Before I get into my review, I want to say a quick thank you to both the publishers over at Katherine Tegan Books and NetGalley for completely making my reading year by giving me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Nine Liars is the fourth book in the Truly Devious series and follows Stevie and her friends as they travel to London for a study abroad experience. But when Stevie gets there a cold case from 1995 awaits her. Can she juggle her boyfriend, her academic responsibilities, and an English country house mystery without dropping one of those balls? Nine Liars comes out on December 27th and is available for preorder now.

There was so much to enjoy with this one. The country house and the mystery there all felt very Dark Academia which was not the vibe I was expecting for this novel. And it was so so good. I loved the London settings and the country side setting. I also liked the fact that the main lie this group of college friends shared for decades was something that does happen. People really do lie to the cops about this sort of thing despite the fact that it takes away from the murder. People look at something and go ‘I have to lie about this because it’s a major thing that will get me in trouble if I don’t.’ When in reality, the cops care much more about catching a murderer than they do whatever small thing you’re doing. As someone who watches and listens to a lot of true crime, this felt very realistic. Also, I enjoy the fact that the murderer isn’t some diabolic or psychotic person, it’s someone whose actions get away from them and everything snowballs. Of course, we still have our core main characters who are lovely and I enjoyed seeing them in new situations and new settings. I liked the tiny mystery about what was going on with Nate. And I liked that Nate came out to Stevie as Asexual. I felt like there was a lot of other LGBTQIA+ rep in the series so I didn’t expect it to happen. It’s pretty rare for me to read something with an Ace character in it so it felt like a little win for my sexuality.

There were moments when I felt really anxious while reading this one. Which probably is a plus for the writing side, showing that the author can make me feel for the characters and the situations. But it made me so uncomfortable for certain parts of the story. Especially the last 50 pages or so. That wasn’t helped at all by the feeling that David was acting really strange during the end of Stevie’s stay in England. I feel like it was a bit out of character for him. I know as a fandom we don’t all agree about Stevie and David’s relationship, but I think we can all agree that he was a much better boyfriend in The Box in the Woods than in the books that came before it. But the end of this one made it feel like he was reverting back to the old David behaviors. And maybe this is all supposed to lead up to another book in the series which would have more to explore with Stevie and David. I just didn’t like that aspect of the story very much. At the end of the novel we also had a lot of Stevie being frustrated by the case and unable to solve it. It felt a bit like she was banging her head on the wall trying to find a way in. I felt her frustration and her fear and her anxiety which made it uncomfortable as she struggled to solve the case. Or maybe I just have a whole anxiety disorder of my own.

Overall, this was the English Country Side case of the Truly Devious series and it was practically everything I ever wanted. I still love Stevie and all of her friends (yes, even David). And I still love following her along as she attempts to solve cold cases and to deal with her anxiety. I would follow Stevie Bell to the ends of the Earth. Great expansion of the series. Well worth the read.

This was hit or miss for me. I hadn’t realized that it was part of a series that really doesn’t work well as a stand alone book. The characters fell a little flat for me and I am not really a fan of to-be-continued endings but I suspect that fans of the series will find lots to like.

I cannot get enough Stevie Bell novels -- Maureen Johnson has the perfect recipe for a compulsively readable mystery with heart, humor, and impeccable characters/relationships. This English manor murder mystery is charming from start to finish, with solid stakes and development for our favorite characters. I can't wait for the next one!

Maureen Johnson does it again. I knew this book was going to be a hit as soon as I picked it up. It’s definitely important to remember that this is technically the 5th book in the series, so I was already connected to the characters.

this is one of my favourite series and I enjoyed this book just as much as the others in the series.

I enjoyed this book so much! I started the Truly Devious series earlier this year and instantly fell in love. So thankful for this advanced copy as I was needing mor mysteries to solve.

Are you kidding me with that ending?! Okay I know I should get more into other things but my jaw literally dropped. I won't spoil anything about the actual end (and it wasn't even a cliffhanger for the mystery but more for the personal/interpersonal stuff).

As always, I'm thrilled to see more books added to this series. I'd keep reading and reading. Based on that ending I also have to assume there's some kind of sequel coming. I've seen that some folks get sick of these books and the characters but I just find them compulsively readable. I need that in my life at this point because it takes me so long to read books unless they're addicting and fun. 

The mystery at the center of this one was really interesting. Stevie and crew head to London to visit David and have some "cultural experiences" for school. While there, David's new friend asks Stevie to help solve this mystery surrounding her aunt and her eight friends. Two of them were murdered one night and she's never believed that it was a random robbery gone wrong. Naturally, Stevie can't resist, and spends the whole trip trying to figure out what happened that night with "the Nine." It was really an intriguing mystery especially because there were so many people involved. There were so many little clues that I absolutely could not put together but knew they all meant something, so it was really fun to try to figure out.

David annoyed me for really the first major time in this series - I think that'd be my biggest gripe. Most people grew sick of him a couple of books ago but I haven't minded him. I'm officially uninterested in their relationship but it also doesn't prevent me from enjoying the books. Overall, still love Stevie's sleuthing and the cozy mystery vibes of this series.

