Maureen Johnson has done it again, and by it, I mean writing a book that I literally could not put down and had to read in one sitting.

Stevie is back to her crime solving ways in Nine Liars but this time she's in England and tackling a case that's older than she is.

When dinner with Izzy (a friend of Davids's) and her aunt talking about an unsolved murder turns into a missing person case Stevie knows she needs to solve both cases, and she'll do everything she can to do just that even if it means a little trickery with Dr. Quinn and her friends.

I need more books in this series, I loved this from the first sentence to the last page, on the subject of the last page, that last line... I can't stop thinking about it, who, how, when, all the questioning words keep popping into my brain and I need answers.

With stunning imagery that takea us across the globe, characters that span generations but somehow work together, and a plot with so many twists and turns I gave up trying to figure it out and just let it reveal itself as the story went on.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing an advance copy of this ebook, I have voluntarily read and reviewed it and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

When I saw Stevie Bell and the Ellingham Academy gang were back to solve another mystery, I couldn't hit the request button for the latest "Truly Devious" book fast enough. (Note: While you can pick up many series at any book, I recommend you start from the beginning for this one.)

In the series' fifth installment, teenage detective Stevie Bell is in London to see her boyfriend David - accompanied by her best friends Janelle, Nate and Vi, of course. The trip abroad is a welcome distraction from Stevie's growing concerns about her future, whether David has fallen for a chic Brit and the fact that the girl who's getting a following as the wunderkind detective doesn't have a case to solve. As it always does, the latest case finds Stevie: in the form of David's suspiciously cute and close friend Izzy, her aunt Angela and the mysterious unsolved murder that took the lives of two of The Nine: a group of Cambridge performing arts besties who were splintered into just seven in a brutal killing in the 1990s.

As usual, Maureen Johnson's whip-sharp writing and ability to create sympathetic, smart characters is on full display. We see the nuance of Stevie and her friends, continue following them in their outside-Ellingham world after the latest installment took us to a summer camp, and root for Stevie to come through in the end. Teenage drama weighed a bit heavier in this edition for my taste, making it my least favorite of the series: but a least-favorite Truly Devious book still tops many books out there. A solid four stars and one to recommend if you like the series.

This was my first time reading something by Maureen Johnson and I’m glad I got a copy of it! This book was thrilling at times. It’s definitely geared towards high school aged kids but it’s always fun to read something easy at times. I wasn’t aware this book was part of a series and it reads VERY well for being part of one. You don’t necessarily have to read the previous ones to know what’s going on in the story. This story follows Stevie Bell and her gang of friends as the venture to England for a school trip (and also to see Stevie’s boyfriend, David). When the story starts we just think it’s a trip abroad for the murder mystery gang, but of course it can’t be! David introduces his new friend Izzy and she gives Stevie all she needs to be on the case again. It like a little Nancy drew/ Sherlock Holmes/ Scooby-doo and the gang kind of story. I recommend it for those young mystery lovers!

I've given this series a solid try, but it must not be for me.

I like the idea of these books, but the execution always leaves me wanting. The mysteries always seem unfocused and a bit meandering for my tastes.

This one also had the challenge of too many potential suspects without adequate development of these characters. Keeping track of nine characters was hard enough, let alone trying to keep track of their movements the night of the crime. There either should have been fewer characters in the house the night of the crime or more work should have gone into developing each of the characters.

Most of the fun in reading mysteries and thrillers for me is trying to guess what happened, so if I'm too uninvested in the characters to even attempt to guess who did it, I don't consider that a good mystery.

The last bit of the book dedicated to the reveal was pretty solid, as in previous books, even if I didn't necessarily enjoy how we got to that point.

I will say that one of my biggest complaints with some of the previous books is the pacing between past and present, and I think Nine Liars was structured in a way that, in my opinion, was a slight improvement. The mystery of what happened lasts just a little bit longer and clues learned from the past don't outpace what Stevie learns in the present.

Other than this slight change, this follows a similar formula to the previous books, so if you liked the previous books, you're sure to like this one.

I'm not sure if I'll keep reading the series because, again, I do really like the ideas, but I just don't enjoy myself for most of each book.

