I did not know this was part of a series when I requested it. I've seen such amazing reviews for the first book. Unfortunately this one just did not do it for me. The mystery didn't work and I found myself uninterested. I had to DNF.

What happens when 6 people decide to go on a reality survival TV show only to find out the game has changed into a who-can-protect-their-deepest-darkest=secret-the-longest, one person disappears and one dies and how will their lives be changed if that dark secret comes out and what are they willing to do to stop it? Creative page turner with lots of suspense and humor (Dave, the rescue dog is a really cute and entertaining character) with a little love interest thrown in. The Welch names had me a little tongue tied but this book sucked me in fast and I raced through it to find out who did it and the secrets each character was hiding!

Big thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC! #AGameOfLies #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Ffion Morgan is back, over a year after we last met her in "The Last Party," but this time, she's looking for a missing person who disappeared from the camp hosting the new reality show, Exposure. The show isn't what participants signed up for - they were expecting a survivalist show, but instead, they are fighting to keep their biggest secrets, secret, to avoid being exposed. What would you do to keep a secret?

Clare Mackintosh does not miss. This book was adventurous and engaging without having to suspend a lot of belief, which is ideal. This book doesn't release until April 2024, but it's what I was in the mood to read (five months in advance), and I'm so glad I did!

CW: violence, murder, death

This book was a fun read. The star of the book was a woman named Ffion who was a detective in Wales. It was about a reality show called Exposure. There were seven contestants and the show's developer had dirt on all of them. One of the contestants, Henry, had been hired by Miles to dig up all the dirt. One of the contestants, Ryan, was a crossdresser and he didn't want that to come out. So he escaped.

In the middle of filming, Miles is murdered. At first the detectives think it's Ryan, but not long into the investigation he is ruled out due to his mental health issues. So this book is all about the investigation, along with Ffion's inability to tell Leo, one of the detectives, how she really feels about him. So this is a murder mystery and a love story.

I usually read books that are intense. This one was light and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought the author did a very good job with character development and the story flowed smoothly. I gave it five stars.

Solid 3.5 stars! Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this ARC of A Game of Lies. I have not yet read the first book in this series but definitely will now. Absolutely loved the premise of Exposure, so original and creative! Definitely kept me guessing to the end.

I enjoyed this book. I didn't like it as much as I've liked past books from the author, but it was still more engaging and well-written than a lot of other books out there.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark & Clare Mackintosh for an ARC of A Game of Lies in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis quote & review below:

"They 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."

I thoroughly enjoyed this second installment of the DC Morgan series & cannot wait for a 3rd! Fingers crossed!

As a form reality tv junkie, I absolutely loved the premise of this mystery. It was well-written and had a compelling & quick pace that kept me engaged all the way to the very end. And the ending was perfection! The story was original, which that alone gets bonus points from me.

I've heard some people say they prefer the first book to this one, but I actually liked this one a bit more!

I will definitely be recommending to my audience.

All surrounds around a game show and the contestants. Second book..this one was just OK for me found it dragged and had a hard time getting into the characters.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an early release of this book.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Several individuals are brought together for different reasons. This book lagged at times.

Mixed reviews that claim some readers didn't enjoy the mystery as much as the first book or couldn't connect with the reality show contest characters don't sway my five-star (rounded up from four and a half) rating. My inner romantic compelled me to give this rating, overriding my usual thriller-seeking, puzzle-loving, mystery-nerd self. That ending brought such a deep smile to my face that, as you reach it, most readers will likely agree with me. I adore the vivid, realistic characters, the peculiar, eccentric, complex family dynamics of Ffion (I adored her Mam Ellen Morgan and wished we could see more of her in this book), her unresolved feelings with her ex, and her fiery new love relationship with DS Leo Brady, which might be sabotaged by her own insecurities. I thoroughly enjoyed the well-constructed, twisty murder mystery and the structure that goes back and forth to reveal the secrets and motives each contestant carries and acts upon. The different perspectives shed light on hidden clues within the chapters, keeping us guessing. I appreciated the writing style, and the characters already feel like close friends. Plus, my romantic inclinations swayed my opinion. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

What a fun story about a reality show gone wrong. I’m sure I massacred the name pronunciations in my head along with other Welsh terms. Plenty of interesting characters here and a good who done it.

This is the second book in Claire Mackintosh’s DC Morgan series and I really enjoyed it. While the premise (reality show that turns into murder) was a little wacky, I just adore the characters so much that the actual plot plays second fiddle to the world building.

