While I liked the story, (I love stories about awful rich people getting theirs) I do believe it should've been an adult novel, from the adults perspective. There wasn't THAT kind of adult content, more like the entire story was really about them, their mistakes and their choices. The kids meddled and got involved, but it ultimately wasn't about them. I would've loved a dual perspective with Jamie and Morgan and even Luke.
Otherwise, good mystery novel....even though the one pulling the strings was quite obvious to me by the way this character was introduced and then missing from a massive chunk of the novel. I'm usually surprised by the twists but this one didn't surprise me.
I'm sorry! (I don't like giving negative reviews)

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC! This book was another great story by Karen McManus. The characters were immediately likable and relatable, the story hooks you instantly, and the slight humor common with McManus’s writing was of course present in this novel. I’d highly recommend this book to why Ya thriller/mystery fans!!!

I LOVE everything Karen McManus writes. This was no exception. I've said before that she can write the same book a dozen times and I'll keep reading them over and over again. Such Charming Liars was, however, quite different than her other titles. It was refreshing to have a different setting than her usual, along with some darker and more complex characters! The exploration of morality and the sins of our parents was really intriguing. Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this title!

I received an e-arc of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is my first Karen McManus book. This book was pretty good. I enjoyed the friendship between Kat, Liam and Augustus. I actually got a little annoyed whenever we had to spend too much time listening to the adults and what they had going on. The mystery was pretty good. I did not expect the ending or the special extra surprise twist. I would love to read more adventures of this trio. I did find all of their home lives to be quite sad though and while I feel like the ending made it seem like a happy ending, it could also open up to more of their adventures which I’m more intrigued by then a happy ending. The only reason I have rated this book 3 stars and not four or five is because, it was easy to put it down and forget that I was reading it. The story built a lot of history between the characters and gave a lot of filler information. I suppose to potentially distract you from figuring out whodunnit but that made it very slow for me. Some chapters were quick and fun and exciting and others…I would sit the book down and forget about it until the next day.

I could not put this book down!! The plot was perfectly constructed! I loved Kat, Liam and Augustus so much! Perfect summer or weekend read because you will not be able to stop reading until you’ve finished it.

⭐️: 3.5/5

For her whole life, Kat and her mother Jamie have been a team, except for 48 hours where Jamie was married and Kat had a stepbrother, Liam. Now, Jamie makes a living as a jewel thief, but she’s trying to go straight after one last job. But when they show up to the billionaire Ross Sutherland’s compound, they’re surprised when they run into the last two people they thought they’d see, Liam and his father. Now, they’re on a collision course to disaster, only made worse when a Sutherland dies, and Kat finds that she and Jamie may be in the killer’s crosshairs.

Teen heist books are a certain guilty pleasure of mine, and I usually love them, so I had high hopes for this one. The problem was mainly that con-person stories are much more fun to read about when the person doing the conning is…you know…good at being a con-person. Not only were Kat and Liam essentially bumbling teenagers (I mean a stuck ring trope? Seriously?), but also the adults who were actually supposed to be good at heists were just disappointing. The saving grace for this one was the intricate web of lies that the author built, so you don’t know how everything connects until the very end, which made it a fun read to try and puzzle out. It was a bit of a bait and switch honestly, where they pulled me in for the heist, but it was really more of a psychological domestic thriller, but I can’t say I’m too mad about it. Liam was such a sweetie and easily the best character in the book, and the conclusion was well done.

Thank you to @netgalley and the publishers @randomhousekids and @delacortepress for this free eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

As a Karen M. McManus fan, I was very excited for her newest book. This novel has all the things I have grown to love from this author: multiple narrators/perspectives, twists, complex relationships between characters. However, this novel is very different from most of her other books. Based on the description, I thought the plot might get a little confusing, or that there would have to be a lot of suspension of belief. That is not really the case at all- McManus writes in such a way that makes you feel that this is all very real. There are a lot of characters who are all interconnected, and I can see this being confusing for some YA-aged readers, but I personally did not mind that.
There were some parts that made me a little sad, and I do wish I knew some of the TWs going into it (as a mom of toddlers, the Las Vegas situation was so upsetting to read and imagine). That being said, I would just give some TWs to my students before recommending this book to them.
Overall, McManus fans will not be let down by this, and I think this will be appealing to many YA mystery/thriller lovers.

