I didnt realize that this was book 2 of a series when I requested the title on NetGalley. Good news! It works great as a stand-alone read.

Premise: This is a very clever book set in Welsh mountains where seven reality show contestants are stranded and 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 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, DC Morgan knows every one of her suspects has an alibi . . . and a secret worth killing for.

My thoughts: A reality show where the contestants sign up thinking the show is one thing only to find out its another is very "real" to what we find on television today. When bones are found on the production site and a contestant discovered missing, the police are called in to investigate. Then the producer behind the show is killed and everyone appears to have an alibi. Who done-it? Was it the missing contestant? or are thing not as they seem on this reality tv set?

Reality TV is the rage today with the bachelor, amazing race, alone and top chef as examples. This book really demonstrates the fact that not everything is what it seems (or shown). Producers and editors can manipulate "reality" which makes for a fascinating and intriguing read! Clare Mackintosh's book has a clever plot, twisty crime, a perfect setting and a bit of humor.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for sharing a new to me author. A Game Of Lies has plenty of action, secrets and lies to keep you reading. And even though I hadnt read book #1 and didnt know any of the police investigators back stories, I do not think I missed much. I enjoyed it and think those who love a good mystery and a police procedural ready will too!

I was excited to see D.C. Morgan back again this time in “A Game Of Lies”. I liked this one better than “The Last Party”. The backdrop of the reality TV show made for a fun case to try and solve.
If you like detective novels, reality game shows, and murder 🤪, read this one!

Thanks to the publisher and #NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

A Game of Lies is the second in the DC Morgan series. I normally never read a series out of order, but the premise sounded so good I could not wait to read it. A reality show is being filmed in DC Ffion Morgan's hometown, but the contestants have been tricked regarding the specifics. The participants think they are in a survival type show but are really there to have their biggest secrets exposed. As you can imagine, this does not go well, and someone winds up dead. Clare Mackintosh does a great job with the plot points and character development. I love the descriptive setting as well. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early review copy.

A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh is a suspenseful book set around a T.V. reality show that takes place on a mountain top in Wales. This is book two in the series with Detective Morgan in it, but it can absolutely be read as a stand alone novel.

The story is about seven contestants who are chosen from thousands of applicants to compete on a T.V. Program like Survivor. They learn that if they aren’t successful, their darkest secrets will be revealed to everyone on T.V. Let the games begin until one contestant goes missing. DC Morgan is called in to investigate. How far will the contestants go to keep their secrets hidden.

This is a very enjoyable book and I loved the reality T.V. angle. It shows how far some people are willing to go to win and keep their secrets hidden.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced Copt of this book.

A Game of Lies took me quite a while to get through. I was excited to jump in and read this as I really liked the first book in the DC Morgan series, however, I found this one a bit tedious. My brain stumbled over the pronunciation of some of the Welsh words, and I suspect I’ll never know how to correctly say “Ffion.” lol

Basically, the story revolves around seven reality show contestants who find themselves stranded in the rugged Welsh mountains. They have no idea of what they’ve truly signed up for. Each contestant has a secret, and if a fellow player can unravel it, they will be eliminated and the secret will be broadcast live for all to see.

As a fan of reality TV-based books, I had high hopes to love this, but this one unfolded as a slow burn. I struggled to form a connection with the characters and, to me, the book really could have been a good 50 pages shorter.

I did enjoy the descriptive writing in the book and it's not a bad novel. I think there will be a lot of fans of this book and recommend everyone to give it a read if you like mystery thrillers. It could be your cup of tea!

3.5 stars. Rounding up to 4 stars for ratings. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Sourcebooks Landmark for the advanced readers copy to read and review.

This sequel to The Last Party (which I also read) pushes all the right buttons: characters who range between amusing, infuriating, and endearing (and that's just the police team); excellent pacing with lots of twists and turns; a plethora of suspects; and a really unique framing device in the form of a reality-television program that isn't exactly what the contestants were led to believe. After a disappearance and a murder, when DC Ffion Morgan and her colleagues are called in to investigate, the tension ratchets up. Mackintosh is a strong, suspenseful writer. I particularly loved and recommend her early standalone novels - Let Me Lie, I See You, and I Let You Go. She's a master of the thrilling twist, and in Ffion - and, to a lesser extent, her counterpart across the Welsh/English border, DS Leo Brady - she's written some memorable and hopefully long-lasting characters. The narrative never drags, their will-they-or-won't they relationship is intriguing, and I would definitely read another in this excellent series.

A Game of Lies is book two in the DC Morgan suspense thriller series.

It is possible to follow the story as a standalone (completely different case). However many of the characters are in both books. And there is a lot of backstory that will make more sense if you've read the first book.

This book is about detective Ffion Morgan. The focus of the story is a reality show. This book is very Welsh. And having read the first book really helped me. It made me more comfortable with the characters and the Welsh terms.

I absolutely love Ffion. She is such a strong and unique heroine. I really enjoy reading about her solve cases.

I was so happy to see Leo return. This part of the story will definitely make much more sense if you've read the first book.

I really enjoyed the reality show aspect. The idea of the show revealing the contestant's secrets made for a fun story. And the mysteries were very exciting.

I did enjoy this book although at times I would have preferred a faster pace. However the ending was everything!!!!

