Excellent second entry in the DS Morgan series. I loved the first book, THE LAST PARTY, so I was excited there was a sequel. A GAME OF LIES follows DC Ffion Morgan as she investigates several strange happenings at the location of a reality show being filmed in the Welsh mountains, a show where the contestants will do almost anything to keep their secrets from being exposed. Leo Brady returns as the English detective working in the region of Wales that borders England. There are some new characters as well, including Dave, Ffion's gigantic, co-dependent dog. I'm continuing to look forward to more books in this series.

This is the second in a series by Clare Mackintosh. The first was The Last Party. There are a lot of references to the previous book and nuances that will be missed if you did not read the first book. The plot was interesting - a new reality show where secrets of the contestants are revealed (not something they signed up for). The result is a murder - lot of suspects and false leads. It was good but I would highly suggest reading the first book before reading this one.

This is the second book with DC Morgan.

How real are reality shows? Seven strangers are about to find out.

Obviously lied to, the seven strangers are now stranded in the Welsh mountains and are clueless to what is going on.

What things do they have in common? Secrets. And the game begins. If another player can guess your secret you are out. And outed. On Air!

When one of them is suddenly gone, Detective Morgan has to find out who and what these people are off of the television. What she does know is there is a killer here and although all of these people have an alibi, they also have some wicked secrets!

The second book does not disappoint. If you are a fan of reality shows, this one's for you!

Netgalley/ Sourcebooks Landmark/ 23 April 2024

DC Morgan returns!! When Ffion is called to the location of the newest reality show, Exposure, to examine bones she thinks she will only see the cast and crew on TV. But soon her and her team is investigating the disappearance of one of the contestants and a death. The book switched to different points of view which made this book just more enjoyable. I felt that the book had just the right amount of twists and turns that I couldn’t wait to find out the end. I also love books where I can’t immediately figure out who was the killer. This was the second book in the series and I can’t wait for more.

A Game of Lies returns us to Wales and DC Ffion Morgan, this time to investigate a missing person who walked away from a reality TV show being filmed nearby. Contestants had been lured by the promise of a survival-type reality show, only to find out that it was actually about exposing major lies in their lives. Now the suspension builds to see whose lie will be exposed next and which one will lead to murder.

A Game of Lies has solidified my fandom of all things DC Morgan. If Ffion Morgan's prickly and less than stellar personality wasn't enough, the addition of Dave, the rescue dog, has me firmly entrenched in this series. Dave brought a sense of comedic relief to the serious business of catching a killer.
Author Clare Mackintosh writes a detailed plot with many characters in the mix. This one finds the main character, DC Morgan, on the set of a reality show when a participant goes missing. Once again our favorite possible love interest from book one, Leo Brady, is there to represent the English side of things. After how book one ended, things are awkward between the two. This maybe relationship is prominent but not more so than the crime at hand, which I appreciate.
The crime itself is centered around a missing contestant that seems to have been pushed to0 hard by the shows creator. It's not a survival show as much as it's a can you survive your biggest secrets being put out on the airwaves for all the viewers to see. A timely story of people behaving badly in the name of ratings and modern viewership.

4.25 stars

Thank you to Sourcebooks and author for an early e-copy via Netgalley. All opinions are mine.

This was OK...not a fan of reality TV, but a fan of the author, so I requested the book. Honestly, the people are all awful...and I don't like the DCI's any better than in the first book. Sadly this is a series I am going to let go of.
Thanks you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, the summary itself got me hooked. There is no way I was not going to read a book based on a reality show called exposure with 7 contestants in remote mountainside location. It was outrageous but binge worthy premise where the contestants are ready to kill each other for the game. The contestants all have some deep hidden secrets and they will go to any extent to keep their secrets safe. It reads like a locked room mystery but I felt it slowed down a bit. Thought it is part of a series, it can very well be read as a standalone!

Another terrific novel from Clare Mackintosh, Game of Lies is the second mystery in a series set in Wales featuring detective Ffion Morgan. This time, the action takes place on the set of a reality TV series, “Exposure.” Seven contestants will vie for the chance to keep their deepest secret hidden - but are they willing to kill for it? A unique venue for the classical “locked room” genre, the character development, the setting descriptions, the plot and the fact that the action takes place over just one week make this a terrifically propulsive read. Five stars, and I can’t wait for the next one. Thanks to NetGalley for the free advance copy!

