Stevie, Janelle, Nate, and Vi are in their final year at Ellingham Academy. The first chapter focused on the gang opens with Janelle and Vi stressing and obsessing over college applications while Stevie struggles to focus on a class reading assignment, using any excuse to distract from the assignment and thoughts of her future after Ellingham. Throughout the book, there is distance among the group, but the chapters on Stevie and her friends are offset with chapters of different friend group. The Nine, as they like to call themselves, are a group of nine friends who studied at Cambridge in the 90s. The mystery that Stevie and her friends are tasked with is to figure out who killed two members of the group during a week-long graduation celebration at a member’s home. The closeness of the Cambridge students before and after the tragedy took place shows, as Stevie and her friends interact with them, how much Stevie, Janelle, Nate, Vi, and David are moving in their own direction. The five could remain a close-knit group of friends, just as the remaining members of The Nine, but there is a question that hangs over the group of nine about whether a tragedy kept them close because of grief or guilt.

Stevie took risks in this book that felt more reckless compared to previous books. It'll be interesting to see how Stevie handles the consequences and deals with what happened at the end of the book. Though I did not enjoy the friendship between Stevie, Janelle, Nate, and Vi as much as the previous four books, their friendship seemed to get back on track by the end. I'm hoping for another book to see if everything works out with college and the group's friendship. It would also be nice to have one last mystery at Ellingham Academy before Stevie and the gang graduate. Highly Recommend.

I loved the original series by Maureen Johnson, and this was an extremely enjoyable stand alone mystery. I was intrigued by both the sections on the backstory and the group of friends, and the section on Stevie’s trip where she gets involved in solving the mystery and visits David. Such an involving story and I really enjoyed this one!

I didn't love this installment as much as the previous 4 but it was still super fun! I especially loved the British setting and the slightly more modern crime. I also really enjoyed getting to know Izzy. That being said David was a real jerk in this book and made me so incredibly angry the whole time- especially at the end! Also I didn't love the big reveal of who committed the crimes this time because it didn't fully make sense- how did they kill 2 people with an axe and not get any blood on themselves?

I have adored this series for years, but this latest installment felt like a let down. Instead of exciting mystery and sleuthing, it was mostly personal drama and angst and a will-they-won’t-they romance that expired 2 books ago. The mystery - which is always my favorite part of these books - takes a back seat to Stevie and David’s failure to communicate or act like they are in any kind of romantic relationship at all. David is the worst boyfriend ever, even by 18 year old standards.

The mystery itself could have been excellent if it had taken up more of the story. (The investigation doesn’t even start until more than halfway through the book!) Instead it felt kind of half baked and underwhelming. So little of the book was dedicated to details of the mystery and with such a large cast of characters, I felt like I needed more time to care about them and differentiate their personalities, potential motives, etc. Since it took so long for the mystery plot to get off the ground, the pacing felt slow and clunky instead of unputdownable like the other entries in this series. The end is an unsatisfying avalanche of Stevie very quickly solving the murder without the book-long rumination of the clues we have come to expect.

Overall, this was a disappointing read. Stevie and company are excellent characters and Maureen Johnson is capable of writing truly excellent mysteries, but she did not fully take advantage of her cast here and let the plot wallow in relationship angst instead of sleuthing goodness.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Truly Devious series was such a surprise to me when I first read it. I loved the mysteries and the friendship group. Both of these elements remain the highlights for me. 

In this installment, the mystery jumps decades (the 1990s) and cities (London), adding a sense of newness or freshness that is often lacking in a series. 

Oddly enough, the story gave me "Secret History" vibes. Imagine if The Secret History was a YA murder mystery. 

The Mystery Timeline

With nine potential murder victims and murder suspects, I was constantly changing my mind on who the murderer was—and I was wrong. Which, to me, has the makings of a great mystery. I typically do not enjoy predictable mysteries. I loved the setting and the atmosphere. Although keeping nine characters straight in my head was a bit hard at times. 

The Stevie Timeline

The greatest parts of these books when we are with Stevie are the friendships she has with her group. I love their honesty, and their forgiveness when they are not honest. I love their vulnerability. 

I also love when Stevie is actively trying to solve the murder. 

My issue with this book, and even the last one, is that I am so over the David/Stevie couple subplot. I honestly don't care about them even a little. I must admit that I am not the target audience for this type of subplot. The constant back and forth between them and the overwhelming angst just pulls me out of the story. I understand why it is included, and even though I don't love them together, I will continue to pick up Johnson's books. 

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins Children's Books and Katherine Tegen Books for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

All opinions above are my own.

