Ffion and Leo are back together solving another crime, as a reality show filming in Cwm Coed calls in a missing contestant. Seven strangers think they are signing up for a wilderness show, living in the wild for weeks until one is left as the winner, they are told the truth, that they all hold secrets, and in order to survive they have to keep theirs while exposing others. After this revelation one contestant runs away, prompting a man hunt that doesn’t have a chance to end well.

A lot of recurring characters along with a lot of new ones. Ffion is the same heard headed, stubborn cop as before, and the sexual tension between her and Leo is intense. The plot was fun and engaging. In a game of lies I had no idea who to trust. A mix of police procedural with a little more uumph.

I loved being immersed in the Welsh countryside again with DC Ffion Morgan in Cwm Coed and the surrounding mountains. When she and a coworker are called out to check on bones found at the filming site for a reality tv show, little did they know they’d soon be investigating a missing person and a murder. With 7 contestants, all tricked into being on a show that was going to expose their deepest secrets, there was no love lost between the and the director. Ffion is thrown in with a new coworker, Georgina, and then, more alarmingly to Ffion, DS Leo Brady. The author’s portrayal of the relationship ship between the two, both professional and personal is so believably written, you can just feel the tension and regret in the writing. Then of course there’s the murder, the storyline kept me glued to my kindle. And lastly, Dave, the small pony size dog Ffion has rescued and now won’t return to the shelter because her ex husband has predicted she would.
Thank you to. NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an advance copy of this book, I highly recommend it and the first in the series, The Last Party. Both are brilliantly plotted with twists and turns, and a unique, closely knit Welsh community providing a wonderful backdrop.

A Game of Lies is the second book in the DC Morgan series but works completely fine as a standalone thriller. I enjoyed the first book, and I really loved this one! A reality tv program is being filmed at a mountainside camp in Northern Wales. Seven contestants think it's a competition to see who can survive, but it's really about secrets. Detective Ffion Morgan is called in when one of the contestants disappears. The case reunites her with DS Leo Brady who she had a connection with during a previous case, but backed off when she worried things wouldn't work out. Now they must each get past the awkwardness and work together to find a killer. 

The story is told from multiple points-of-view which helps the reader get to know the contestants and the detectives involved in the investigation. Ffion is an intelligent detective who is loyal to her friends and family. I like her a lot, but some of her decisions can make that hard! She is headstrong and never met a rule she won't break, but she makes the book interesting, and she is someone I enjoy rooting for. Leo is a good guy who always tries to do the right thing. I wasn't sure about her at first, but I came to appreciate Ffion's new colleague George and look forward to seeing her in future books. (4.5 stars)

There is an intense, scary ending to the case and an excellent ending to the book overall. I can't wait to find out what happens in the next book!  Dog Lovers will especially love the storyline about Dave, the challenging rescue dog Ffion adopted. 
I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark. My review is voluntary and unbiased.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark & NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion!

This was my first book by Claire Mackintosh and it didn’t disappoint! It was a deeply engaging thriller centered around a reality show! A quick and gritty read that I enjoyed! (Just realizing it’s the second in a series but could be read as a SA).

This was a fun, fast paced, thrill ride, which had me jumping from one contestant to the next. Hold up, I am jumping ahead. I of course am reading this book out of order. The is the second book in the DC Morgan series and I loved it. There is some background I wish I had; you do not need it to thoroughly enjoy this book. The characters are fun and completely relatable. Clare Mackintosh has thrown in a rescue pupperoni by the name of Dave. That will have you cracking up as he eats his way through everyone's couches and into your heart. The descriptions of the beautiful Welsh countryside had me wanting to book my plane ticket asap.

Seven reality show contestants are excited and ready to start filming. Set on the side of Dragon Mountain which looks down upon a gorgeous lake. They are under the impression they will be competing in a reality show competition. When in fact they are trying to expose each other's hidden secrets. Secrets that no one wants to let out in the open. The contestants had no idea this was what they signed up for until the first episode. Leaving everyone in a state of panic. Ryan, one of the contestants has run off and is missing. As the police are called in and a search ensues, other contestants are battling extreme feelings of anger and despair. Detective Ffion Morgan is sent to the camp to figure out what exactly is going on. As more secrets are exposed and a murder is committed. All the contestants are suspects, as the race is on to catch the killer.

