This is the second installment in a series with a very unique plot which is what brought me in. The plot was well executed with good twists and turns. Characters and motives were believable.

I enjoyed the 1st book in this series, so I was thrilled to be picking up the sequel.

Our main characters are great, both Ffion, the Welsh local, and Leo the Englishman. I like their dynamic and I appreciated that we didn't get the same old 2nd book where they got together at the end of book 1 and now we have half of book 2 spent on their new relationship dynamic. We got some great secondary characters in this story, which really helped me feel more invested.

The murder at the reality tv show site seems to be a current trend, which is unfortunate because I find these books all feel the same. I'll be the first to admit that this could be due to the fact that I never watch reality TV shows, though. Part of the struggle here was that I never really felt like I got to know the contestants, so I was much less invested in the alliances and drama. The mystery didn't break a lot of new ground and I never got fully caught up in it unfortunately.

Despite the fact that I liked book 1 more than book 2, I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. I'm hoping the next one moves the character arcs forward a bit more.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I really enjoyed the first book in the DC Morgan series, and was excited to get back into the world of Ffion Morgan. Clare Mackintosh does a great job of combining police procedural storylines with personal storylines. I was glad to see Leo was back! The reality TV show storyline was relevant and the mystery was interesting to watch unfold. Macintosh is great at keeping you guessing! Overall really well done and hoping for more Ffion!
Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark for the copy through NetGalley.

Clare Mackintosh has quickly become a new auto-buy author for me! Her thrillers are so fun and inventive, plus her writing is entirely grossing and just jumps off the page!

After reading book 1 in this series, I was so excited to see a book 2. I really like the main character - Both Leo (the officer from another location) and Ffion, the local officer. They were a great team as they got to know each other and solve the mystery.

In this story, we find Ffion involved in a mystery at a nearby filming site - where they are filming a new reality show called Expose. I thought this setting was interesting and I liked the challenges, the alliances and learning about each character.

Although I didn't find the mystery quite as compelling, I did like the pieces, the clues and how it all fit together. I really loved Dave - he was such a great character! I also really loved George, what a great officer she is. My heart broke for what I remembered of her and I loved her presence in this story.

And here it is - we have movement on the additional storyline and some lines have been drawn and some hints have been laid. Although we got to know the characters more, I'm hoping for more movement otherwise in the third installment. The author hinted we're getting another one and I've love that!!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Secrets! Lies! Betrayal! All the great elements of a reality show....until you add murder.

You'd think a reality show filming locally would be great for the community, but when a murder rocks the camp, DC Ffion Morgan is on the case.

Following the clues, nothing makes sense or is quite as it seems, and solving the case becomes more and more of a challenge. Throw in an old boyfriend, a clingy dog, and a blogger who wants to get the scoop, and you are in for a wild ride.

The novel kept you guessing at every turn; just when you thought you had answers, another piece of evidence presented itself to make you doubt yourself.

If you like psychological thrillers, you will enjoy A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick read. I liked the premise that it made you think you knew who the killer was and then it worked backward to get to the real killer. This is the third reality tv themed novel I have read this year, so that seems to be a trend. There are several characters to keep track of, so you need to pay close attention from the start. Also, it’s part of a series. I didn’t read the other book in the series and seemed to understand what was going on. I don’t know if it would have been a different view if I had read the first..

I was so excited for this to come out, as I really enjoyed her previous novel, The Last Party. However, A Game of Lies just did not live up to my expectations. While Mackintosh is usually brilliant at weaving complex mysteries with compelling characters, this time the plot felt overly convoluted and, at times, hard to follow. The pacing dragged in the middle, which made it difficult to stay engaged, and some of the twists felt more forced than surprising. I appreciate Mackintosh’s ambition to craft an intricate story set against a high-stakes backdrop, but unfortunately, it didn't quite come together as seamlessly as I’d hoped. That said, it wasn’t a total miss – there are still moments of gripping tension, and the setting is vividly described, but overall, it didn’t deliver the same punch as her previous work.

Mackintosh has a unique brain and for some reason, it is interesting for me. Maybe we think alike but she is better about writing it down than I am. I'll always read her books.