I didn’t realize this book was part of a series! I hadn’t read the previous books, but I read this one and still enjoyed it.

I enjoyed this, but it’s not my favorite Stevie story.

I think there wasn’t enough mystery and felt more like a book focused on personal life.

It’s slower. And reads with more angst, making it kind of odd.

School is back in session and Stevie Bell has finally hit her Senior Year. Unfortunately, with her boyfriend, David, overseas studying in London, Miss Stevie is that mopey, distracted long-distance relationship girl. We all know her. Her friends are noticing the change and although they're mostly supportive, they sort of wish she would just get back to being herself. Solve a murder, or something.

Soon enough, it's David to the rescue, as he has hatched a fairly stellar plan. He invites Stevie, Nate, Janelle and Vi to come to London to do a study-abroad for a week. Each of them devises a schedule and specific course of inquiry for their time there. David has secured them a place to stay. It should be easy. They just need to sell the Headmaster on the idea.

I think you know what happens because the group ends up there, in London, ready to study their little hearts out. Sure.

On their first night, they get introduced to Izzy, one of David's closest London friends. As luck would have it, Izzy has a mystery. Stevie is winning all around, her hot boyfriend and a cold-case mystery all in one place!! Izzy has insight on this mystery because her Aunt Angela was one of the individuals involved.

In 1995, Angela was part of a very tight-knit group of friends, collectively known as The Nine: Sebastian, Rosie, Angela, Sooz, Peter, Noel, Theo, Yash and Julien. They were all actors, artists and their lifestyle was a bit wild. They worked hard and played harder.

After their graduation from Cambridge, as a bit of a celebration, they took a trip to Julien's family's country estate. The morning after a drunken version of hide-and-seek, two members of the group are found dead. It's clear they were murdered. Very clear. Yet due to lack of evidence, no one was ever arrested for the crime.

Years later, under the influence of pain relievers following a hospital stay, Izzy's Aunt Angela says some things to her that raise Izzy's suspicions. Does her Aunt know what happened to her two murdered friends? She asks Stevie to look into it and you know our Stevie, you are not going to dangle something that tempting in front of her and not have her bite. Thus begins the London-installment of Truly Devious!

I love this series so much. This is the 5th-book and I have eagerly read them all. I've never been disappointed and will continue to pick them up for as long as they are released. This was such a fun romp with Stevie and friends. I loved the change of scenery with them studying in London for a week and of course, the murder mystery solving.

Additionally, in this one, I really enjoyed the past timeline following Aunt Angela and her friends. It was such a dynamic, yet messy, group and I was living for the drama.

In the present timeline, there was also drama of course. Stevie and David navigating their relationship, taking it to new levels and all of them being focused on the college application process. I'm always interested in watching characters grow and begin to figure out their own path.

This is a bit of slow burn. It does take a while to really get into the intensity of the mystery and subsequent investigation. However, in my opinion, it was well paced and I think the payoff was worth the wait. Ohhh, also, we're definitely getting another book. There's no way this is the end of Stevie's story. Maureen Johnson wouldn't play us like that.

I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who has been enjoying the Truly Devious series. For those who haven't started it yet, and enjoy YA Mystery, what are you waiting for?! This is not a series to be missed!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Katherine Tegen Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm low-key obsessed with this series and hope for many more future installments!

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this arc! I was so excited to read the latest installment in Stevie’s ongoing detective adventures.

First off, I absolutely loved the setting of this book. The mystery aspect of the story was set at an English manor in the country, and Stevie’s sleuthing takes place there and in London. I could perfectly envision every place they went to and the manor seems like something out of a period film or tv series. I loved it.

Secondly, are we done with David yet? I find his character absolutely useless. I understand that he gets Stevie and the way her mind works out a mystery/is consumed by murders and true crime- but honestly, this series doesn’t need him. It doesn’t need romance at all- the main draw of the books is always Stevie and the mystery she’s unraveling. David’s story really needs to pick up in the next book or I’m writing him off completely.

The murder mystery in Nine Liars was so good! I had a few guesses throughout the story (one of which did prove to be right) but I seriously wasn’t convinced of anyone’s guilt the entire time. The author keeps you guessing about what really happened until the very end! I love the way Maureen writes mystery.

Overall, another solid addition to this series and I look forward to reading the next! Recommend to anyone who loves Agatha Christie/Sherlock detective stories.