I loved this book, and I cannot wait to back track and read the first. Ffion is a phenomenally flawed character who I need more of in my life. Ex husbands, past loves, a dog that cannot be more than an inch away. Leading to laughs, gasps, and a cliffhanger ending, that I cannot handle. I need the third book stat! Thank you to Clare Mackintosh and Sourcebook Landmark for my gifted copy.

A reality show that threatens exposure of the contestant’s deepest secrets is the basis of this 2nd in a series novel. There are lots of characters so it was helpful to me at the beginning to jot down a quick reference list of names and who they were. The mystery moves a bit slowly at times but the clues that appear then are important to solving the murder. The setting in Wales sounds just beautiful and the 2 recurring main characters are well written and fun to watch work.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC to read and review.

I liked the mystery aspects and the returning characters and most of the interpersonal stuff. Though I think the first one was stronger in that respect.

The ending took it down a bit bc the interpersonal stuff played out a little rushed.

If there’s a third one coming though, I’m still into it. I just wish there’d been a more natural build up with the characters.

I've gotten really into reality shows the past couple of years and when I read the premise of Clare Mackintosh's "A Game of Lies," I was intrigued!

Seven reality show contestants have been told they are part of a show that's being aired to show their survival skills, Exposure! But when they find out the show is really about exposing their deepest secrets, tempers flair and a contestant goes missing.

This book started a little slow for me, the settings and some phrases were in welsh (?) but overall once we got into the missing person and hidden secrets storyline, I was hooked! The secrets were juicy and it was hard to tell who to trust with all the characters seemingly hiding something.

I'd highly recommend this book, although it's the second in a series and some things may make more sense if you had read the first one.

I will be honest - as I started reading this book I knew the characters sounded familiar and I was struggling to place them and then I learned that read the first book as my "Book of the Month" about a year prior.

I greatly enjoyed following up with the characters and seeing where life took them on the next case. As far as which book was better, I like the story line of the first book more however this book had more character development for Ffion than the first book.

I am looking forward to see where Claire takes these characters or if she calls it a day after this book.

I really enjoy Clare Mackintosh's work and especially the setting of this series in Wales, but this book wasn't quite my cup of tea. It felt a little too convoluted with too many POVs and too many characters to keep track of towards the end, and it didn't help matters that the ultimate solution to the mystery felt very "mustache twirly" and not as complex as Mackintosh normally writes. I really liked the addition of George's character, she was a standout from the jump and I hope that we get more of her as the series continues. I missed having more of Leo and Ffi's partnership since the two were at such loggerheads in this installment, so hopefully in the next, they'll be more of a united front.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unusual concept. Love this author. Period. I think this is one of her best. Contestants on a very unusual and frightening game show.. Kept me riveted and wanting more. Thank you, Natali and publisher for providing this advanced copy.

4.5/5 ⭐️
The second Ffion Morgan mystery finds her investigating a missing person on the set of a new reality show. The contestants were told it was a survival show, but it was actually more about their darkest secrets. When things take a turn for the worse and someone is murdered, the detectives must find the culprit before more people die.

Another good entry into this series! I like the way it layered in the tv shows through different viewers, and thought the mystery built really well! I did worry about Ffion’s character development at points, but in the end it was good. Can’t wait to see where the mysteries go next!

I received my copy from Netgalley on exchange for an honest review.

In November 2022, I read The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh. This was the first in a police procedural series featuring D.C. Ffion Morgan. So, I was super excited to read book two, A Game of Lies.

Ffion Morgan is still a strong female lead, but she also gets a little more vulnerable in book 2. She still grapples with being a constable in the town she grew up in, torn between loyalty and her duty to the job. Questioning what's next for her after the big case she's just finished.

This story was such an interesting concept, centering around a very controversial reality TV show, Exposure. Contestants thought they were coming on a survival show, but it turns out they were deceived. The show I'd actually meant to expose their deepest secrets. Secrets none of them want exposed. Ffion and her colleague, George, get called to the location site after one of the contestants goes missing.

Part I of the book focuses on the search for the missing person. But, after the producer is found murdered the investigation shifts to a murder investigation. There were so many secrets and lies that I was suspicious of everyone. There was a plot twist that I never saw coming. I wouldn't have figured out the murdered beforehand.

I love animals in books, but I was very thrown by Ffion's rescue dog, Dave. He kind of bothered me at first, but by the end, I was sad thinking she was considering sending him back to the shelter. He'd definitely grown on me.