SUCH CHARMING LIARS was an exciting story. I know many teens will enjoy this fast paced story. I'll be recommending it to customers.

Many thanks for my gifted copy.

Karen McManus never disappoints, and this book is no exception. This is a different genre (heist) for her but I think she did it very well and hope she writes more like this in the future. “Such Charming Liars” is fast paced, and as engaging as all of her other books. This book takes us on a jewelry heist, gone very wrong with so many twists and turns it is impossible to know what is coming next! The dynamics between Kat and Liam are intense, filled with unresolved tension from their past, and the complex relationships between the characters add layers to the narrative. I loved that it was told from both Kat & Liam's POVs. The dialogue is sharp and witty, and reflects the characters' personalities. There were some parts of the story I was able to guess, but overall I didn’t come anywhere close to predicting the ending. It went the complete opposite direction of where I thought it was going. All of the characters in this book are likable for different reasons, except, of course, for the ones that you know you shouldn’t like. I loved all of their relationships and spent the majority of the time just wanting them all to win and to have happiness that I thought they deserved. While the ending sort of brought closure to the main plot, it left room for a possible sequel, it also left me with lingering questions and wanting to know more about Kat, Liam and even Augustus' futures. You do not have to be a YA fan to enjoy this thrilling story. Thanks to Karen McManus, Netgalley, Random House Childrens and Delacorte Press for an e-arc in exchange for my thoughts. I am looking forward to Karen’s next book.

The queen of YA mystery/thrillers is back and this time, with a jewelry heist gone wrong story. The plot follows two narrators, Kat and Liam, who met when they were younger because their parents were briefly married in Las Vegas. Kat's mom, Jamie, is kind of a grifter who eventually starts working with Gram and her jewelry heist business, making high-end knock-offs and stealing the originals. Liam's dad is a professional scammer, befriending women with power and money. However, when Liam's Dad left them alone for the weekend, the couple quickly separated but the trauma of that weekend endured in both protagonists. Years later, both teens find themselves back together at the Sutherland compound where Kat is helping Jamie pull off one last heist to start a new life and Liam is accompanying his Dad as he tries to woo and marry Sutherland's daughter, Annalise. The heist does not go as planned, and when one of the Sutherland sons winds up dead and Kat is the only witness, she becomes a target and Liam must help her survive and unravel the mystery together.

While I enjoyed the latter quarter of the book, it took a while for the plot to truly get moving. There are lots of characters in the beginning and keeping everyone straight coupled with the back-and-forth narration of both Kat and Liam and several subplots required a bit more effort than is necessary in a YA novel. However, the latter part of the book is where McManus shines with her twisty plot and an ending that always leaves a punch. I enjoyed the antics and friendship between the two MCs and the fact that there is no romance between them (although there is some between Liam and another bisexual character).

Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Random House & Delacorte Press for providing me with an Advanced Reader's Copy in return for my review.

This was a VERY different story from McManus’ previous books, but it still had her classic twisty and turn-y vibes and I really enjoyed it! It had a lot of my favorite things: multiple POVs, rich people behaving badly and complicated family dynamics. I thought both Kat and Liam were written so well and I loved their friendship so much. The way they both shared their traumas and helped each other get through them was so lovely to read. It’s slower paced at the beginning, but it absolutely picks up and then about 70% in, it’s NON STOP. This is one with a lot of details, twists and turns so you need to 100% pay attention. There were a few things I had to reread because I was a little confused on logistics, but I still found it really thrilling! The ending was super abrupt, which was a little disappointing because that last minute twist was WILD. However, I still had a great time reading it and can’t wait until her next book!

CW: domestic violence, child neglect, murder, gun violence

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

Another great mystery from McManus - who just seems to be getting better! McManus focuses on a dysfunctional family, much like she did in The Cousins. On top of that interesting thread, she gives the reader multiple mysteries, intrigue, and double crosses! You just don't know which characters to trust.

McManus is skilled at creating interesting twists and surprises, and she doesn't let the reader down in this one.

I really enjoyed this book. I love a good heist. The relationship between Kat and Liam was so great and I liked seeing both of their perspectives. There were a lot of unexpected twists. I would absolutely recommend it.

