A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh is the second book in the brilliant DC Ffion Morgan and DS Leo Brady series. It's a real page turner with lots of twists and turns throughout and full of mystery and suspense.

This is a book that is great for you holiday and I do recommend you read the first book The Last Party but you will be ok if you haven't read this.

This was a very good mystery - lots of surprising twists. The character viewpoints were very interesting and insightful as to what was actually happening. I really like the characters for Ffion and Leo and look forward to more books in this series. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

4.5🌟
What would you do to keep your secret, well... secret? Murder perhaps?

No doubt, most everyone is aware of the glut of “reality” TV that shamelessly push the boundaries! Now the latest offering adding to the feeding frenzy is, Exposure.

A group of contestants signed up assuming it would be another Survivor themed show. What they didn’t know is that it was meant to expose them…and their deepest secrets. And what the producers also conveniently failed to mention, there’s no way out!

Wait…what? And, let the games begin!

This is book two of the DC Morgan series by Clare Mackintosh, featuring Detective Ffion Morgan and her lovable dog Dave, who suffers from abandonment issues (among other things).

Leo is back too, in this latest addition to the series. And yes, the chemistry is still there. Will they finally drop their walls and give each-other a chance? Come on you two, enough is enough!

A new character, George makes her first appearance. She’s new to Ffion’s department but quickly became an integral part of the team. I have a feeling we’ll be hearing a lot more from her in future installments.

I thoroughly enjoyed how the author treats us to a juicy crime drama while still heavily focusing on the characters themselves (Bravo!).

She also made us (ok, me) take a look at reality tv and how much is true vs manipulation from behind the scenes.

We criticize the producers for putting these shows on the air, but aren’t we just as guilty for watching them?💁🏻‍♀️

Overall an excellent addition to this series! Take the time to read book one The Last Party to really get to know the characters. I guarantee, (well hope anyway) that you will be as hooked on this series as I am! I can’t wait for book three!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark

Having fully enjoyed the first Ffion Morgan mystery, The Last Party, I was very excited to read the second installment in the series.
This story kept me interesting from the very first pages through to the last. I think I even enjoyed this mystery more than the first.
Taking a look at the potential evils of reality TV and the ways that viewers are manipulated by cleverly edited together TV segments, I thought this book had a lot to say, along with being a very engaging whodunit mystery.
Clare Mackintosh is a talented storyteller and I was happy to revisit these characters again.
Please find attached my more detailed, but still spoiler free, review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QXXwCnUcpg

Clare Mackintosh created such a wonderful character in Welsh Detective Constable Ffion Morgan in “The Last Party” — so I’m thrilled to have her return in a new mystery. This time North Wales DC Morgan is involved in the disappearance of a reality show contestant. The show is called “Exposure,” a “ game” of public humiliation, with seven people spending two weeks in the woodlands while trying to “expose” each other’s embarrassing secrets. You can assume these are “bad” secrets (life-changing, marriage-ending, job-ending, shame-inducing, maybe criminal or blackmail-worthy), so the participants are probably more than just quirky. After the first episode, one of the participants goes missing and Ffion’s Criminal Investigation Department gets the call.

The action takes place on the English/Welsh border again. On the Welsh side is a small everyone-knows-your-name-and-much-more town named Cwm Coed (pronounced “Coom Coyd” ) with personal connections like the town mechanic is Ffion’s dad’s nephew’s wife’s cousin. The English side is Cheshire County, where DS Leo Brady is —he’s a single dad and a semi-close acquaintance of Ffion’s who would like to become closer.

The story is peppered with Welsh phrases (which also makes this uniquely different from other British countryside police procedurals) as Ffion and Leo’s teams search for the MisPer (missing person - a new term for me). The reality show producers only care about continuing their daily show and get in the way, as does a vlogger doing her own digging around. There’s a public outcry (from the #BeKind movement) against the cruelty of the show, so soon outside protesters will be arriving. And then there’s a murder.

As in “The Last Party,” Ffion and Leo are so good together. And now it’s a trio with adorable Dave, Ffion’s gigantic, hairy, flatulent, sofa-eating rescue dog. The plot was action-packed and, eventually, everyone’s secret gets revealed. Loved it! I hope there’s a third installment with Morgan and Brady (and Dave!) 5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO The action does take place mostly outside in wooded Wales.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

I love books about reality tv--more than I like reality tv! This one is a great mystery as there are seven contestants on Exposure who will spend two weeks in Wales with the prize of $100,000 at the end. And although much of it is scripted as the idea is for contestants to "out" each other with their biggest secret exposed,(while keeping their own), one of them turns up dead so it throws everything into disaster mode. DC Ffion is on the case with rescue dog, Dave and her ex, Leo. Of course there are the usual conspiracy theories as well as illegal activity, bribes, affairs, bigamy, and creepy scenarios when contestants must endure their own fears of torture. It's a thrill a minute and worth every second!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

It’s always a gamble requesting the arc to a sequel to a book you haven’t read yet and this one didn’t pay off for me.

