A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh – a Review

A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh – a Review

 

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Description:
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.

 

 

Review:

A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh is the 2nd book in her DC Morgan series.  The story revolves around a reality tv show, Exposure, with 7 contestants who have to spend two weeks in the Welsh mountains in Wales. The contestants each have a secret (A Game of Lies), that they hide, as they soon realize that they need to win, in order for their secrets not to be exposed; with possible danger of their futures.  The tv show has garnered a lot of attention, especially on social media.  The following morning, the police are notified that one of the contestants is missing.  This brings DC Ffion Morgan and DC Georgina(George) Kent to the set to investigate.

The contestants are each different, as we meet them. Ceri Jones, Pam Butler, Aliyah Brown, Jason Shenton, Henry Moore, Lucas Taylor, and Ryan Francis (now missing). Ffion and George interview the contestants, as well as the production staff, in trying to find the missing person. 

Ffion is stuck taking care of her rescue dog, Dave (just adopted him), who despite his weird behavior (needy, stays close to Ffion, farts), but he is dedicated to Ffion and always finds a way to find her; which will come in handy later in the book. George has just been transferred to the team, and she is somewhat introverted, as well as a work-acholic. She was very good, and impressive in helping to handle the case. I really liked her, and happy that she will team with Ffion.  Leo, who was in the first book, returns and joins the team as the lead investigator, which doesn’t really sit well with Ffion; the chemistry from the previous book is still apparent.

As Ffion, George and Leo are still trying to find Ryan, the missing contestant from the first night, things change drastically when someone is murdered.  The investigation now turns into a murder case, with the death of the producer.  Because Ffion keeps things to herself at times, without telling her cohorts, she finds herself taken off the case.  But Ffion remembers something about the murdered victim which will lead her to finding the real killer, and putting herself in danger.  Dave to the rescue. lol

A Game of Lies was a complex, entertaining and suspenseful story, that was a slow process early on, but as we get to the last half of the book, it does pick up. I really did not enjoy how the contestants were forced to sit in a small room, as secrets are revealed, such as creepy phobias, spiders, snakes, as well as bigamy, affairs, illegal activity.            

A Game of Lies was very well written by Clare Mackintosh. I have enjoyed her previous standalone thrillers, but this series was good, but not as good as the other thrillers. I do suggest you read this series, as I would like to see what Mackintosh has in store for DC Morgan.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh – a Review

The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh – a Review

 

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Description:
At midnight, one of them is dead.
By morning, all of them are suspects.

It’s a party to end all parties, but not everyone is here to celebrate.

On New Year’s Eve, Rhys Lloyd has a house full of guests. His vacation homes on Mirror Lake are a success, and he’s generously invited the village to drink champagne with their wealthy new neighbors.

But by midnight, Rhys will be floating dead in the freezing waters of the lake.

On New Year’s Day, Ffion Morgan has a village full of suspects. The tiny community is her home, so the suspects are her neighbors, friends and family—and Ffion has her own secrets to protect.

With a lie uncovered at every turn, soon the question isn’t who wanted Rhys dead…but who finally killed him.

In a village with this many secrets, murder is just the beginning.

 

 

Review:

The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh is the start of mystery thriller series. I have become a big fan of Mackintosh, having read all her wonderful thrillers.   On New Year’s Eve, during a big party thrown by a wealthy famous singer, Rhys Lloyd, was found dead in the freezing water of the lake by his mansion, later that night. The case is assigned to Detective Constable Ffion Morgan from North Wales CD and Leo Brady from Cheshire Major Crime; with Ffion being part of the Wales side and Leo being part of the English side.

Ffion, our heroine, is mostly the lead in this story, with Leo playing a big part.  She is a great protagonist, strong, determined, as well as having an emotional past; but she is a great detective. On the site, Ffion and Leo interview many of the people who attended the party, as well as the swim earlier in the day; Ffion knows all the locals, and there are so many suspects, which include her neighbors, friends and even family. Though all the locals were thrilled to be at the party, truth begins to show that Rhys Lloyd was hated by most of the town; he was not the good man he pretended to be.

The storyline switches often from the past and the present, learning more about Rhys, and the other locals who had past conflicts, tensions with many.  Ffion was under pressure during the interviews, which included those who were parts of Lloyd’s life; his wife Yasmin, his partner, Jonty, those who owed him money, and other locals who purchased lodges, Clemmie, Caleb, Dee and those who Lloyd used, such as Mia, Seren, Huw, etc.  Ffion also reflects back to her childhood, which comes back to haunt her.   To say too much more would be spoilers and this is an intriguing, complex psychological thriller that revealing anything would ruin it for you.

The Last Party was an intense small town murder mystery that kept me glued to my kindle.  There so many suspects, and every time Ffion and Leo thought they had the killer, things would change fast.  The Last Party was a psychological thriller, with surprising twists and turns, that was so very well written by Clare Mackintosh.  If you like thrillers, you most definitely need to read this book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

 

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