Nine Liars is Veronica Mars meets BBC’s Sherlock. It’s the 5th book in the Truly Devious YA detective series, but can be read as a standalone (I’ve never read the other books and was able to jump right in).

It’s Stevie Bell’s senior year and while her friends are busy making plans and applying to colleges, she just can’t get her head in the game. She’s at loose ends since solving her last mystery and finds herself unable to focus on school, lost on how to turn her detective skills into a college acceptance. She also really misses her boyfriend, David, who left to study in England. Luckily, David has a plan for them to see each other and also give her some much-needed distraction under the guise of a “study abroad” week in London with her friends. Also luckily, his friend Izzy has a murder mystery for Stevie to throw herself into.

Izzy’s aunt was part of a very close circle of friends at Cambridge who formed a comedy group called “The Nine”. The Nine were as close as any friends could be, living together in the same house and all dating each other. In the summer of ’95, a weekend in the country starts with a drunk game of hide-and-seek and ends with two of the nine being murdered with an ax and discovered in the woodshed. The killer was never found. Nine Liars alternates between current-day Stevie and friends, and flashbacks to that fateful weekend. It’s a bit jarring and disjointed at first going back and forth with seemingly no connection, but eventually things begin to flow together and it works very well in drawing the reader into the mystery.

Stevie can come off as a “not like other girls” girl – confused by makeup, only wearing hoodies, and scandalized by the idea of wearing anything besides the plainest of cotton underwear. It’s not that she doesn’t care about these kinds of things, because plenty of girls don’t, it’s how often it’s emphasized until it becomes a defining personality trait. She also wears the same salad-dressing-stained black hoodie every day for a week straight while visiting her boyfriend in London (I was begging her to at least give it a rinse in the sink – she wore the thing while meeting witnesses and even when visiting the country estate as a guest/investigator). It began to toe the line of grating but someone managed to fall just this side of quirky and charming in an “everything else is just transport” Sherlock-y way.

There are a lot of characters to keep straight in Nine Liars. Outside of Stevie, David, and Izzy, we also have Stevie’s friends Janelle, Vi, and Nate. Also there’s The Nine to keep straight, and well, there’s nine of them. All of the current-day parts of the book are told through Stevie’s perspective, but the flashbacks are through the perspective of multiple members of The Nine. While it’s a bit to juggle, the author does a great job of making it manageable and not too confusing.

Overall, I ended up really liking Nine Liars and can’t wait for the next book in the series (especially after that ending! Reader beware, this book ends on a cliffhanger, so if you’re a person that would be bothered by that be forewarned). The mystery as it’s presented is extremely engaging and following along with Stevie for that “aha!” moment had me glued to the pages. I really enjoyed the murder mystery, Stevie’s detective work, and most of the characters (I’m looking at you, David). Definitely a book that draws you in and keeps your attention until the very last letter.

Persuaded by her boyfriend, David, who is studying in London, Stevie Bell and her friends go to London for a week and promptly get involved with a mystery that Stevie is determined to solve. New friend Izzy in London introduces her to a cold case from 1995. In 1995, nine friends from Cambridge University had a drunken weekend at one of the friends estate and two of the nine ended up dead. There was no break-in and the case was never solved. But one of the seven knows what happened and Stevie sets out to find out the truth.

I enjoyed this book but probably not as much as the other Stevie Bell mysteries and it's because of how the character of David is portrayed. He comes across as a moody, self absorbed and not very interested in Stevie. He did not add much to the story and Stevie should cut herself loose from him. Her friends Janelle, Vi and Nate are great and it was fun to watch their interactions with each other.

WTF.

I love Stevie Bell mysteries, and could read one every year for the rest of forever, but that being said, WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ENDING MAUREEN?? Ughhhh...

The mystery was really great in this one, the friend group is still amazing, and I loved the English countryside setting, but I am definitely over the relationship drama. It felt a little unnecessary.

As stated above, I will of course still read any and all Stevie Bell books, my heart just hurts right now.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Katherine Tegen Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Another classic in this series! Now there needs to be another one though, for closure with something I cannot say for spoilers sake. 4.5/5 stars for me on this one!!