After DNFing the Last Party, I was nervous to begin Game of Lies. Luckily I did end up liking this one more, but had it not been an arc I might have DNF it as well. It wasn’t bad but I just didn’t find myself very interested in it.

The female main character also really annoyed me. Sometimes I can handle this if there are other things going for the book but with this one I found it grating one me. Ffion is extremely emotionally stunted as an adult and maybe they explained why in the first book but it just made me want to shake her.

Overall, this is a slow mystery. It is NOT a thriller. I did think the writing was well done and I think a lot of people will enjoy this book, it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you netgalley for the arc

Seven reality contestants are stranded on a Welsh mountain. Each contestant has a secret and are working to keep it that way. When someone ends up dead, and everyone has a motive, and an alibi, Ffion Morgan must figure out who did it and why.

This is the second book in the DC Morgan series. It can be read as a standalone, but you will lack a bit of the backstory. The premise of this book was so interesting. I'm not usually a fan of reality TV in my reading, but this was an interesting take on reality TV, with a bit of a locked-room mystery.

This is a multiple-perspective book, which I felt mostly added to the story, however, there were a couple of perspectives that I wasn't sure why we got them. The characters, whether they got a chapter or not, were interesting, had depth and drew me in. My favourite character was Ffion's dog, Dave, who added just the right amount of comedy to a serious story.

The mystery was great and Clare Mackintosh is a master at weaving clues and red herrings into her story, leaving us guessing at every step. It feels like the author thinks about and plans out her plots and reveals them so well. She also brings us the interesting relationship between Ffion and Leo, which continues from the first in this series.

I also loved the Wales setting of this book, with the added Welsh phrasing and names in it. I found myself looking up how to pronounce various things and learning how to say them. I loved it. I thought this book was so good with mystery, intrigue and fun. I can't wait to see what happens next for DC Morgan. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

This is the second book in the DC Morgan series. A Game of Lies is a police procedural / mystery wrapped up in a chaotic reality TV show. 7 contestants are part of Exposure, a reality TV show they thought was about survival in the woods. They got something different than that since the show is all about exposing their deep, dark secret. When one of the contestants ends up missing, DC Ffion Morgan is tasked with finding him. George is Morgan's new partner, and Leo from the previous book, also enters the investigation. Great characters!

My favorite 'character' by far was Dave... a dog the Ffion rescued and causes so much trouble. But he is the best! I loved when he came into the picture. I hope he is a recurring character.

The pace of the book is somewhat slow, but I enjoyed all the characters and the POV's of the different contestants. The only "problem" I have with these books is that they have so many Welsh names for people and places that I often have to skim over them. Not a big deal when you enjoy the characters, story and mystery.

A solid thriller with a fresher take on the locked room/remote setting. MacKintosh's characters are reality contestants with secrets, stranded in the Welsh mountains as part of the show. When a contestant disappears, Detective Ffion Morgan has to take on the case and deal with a cast of paranoid and frightened reality stars. The book had some interesting things to say about who we are versus how we present ourselves in the age of constant image crafting and social media.

4 reality show stars

While I’m not a big fan of reality TV, I was a fan of the twists in this clever tale, the second in the DC Morgan series. I enjoy the flawed female main character, Ffion, and how she makes countless human mistakes. I root for her every time! I also really enjoy the Welsh setting, and the words thrown in give it a bit of an exotic air. It sounds beautiful there, and I’d love to visit!

A reality TV show is taking Wales by storm. It is being filmed near Ffion’s hometown. She’s a detective sent in when some bones turn up. The contestants were all lured to participate, hoping to win a huge payout.

One of the twists I really liked was the reveal of the show's true idea. I went into this one blind and didn’t read the blurb. I hope you can do the same and enjoy the twist!

Soon, there are some big problems on the set, and Ffion is reunited with Leo, another detective we met in the first book. There are quite a few characters to keep track of in this one, and I wish we had time for a deeper dive into each one so that I grew to root for them. A rescue dog was also in the mix, and he made a hilarious addition to the story. As the team investigates alibis, darker secrets come to life.

I’m a fan of this author and will continue to read future books in this series and her stand-alone books have been great too.