More unsolved murders with this quirky cast? Yes please! And we are moving across the ocean to another even quirkier friend group? Again yes, please!

This murder is going back in time to the 90’s so all key people are still alive and we get to really experience them and the night of the murder which I love. We get so much more Nate, Vi, and Janelle. We get more David. Love and love. The book talks a lot about what’s next for all of them which leads us to the part of the book I did not love. Stevie confidence and self worth in this book is at an all time low. I hate this. She spent as much time solving the murder as she did being down on herself from her clothes, to talent, to her future, to doubting all her relationships.

The ending though?! A new book has to be in order and I am here for it!

*side note. Still here for team David. Probably always will be.

Don’t skip this one!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book early in an exchange for a review.

I don’t even know where to begin.

When we found out David was headed off to London in THE BOX IN THE WOODS, I just KNEW Maureen was going to give us some Stevie Bell in England action.

I was not disappointed. I absolutely loved the unraveling of this murder mystery, and I was utterly shocked when it came time for the big reveal.

Stevie is one of my favorite YA characters for a number of reasons. I love the anxiety rep. I love her dogged pursuit of finding a solution or answers to problems that are weighing on her. I love her friendships, especially with Nate. Nate should be protected at all costs. And of course, I love her and David.

This book…threw me for an absolute loop. HIGHLY recommend.

It was so fantastic to be back with Stevie Bell and her friends. I really enjoy Maureen Johnson's writing and the way she constructs a mystery. I never know who's done what or how Stevie is going to figure it out. This novel has more of a country house mystery to it than the previous novels and it is so well done. I can't wait to see what's in store next for Stevie!

Stevie Bell has done it again! I am completely hooked on this series. While the book started out rather slow and I missed out on seeing her friends more, I really enjoyed the witty banter they did share. It's been enjoyable watching Stevie grow as a person and her and Nate's friendship is just amazing. The mystery is terrific, especially how it all comes together, but I have to confess I did guess 'who dunnit'. However, how you get from Point A to Point B was fascinating and something I would not have guessed.

Warning: the book ends on a cliffhanger and now I have to impatiently wait for the next book for a resolution.

Stevie Bell is on the hunt for her next case, even if she doesn't know it. When visiting her boyfriend abroad a new case falls into Stevie lap. Can she solve it in time? Love that we are continuing to get Stevie stories outside of Ellingham, I will read every single one! Love that this is turning into a series with different murder mysteries in each one. Highly enjoyable, can’t wait to see what becomes of these characters. Give me more character development in the next one!

As someone who grew up obsessed with the Boxcar Children and Hardy Boys books... obviously I love mysteries.

And I love the Truly Devious series so much. Trying to solve the crimes along the characters never fails to be exciting!! But also anxiety inducing lol. I loved the pacing and setting of this one a lot.

#NineLiars was another page turner by Maureen Johnson! I simply could not stop once the "big lie" is revealed and the murder mystery begins to completely unfold. There are once again multiple plots followed. Also, Stevie's relationships seem a little more complicated as her pack of friends get ready to move beyond high school. I am looking forward to book number six to find out how she and her friends move forward and possible go their separate paths. I am still undecided about the cliffhanger ending. but again, it builds the anticipation for a follow-up novel.

Stevie and the gang go to England! They learn about Henry VIII and bloody pudding!

The mystery in this one was really fun with its dramatic 90s friend group shenanigans. The reveal wasn’t as insane as it was in Box in the Woods either, lol. Although I did think the motive was a bit too obvious, in retrospect.

Minus some points because I still hate David and this was too David-centric. I simply do not care about their romance, sorry!! Also, it needed way more Nate. But that’s always the case.

I won’t lie, I came into this one without having read any of the previous books in the Truly Devious series.
However, it seemed for all intents and purposes, as if I could read it as a stand alone. And for the most part it worked - and it left me curious what is going to happen in the next one. However, it was all highly unlikely, plot wise. And maybe had I read the previous books, I would not have felt this way.