This is another solid mystery in the Truly Devious collection featuring Stevie and her friends, this time as they try to solve a decades-old murder in England. Unlike the others in this set, this one was a bit mature sexually for the middle school crowd, which will probably disappointing to many of my students who are fans of the series. High school libraries, however, should definitely purchase where Truly Devious, or other contemporary murder mysteries are popular.

Maureen Johnson has a particular sense of wry humor that really appeals to me, and is always the highlight of her books for me. Nine Liars is filled with plenty of her quips, and a stand-alone mystery (though a bit of a non-plot cliffhanger at the end). I wouldn’t start here if you haven’t read the original trilogy, but this is a fun installment for those rooting for anxious, awkward Stevie.

Yay - more Stevie Bell! I am addicted to this series and have devoured each and every book in the series so far. This is no exception - and it ends on a cliffhanger! I am already anxiously awaiting the next book in the series - and yes, while the mysteries after the third book are basically standalone mysteries, it's better to read as a series because the characters grow and their relationships develop and change.

I am obsessed with this book. This series just keeps getting better and better. And the mysteries are harder to solve, and Stevie is such a unique character.

I've loved the Stevie Bell series since day 1. Some of the love comes from buddy reading the books and theorizing what's going to happen. Having a partner to help you ponder the hints that are dropped through the book adds to the excitement.

That being said, this latest Stevie Bell story, was a little lacking. Overall, it was an enjoyable read and being left with a cliffhanger definitely guarantees that I'm going to pick up the next book but the excitement, the buildup, it just wasn't there until the end - it was slow.

I also understand that this is a YA series but the relationship between Stevie and David has me skimming and moving on. It's tiring reading about their 'will they, won't they' storyline.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the chance to read this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Maureen Johnson continues to spin more stories about teen-detective Stevie Bell. Readers who loved the original Truly Devious trilogy and the other Stevie Bell book, Box in the Woods, will love this standalone, as well. Stevie and company are off on adventure to London to visit her boyfriend David and maybe solve a murder mystery at the same time. Stevie is her same endearing self, and readers will happily follow along with her in step as she unravels the murder of two Cambridge students. If one hasn't read the original series, Johnson fills in some gaps here and there with references (but no spoilers!) to the previous books. This novel could also create some new Stevie-fans who might run to pick up the original trilogy. With mind-bending puzzles and shifty characters to snoop on, Nine Liars will not disappoint any lover of mysteries.

I absolutely adore the Truly Devious series, it's the perfect cozy mystery series. Just as before Nine Liars features the main group - Stevie, David, Nate, Janelle and Vi. They find themselves in England studying abroad for a week and a mystery that needs solving just happens to fall into Stevie's life. Much like the original mystery, this one took place decades ago and is still unsolved with some conflicting information available regarding it.

I was sucked in by this mystery right away and found myself rushing to the end to figure out everything going on. I found myself constantly guessing and trying to figure out exactly what was happening and trying to solve the mystery (which I failed at). Though this book is still a little slower than the rest, once the mystery gets going things start progressing quickly.

The Truly Devious series is so fun, and this time Stevie & Co make their way across the pond to visit beloved David and, naturally, investigate a cold case. This was a quick, fun read that fits well into the series and I can't wait to see what happens next for Stevie.

This was a solid addition to the Truly Devious series. I enjoyed getting a closer, more personal if you into Stevie‘s life. At times it was a little hard to keep up with The Nine, but not enough that it detracted from the story or caused any real confusion. The setting was perfect as well, I’m dying (lol) to visit a manor outside of London now! I cannot wait for the next installment.

Nine Liars was another fantastic addition to the Truly Devious series. As with the others, it featured Stevie, David, Nate, Janelle and Vi. This time they’re headed to sunny England for a week away, staying in London near Stevie’s boyfriend, David. It’s not long until a mystery falls into Stevie’s lap. Decades ago nine friends went away for a holiday get away at the end of the university semester. Only seven of them returned. It was believed a burglar broke in and was fumbled by two members of the group. But then, the burglar killed them, and the rest is history. Or so it was believed. David’s friend, Izzy, niece of one the seven who remained, tells Stevie about the murders, and about the fact that her aunt has her theories. Theories which don’t include a burglar. Once again, Stevie is sucked into a case, left trying to unravel the strings someone very carefully tied together.