In the first DC Morgan mystery by Clare Mackintosh, The Last Party, Welsh detective Ffion (fee YON--I looked it up) and British detective Leo came together to work on a murder case on the Welsh/English border. In that book, we learned about their foibles, personalities, and (in Ffion's case), family secrets. There was definitely a spark between the two (they had shared a one-night stand under fake names prior to meeting as detectives), but it seemed to fizzle out at the end of the story. In book #2, A Game of Lies, Ffion and Leo are unexpectedly paired on a case once again, although Leo has been promoted and has resolved a personal challenge, while Ffion is still a thorn in her boss's side. She often forges her own way ahead regardless of orders she has received, but there's no doubt her resilience and perseverance get results.

In a new reality competition show called Exposure, seven contestants vie for a big monetary prize, but--as they learn when the show is about to start--their worst secrets may be exposed on TV and they may even be closed in a small room for up to 3 minutes with their deepest phobias--water, snakes, spiders. One contestant disappears after the first episode, and there is soon a murder to be dealt with.

Personally, I found the reality show setup pretty distasteful. However, the author sets up almost all of the contestants and a number of the production staff as murder suspects, so the mystery is intricate and not easily solved. Mackintosh is a competent storyteller, and the action ropes the reader in until it comes to its inevitably suspenseful conclusion. The two detectives' relationship doesn't progress a lot in this book, but there are hints that this might change in the next book in the series. I continue to enjoy these two characters, so I'm in! Side note: There are some brief sentences in Welsh, but the author makes sure we get the context.

My thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

I really enjoyed Game of Lies, the second mystery in the Ffon Morgan series by Clare Macintosh. Once again, Macintosh uses the Wales setting to create an engaging mystery with strong characters. I will definitely read the next one in the series to find out what happens to Ffon Morgan, her colleagues and her family!

I liked the first book in this series very much, so I was excited to get the second one from NetGalley. Although I had a bit of a hard time getting into the book at the beginning, I ended up thoroughly enjoying it. Love Ffion and Leo. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

Last April I was lucky enough to hear Clare Mackintosh speak about her foray into a mystery series. It was a change from writing her suspenseful standalones.

After writing the first book, The Last Party, Mackintosh felt that she was not ready to say good-bye to Ffion and those in her world. I am so glad that she did not. I enjoyed The Last Party and highly recommend it. I also very much enjoyed A Game of Lies.

Would you want to be on reality TV? Game of LIes is predicated on a group with secrets who sign up for what they think is one show only to find out (when it is too late) that the show’s premise is based on something else entirely. This leads to disappearance, murder, and a need to find those responsible.

Mackintosh does a good job of evoking the book’s setting on the border of Wales and England. I welcomed back all of the ongoing characters and their (sometimes tricky) relationships. Prickly Ffion is a great character. That she has heart is clear from her relationship with Dave. (Read the book to learn who this is.) I also was happy to again meet up with Leo.

It is not necessary to have read The Last Party to enjoy Game of Lies. That said, this is where the characters are introduced and their complex relationships explored. I recommend reading both. They offer what mystery/suspense readers are looking for.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for this title. All opinions are my own.

When Fion learns there’s a reality show filming in CW coed and part of it is on the England side, needless to say she is annoyed. Seven contestants are on the show called exposed but they thought they were all joining a different type of show not one that would give away your deepest darkest secrets. The contestants are upset but all decide to stay including Sarry the postal woman from CW coed. Well everyone except for Ryan who is the more he thinks about it the more disturbed he gets in eventually the contestants wake up and he is gone. Because the farm house where the reality show is filming straddles England and Wales it seems the gang is back together including newbie George she’s known to be standoffish and she is also Fyan’s new partner. The chemistry between the snarky unemotional Fyan and Leo is still strong she even offered him a quickie during a lull in the investigation but because he wants more from the detective then just sucks he refuses. The search for Ryan ramps up when some one says they saw him waiting into the lake and his wife says he cannot swim but then when someone gets murdered at amps up the investigation the murder victim is short no morals Miles The producer of the show. With so many wanting to keep their secret hidden there’s lots of suspects. I love this book Siri‘s this book was shorter than the first but not by much the plot moves swiftly and in between the big happenings there’s always stuff about Fyan, Leo, Serrin their mama and let’s not forget lovable bear who becomes the star of the show. I love him so much and I love this book cerise in the back of the book in the acknowledgments the author said she didn’t realize how hard it was to do a book Siri‘s but just know Miss McIntosh you make it look so easy these books read like thrillers I absolutely love them and cannot wait for the next. I want to thank one of my favorite publishers Sorsa Book Landmark and net galley for my free arc copy.