This is the first book by Mackintosh that I have picked up and I quite enjoyed it! I picked it up without reading the first in the series but was able to catch on quite quickly to any back story/history. The premise of this mystery was a reality show set in the mountains of Wales. Styled as Survivor but the truth was much darker: an expose of secrets that would encourage the contestants to rat out and manipulate their fellow people. A disappearance ensues along with murder and Ffion and Leo make their appearance as officers working on opposite sides of the border to solve the case. Ffion is quite a messy character with a good heart - trying to figure herself out. Leo comes with his own baggage but is quite over heels with Ffion. I enjoyed the interactions between the two (and the incorrigible Dave) and look forward to more outings of this trio!

It was a bit of a slog for me. The first part of the book was a bit boring but it really picks up in the last half.

The characters were a bit monotonal and I didn't much care for them.

I usually love the author but this one just didnt grip me. The ending is the best part for me. I really enjoyed the first book too.

3 stars

I recently fell in love with her other books and was so excited I got this as an arc! I was not disappointed! She has a way of writing her stories not too slow not too fast, the perfect pace to give you the best thrill. So many lies, so many twists and turns it was everything I wanted in a thriller! Thank you for this arc!

Second book in the DC Morgan series. When a new reality TV show is being taped in the area everybody gets excited, but the contestants have no idea what they've signed up for. Each one has a deep, dark secret and if another contestant guesses it they will be exposed on air. Producer Miles is definitely not liked but was he hated enough to be murdered? Every one of the suspects has an alibi but also a secret. Were those secrets worth killing for. Ffion and Leo have their work cut out for them as they seek out a murderer in the mountains of Wales. Well written and great characters. If you likes "The Last Party"you'll love "A Game of Lies".
Thanks to #NetGalley#AGameofLies#SourcebooksLandmark for the EARC.

I did not care for this at all. I found it really boring and a chore to get through. Ffion is unprofessional and unlikable and there were so many characters it was hard to keep track of who was who and how/if they were important. The only one I liked in this was the dog. Even the ending was abrupt and weird, but maybe you had to read the first book to get it?

My thoughts 💭 on this novel.
It was interesting! There was a lot of mentioning of Book 1, so it felt I was missing something but it did not take away from the story itself. I loved the back and forth timeline of the plot and refund to solve the case. This has all the feels of a small town murder mystery where everyone knows everyone and everything.

I’d highly recommend this (and I bet book 1 is equally amazing) to anyone who enjoys an excellent murd3r mystery where the main lead is a female.

Even though this is the second book in a series, it reads very well as a standalone. It just made me want to go back and read the first installment. The concept is good but at times, it felt like I was reading and not getting anywhere...the last 30% or so got a little more interesting and it was hard to put down until I finished it.

Thanks for the opportunity of reading this book.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh in exchange for an honest review. This was book 2 in the series and can standalone or be read together. I remembered how much I liked the first book and I really enjoyed this one too. The books take place in Wales and the details are so beautifully written that I felt like I was there. I really would like to visit one day.

While not particularly mind-blowing or memorable, A Game of Lies is a decently entertaining murder mystery adventure, perfect for some light summer beach reading. If you enjoyed the first book in the series, you’ll likely enjoy this one as well.

Thank you Clare Mackintosh, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

A Game of Lies is the 2nd installment in the "DC Morgan" series, although it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone novel. Welsh detective Ffion Morgan is back on the case, butting heads and reluctantly sharing leads with her English counterpart Leo Brady. Ffion and Leo have a "past," and their interactions as they try to maintain a strictly professional relationship are the best parts of the book (although the murder mystery is pretty good too!!) Set the hills surrounding Mirror Lake which separates Welsh and English lands, the detectives are first tasked with steal the show. Clare Mackintosh is a character driven writer, and she lays out the case for (and against) the suspects in ways that are both searching for a missing contestant from the reality show Exposure. Although they auditioned for a "Survivor" type competition, when the seven contestants arrive on set they learn Exposure is truly that-not a physical endurance battle, but a show where their deepest and most painful secrets may be revealed. When Miles Young, the show's creator and producer is murdered all seven become a suspect. During the investigation Ffion and Leo learn they all, as well as Exposure's host and crew, have iron clad alibis. Among the secrets they are hoping to keep hidden are infidelity, bigamy, and grand theft-the real competition is trying to figure out which one was willing to kill to keep it from being Exposed. A Game of Lies is a mix of intrigue and lighthearted moments-the later thanks to Fifon's rescue Dog Dave, who literally threatens to instinctive and methodical. And while the mystery is solved, A Game of Lies has an ending that will leave you breathlessly awaiting the next DC Morgan installment.

This is a murder mystery set in the world of a reality show. I enjoyed this one. It was great to see Ffion again and Dave was an absolutely delightful addition to this world. I also thought that George is an interesting new character and I look forward to finding out more about her.

A Game Of Lies is the second installment of the DS Morgan series and I already love it and am invested. I love Ffion and her unorthodox ways.

This is a procedural for the most part but here it’s mixed with some reality show crazy. When Exposure comes out in this atmospheric Welsh town - secrets are threatened to come out (for the contestants) and everyone tries to protect theirs. Murder and mayhem ensues and Fii and Leo get to work, thrown together once again to work on this case.

I really enjoyed this one and love the bits of personal stuff too. I’ll def be waiting for the next book and case here!

Thanks to Clare and NetGalley for my early copy. I’m a bit late once again but it was totally worth the wait!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The second in the DC Morgan series, the reader is once again put deep into the Welsh life, landscape and peoples. We get a moody set where the land and the language sets the stage. A reality tv show is in the works when things suddenly go awry and Ffion Morgan is called in to work out what has happened.

While the story was good and strong, I found the Welsh language distracting and confusing to me as the reader at times. There were a lot of characters that also stretched me attempting to keep them straight.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this gifted e-book.