In book one, because there were boundary issues with the case, Ffion had been paired with DC Leo Brady from a force on the English side of the boundary. I loved his character, and they had a bit of a "will they won't they." I was pleased to see Leo make a reappearance in this story.

I read this book over a day. It was very intriguing, and I couldn't put it down until I knew how it ended.

I'd recommend this one to anyone who likes a good police procedural with interesting cases. This one can be read as a stand-alone.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for the.advancrd digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

This is second book in the series and the author never disappoints!

The setting is in Wales and anything with reality show setting I'm sold :) the show knows each contestants darkest secrets and whoever wins will be able to keep their secret hidden!

The variety of the characters I rally liked! Hope the series continues!

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review

I was not aware that this was a second book in a series. I have not read the first book in this series.

I have liked several books by Clare Mackintosh in the past. I was about a third of the way into this one (second in a series) before I realized I didn’t really like the first one in the series. This one was fine, but nothing great. I like the Welsh setting, but I have just not become attached to the main character. There are better titles in this genre.

I had read the previous book in this series and I was very excited that this one had to do with a game because I love those. But unfortunately there were just too many characters to make a connection with me.

A Game of Lies
by Claire Mackintosh
Pub Date: April 23, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
hey say the camera never lies.
But on this show, you can't trust anything you see.
Stranded in the Welsh mountains, seven reality show contestants have no idea what they've signed up for.
Each of these strangers has a secret. If another player can guess the truth, they won't just be eliminated - they'll be exposed live on air. The stakes are higher than they'd ever imagined, and they're trapped.
The disappearance of a contestant wasn't supposed to be part of the drama. Detective Ffion Morgan has to put aside what she's watched on screen, and find out who these people really are - knowing she can't trust any of them.
And when a murderer strikes, Ffion knows every one of her suspects has an alibi . . . and a secret worth killing for.

The pace is slow but steady--the tension and suspense grow as the plot develops. I was never bored and was invested in the drama behind the secrets of the reality contestants, as well as the drama that makes up Ffion’s life. Overall, this series is positively progressing. I recommend this installment to fans of well-plotted mysteries and to those who love dog characters!

Why have I never read one of Clare Mackintosh's novels until now? I really enjoyed the writing style, pacing, mystery, and sense of unease of A Game of Lies. Then I participated in a conversation with the author as a patron perk of the Thoughts From a Page Podcast and loved her personality and sense of humor. Now I want to read all of her books, including her newest, a nonfiction title I Promise It Won’t Always Hurt Like This on the topic of grief.

Back to A Game of Lies, it’s book 2 in the DC Morgan series (her first series), but I didn’t realize that and had no issues beginning here. Seven people find themselves on a remote mountain in Wales, expecting to be contestants in a wilderness survival reality show. Imagine their shock when they learn the game is actually a competition to avoid the public reveal of their deepest, darkest secret. Then someone dies, suspicion abounds, and Detective Ffion Morgan and other members of law enforcement investigate.

As the heroine of the series, readers learn about Ffion’s personal and romantic life in this book. My favorite character was Dave, a huge stray dog riddled with separation anxiety that Ffion adopted in a weak moment.

Ms. Mackintosh, who resides in Wales, incorporates many Welsh names and words in this novel, which creates a strong sense of place but is also challenging for someone like me who doesn’t speak the language. Thank goodness for YouTube pronunciation videos.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the review copy of this book; I’m eager to read book 1, The Last Party.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read A Game of Lies. This is my third book by Clare Mackintosh, and while I liked it, it wasn't my favorite. I read The Last Party, which was the first in this series and I really liked it, although it was a while ago, so I don't remember many of the details. I have always thought that books that are written as a series are meant to be able to read independently. While I feel like this was possible with this one, I think there were far too many references to the first book. I felt a little lost and I read the first one, so I imagine if you hadn't read it you may have felt even more so.

The story definitely kept me guessing. However, the murder that is mentioned in the description doesn't happen until halfway through - so that was a bit of a bummer. I kept waiting for it to happen. I would have preferred to not be expecting it.

I think the book was well written, I felt the characters were well-developed, and I loved the setting, but the one thing that I really had a problem with was the idea of the secrets being exposed on the show. I just don't think that would actually happen and I had a hard time accepting it as part of the plot.

Overall, a good mystery, but I'm going with three stars. I will read the next in the series and hope I like it as much as The Last Party!