Since the first time I watched the old Michael Douglas movie The Game I’ve loved stories based on games! And as much as a I hate reality television (survival shows aside), this story was fantastic! I actually liked it better than the first one. It was an audiobook though, and I found it hard to follow. This one seemed to flow a lot better and the characters had more minutia to them. Ffionn is the typical unlikable character, but the reader gets attached to her because they can feel the pain her life has been. So when we see her going through not just the struggles of her investigation, but the struggle she has with her relationships and her emotions involving them, we can’t help but feel sorry for her. She doesn’t know how to express emotion because she’s been almost a punching bag for horrible people for so long. And though her mother tried to protect her, in a way, she still couldn’t stop the damage that was done. Ffionn is what happens when we don’t deal with our trauma, and that’s what makes an unlikable character likable. As far as the story, the author did a great job of spinning everything so that it was hard to figure out the killer. Everyone was a suspect, even sweet little Caleb. I’ve loved seeing how this series has fleshed itself out and I’m definitely reading the next one!

Huge thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for sending me this ARC for review! All of my reviews are given honestly!

3.5 Stars!
What’s great about this author is her locations are by far unique and the amazing descriptions bring so much to the story.

Diving into the reality TV experience, we have a murder mystery that includes plenty of suspects. We are also following family, other officers, and even a crazy dog, who makes a huge impact on the story. You definitely have to be paying attention to all of the different levels of characters Macintosh brings to the story.

For me the plot was good, but this is where my love-hate comes in. In many aspects, I found it a little stagnant and boring due to the fact there wasn’t much excitement happening.

The lead character, Ffion, has a lot of drama, but there was not a lot of work she actually did until mid-way through. I do love her attitude and the fact that she is not predictable.

However, the author managed to completely annoy me with Ffion’s interactions with the love interest, Leo. In the last book, we actually got a little bit of build-up in hopes that it would take off in the story. But I was greatly disappointed in this one. The simmering romance started in the last book is nothing exciting

The plot is different with a twist of reality. The murder mystery is good, but a bit of a cozy mystery vibe to it. Plus, keeping track of some of the characters became a challenge.

Overall, I was not overly engaged and obsessed with the story, especially when what I was looking for in terms of her personal life did not happen. Fingers crossed Ffion mellows out and quits being so rigid towards Leo in the next book. Everyone is waiting for this!

Love me a cozy mystery with a neat little murder that has a sprinkle of unraveling the whodunit along with the detective. DC Morgan returns in this continuation series set in Wales after her book, The Last Party, along with new rescue dog Dave (got to love this giant mutt) and her former partner Leo and ex-husband. Together they try to unravel who would want to kill a very unlikeable victim, who was intent on making millions off of exposing others secrets in a reality game on live TV. Like a closed room mystery, everyone is a suspect yet everyone seems to have an alibi. The author set up the mystery well giving back stories to all the contestants, making it plausible for all of them to be guilty. But there are also twists and turns enough to keep you on the edge of your seat, along with some romantic moments for Morgan and Leo. But I truly loved Dave, who is so insecure and hates to be left anywhere but were Morgan is. That becomes her saving grace in this story. You don't need to read The Last Party to enjoy this stand alone book. It's a very light read that has you second guessing. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Many thanks to #netgalley #claremackintosh #agameoflies for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A Game of Lies is the second in the DC Ffion Morgan series and it’s just as humorous as the first. Ffion checks all the boxes for me - dog lover (and not just any dog, but a huge anxiety ridden, farting monster), a smart sense of humor, a potty mouth and some issues with authority.
There’s a reality show filming on Pen y Ddraig mountain. But not another Survivor type show. On this one, each contestant has a secret. They’re not only competing for cash, but to keep their secret hidden. A day after the first episode airs, a contestant goes missing. And not long thereafter, someone is murdered. The premise of the show is a bit OTT, but the humiliation and manipulation are real enough.
DS Leo Brady is also back, now working in the next town over. As the property where the show is filming straddles the two areas, they once again get to work together. And you could cut the tension between them with a knife. Often romance subplots don’t work for me, but this one did as it plays into each one’s character. The story alternates between their POVs along with several others.
Of course, the star of the story is Dave, the above-mentioned rescue dog, who provides plenty of comic relief.
The story is fast paced and entertaining. I had no clue how this would play out and who would be the guilty party. I will be looking forward to the next in the series. And for the record, I think this would easily work as a standalone for those who haven’t read the first book (which was another five star read for me).
My thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown for an advance copy of this book.