Stevie is at Ellingham Academy with her 3 best friends, but her boyfriend David is studying in London and Stevie feels the distance - from him and her friends who are obsessing over college applications. When David figures out a way for not only Stevie, but her friends to visit him as well, she is ecstatic. Sold to their dean as a study abroad experience, the 4 friends make the most of their time there learning about London. But when one of David’s friends there introduces Stevie to a decades old unsolved murder, she cannot help but be intrigued. And this is where I started to question the book. That a bunch of adults would rely on this teenager to solve the mystery. I mean, obviously she does, but their bringing her in without question was a little over the top. However, like I said, maybe had I read the previous ones, it would be more believable. Overall, a fun, quick read in alternating timelines - if one can suspend their disbelief!

Nine Liars picks back up with Stevie Bell and Co for another mystery. Stevie's feeling of being lost as college applications happen is particularly poignant - I'm a year out of college at this point, but I still can relate to feeling lost and washed up and not knowing what comes next. I think my favorite thing about Stevie is that throughout all five of the Truly Devious books, she remains consistent and true to herself, while still having character development and growing as a character throughout the book. She truly is a great main character, and she's honestly the reason I keep coming back to this series.
I like the other characters enough, although sometimes Janelle seems a bit charicature-ish, and Vi is a side character to the extent that I couldn't tell you anything about their personality. Nate is always fun, and I love his dry sense of humor - other than Stevie, he's probably my favorite character and he has the most fleshed out development and arc. My main caveat with the characters in this book is that I cannot stand David - I find him extremely annoying and I do not think he and Stevie are a good match. I did like the introduction of Izzy - she was a fun character to follow and get to know this book.
The mystery in this book was solid, and once I got towards the end, I found myself trying to rip through it to find out what happened. It was a lot of the rest of the book that I didn't care for. So much of this book is dragged down by the group exploring London. Don't get me wrong, I love travel and books about travel, but it felt like this was just a list of places they went to and history that was unconnected from the rest of the book, and I almost wanted to skip ahead to get back to the story. The story itself was so compelling and fun, and Stevie's detective skills are incredible to read about, but all of that extra stuff really dragged.
Overall, I loved returning to Stevie's world, even though it wasn't Ellingham, and I think I'll always enjoy revisiting this character. I just think that this one, while really well-written and enjoyable for the most part, lost its way a little bit in the travel aspects. I will definitely be tuning into the next installment of this series, if there is more to come, and I'll definitely read anything else that Maureen Johnson puts out!

I was really eager to get to dive back in with Stevie and her friends, especially after The Box in the Woods, which felt, if not extracanonical, something like a Babysitter’s Club Super Special. This didn’t lose that tone entirely, and the pacing was a little off, considering it took almost a quarter of the book just for them to get to England. It also often felt that the character- and relationship-based elements were driving things somewhat more than the mystery itself (which has that Agatha Christie feel and does have clues which are noticeable to the reader, and yet when solved still feels a little bit like the answer was pulled from thin air); I think this is borne out in the choice of ending/cliffhanger. I found the jealousy angle a bit boring, but I appreciated the way the book delved into some of Stevie’s less admirable character traits and how those impact her relationships, even if it’s all a little one step forward, two steps back/noticing something isn’t the same thing as progress. I did sometimes lose track of which of the Nine was which and question why, considering her investigation, Angela continued spending time with the group seemingly without concern, but the writing was as always extremely engaging, and works in terms of both humor and seriousness, and I particularly enjoyed the manor house setting. Despite my quibbles, I’ll certainly enjoy seeing whatever comes next.

Nine Liars is a new book in the Stevie Bell mysteries. Stevie is in senior year and she and her friends travel to London to study abroad for a week and see David. Once there Stevie is introduced to Izzy, David’s friend. Izzy’s aunt lived through a murder in college and is now gone missing. Stevie is asked to help solve the old mystery and to figure out where Izzy’s aunt may have gone. This book has many twists and turns, until the very end.

I love these books and did enjoy this installment. Found it a little confusing in the beginning because of the way it set up the murder mystery of the past. I once again could not put this one down and stayed up late to finish it. I found Stevie’s and David’s relationship a bit weak, but overall it didn’t take away from the story. The end made though made me frustrated that I now have to wait for the next one!!! A definite must read!!!

