This thrilled and featured likable and familiar characters. The latter were multicultural and revealed layered nuances. That it revolves around a murder investigation showed its purpose. Given that, one sees other issues about intimacies and morals. These issues seem to highlight how lies need exposure.

I love all of Clare Mackintosh's books, but this latest series might be my favorite. The setting is incredible and the mystery plots are so devious and twisty. A huge kudos to her for knocking this newest book out of the park.

Well-crafted, detective story, taking on reality, competitions with an unusual setting, the remote Welsh, mountains. I enjoyed the last Detective Morgan book and d be interested in this developing into a series.

A Game of Lies is the second in the DC Ffion Morgan series (following The Last Part) although you don't need to have read the first book to enjoy the second one. Ffion is called into investigate the disappearance of a contestant on a game show set in the nearby mountains. The stakes are raised when there's a murder in the group, and Ffion must act quickly before any other lives are lost.

I really enjoyed this book! Ffion is such an interesting and well-rounded character. Unlike most heroes of police procedurals, she's conflicted about whether she even wants to be on the force. And her complicated relationship with fellow officer Leo adds to the intrigue (although her behavior can definitely be frustrating at times!).

My favorite thing about the book is the setting. Clare Mackintosh does an amazing job of setting the scene in an out-of-the way Welsh village that seems a million miles away from London or the rest of the UK. Can't wait to read the next installment in this series!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Like others, I didn't realize this was the second book in a series, but I can also confidently say that didn't keep me from enjoying this book. I do want to go back and read the first one though! I thought this story's concept was super clever, taking place in a small town, in the backdrop of a reality show. When the contestants on the reality show realized they've been hoodwinked on the show's concept, basically, all hell breaks loose, and the main character Ffion (a DC) is tasked with trying to untangle the mess while also navigating her complicated personal life. All in all, I truly enjoyed this book, there were a lot of different twists and I thought it was smart and intriguing.

I really enjoyed this story but I am not a fan of the main character. I will still continue with the series if there are more books but I need something exciting to happen!

Disappearances, murder, this book has all the elements we love in a good thriller. It did take me a little while to get into the book but I hadn’t read the previous one so I didn’t know the characters like some other readers seemed to. Once I got going though it was a fast and furious read to the finish.

I didn't realize this was the second book in a series, but I think you'd be fine to read it without reading the first one. There was enough context to know what was going on with the characters. I overall really like it. My only real critique was that it felt like it dragged a bit at points. Overwise it was a fun read!

I was a huge fan of this author's stand alone, and I am really enjoying this new series. I like the modern day elements to the mysteries, enjoy the complicated the characters, and love the setting. Already looking forward to the next installment!

DC Ffion Morgan is an investigating officer in her hometown. She’s called out to a farmhouse where Exposure a reality show is being filmed. The reality show aired its first episode with a bombshell headline shaking up the plot with secret confessionals that could destroy each of the contestants. One contestant had a meltdown after learning that this was not a survival show.
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After reading about Clare Mackintosh’s grief I feel awful that I can’t give five solid stars. Her writing style doesn’t line up with my reading style. Clare was a police detective before she was a writer. Her knowledge and expertise is insightful in the DC Morgan series. For the life of me I struggle to find a steady easy flow to her writing. Maybe it’s because I’m from the USA and unfamiliar with the Wales locations and Welsh language. Pronouncing the names is a battle which I find I create new names that I can easily identify. Same goes for the locations if I can’t pronounce them I’m skipping them or creating a place I’m familiar with. I can’t paint a picture in my mind to a place I’ve never seen or heard of.
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There’s a barrier I can’t seem to break thru with Clare Mackintosh’s writing style. It reads very similar to the first book which I struggled with as well. I have trouble keeping track of the numerous characters. I’m terrible with remembering names. As a result I have to highlight and takes notes. In doing so I lose momentum with the words.
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The most interesting aspect of this story is the game itself. Reality tv is an unscripted show intended to provide entertainment to its viewers. Game of Lies is about a reality tv show where secrets are exposed on National Television. It’s a clever way to investigate a missing person case by working with the crew and contestants during filming.

It’s simple. Survive and keep your secret. That’s all these seven reality stars have to do in the Welsh Mountains. They weren’t sure what they signed up for, but now they know, and they’re invested. If the other contested guess their secret, they’re out. Simple as that.

When a contestant goes missing, Detective Ffion Morgan has to come and figure out what everyone is hiding, and she can’t trust any of themse.

When a murderer strikes, Ffion knows everyone has not only an alibi…but a secret worth killing for.

