during their school days and when they reconvene. The air crackles with menace and tension as the plot untangles. Just when you think Isa has figured it out, another question arises.

The characters are intriguing. They aren’t likeable, but this didn’t slow the pace of the story. Even the minor characters are fascinating.

It is different from her last book, “The Woman in Cabin 10,” which was equally addictive. This one has just as much tension and suspense, just not as much fear and violence. It held my attention from the very first page to the last, never letting go.

Sandy Mahaffey is the former Books editor for The Free Lance–Star.

The Lying Game is quite the riveting read. I stayed up way too late in order to find out the "secret" the women had kept for so many years. I thought the premise of the game played during school was unique and set the tone well. The main character, as well as the supporting characters, are definitely unreliable narrators. The only drawback for me was that I never actually connected to any of the characters. In fact, I actually quite disliked the women. I suppose it is to Ms. Wray's credit that she wove a complex enough story to make me care about how it all unraveled. I would place The Lying Game squarely in the category of psychological suspense. The twists are not telegraphed, and the resolution is quite satisfying.

The premise is certainly intriguing, but it fell a little flat because it moved slowly. It's told only from Isa's point of view (her flashbacks felt a little stifled and just not detailed enough), and, while realistic that she would be dealing with her partner and baby, they almost took up too much time in the storyline. It was slightly predictable, but still entertaining enough.

Isabel, Fatima, and Leah receive a text from Kate saying that she needs them. It’s been 17 years, and yet they answer in the only possible way:

“’I’m coming.’
“’I’m coming.’
“’I’m coming.’”

This one had me at hello. How many of us have a friend from childhood, adolescence, or the early years of our adulthood that could draw this response from us? I know I do, and although mine are from different times and places in my life, if I received that text I’d be on a plane, a train, or in the car. Thank you Net Galley and Gallery Books for the DRC, which I read free and early in exchange for this honest review. The book was published last week.

Our protagonist is Isa (“It’s to rhyme with nicer”), and as you might infer, this is British fiction. Isa leaves Owen, a good sport if ever there was one; grabs Freya the baby, who is breast-feeding; and hops on a train. And that baby will ramp up the stakes, mostly in subtle ways, over and over throughout the story.

Kate has called them because human bones have been found in the Reach. All of them immediately know what this means, although the reader does not.

We learn about the lying game played by the foursome during their years at school together. There are points given according to whether the lie is believed, whether the victim is new, and further byzantine details; but the big rule is that they must never lie to each other. The game revives itself at odd moments during their reunion, sometimes to lightened effect for the reader, but sometimes becoming sinister.

Throughout this well-crafted tale, Ware doles out bits and pieces of what is to come, and every time my experienced eye spots a sure-fire red herring, it turns out it isn’t. I read a lot of mysteries—probably too many—but this one is fresh and original conceptually, and it becomes more riveting as the characters are developed, adding layer after layer like papier-mâché. The ending completely surprises me, and yet is entirely consistent with the rest of the novel.

There are times when I am astounded at the risk-taking behaviors exhibited by the four as adults approaching middle age once they are together again; at times I step away and ask myself whether the doctor that Fatima is now would actually do this, and whether Isa, an attorney, wouldn’t show more caution. But the foursome persuades me—are there points for this, I wonder—and I am drawn back in before the curtain twitches. There’s never a time when I see that the Great and Powerful Oz is seen back there at the control panel; the magic holds. There are times I am astonished at the risks Isa takes with Freya, going for a swim in the Reach with her pals, leaving her defenseless baby alone, asleep, in that hideous, falling down shack, but it’s consistent with the girl she used to be, the girl that is awakened to a degree as she returns to the time and place in which she came of age.

The fifth star isn’t here because the foreshadowing is too heavy-handed at times, and threatens to become funny rather than scary, which is clearly not intended. But every time I see it veering toward the ridiculous, Ware pulls back again, and so the overdone moments are a blip on the radar.

Those that love Ruth Ware’s work, and those that love a good mystery—especially women—will want to read this book. You can get it now.

One of the best books of the year! Twisty and interesting, this one pulls out all the stops. I was hanging on the edge of my seat the entire book. This was a quick read because it was so engaging and interesting. Have already recommended this to many others!

Four girls meet at boarding school and become best friends. They make up a game, The Lying game, but when the lies follow them into adulthood and threaten to ruin their lives is it time to come clean? Or do they need to make sure no one ever finds out the truth?
Ruth Ware has done it again with a new page turner!! It keeps you trying to put the puzzle pieces together to see if you can figure out the lies from the horrible truth.