Clare Mackintosh writes some great procedural type novels. She is thorough in laying the groundwork and throwing clues in. I did not see this twist coming!

My thanks to Sourcebooks/Landmark, Clare Mackintosh and Netgalley.
This story was a bit out there. It wasn't at all what I was expecting, and I think I liked it?!
I actually had a blast reading this, and was outraged by the concept of this reality show.
I'd probably have killed Mile's myself!
Still, I'm only rating this at 3 stars. The story was great, but Ffion? That woman "who's a cop!" did the most idiotic crap! Honestly, I was amazed she was a cop in Wales. She was stupid enough, she could have been working for some southern state here in the U.S.A! Or Minnesota.
I will be reading more of this series though. It's a new series, and I know these characters will evolve over time, and I'm interested enough to continue reading. Also, it's northern Wales. It's one of my top five destinations to visit, that I've never visited!
Wales.
Scotland.
Norway.
Greece.
Croatia.
Fantastic writing.

A twisted mystery in the Welsh mountains about a dark reality show that aims to expose the secrets of the contestants. Survive the mountain and the show and you win big. But if another contestant exposes your secret or you panic when confronted with your worst fear you could lose everything. What secrets would you kill to protect? What is a detective to do when everyone has the means and motive, but no one has the opportunity? A Game of Lies reads like a locked room mystery. While it is the second book in a detective series (DC Morgan), the book does plenty to provide the reader with an understanding of the cast of the characters, revealing their personality with every thought and interaction. I would recommend this book to fans of A.R. Torre or Cate Holahan, or anyone who enjoys a modern Agatha Christie style mystery.

I very much enjoyed this novel, even more than the first one that featured Ffion Morgan. I think due to the fact that I was already familiar with the characters, the setting, and the backstory, so there wasn’t as much exposition. This time, Ffion is investigating a missing person from a reality show filming at the nearby mountain. The contestants have been chosen because of their secrets and at least one will do anything to keep his secret hidden.

I absolutely loved A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh! This is the second book in the DC Ffion Morgan series - and it’s even better than the first book, The Last Party. I have read every book by Clare Mackintosh and loved them all. I will anxiously await the next in this series. In A Game of Lies, the characters (who you love and hate) are well developed and the plot is interesting with great police work and lots of twists. The description of the location is outstanding! This is a very good book - I read it in a day! Thank you NetGalley and thank you Clare Mackintosh. “Keep them coming”!

First I want to thank NetGalley and Sourebooks Landmark for an ARC copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This is where reality TV steps up its game and someone dies for it. Seven contestants are selected to go onto a TV reality show called "Exposure". Most of them think this is a normal survival game and want to prove how they can make it on the show to win. Little do they know they were lied to and the real premise of the show is to expose their darkest secret. Naturally, none of them take the news well and will do anything to keep their secrets safe and someone does indeed die. The main character is Ffion and she works with her former partner Leo on the case. Ffion is a strong character and does not take orders very well, but she also has a hard time expressing her real feelings.

This book will alternate between different POVs and times, so you have to pay attention to the headings to know what is going on. This is not the fastest paced book I have read but it was enough to keep my attention and wanting to find out what happens next. As they investigate the remaining contestants and employees, a lot of things are not adding up.

This is a great second book to the DC Morgan series and I cannot wait to see what the author does with her next.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this book. This is the second in a series and I think the author did a good job of making this a stand alone book, although there are a few references to the previous book. “Exposure” has hit the Highlands. This is the brain child of producer Miles Young. Seven contestants are trying to see if they can last a week on this reality show. But there is a twist. The “Exposure” is their deep dark secrets. Each contestant will do whatever it takes not to have their deep, dark secrets revealed on national television. Someone will actually kill to keep it quiet. This is a fast read. I don’t think it would be that deep for a book club, unless you want to read something and spend more time drinking a nice glass of wine. ENJOY!

