Oh, this book was so much fun. If you like Maureen Johnson's other books in this series, you should definitely enjoy this one. The murder mystery was very well done, as was the premise for Stevie needing to help solve it. I did get a bit annoyed at how irrationally Stevie acted sometimes re: David, but she's a teenager, so it's not completely unrealistic; it just felt a bit more YA than this series usually feels. I am a bit skeptical at how fast they organized everything, and I was NOT happy about the way part of the story ended with a cliffhanger. The actual murder mystery does get wrapped up, however, and that's the most important part when it comes to the story overall.

I'm not sure this would be good as a one-off read (unlike Box in the Woods, which can stand on its own). I do think you need to have at least read the books in the original trilogy to really appreciate this one.

Nine Liars is a phenomenal thriller from start to finish. An excellent addition to the Stevie Bell series. Filled to the brim with twists and a captivating plot, this one is sure to keep readers hooked. The characters are well-developed. The story is incredibly fast-paced. This is one not to be missed! Highly recommended! Be sure to check out Nine Liars asap.

Stevie Bell is solving crimes again in this fifth follow up to Truly Devious. You will be on the edge of your seat through the whole book trying to figure out who the murderer is and wanting to read the next book immediately after.

Maureen Johnson is the best at those hard to solve, leave you wanting more mysteries. Nine Liars was a bit of a letdown as it did leave us with more questions than answers. I felt this book really gravitated toward her romantic relationship instead of showing her growing as a detective which is what I want for Stevie Bell. While I am more than ready to read the next installment and see where this story leads, I was a little disappointed in how this book played out. That mystery though- Johnson did a fantastic job taking us down a winding road full of turns and unexpected twists.

This series is still going strong. A great entry connecting to English manor mysteries, a perfect balance of an engrossing mystery for Stevie to solve and the continuing drama of Stevie and her friends.

As a fan of the first three books in the series, I was really excited about getting into this one. It kept up the same energy as the other books, and was an awesome addition.

The story continues on and it's truly amazing I can't express how much I love these books! The characters and the story truly makes me so happy! I never know how it's going to end but she always knows how to make my mind think! I love these characters so much and can't wait to see where they go now!

This is the fifth book in the Stevie Bell series, and the one with the best mystery so far. The series blends teen drama with murder mysteries.
For me, the teen drama only gets more annoying the farther into the series I read. However, the murder mysteries? Those just keep getting better.

I really enjoyed this and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to have read it! What a wonderful book!

The Truly Devious series is back for its fifth installment. Every time I think this series may end, Maureen Johnson rolls out another adventure (and murder) for the Ellingham crew to embark on. This time they are going global. Stevie's stuck in rut and the only thing that can bring her out is another mystery to solve. Nearly three decades ago, two co-eds were murdered while out at a party with their close-knit friends. Nobody knows who did it which is Stevie's catnip. As an added bonus, she gets to see her boyfriend David who is studying abroad after graduating last year. Will Stevie and her crew solve what happened years ago or is this the last case the Ellingham gang will ever solve?

Maureen Johnson crafted another mystery with some twists thrown in. While I love the Truly Devious series, this installment did not quite hit the mark with me. Stevie's character felt out of focus, and the plot didn't progress as quickly as I would have liked.

Nonetheless it was a fun and quick read and it was great to be taken back into that world again. Thank you to NetGalley, Katherine Tegen Books and HarperCollins Children's Books for the read.

I am HUGE fan of the Truly Devious series, and Nine Liars was no different. I loved the adventure, I loved the mystery, I love Stevie so so much.

I received an advance copy of Nine Liars by Maureen Johnson from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and opinion. This is the 5th book in the series and I'm not 100% sure I will finish the series when the next book comes out. I literally struggled the entire way through the book and wanted to scream at David. I finished it but didn't love it.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

Senior year at Ellingham Academy for Stevie Bell isn’t going well. Her boyfriend, David, is studying in London. Her friends are obsessed with college applications. With the cold case of the century solved, Stevie is adrift. There is nothing to distract her from the questions pinging around her brain—questions about college, love, and life in general.

Relief comes when David invites Stevie and her friends to join him for study abroad, and his new friend Izzy introduces her to a double-murder cold case. In 1995, nine friends from Cambridge University went to a country house and played a drunken game of hide-and-seek. Two were found in the woodshed the next day, murdered with an ax.

The case was assumed to be a burglary gone wrong, but one of the remaining seven saw something she can’t explain. This was no break-in. Someone’s lying about what happened in the woodshed.

Seven suspects. Two murders. One killer still playing a deadly game.

Probably somewhere between a 3.5 and a 4 star read. I really enjoyed the mystery of this one, and the Truly Devious books are always such fun to read. I wasn’t as here for the interpersonal drama going on, mostly because the romance of this series has really never been a favorite of mine. But I liked seeing Stevie solving murder in London and as usual, I want Maureen to keep writing books in this series forever!

I had high hopes for this book and it fell short. I absolutely loved the original trilogy of this series. Things started to go downhill for me in the fourth installment but there were still elements I enjoyed in that story. Sadly, I can’t say the same for Nine Liars. The Stevie and David romance plot line started taking up more space in book four and it completely took center stage in this book. The mystery here was half-baked and confusing and the romance plot overshadowed it to the point it was nearly impossible to follow. I would’ve preferred more focus on the mystery, detective work and even the friendship/group dynamic aspect present in the previous books. Janelle, Nate and Vi are what keep this stories afloat for me and there seemed to be very little of them in this story. Nate and Janelle are present to some extent but played very little part in the plot. Vi was basically nonexistent here. I literally forgot they existed at one point. Which is sad because I loved the dynamic of their relationship with Janelle in the previous books. The previous books feel like classic mysteries with a fun supporting romance plot to keep things interesting. This book felt like a toxic teen romance with a not fully fleshed out mystery unfolding in the background. Overall, pretty disappointed in this book. It feels like a complete departure from the rest of the series. But will I read the next installment? Of course. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC of this novel.

Thank you for providing me a copy of Nine Liars.
This was a good ya mystery for me to read even though it wasnt my favorite. The characters though, I thought there were way too many to have in this one. I felt overwhelmed in a way. Overall it was good but not my fav.

I love the twists and turns of a Maureen Johnson mystery and I am happy that this latest book with these characters is not as gruesome as The Box in the Woods, but I was not AS enthralled as I was with the original Truly Devious series. One of my biggest complaints, as before, is David. I need Stevie to move on from him. Or I need him to be a better person. It's hard to have a "will they, won't they" relationship when all I want is for her to dump him. And although I like Stevie, I need her to be a better friend. Her friends would be right to cut ties with her. As for the mystery itself, I did not solve it miles out from the revelation and that is always a bonus for me. Despite my gripes, I will be there for the next installment because I love Johnson's writing style.

I might be a little obsessed with Maureen Johnson's Truly Devious series! I get SO excited when a new one comes out, and while this one was a tad different from the other ones, it was still a 5-star read for me! I love Maureen's writing and characters, and love the overall mystery of these books. This can be read as a stand-alone, but is best paired with the original 3 Truly Devious books to understand the characters and the story as a whole. Fingers crossed for more Truly Devious books in the future!

God I love Maureen Johnson. This book is everything it should be - fast paced and witty and full of the charming relationships I've come to expect from this series. I can't waittt for the next one!