If you are a fan of the Truly Devious series, as I am, this book is a must read. It is senior year of high school at Ellingham Academy and Stevie Bell is restless. She doesn't have a murder to work on, she misses her boyfriend David who is in London, and she doesn't want to think about college or her future. So when David comes up with a scheme to get Stevie and her friends to London on an "educational" trip, Stevie is all in. Once there, David introduces Stevie to his friend Izzy who has a cold case for Stevie to solve, Izzy's aunt and her friends went to one of the friend's country house and during their visit two of the friends were killed with an axe. The murderer was never found. Stevie never could resist a murder and she is determined to find the killer, no matter what the cost. Maureen Johnson has delivered another intricately plotted mystery that is hard to put down.

Stevie and friends are now seniors at Ellingham Academy, but Stevie is not having a good time. David started University in London, Janelle and Vi are constantly talking about college applications, and Stevie feels lost. Before long, David invites Stevie, Janelle, Vi, and Nate to visit in London for a week. Once they get there, David introduces Stevie to his new friend, Izzy. Izzy's aunt was one of nine friends who visited a countryside home in 1995 and played hide-and-seek while drunk during a storm. The next day, two of the friends have been found, murdered by an ax. Was it a burglary, or something else?

The Truly Devious series is one of my favorite current YA series. I'm glad that Maureen Johnson is writing one-off titles after Stevie solved the Ellingham murders. However... I have to say that Nine Liars is my least favorite of the five so far. Some of the information about the night of the murders felt repetitive and the story itself went a lot slower than previous installments. I still enjoyed it, but it wasn't as gripping as the others. I also felt like the final reveal was a little underwhelming. The ending was a little abrupt, but I honestly loved that.

If you're already a fan of the Truly Devious series, it's absolutely worth prioritizing, especially since similar mysteries are becoming popular again.

Thank you to NetGalley and Katherine Tegen Books for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Maureen Johnson, and HarperCollins Children's Books for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was my first book of 2023, and we are already starting off on a strong note with the latest installment of a series I loved from last year! I thought I enjoyed The Box in the Woods, but this book proved that continuing the "Truly Devious" series beyond the Truly Devious mystery was a great idea. This mystery was chilling but right up my alley, and dare I say fun, as it was set in England. I thought this mystery came together even better than the last, and as I said in my review of the previous book, it was such a quick read, since it all wrapped up nicely in the book. My biggest complaint with this installment is I found Stevie almost unbearable. I felt annoyed by her when I read the very first book, but she has definitely grown on me with the help of her friends. However, her actions in this were too self-centered for my liking, and I felt all the romance plot did was distract. I do commend the accurate portrayal of nerves over sex and anxiety about who you are in general, as I thought those themes were spot on and well-handled. The scene between Nate and Stevie definitely helped to remind me why I do like Stevie, and I am interested in reading future installments, especially after that cliffhanger ending!

Hooray, Stevie and the gang are going to London and Cambridge for their next adventure!

All the points for setting in this one (yay, Cambridge AND a manor house!). Johnson did a lovely job getting the troops across the pond to solve a closed circle mystery in the UK.

There were a lot of elements of this that I loved (the setting, obviously, and the well-executed dual timeline story). The humor was on point as it always is in Johnson’s work, and the characters are mostly lovable.

While I love Stevie’s smarts and humor, she’s still much too fragile for my taste to be a great heroine, and I find that it grates on me more and more as the series progresses. The endless drama between she and David is also pretty irritating, and feels tremendously juvenile for the age of the characters. I found myself longing for the other timeline just to get away from them.

As far as premise goes, this is one of my favorites among the mysteries in this series, though the execution was a bit rough at times and there are some definite holes in the plot that don’t add up in the end.

Stevie does it again! Her character has a way of drawing me in. It doesn’t hurt that the mysteries are so fun and keep me guessing. I loved the setting in London and learned about some of the history there. The Truly Devious series is a must read for me. I’m already needing book 6 after the cliffhanger this one left for me!! Hurry, Maureen!!

this book was enjoyable as was most of maureen johnson’s other books. however, this one felt more scattered than the other ones.

the mystery took a backseat to all of the drama that happened between stevie and her friends. i came into this book excited to see stevie solve more mysteries, but i was disappointed to say that less than 40% of the book was actually about the mystery. a lot of it revolved around friendship/relationship issues between the group. it was still enjoyable, but it wasn’t what i expected.

the reveal felt flat. i think the reason why i enjoyed <i>the box in the woods</i> so much was because of the in-depth and long mystery of it. every chapter had a clue that pointed to the answer and it was fun to see things come together in the end. this book, while things did come together, spent too much time on stevie’s drama that i wasn’t invested in the mystery. i didn’t find myself looking for the answer as i had in the other books, so when the reveal happened, it felt so lackluster and unimportant despite it being a literal mystery book.