I received a free copy of, A Game of Lies, by Clare Mackintosh, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is book 2 of 2 in the Dc Morgan series. Seven reality contestant are stranded in the Welsh mountains. Each of the contestant have a secret if someone guesses their secret they will be exposed on air. Then someone is murdered, nobody signed up for that. I take reality tv shows with a grain of salt, most of them are heavily scripted. This was a good read, I could do without the f word though.

I liked the first book in the series. This one was OK. The romantic relationship is a bit immature. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

I loved this book! And I can’t stand reality TV shows, so I was surprised by that. But this is so much better than just a story about a reality show. The contestants are led to believe it’s a run-of-the-mill outdoor wilderness competition, but they are surprised on air with the true contest: every player has a secret and if another contestant guesses what it is correctly, that person is exposed and eliminated. The players are shocked and outraged but there’s nothing they can do due to the contracts that they signed. If this whole set-up wasn’t bad enough, one of the players goes missing. Detective Ffion Morgan is tasked with the case, and she has no idea what she’s in for. Especially when the dead body appears.

One of the things I liked about the story was how it exposes all the behind-the-scenes trickery that they use. Editing the footage to make viewers believe something scandalous is going on when it isn’t, contestants’ reactions, etc. We all know it happens, but the author shows the viewers’ side first, and we see how much damage it can really do to the family and friends of the contestants. Ffion experiences it firsthand when she sees footage broadcast and compares it to the events that she was part of or experienced during the investigation. And of course, the secrets make you feel that guilty pleasure of watching someone get outed or exposed for what they were hiding. But it isn’t all bad and I love that the author included that, as well. You can only be ashamed if you let yourself feel that way – if you own it, you have the power.

So, it’s not your typical murder mystery and I love that. I love Ffion’s character and I hope she continues to appear in more stories. This isn’t the first book she features in – I enjoyed “The Last Party” also! I may have said this in my review of that story, but in this one, too, I had to look up the pronunciation of the many Welsh names and words! That’s always fun because I never have it right in my head. Anyway, you have to read this book – it’s awesome and you’ll be glad you did!

Another every readable book by Mackintosh, who is on my fav list. I lve her imperfect characters and cleaver mind. All her books show it.

A twisty mystery set on the scene of a reality show in the wilds if nature. Creative and well- plotted. I enjoyed reading this novel qnd and woukd recommend it highly to others.

This mystery had more twists and turns than a double helping of rotini and it sure was fun trying to guess what the next one would be. Contestants think they are in for a survival-type reality show when the real game is trying to keep a personal secret from being revealed. It's no wonder that the producer ends up dead with so much at state for each contestant. The Welsh names and places were a bit of a challenge, and the novel's pace could have been a bit brisker, hence four stars given instead of five. But overall a satisfying, well written story. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

The "statement" at the beginning was very intriguing and drew me in.

I will say, after the "statement," it did take me a bit to really get into this book, but once I did I wasn't able to put it down. I think the Welsh names and language is a really fun addition, which Clare also utilizes in her previous DC Morgan book.

Not sure if it was purposeful, but I liked the nod to The Office in chapter 3 - "-and she can't be bothered to investigate when her own mam's the victim of a hate crime..." "it's not a hate crime, Mam" "well, I hate it." lol.

I thought the premise of the book was pretty interesting. I'm not sure I've read a mystery like it before of using a game show to reveal secrets about each cast member. I will say that at times I was a little bit overwhelmed by all of the POV's. I think each character had at least one POV and so it forces you to really pay attention to who is narrating the chapter.

Overall, I thought it was a good read. I didn't love it, didn't hate it. I did like the first DC Morgan book better, which I read back in February of this year. I wouldn't necessarily say it had me on the edge of my seat and wasn't anything super dramatic until the last 40ish%. The ending was good and alludes to the possibility of there being more books in the series. If there are, I will still continue to read DC Morgan books.

*note for readers: I don't feel that you would necessarily have to read The Last Party first, but it would help you to know a little bit more about a couple of the characters. Could be read by itself.*

Thank you to NetGalley, Clare Mackintosh, and SOURCEBOOKS for the ARC.

I really enjoyed continuing this series! The mystery was good and well paced, and I liked continuing Ffion and Leo’s storyline. Overall a good book and I hope there will be a sequel.