This is the second book in the series featuring DC Ffion Morgan. While this is a series, I do think that this one would work fine as a stand-alone. I enjoyed the format of this one, it has a reality television series as the main point of the plot and throughout the book we get different points of view from the contestants. It was interesting to see who all made up the show and the show was focused on a secret they each wanted to protect, some of them were a little silly in my opinion, but they were important to the characters and that was what mattered. There is a character that goes missing, and the secret he was protecting was shocking. Ffion is an amazing character and I loved being back in her world. She did another fantastic job. Her character is witty and entertaining, and I love her dog. I enjoyed that there were other repeat characters as well. The side characters were well developed and brought a lot of added depth to the story. As with the first story in this series, this one is a little slow, so fans won’t be surprised. While I do tend to prefer my books have a faster pace, this one did have nice even pacing that I appreciated and I had time to savor the details so it worked.

Another knock out of the park by author Clare Mackintosh. I can’t wait to see where this series, and Ffion go next.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark, @bookmarked and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

My question is, will there be a book 3 in the series? Although this is a stand alone book, mainly about a police woman called Ffion, that takes place in Wales, I have the feeling there is more to come. The story revolves around 7 reality stars who are stranded in the Welsh mountains. Not unlike "Survivor" they can be voted off, but first they have to reveal a secret from their former lives. One contestent disappears and there is a murder and attempted murder. I felt that thee story lagged at times. Not quite as good as the predessor., the Last Party.

All life is a management of risk. Just how far will you allow yourself to dangle on the edge?

A Game of Lies is the second book in this series created by Clare Mackintosh. It reads perfectly as a standalone. But if you really want to get a feel for this female lead character, it would round things out by pursuing the first book. She's so worth it.

DC Ffion Morgan (Two repetitive intial consonants here) is police officer working for the North Wales Police Department. She's in Criminal Investigations in Bryndare along the border. Ffion brings a particular quirkiness to the job. She's recently divorced and still marinating in her family issues and relationship problems.

Clare Mackintosh adds dollops of humor here and there with hilarious dialogue and snarky comebacks. Ffion is a rare creature. She's recently adopted a rescue dog by the name of Dave. Dave has issues, too. He experiences high anxiety when separated from Ffion. Dave works through these issues by munching on the remnants of Ffion's mother's sofa.

A call comes in about bones being found in the Pen y Draig mountains. Ffion and DC Georgina "George" Kent head up there to investigate. It appears that a TV reality show is filming on site. Miles Young of Young Productions has grouped seven contestants who will match wits against one another for the grand prize. But there's a catch to it all. Said contestants will have their deepest, darkest secrets revealed if they lose the match.

And soon one of these contestants goes missing in the bitter cold of Wales. His secret was devastating. The others dread the outcome of this game, including Ffion and George. The pop culture show has viewers tuned in every night. But there's an enormous price to pay.........including for Miles the producer.

A Game of Lies is a solid read with an interesting storyline and a bevy of peculiar characters. It's my hope that Clare Mackintosh is already working on the next edition. Bravo, just bravo.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Sourcebooks Landmarks and to Clare Mackintosh for the opportunity.

DC Morgan is back again! I read the first book in this detective series, and I did enjoy it but it wasn't my favorite plot, so I was excited to see her come back with a different case on her hands. This time we have a reality show gone all wrong, the stakes were meant to be high, but nobody was supposed to die.

I will say that I enjoyed this one much more than the first book in the series. Overall, I think that you should probably have read the first one, while not a requirement it would help you to understand the story better. It was fun to be back in the world of Morgan. I would recommend this book!

Thank you to the publisher & Netgalley for this arc.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
Exposure- imagine your worst secret revealed- the game that could win you money ends up in a murder.
Seven contestants sign up each hoping to win and not have their worst secret revealed. When one contestant disappears detective Ffion enters the picture. Will they find the missing contestant.? Suddenly things become very deadly!

I may be slightly biased in my review of this book, solely because I LOVE detective novels and devour them like candy. The plot of this one was really interesting, although I will admit that the rules of the reality show were quite confusing to me. Google translate was super helpful with the Welsh pronunciations, so I could keep the names of things correct in my head. It's safe to say that with the last chapter I am fully invested in the continuation of the series.
I would recommend this to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC!

I read the ARC for the first book in the “DC Morgan” series (The Last Party) in 2022, and I remember saying if another book about DC Ffion Morgan came out, I’d be here for it. Now, the second book is coming out, and I was lucky enough to get the ARC for this one, too!

For me, this book had two parts: the first being catching up with Ffion, and seeing her work with her former friend/lover, Leo, on another investigation. The second part is the disappearance of someone on the cast of a reality show - the case that sends both detectives scrambling.

