I don’t watch much reality TV. If this is what those shows are like, I can see how some people get addicted to these train wrecks.
The contestants have no idea what kind of a competition they are about to try to emerge from as the winner. Everyone of them has a secret that can be exposed by losing different parts of this game. But when one contestant vanishes, and someone is murdered, it seems that winning the prize money might not mean as much as protecting their secret.
My favorite character: Dave. Hard to not love him.
My least favorite character (at first): DC Ffion Morgan. She was tough to like at first, but as the story progressed, I wound up hoping that she would open up and maybe even find a happy ending.
I enjoyed the perspectives from each of the contestants and the police trying to solve these crimes. Did I guess right? Nope. I considered this person, but wound up choosing someone else! Author -1 Me -0
A good mystery, one where I learned a lot about how reality TV is made. Characters,especially Dave that had me laughing out loud, and I certainly wouldn’t mind visiting this town again.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this book that will be published on April 23, 24.

This is the second installment in the DC Morgan series. This one is set in the Welsh Mountains around a reality show where the contestants each have a secret that they don't want anyone to find out. Detective Ffion Morgan must figure out who doesn't want their secret exposed enough to commit a murder.

I loved the characters, setting, and the reality show themes.

First of all, I love this entire concept / trope implementing reality tv because that’s one of my favorites. Each one of the contests had a secret that if the other contestants can figure it out they will be eliminated. Such a cool plot, and great writing, 5 stars

Thanks to Sourcebooks & NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read the first Ffion Morgan book a while back, and I was hooked. I was thrilled to see this is now a series (and now I have to go read other Clare Mackintosh books since it seems the quality is not just luck and she has a healthy back catalog).

Ffion is a mess, but a loveable one. Not much has changed in book 2: her personal life is still in relative tatters, she's moved out of her mam's house and still sees her and Seren, and now she has a dog - an anxious big galoot who's every bit as much of a mess as Ffion. In this story, Ffion is reunited with Leo (yay!) but we also have a new player: Georgina aka George. She's solid but she's a bit of a cypher to Ffion, who wears her heart on her sleeve.

This story centers around a reality TV series that's filming in Cwm Coed, and it's a nasty bit of work whose producer is vile and scheming, and whose contestants don't know the half of what's in store for them - the show is not the physical endurance test they'd believed they were chosen for, it's a game designed to reveal their deepest secrets, and encourages backstabbing by the other contestants in order to save themselves. After one of the contestants runs away, suffering a possible mental breakdown, things get tense, and a murder takes place.

I practically ran through this book, unusual for me these days. I just really this series and both main characters. There was a scene or two that felt overdone, or unlikely, but overall it's a good story, a fast and enjoyable read. Highly recommend.

Ffion Morgan is back to solve another case in her backyard. A new reality show called ‘Exposure’ signed contestants up believing they’d be in the wilderness for a survival competition. As it turns out, they’ve all got something to hide and their secrets will be exposed one by one on live television. When a contestant goes missing and a murder is committed, it’s a race to unravel the tangled web of lies.

I finally read The Last Party recently, and while this book could be read on its own, I was glad I had that one in my memory to have more insight into Ffion’s character. She’s a challenging woman to try and understand, and that continues in this book. Her growth is slow going but feels rewarding when it happens. It particularly affects her not-so-longer-budding relationship with Leo, who also returns in this book.

The mystery involved here kept me guessing and questioning everyone right along with Ffion and Leo. I thought it was well done, logical and believable when it was all revealed. It was also thought-provoking to consider perspective as each person’s secret was revealed to have more to it than how it appeared on the surface.

There were a lot of POVs and they shifted from chapter to chapter, as well as jumping around on the timeline occasionally. It was a bit confusing at times, but I do think it was ultimately effective in how the story was told.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! I will definitely recommend it. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

4.5* I love Claire McIntosh books and this one was no exception. A suspenseful, murder mystery and the 2nd of the DC Morgan Series. This is an interesting setup of reality TV. I'm a huge fan of Survivor and Big Brother and this releases a lot of those vibes. The competition came as a surprise to those that signed up without knowledge of the premise.
"They say the camera never lies. But on this show, you can't trust anything you see."
The setting is in the Welsh Mountains with 7 contestants. Each has a secret if the others guess the truth they will be eliminated and exposed on air. When one of the contestants disappears, Det Ffion Morgan investigates. If you read the first one in the series, The Last Party, you will recognize some of the characters.
The contestants all have an alibi but will do anything to keep their secret even if it means killing one of the competitors. Det Ffion cannot trust any of them. This is a great police investigation and she still has her partner in crime, Dave, the rescue dog.
Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
It is a slow burn so it took me a while to get the hang of the reality show, but it was worth it.

I really didn't care for the way the author chose to set up the story with the characters, so much so, that I am DNFing this book before even finishing the first chapter. I really just can't be bothered to read multiple pages about a guy seriously talking about how a woman shouldn't fart. I have no interest in this story anymore, which, if people are talking about how good it is, I might give it a second try.

Ffion is back in the second book in the DC Morgan series. A police procedural in a small Welsh town, Game of Lies will appeal to fans of Tana French.

There is a bit less drama than in the first book, with Ffion's home life less complicated. There is a bit of a romance thread, with a will they/won't they that wasn't entirely fleshed out. It felt a bit like the editor required a love interest. Dave the Dog was a clever addition.

The mystery itself was good, beginning with a contestant gone missing from the set of a reality show. The reality show concept was fun and will probably earn some new readers to the series.