I’ve read both this author and series before. This aptly titled twisty second instalment can be read on it’s own. It’s set in a lovely remote area of forests near a small community in North Wales. The author paints a charming visual of the landscape I could see in my mind. There’s a new Reality TV show being shot here behind locked gates to keep the nosy press out and the suspense building. There are the contestants, a cameraman, a producer and presenter. It’s a very small crew on a shoestring budget. The reality of the show’s theme instantly sends all the contestants into a panic, they’ve been mislead. Everyone has secrets, most have those that they don’t want revealed. But has one of them killed to protect their secret? One thing is for certain – everyone is lying about something. As the series gains viewers, momentum increases, the press and even a YouTube channel wannabe begin camping around the compound.
When one of the contestants goes missing DC Ffion Morgan is dispatched. She’s a complex character who has complicated relationships with her Mam, her ex, her co-workers and boss, well pretty much everyone. She’s abrasive, abrupt, no nonsense, uses fowl language and doesn’t follow orders well. She’s also really familiar with the terrain and community where she lives and knows most everyone. They all become suspects with obvious motives when a murder occurs. But who has the most to lose when lies and secrets are exposed? A very clever plot with relatable people and believable secrets.
An advanced reader’s edition of “A Game of Lies (DC Morgan, #2) by Clare Mackintosh, published by Sourcebooks Landmark, was provided by NetGalley. Anticipated Publication 04/23/2024. These are all my own honest personal thoughts and opinions given voluntarily without compensation.

Exposure: Seven contestants living in the remote Welsh mountains for two weeks--subjected to challenges and public votes and the elements. What could go wrong, right? It's typical reality TV, but Detective Ffion Morgan wasn't expecting such a show to be filmed practically in her backyard. When the show's producer, Miles, turns the table on his seven players and reveals that he will expose their greatest secret on live TV unless they are the last one standing, ratings soar. But soon a contestant is missing, which was not part of Miles' script. And when a murder hits the Exposure cast and crew, things take an even more dramatic turn. Most of the suspects were on camera or have an alibi; can Ffion untangle the group's secrets before the killer strikes again?

I loved the first book in this series. Ffion is one of my favorite characters-a flawed but brilliant detective with an acerbic wit. The story begins with her being called out by her boss for not being a team player. That may sum up our Ffion perfectly, but she's loyal and she won't quit on a case. You don't need to read the first book to enjoy this one, but I do recommend it, especially as you'll enjoy the personal dynamics more. With a person missing, Ffion must call upon DS Leo Brady from the first book, but the two have a... history... together.

The "locked reality show" concept in the Welsh mountains works great here. We have a small cast of characters. You get to know your reality show players, the small crew, and Ffion and her family. There are limited suspects, but we soon learn there are plenty of people the group wouldn't mind dead. Nothing heightens emotions like being on camera, false pretenses, and the public revelation of secrets. Clare Mackintosh has a way of writing books that just keep you guessing--I was genuinely surprised at the whodunnit.

Adding to the well-plotted story is Ffion's well-written character, as we delve into complex dynamics with her family, Leo, and work colleagues. Ffion must work with someone new on her force, Georgina Kent, as well as deal with Leo coming back into her life. I just adore prickly Ffion. She's so smart and hides her insecurities by forging ahead without thinking things through at times. Mackintosh writes her vulnerabilities so well, and I sure hope there will be a book #3. (And I hope it features Ffion's smelly, lovable dog, Dave!)

Overall, this is an excellent mystery--exciting and atmospheric with a complex, thoughtful lead detective.

Although this book is the second in the series you can read it without having read the first. It is slow moving but the tension grows with the pace. It helps to keep you hooked. I found the story an entertaining concept

Twisty mystery that takes place during a reality show. Seven contestants have arrived for the taping of the show “exposure.” All the contestants are thrilled to be there and possibly win the prize money offered. What they don’t know is that they were all brought there under false pretenses. What they thought was a survival in the elements contest is really a show about exposing their darkest secrets. All the contestants are extremely angry and disappointed, but which one is angry enough to kill the creator of the show. Fast paced whodunnit that is full of twists.