In Northern Wales, seven people have been cast in a new reality show, “Exposed!”. The contestants going in believe that they are about to be on some kind of wilderness survival show, with the prize being $100,000 for anyone who can make it through two weeks. Instead, they soon learn that this show is a brand new, and horrifying, concept…

Instead of building rafts and braiding bamboo (which they probably don’t have in Wales but roll with me here), they find out that each of them has a secret. When someone’s secret is Exposed, they leave the game. Everyone has secrets, but these are relationship-killing, job-losing, possible-jailtime kinds of secrets. Immediately, they go from being excited about being on a reality show, to terrified about what the producer knows and what will happen when their secret is revealed on live television.

One contestant is so scared that they leave the isolated camp, evading cameras and squeezing under a fence into the Welsh countryside with no survival gear. The producer is forced to call the police, and that’s where we get to see DC Morgan again! The more she investigates, the more happens. Soon, a murder in the camp turns the cameras off, and Ffion realizes that this is a very difficult case to solve. Everybody has an alibi…or do they?

I gave the first book in this series 3.5 stars, rounded up, because it was more of a slow burn mystery. I’m giving this one 4.5 stars, rounded up, because this was a page-turning mystery/thriller with an ending I did not see coming. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens with Ffion in the future!

(Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, Clare Mackintosh and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on April 23, 2024.)

I read and reviewed “The Last Party” so it was great to be able to read its follow-up, “Game of Lies.” Ffion Morgan returns when a reality tv show contestant goes missing.

The best part of the story is Ffion’s dog, Dave. Put in an quirky animal and I am hooked. I also appreciated the return of Leo from Book #1, though you can jump right into this novel without having to read “The Last Party.” New to the story is George, Ffion’s partner, who is a good contrast to Ffion, though their interactions did come across as slightly plot driven.

Overall, I liked the mystery and thought the story moved itself at a good place, though the novel could easily lose fifty pages. I do not know hardly anything about Wales, so appreciate the details the author provides. The reader gets a good understanding of the culture and language, and the setting adds intrigue to the story. I found the end to be satisfying with enough left for a third book.

Three and a half out of five stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and especially to Little Brown Book Group, Sphere for the arc in return for an honest review.

In “A Game of Lies,” set in a small Welsh town near the English border, a reality show sets up camp near a mountain and a lake in the region. The reality show, entitled “Exposure” includes 7 contestants, who reside in a fenced encampment, as well as a small production crew that live in a nearby farmhouse and it’s converted stables. During the first day of filming, the contestants are told that the show is not a survival test, as they had been led to believe, but instead would be a contest to see whose secrets will be revealed. The objective is to finish the 14 days with each of their secrets intact. TV viewers can vote for the contestant they want to expose, while the participants can guess at an individual contestant’s secret. If they guess wrong, they are sent to the “Confession Pod,” a tiny coffin-like structure where they will be exposed to their greatest fear (e.g., spiders, rats, drowning, etc) for 3 minutes or until they confess their own secret. Similarly, those who are voted to be exposed will also be subjected to the same conditions until they reveal their secrets. The secrets are kept in individual envelopes in a locked box in the encampment.

The revelation about the changed nature of the show pits contestants against each other as well as against Miles Young, the Production Manager whose idea it was to change the nature of the contest. To add to the tension, none of the other members of the production staff were aware of the true nature of the contest until shortly before it was revealed to the contestants, and some of them are not happy about the change, feeling that it is cruel to subject the contestants to this treatment.

Early in the show, one of the contestants who had a history of mental illness disappears. Since the reality show impacts both the English and Welsh sides of the border, both Ffion Morgan, a detective for the Welsh side and her team join forces with Leo Brady representing the English side, to find the missing contestant. Halfway through the book, the missing person case turns into a murder investigation.

The novel is full of descriptions of a beautiful mountain and lake setting, and includes a colorful cast of characters, particularly Ffion, a prickly loner who doesn’t always play by the rules and is trying to conceal her feelings for Leo from both herself and her team mates. The supporting characters are also fully realized and make it clear that the Welsh town is a close knit community.

This is the second in the series and is a good addition to the police procedural mystery genre, with its unique twist of having the murder occur halfway through the novel. I also like the fact that unlike many police procedurals, the novel doesn’t focus on the police interviewing suspects, but instead is told from several different perspectives, including those of the contestants. I recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries set in beautiful surroundings with a colorful cast of characters.

Engaging and entertaining. Clare Mackintosh is a consistent first purchase for collections where crime and thrillers are popular.