Stevie Bell's senior year at Ellingham Academy could be going better. Everyone else is talking about college applications and the future and Stevie just isn't feeling it... Her boyfriend, David, is abroad studying in London. She has no new case to solve. Excitement returns when David invites Stevie and the crew to join him in England, and, while there, his friend Izzy tells them about a cold case from the mid 1990s. A group of nine friends from Cambridge went to relax at a country house and played a game of hide-and-seek in the rain; in the morning, two were found murdered in the woodshed. Izzy's aunt was one of the survivors, and she's sure things did not happen as claimed (burglary gone wrong). Can Stevie solve the case in the little time she has overseas?

I'll admit this was not my favorite Stevie Bell book, which is painful to admit, because I adore Stevie and her process. This one just felt *slow*--maybe because I had just binged THE BOX IN THE WOODS, which was so good! But, wow, did it take a long time for things to happen in LIARS! The first half of the book is Stevie feeling sorry for herself about college and David (so much opining about David in this one--this is not the Stevie I thought I knew!) and trying to get to London. Then the group has to see a million London sights to satisfy the "study abroad" part of the Ellingham requirement, which is all well and good, but wow, are those tourist sights described in detail. Get on with the murder!

The proper English country house murder mystery, when we get to it, is quite enjoyable, of course. We hear from the players back in the 1990s via flashbacks and then get to meet a variety of the survivors. There's plenty here to keep us guessing, but a lot of tension as Stevie navigates relationships with her friends, too. I am still Team Nate For Life.

Overall, this is a bit slower and more angsty than other Stevie books, but the mystery is solid, and of course, I'll still continue reading about Stevie forever, because I love her.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the chance to read an advanced copy of Nine Liars in return for an honest review.
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I have been a big fan of the Truly Devious series for a while now, and was ecstatic when I heard that there was going to be another book in the series. This book hopped right back into the world of Stevie, David, Nate, Janelle, and Vi. The gang's all back together again, in England this time. While visiting David on a study abroad program, they are introduced to a cold case that needs solving, because maybe it isn’t so cold anymore.
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The first half of the book, Literally it was almost exactly 50%, is all story build-up. It follows the gang exploring England, and gives us lots of facts. It was almost as if reading a travel brochure a few times. I must admit, I was tempted to skim the random facts about the Henrys of old England. However, if you push past the slow start the mystery is amazing. I loved the mystery aspect so much. We are introduced to new characters, new murders, and new stakes. I greatly appreciated the fresh mystery, one that kept me on my toes. I have to admit that I never truly guessed the murder. The story was so fresh that I kept switching who I thought it might be. We got the same old Stevie again, making deductions and doing her best sleuthing.
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On top of the murders, we also got to learn more about the gang, as they are starting to apply to colleges. I love reading about a group of mystery solvers, getting to reminisce on the old Scooby-doo kind of vibe. This book started to give me that, and then didn’t quite reach that mark. There was a lot of angst. Stevie is really good at that. For me, it felt like most of the relationship stuff was a set up for the next book. Which by the way this one ended I will be surprised if we do not get another book. So most of the relationship building feels like a lead up, and left me wanting more. It did so in a way that was still very enjoyable to read. I must reiterate though, the mystery is so good that these weird moments of fact dumping and relationship weirdness are totally okay to me. Maureen Johnson is a mystery genius, and I totally recommend this book. Just be warned about the slow start and push through, it's worth it.

Truly Devious is a very popular series and I couldn’t even turn my head without someone recommending it to me, a YA mystery fan. I started the series earlier this year and while I have conflicting feelings, I can’t deny that Johnson can write a compelling mystery. My (much) younger sister is a huge fan and we buddy read the series together. She absolutely loves it and it definitely is an amazing YA read that will greatly please people in that age group. I enjoyed Nine Liars more that the previous installment and I was very curious what direction the book would go. I love Stevie but absolutely despise the side characters and especially David. Go away, David! The mystery in this one was excellent and made for a great read. I’ll eagerly read each book as it comes out. Overall, definitely recommend to YA mystery fans.

A huge Thank You to The author, The publisher and NetGalley for providing the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Quite a bit late, but. But. BUT.


THIS. IS. THE. MOST. AMAZING. BEST. WONDERFUL. BEAUTIFUL. ONE OF A KIND. FABULOUS. MASTERPIECE OF A BOOK.