I LOVE this author so much and this book didn't disappoint. Even though this was a slow burn, it totally worked! The twists were truly jaw dropping and I was consumed until the end. The suspense that Mackintosh creates in her reads is unreal. You are literally at the edge of your seat and waiting to see what happens!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

I love a novel with lies and this book is full of them. A great thriller that I would recommend. I look forward to more titles by this author.

This twisty mystery kept me guessing until the very end. Fans of the the show Survivor are sure to enjoy this story!

I guess I wanted to like this book more than I actually did. When I was reading it I was in it, but when I had to put it down I wasn't needing to pick it back up and finish so it took me a little longer than usual to read. I think part of it was the fact that I didn't understand some of the language but that's what happens when its based in another country vs here. I love books from other areas because you learn new terms and way of life for other countries but I do struggle when there are lots of names, terms, and convos happening in another language. I will say though that I was not able to guess the twists and who did it! That doesn't happen to often so that was a big win for this book. And the best part was Dave the dog! I love me some lovable crazy dogs. He may have played a small part but it made me smile while reading it when he was brought up.

Crime thriller set in Wales.

Another book about a reality show! Apparently, this is the genre du jour in 2024 as I have read quite a few with similar themes this year. In this case, seven contestants are chosen to participate in a telecast named "Exposure" that is being filmed at a camp set up in the Welsh mountains. Lured to participate thinking it was a survival type program, they find out on live television that the whole point of their experience will be about finding out and exposing each other's secrets. Shamed publicly and perhaps resulting in terrible consequences in their personal lives. Locked into contracts they can't get out of, the seven are trapped and when the outing of the secrets begins, one of the players disappears. The local police are called in to search for the missing person. Then a murder. DC Ffion Morgan has to quickly figure out what is going on.

This was fast-paced, and I felt a bit at a loss as this was the second book in a series and I had not read the first. I have not previously read a lot of books set in Wales so I found the description of the area quite interesting. I don't feel like I got to know the characters very well and all seemed stereotypical and superficial as detectives, especially Ffion who is headstrong, impetuous, and doesn't really follow the rules but her understanding boss allows her to remain on the job despite her failings. I understand the romance began in the previous book. The secrets and lies are revealed and the case is solved with the usual heroine in peril situation. I probably won't continue this series.

I listened to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. It's a good thing I had the book because the accents and pronunciations made it almost impossible to understand what was being said. The narrator's voice was quite unpleasant.

In A Game of Lies, Clare Mackintosh returns with Detective Ffion Morgan in a small Welsh town of Cwm Coed. A new reality tv show has begun filming nearby and all hell is breaking loose. Picture I’m a Celebrity but with your deepest darkest secret to be revealed if you don’t do your trial.

This was such a fun read! I really enjoyed getting back into Ffion’s world. I’m so glad this became a series! I also like the inclusion of the issues behind reality tv and how going for shock value has real-life repercussions. Clare Mackintosh’s books are an auto-read for me and this was no exception.

Thank you netgalley and sourcebooks landmarks sending me this e-arc to read in exchange for a review. 🤗

3.5 stars

Another fun one by Clare Mackintosh! I loved the setting and how Ffion knows everyone in her small Welsh town. Some of the book moved a little slowly and I had a hard time differentiating between the contestants on the reality show. I liked the chapters from the contestants’ POVs and how they each had a motive for the murder. This had me guessing until the end and I hope there will be more in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed the first in this series a lot, and while this one was alright, it didn't hold my interest as much. The premise was good, but it just never really clicked for me. I'm not sure I'll continue with the series.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #SourcebooksLandmark for a free copy of #AGameOfLies by Clare Mackintosh. All opinions are my own.

I find this series to be extremely slow. This book is the second in the series but can definitely be read as a stand alone.
I was very excited because I enjoy a book when it’s based around a reality show and murder. The who did it, always leaving you guessing.
Unfortunately with how slow it was for me, I could not get into and it took me a few times to finally pick it up and stick to it.

I really liked Ffion as a character and I thought her whole backstory in book 1 really really added to the overall vibes. And while I enjoyed the reality tv aspect of this one, I can’t say I really felt like she was all that connected to this case and as a result, neither was I