This standalone is perfect for recommending to students, because it can lead to them wanting to read McManus' other series. A fun, twisty thriller that is perfect for a YA audience. My students love these types of books so it's a must have for my collection.

"Such Charming Liars" was an excellent and unique story about how a protagonist can portray the role of an antagonist. The characters are well-developed with specific traits and their flaws make them even more relatable. The plot was refreshing in a way that pushes the main character, Kat, on a path of uncertainty when her life as a jewel thief's apprentice is in jeopardy of colliding with her and her mother's past. There is a lot of extra drama that created many twists and turns, making it feel almost like a soap opera, but it was played out well and everything was tied up nicely in the end. I truly love and appreciate the choice Karen McManus made in incorporating a close brotherly figure rather than a love interest. On top of that, the brotherly figure, Liam, had a sweet love story subtly woven into the story that emphasizes the natural love connection people experience no matter their sexual preferences. I also have to praise the little mentions of my favorite show and various musicals. The constant guessing and theorizing throughout the story was very realistic. It was acknowledged that there was a lot going on from the beginning, making it connect more with the audience because McManus knew that is how readers would feel. It was quite an enjoyable read that I would recommend to students and friends. Much like Freida McFadden, McManus had just enough mystery and suspense with some predictable plot points, but still managed to throw an additional twist at the end. Very well done! I would say this is one of her better books.

I really enjoyed such Charming Liars. As a fan of this author, I'm always looking for new mystery books that I can use for my middle school classroom. This will be no exception. I appreciated that this book would be appropriate for middle schoolers. It had some drinking at a party but that was it.

The story features Kat who is a soon to be reformed-thief and one last heist before she goes straight. I liked Kat, but she definitely made some stupid choices in the beginning of the story.

The book had some twists and felt a little too wrapped up, but I still enjoyed and I think my students will too!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press for allowing me to have an early copy of this book!

“One last heist” goes wrong for Kat and her mother as they attempt to extricate themselves from a life of crime, only to find out that life has somehow brought them back to the beginning: to a grifter and his son, Liam. McManus does it again with a twisty tale that made me race through the pages to solve the mysteries even as I didn’t want to leave the book’s charming characters. Kat is the fierce heart of the book. With her magnetic energy, confident attitude, and protective love for her Mom, Kat leaps into action to problem solve the heist, even as her solutions add to the weekend’s growing problems. Liam, a complicated figure from Kat’s past, is the book’s soul. After his Mom dies, Liam is stuck back with his Dad, Luke, quietly untangling his father’s disceptions, until Luke invites Liam to a weekend with her newest girlfriend and Liam isn’t sure about Luke’s intentions. Caught in between is Augustus, potential love interest and a friend that anyone would be lucky to count on. The action is non stop, the relationships strike just the right balance, and the mysteries only build. Get ready to be charmed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for providing a copy for review!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Karen M. McManus for the chance to read this ARC!

I am a HUGE Karen M. McManus fan and Such Charming Liars did NOT disappoint!! I feel like sometimes with YA books is hard to find a balance to make sure it isn't too immature or too adult and Karen hits that everytime time! I love the characters in Such Charming Liars and you feel so much for them and so attached! Such Charming Lies keeps you engaged and guessing! I loved this book so much!! 4.5⭐️!

DNF at 52 pages, I just couldn't get into the plot and didn’t find myself connecting with the characters in the story. I loved McManus’ books in the past but I think I’ve expanded my love for mystery towards more adult ones instead of YA.

"Such Charming Liars" is a young adult thriller/mystery from author Karen M. McManus. Kat is a teenager whose mother works for a jewel thief. Her mother promises that she is going to switch to a legal job after one last heist at a fancy party. Kat forces her mother to take her along, but when her mother gets sick, Kat tries to do the job herself. Complicating things is that they run into her ex-Stepdad and stepbrother, Liam who are also attending the party. When Kat witnesses a murder, everything goes even more wrong. Who is trying to kill Kat's mother? Who is the murderer? What happened to the fake jewelry?
This book feels more like a heist story than McManus' past teen drama thrillers, but it is still engaging and will keep readers at the edge of their seats. A recommended purchase for YA collections where thrillers and mysteries are popular.