I will look for the third book in this series.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I actually own the first book as an audiobook but haven’t listened to to yet — so I delved into this series without any context or background on the characters and it was easy to comprehend and quickly catch up with the characters so I think it could be read as a stand-alone. I have enjoyed many books written by this author in the past and she never disappoints, the story is well constructed , lots of twists and turns and the multiple POV helps to slowly reveal secrets to keep us guessing as to who done it and why — unfortunately— I have a love hate relationship with the main character Ffion — at times I really liked her and at other moments I hated her for her stupid choices — the other characters though minor we well developed and kept my interest.

Thanks to Netgalley and sourcebooks landmark for this ARC. This is my honest review .

A new reality show is being filmed in the Welsh mountains. Seven contestants believe they're there for a survival show but that isn't the case. When their secrets start to come out and a contestant goes missing, it's up to DC Ffion Morgan to solve the case. Things go from bad to worse when someone else ends up murdered; so who's secret was worth killing for?

A Game of Lies is book two in the DC Morgan series and it was so good being back in this space with the firey DC! Having read and thoroughly enjoyed The Last Party earlier in the year, I'm so glad I got a chance to read this and what a book it was! I was kept guessing to the end here for sure. I loved the idea of the reality TV show and it was so reminiscent of what we see on our channels these days. It was also a great look at people and their nature when secrets are at risk of being exposed! A Game of Lies truly was a lot of fun and the ending, I was giddy! If you know, you know!

Thank you NetGalley & Sourcebooks for this copy! I loved being back with DC Morgan and hopefully there's more to come!

* Please look up trigger warnings before reading *

I was so excited to receive this ARC after reading this book's description. I don't feel like this plot is anything like I have read before and that was really refreshing. You can tell the author took the time to really think about this plot and make sure everything made sense. It's rare that I read a book and feel like this. I also love when I read books that make me laugh outloud! I cannot wait for publishing day and the world to get to read this book!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for approving my request to read "A Game of Lies" by Clare Mackintosh.

I had requested this book without realizing it is the second book in a series, however, it can be read as a standalone and I don't think I missed anything even though I haven't read the first book.

This story is about 7 people who go on a reality-show without knowing the true premise of the show they're in. They thought the show was more like Survivor, but instead it's about exposing each others deep, dirty, and dark secrets. The fear of having these secrets exposed leads to one of the cast members murder and then the producers..dun dun dunnnn. I like stories like this where a group of people are stranded and one by one they start to die off. I did think this book was a tad slow, but it really does build the suspense of the book.

I didn't like the first book in this series, but received the second from NetGalley so I felt obligated to read the second. It wasn't any better.

I loved the idea of Exposure, but the execution fell flat for me. I didn't like the way the chapters bounced back and fourth from the beginning of the show to the end, and how little was done with it. I think there could have been a lot more added to the plot by focusing on the Exposure contestants more and Ffion less. I know the series is specifically about Ffion, but I feel nothing for her. Actually, I think my distaste for the book is just Ffion; I really don't like her.

A perfectly fine book, but it just didn't work for me and I can't put my finger on why. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity.

A Game of Lies
By: Claire Mackintosh

This is the second book in the Detective Ffion Morgan Series.
(Note I have not read the first book)While this is part of a series, this can be a stand alone read and easy to figure out the characters back stories.
Seven strangers are taking part in a reality tv game show called Exposed. These contestants each have a dark secret. Unbeknownst to them the purpose of the game is for the contestants to expose their fellow players secret. If they guess a contestants secret they will be closer to winning the money. One of the contestants goes missing and then the producer is found dead.
Welsh detective Ffion Morgan is brought in to investigate along with her former partner and love interest Leo. Will Ffion and Leo be able to work together again to solve this mystery? Will Leo and Ffion finally be able to reconcile their feelings? Couple the mystery with some quirky local characters and a crazy dog named Dave. This book has it all, mystery, romance, and humour. A very enjoyable read. I look forward to the next book in the series. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this Arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was the second book in the DC Morgan series. I did find it to be more enjoyable than the first because I saw more character growth. I thought the plot was interesting and enjoyed the twists.

However, I did not find this to be as interesting as her stand-alone books, and I have read more interesting police detective stories.

Not as strong as the first book in this series, and the relationship between the two MCs seems almost like an afterthought, but still a compelling read.

Covid book binge continues. Thanks to NetGalley for the free eARC.

I remember liking The Last Party (the previous adventures of Ffion Morgan), but this one got a little too bogged down in personal nonsense. Ffion and Leo are both too stubborn to realize they have feelings for each other, and too emotionally immature to have a frank conversation. And also there’s a contestant from a reality show who’s gone missing. The mystery here is interesting enough, but it so often takes a backseat to the detectives’ precious feelings. I suppose it’s reminiscent of Tana French, but for some reason I usually like it better from her (to be fair, that doesn’t always work either. I remember being annoyed by detective drama in a couple of the Dublin Murder Squad books as well).

The reality show is allegedly about survival, but in a last second twist, it turns out the title Exposed refers not to literal outside exposure, but exposing someone’s secrets. The contestants understandably panic at this revelation and one of them does a runner. But what begins as a missing persons case takes a turn. Which is when things finally start getting interesting. Without giving too much away, I was worried this was going to become a super dull “whydunnit”, but it has some decent twists. Everyone has a definite motive - being hella pissed at producer Miles for bringing them aboard under false pretenses. AND everyone wants to protect their own secrets. Again, too bogged down in personal nonsense, and the ending made me say “oh for god’s sake!” out loud. But a decent page turner when you’re in a cold medicine fog.

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.