Another best seller for Ruth Ware.
It's a page turner, and it was very hard to put it down as I couldn't predict all the pieces of the puzzle. With lots of twists and turns in the plot and with the reader only knowing snipits of background this story adds up to a fantastic grand finale!
Many thanks for being able to read this arc.

I wanted to like this book. Don't get me wrong, it had a pleasant writing style and it kept me reading to end. However, the characters, although best friends, were whiny and unkind to each other. And don't get me started on the ending. There was so much foreshadowing that it was obvious. Plus, the narrator's relationship was unrealistic. Overall, if given the chance, read a real psychological thriller, and not this one.

I read and loved "In a Dark, Dark Wood" and "The Woman in Cabin 10"
I was thrilled to read this ARC and read another Ruth Ware book.

Woman is walking her dog and makes a gruesome discovery.
Four friends playing game in childhood- The Lying Game-
Now three friends receive text message- "I need you" from the fourth
all respond- "I am coming"
Go back to town where they all met by attending school together, where they both grew up and grew as friends...where they played games and where everything changed!

Mystery is wrapped up in past --will keep you guessing and reading until the end.

The Lying Game was one of my most anticipated reads of the summer. I absolutely loved The Woman in Cabin 10 as well as In a Dark, Dark Wood. I was hoping for the best with Ware's latest novel, but it fell a little short. The atmosphere was great, the characters were interesting, but I found it to be a little boring.

I loved Ware's first two novels because the reader and the characters felt trapped in one place with terrible events surrounding them. There was constant suspense and I felt like I was trying to flip each page faster and faster to get to the finish line. The Lying Game was definitely slower to build and even though the characters were at the mill house for a majority of the book, I never felt that creepy atmospheric suspense that I loved so much in the other novels. Now don't get me wrong, it was still an interesting book, it just wasn't my favorite.

Ware's writing skills continue to grow in her latest novel. I enjoyed the depth of the characters as well as the insight into their past. It was definitely a bit different than I was expecting, but I would still highly recommend this to readers who enjoy a slow burning suspense novel. It doesn't have the same amount of chill and violence as her other novels, but it is definitely an enjoyable read!

Rating 3.5/5

This was a phenomenal roller coaster of twists and turns! I thoroughly enjoyed this read! The setting was palpable, the sisterhood and kinship of these women SO relatable. These women felt real; their faults and growth felt real and it made me want to follow them throughout these 300+ pages. There was no bow-tie happy ending here and I respected that, yearned for that, in fact. Ware had the guts to not put a ribbon on it for us, and her readers can only revere her for that. I loved every moment of reading this novel and I'm definitely a Ruth Ware fan from here on out!

Ruth Ware has an amazing gift of description. She perfectly illustrates the sights, sounds, tastes, sensations of her characters - including the distraught dog. The Lying Game is a full of twists and turns that keep you interested beyond the end. I highly recommend The Lying Game

How much damage can a lie do? Can it alter the course of your life? Four women are about to find out. Kate, Thea, Fatima and Isabel met while at boarding school in Salten. Kate’s father was the art master at the school. The girls like to play the Lying Game amongst themselves and they were inseparable. Now grown, some with families, Thea, Fatima and Isabel find themselves being summoned by Kate with the simple message “I need you”. They rush to Salten and there they find out that a body has been found buried in the beach. Unfortunately, they know way too much about it but have maintained their lie for so long that it could destroy their lives if it becomes known.

This psychological thriller was a roller coaster ride of a story. My emotions were all over the place. The characters felt so real it was like I was reading about people I already knew. I found the story to be complex enough to keep me engaged and guessing. The story moves back and forth between things that take place in current time and during the time when the girls were in school, so it has the feel of coming at the mystery from both ends at the same time. I will be adding Ruth Ware to my favorite author list because I enjoyed this one so much. Highly recommend this one.

Another reviewer may give it two stars, but I liked this one. It was so well written that I often paused to share sentences or paragraphs. And I love how the plot switched from the present to the past keeping you on the edge of your seat. However, the foreshadowing was glaringly obvious and there were not enough red herrings which took some of the mystery away from the mystery. Even the dramatic climax was foreseeable.

Nonetheless, I recommend this book for people who want to spend an afternoon or two lost in the world Ware created. Fans of psychology and psychological thrillers will be intrigued by the strong bond between these high school chums who drop everything--husband, children, work--to come to their friend's aid and head to a remote seaside village when they receive a text saying, "I need you."