Like all the other Truly Devious books, this one sucked me in and didn’t spit me back out until I’d reached the final page. It was as mind twisting, heart wrenching and intriguing as the rest of them. I adore how in these books, even the tiniest little detail can mean the difference between finding the truth and finding another lie. This book was no exception to that. I found myself trying to figure it out, thinking carefully about each member of the remaining seven, removing the ones I thought were innocent from my list. I’m proud to say that I had the murderer pegged from around the fifty percent mark, the process of elimination coming in handy.

I will say, this book felt different from the others. It took quite a while to get into the mystery and because they were only in London for a week, a lot of the scenes felt too rushed or too slow. It focused more on Stevie as a person—and while I don’t personally believe that was a bad thing—I think it meant the mystery suffered a bit. The mystery seemed to take a back seat in this book and while it was as enticing as the other four books, it felt like it needed a bit more.

And don’t get me started on that cliff hanger. Maureen Johnson I’m gonna need book six on my desk by tomorrow morning.

All in all, I enjoyed this very much. I can’t wait for the paperback to come out so I can add it to my collection. I will be eagerly awaiting the sixth book. (Maureen I’m looking at you.)

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Apparently Maureen Johnson has been wanting to write an English country house mystery her whole life.

I have been waiting my whole life to read a Maureen Johnson Country House Mystery™️

Nine Liars did not disappoint.

If you have not read any of the Stevie Bell mysteries yet? You should get on it. They are all fabulous. Each one better than the last.

But Maureen, we need to talk about that ending.

I am feeling a lot of emotions right now. Especially since I’m still holding out hope for Shades of London No. 4…

But if you’re in the market for the perfect British mystery, have I got the book for you.

Lovely read. Always easy and fast paced. I will definitely add this to my classroom library. I look forward to more by this author.

I love that this series can technically be read as standalone books, but in order to know the big mystery you need to be following from the beginning. Definitely a must read for those who love suspense!

Out of every mystery in this entire series so far, I like this one the most. Back in 1995, nine close friends spent a night playing hide-and-seek in an old English manor during a stormy night. The morning after, they discovered that two of them had been murdered brutally in the woodshed of the manor. It was ruled a burglary gone wrong, but one of them had seen something inexplainable that night.

Nine Liars
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: YA Thriller
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 12/27/22
Author: Maureen Johnson
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 464
GR: 4.07

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and HarperCollins and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

My Thoughts: This book is part of the Truly Devious series, but can absolutely read as a standalone. There are a lot of characters, hence the title, Nine Liars. At first, it was a bit confusing, but a little while into it, you get used to the characters. The story takes place in the 1990’s and gives a Melrose Place vibe. The characters range from very likable and relatable to not so much. Stevie and David are the main characters, but everyone plays a part in this cold case of whodunit. The plot was delivered well in mysterious layers. The characters, even numerous, were developed to an extent, mysterious, and creative. The author’s writing style was complex, intriguing, and engaging. I recommend picking up this one, as well as the others in the series.

Maureen Johnson nails it every time for me. When I found out this book was coming out I knew I had to read it.

Stevie is a true crime lover like me and always finds herself in the middle of a mystery. This time though it’s a current missing persons cases that has to do with a cold case involving 9 best friends.

I really like what this book did for their friendships. In each book we get more growth which for me is important. Stevie, Nate, Janelle, and Vi are seriously a power house.

I will say I figured out who the murderer was pretty early on which was kind of a bummer for me because I like more of a surprise. I will say I didn’t guess the motive so that was still a good reveal.

Maureen Johnson has a way with the reveal. I always feel like is pretty well paced and somewhat believable.

Now I don’t want to talk to much about Stevie and David but I will say I wish their relationship was a little more prominent in the story.

With the cliffhanger at the end we better be getting another book. Please Miss Johnson give us more. I need to know what happens!