we need to decide on what we think of david. truly, the way maureen portrayed david is so convoluted. i cannot tell whether or not we should like him because of the constant flips. i feel like every other book is a debate between whether or not stevie and him are good together. plus, that ending?? it came so out of left field. i don’t know if she is coming out with another book—honestly, whether or not i enjoy the books she releases, i will continue to read this series because i am too far into it—but she should because that ending needs to be further explored and explained.

one small thing that bugged me—most people probably didn’t pick up on it—was the use of the term asexual. while i am not going to debate whether or not nate is asexual because he very well could be, it annoys me that the term asexual was used to describe aromanticism. when nate describes what he feels, he uses the word “romance” and examples of couples to say that he doesn’t want that. that is aromantic. not asexual. it bothers me that people put them in the same category despite being very different identities. it only further pushes the idea that all aromantic people are asexual or vice versa when that isn’t always the case. it’s a small detail, but it’s something that i wish was different.

Nine Liars is the fifth book in the Truly Devious series and follows Stevie and her friends as they travel to London for a sort of "study abroad" situation. This location change allows Johnson to keep the characters together, while giving the reader another look into their lives. As all of the students are Seniors in high school, college applications and the future looms over all of them.

Stevie, of course, is a little lost in what she wants to do with her future and falls back into detective mode very quickly when the opportunity presents itself. I found her actions and thought process in this story, less of a genius caliber and more of a whiny teenager who truly doesn't want to admit she is uncertain of the next step. This unfortunately grated on me, and made the plot harder to care about.

It seems this novel is a place holder for the next one, as the mystery was middle of the road at best and Johnson left Stevie's ending on such a cliffhanger that I was honestly mad it ended where it did.

Thank you to Katherine Tegan Books, Harper Collins and NetGalley for a chance to read this novel.

Maureen Johnson has done it again! I have been obsessed with the Truly Devious series for years and am always so impressed with the way Johnson manages to write a complex, engaging mystery while also delivering the answers to that mystery with Stevie Bell’s dry wit. I absolutely love the banter between Stevie and Nate and love how these mysteries come together.

The Truly Devious series always keeps me guessing and laughing at the same time and I never want the books to end!

The fifth book in the truly devious series follows Stevie and her friends back in action this time in England. The English country mansion setting with a dark and stormy night of murders was a wonderful plot idea. The clues were placed through the book so that you could figure it out before hand (I pin pointed the killer from quite early on). The end reveal was a little disappointing in its ambiguousness. Unfortunately, the ridiculous relationship drama between Stevie and David really ruined this book for me. I was definitely team David until this book and now she really needs to see the toxic traits in this relationship. Stevie's relationship does not need to be an example to teens if David continues to basically gaslight her. Overall I still look forward to the next book and hope that the series will move on with more of the fantastic mystery elements and less of the unhealthy relationship drama. Nate was adorable in this book and totally needs more focus put on to his character.
Thanks to netgalley for providing me with an electronic copy of this book. I purchased my own paper copy as well and all opinions expressed here are my own.

Sooooooo
I didn't realize it was part of a series, but it seems like this could also be a standalone.

I have never read any of the other books but I did enjoy this one.

I have been absolutely in love with the Truly Devious series since the first book, so I was eagerly anticipating the release of Nine Liars.

I love that after the original trilogy, we are now getting standalone mysteries. This one showcases Stevie’s detective skills in a completely new environment, London. This can technically be read without reading the Truly Devious trilogy, as it is a separate murder mystery – however I would recommend reading those first as this one assumes you already know all the characters and it does contain spoilers for how that trilogy ends.

This book finds the gang in their senior year at Ellingham Academy. Stevie’s boyfriend, David, is studying in London and her friends are obsessed with college applications, leaving her aimless and adrift. 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. At first, I was really concerned that I was going to struggle to differentiate between the nine new characters (I am literally the worst with names). However, they all had such distinct personalities and separate motivations that I didn’t find it difficult at all!

I loved seeing this group of friends in a completely different setting. All the characters have such great personalities and are all so relatable. I loved reading all of their interactions again! However, there is still the charm of a cold, seemingly unsolvable, murder case haunting Stevie. Maureen Johnson definitely knows how to successfully plot out a mystery and interweave a past and present storyline in a very cohesive way. As with the rest of the series, the majority of the book is from Stevie’s point of view, with some excerpts from the case in the ‘90s, and same as the previous books, I loved this format.

To me, it felt like this book included a lot more interpersonal issues for Stevie than past books, but I liked seeing more of that side of her life. It still definitely had Truly Devious vibes and was a wonderful addition to the series. I can’t wait to see where Stevie goes next!

PS: THE CLIFFHANGER. I NEED MORE.