The truth will always last longer then a lie! The Lying Game is "played" by 4 girls in high school who use the game as means to score points and to bring down those around them that are popular or know it alls. Until the lies become so hard to keep track of and they can't figure out what is true and what is a lie. Kate's dad mysteriously dies and the girls are left trying to bury the truth, or is it a lie?

15 years later the lies and the truth catch up to them. It's not what you think and it kept me guessing until the end. Another great book by Ruth Ware!

I have read all of Ware's books now and have yet to be disappointed. The tension keeps building and building throughout the pages and I have yet to be able to put any of her books down. "The Lying Game" is no exception.
The story centers around 4 close friends from boarding school who share a secret, a devastating secret that will complicate their lives forever.
The writing is superb and through the use of one sentence composed of 3 words, the author is able to convey the horror that permeates the book.. The words "page-turner" may perhaps be overused but not here because it is just that!

At the Salten Reach in England, a dog unearths a human bone from the sand, a bone belonging to a body secretly buried there for nearly twenty years. In the aftermath, an urgent text goes out from one woman to her three friends, saying only: "I need you." And they come running.

Kate, Thea, Fatima and Isa first met at Salten House, a boarding school for girls, when they were fifteen. Kate and Thea had created a 'lying game' with rules and points and all four girls played along:

Rule 1: Tell a lie.
Rule 2: Stick to your story
Rule 3. Don't get caught.
Rule 4. Never lie to each other.
Rule 5. Know when to stop lying.

Of course, they earned the reputation as liars--in school and in the town. Who would believe anything they said?

Kate's father, Ambrose Atagon, was a celebrated local artist who painted coastal landscapes and wildlife and taught art at the school. On weekends, he welcomed the girls to his home where they swam in the sea and were often the subjects of his drawings. His stepson Luc became inseparable with the girls.

Then one night, Ambrose disappeared and embarrassing drawings of the girls reached the hands of the school administrators. To avoid a scandal, the girls and their families agreed for them to leave Salten behind.

For seventeen years, they kept a secret between the four of them but now it looks like their lies and deception may be coming to light.

A character-driven psychological thriller told from Isa's point of view, the story unfolds slowly, as Isa remembers the past and deals with problems in the present. The story picks up the pace in the final quarter as the women face the truth of what really happened so many years ago. Satisfying ending.

So different from The Woman in Cabin 10! I think Ruth Ware's writing skill has grown beyond her previous work and here she has delivered a thriller with more depth. Looking forward to reading her next novel!

I wish to express my gratitude to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the opportunity to read an arc of this book. Many thanks!

When Isa gets a text from Kate, simply saying I need you, it takes her right back to her painful past. Isa and Kate, along with Fatima and Thea, were a clique of four at a boarding school, playing a game that seemed to be all for fun. But the Lying Game had consequences, consequences that are still reverberating in the present, threatening to blow apart their lives.

This was such a suspenseful book! I couldn't put it down once I picked it up.

Ware is the master of the slow build. You know something is coming, as you watch the characters try to pretend everything will be fine--but there is always something (or someone) lurking around the corner, another shoe just waiting to drop. She plays that skill up once again in this book. You can't help but keep turning pages.

The reveals in this book almost entirely caught me completely by surprise. A few times I had inklings of what could be coming, but I was never able to figure out the full picture.

Ware also does a great job of examining what friendships are like between teenage girls. She perfectly captures the intensity of those bonds that can make you do anything for each other, that can linger even into adult lives.

It's really hard to find anything not to like about Ware's books. I don't think either this book or the previous one are as strong as her first book, but that doesn't mean I don't still really enjoy them.


I would absolutely recommend this book for anyone who loves a great book full of suspense and lots of twists and turns.

The premise of high school girls making up a game of lying and hiding a suicide as their last and final lie really held my interest in this book.

Years after the suicide and after the girls had left school, started living their adult lives, some married with children and some just trying to make it. Three of the girls receive a text from the fourth girl in the pact: "I need you". With this being known very early in the book without any background whatsoever of these girls and their past, I was immediately intrigued.

The narrator focuses, for the most part, on Isa, who at times becomes the narrator. Her instant response to that text has her grabbing up her six month child, packing some things and catching a train. Leaving her husband dumbfounded and questioning. Another reason for my interest in this story.

Yes, I was hooked at the beginning and never lost interest. A story filled with intrigue, suspense, deception, and secrets that have been hidden for a long time. Definitely unputdownable and entertaining.

Thanks to Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.