I’ve read the first four books in the series already. This was definitely my favorite so far. The author really put a lot more story into this installment and it was quite well done! I can only assume based on the ending that there will be another book in the series at some point! 4.5 stars,

Thank you to NetGalley abd Harper Collins Publishing for the free advanced reader copy. I am leaving my review voluntarily.
Publication date Dec 27, 2022

Thank you to Harper Collins for sending along an early copy of NINE LIARS by Maureen Johnson. This book publishes on December 27.

I really love Stevie and her pals. It was so nice to be in this world again! This is book number five in the TRULY DEVIOUS series and features a whole new case and a new setting! This story mostly picks up right where BOX IN THE WOODS left off. We have a dual timeline for a whole new mystery and I love all the music references from the 90s in that one, the cliffhanger at the end just makes me more exited for more books! If you haven’t yet gotten into the TRULY DEVIOUS series, I highly recommend it.

Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was so fun.... mysteries are such a funny kind of brain candy and this really delivered on that. I'm also biased because it's set in London and I was reading this while I was playing tourist IN London, so it was just me reading about places I had just meandered into while waiting for my train to get me to the next stop. Also the whole Oxbridge thing really got me, along with the messy theater kids angle.

Maybe I'd put this closer to a 3.75, but it was a generally fun and solid read, with cute characters and interesting tension for both the murder as well as the protag's social life! Just a fun thing to spend some time with!

I'm here to admit that I'm a 31 year old adult that loves this YA series. With every new Truly Devious book, I begin wondering how exactly Johnson is going to find a way to give Stevie a new adventure. She always finds a way! Even if the scenario (4 high schoolers going off on a "study abroad" break trip unsupervised) is completely unrealistic, it's still so much fun to read. Plus, the mystery that becomes intertwined is always beautiful. With Nine Liars, I was constantly running through the possibilities of who the killer was - you play a game with yourself of trying to figure out how the author may tell the story, and you almost never get it right.

And of course with any YA, there has to be love interest/story. I was suspicious of David being abroad, but he managed to pull through... up until the very end when he so quickly falls onto your list of characters to dislike.

The mystery continues in this stunning 5th Truly Devious book. There was a part of me that worried that Johnson wouldn't be able to continue the story, because the main plot has been solved. I was hesitant to read this because I love Stevie and the others so much. However, the story that unfolded was wonderful, the mystery just as thrilling as the ones that unfolded over the course of the earlier books in the series. Most impressively there was a good amount of character growth, which is hard with the fifth book in a series. It was an enjoyable return to the world of Truly, Devious I would recommend to anyone especially fans of the earlier books.

I really love this series. Johnson has done a fabulous job blending YA snark, cold case investigation, and contemporary murder into a seamless whole that engages the reader on so many levels. I love Stevie in all her angst-riddled quirkiness, and it was a fun compare-contrast to juxtapose her friendships with the Nine in this one. I really enjoyed the continuing development of the friendships/ relationships established in the first book, and holy cow for the cliffhanger ending! Here's hoping the next installment comes soon because I have to see where this goes...

Ah! I had a love/hate relationship with this book. I was obsessed with the 90's culture and London setting of the newest mystery. I was guessing until the end, and I still didn't figure out the right person for the killer. Stevie's amazing, and the angst of figuring out life after college, or life beyond high school was very realistic. My only complaint is the HUGE cliffhanger at the end, so now I have to wait for another book to come out! I have questions!

I wanted to love this book as much as I had the previous 4 in the series, but unfortunately this one fell flat for me. The drama between Stevie and David was bigger than the mystery and overpowered the story. Also, I really felt like Stevie was overly self-centered in this story and overall I just didn't care for her as a character. The mystery had potential, but ultimately was left a little dissapointed with the whodunnit. This did leave off with a cliffhanger though, so I'm hopeful the next book can redeem itself.

This book has a bit of a darker mood to it. We have our friends back at Ellingham for their senior year and it seems everyone but Stevie has everything figured out. Janelle and Vi are applying to colleges and planning their futures and it looks like Eli is writing again... While Stevie seems to be in limbo, she hasn't applied to any colleges and even if she knew where she wanted to go she has no idea how she would get in or what she would study. Also, David is off in London, and while they talk on the phone all the time she misses seeing him every day. So when David drunkenly invites her and the group to London they jump at the chance and go off on a bit of study abroad adventure.

Of course, once she gets there a friend of David named Izzy brings up the murder of two people back in 1995 that were close friends of her aunt... and Stevie and her friends are on the case. There is a lot going on within the friend group and with David, and amidst all this, the case heats up when Izzy's Aunt goes missing after talking to Stevie and her friends. so Stevie is dealing with quite a bit.

I loved coming back to Ellingham and seeing Eli, Janelle, and Vi again. I also loved the alternating chapters from the past, I loved trying to put the clues together and changing my mind on who I thought the killer was after each new piece of evidence. This is one of my favorite series so I hope we get many more books and mysteries to solve!

It pains me to say this but....this one was just not for me. The last 30ish% was good and had the same qualities as the previous books in the series, which I LOVED. However, the majority or this book had entirely too much detail that wasn't interesting (to me). Too much weird teenage romance (but David is annoying and there is no chemistry) and not enough badass Stevie solving murders/mysteries. I love England the concept of the English countryside but overall, it lacked execution. I'll probably still read the next book because I can't let my feelings end like this!

It was a delight to return to the world I came to love so much. Another hit from Maureen Johnson in a fun, and delightful YA series.

The Truly Devious series is truly delightful. This latest installment had a great deal of suspense and was populated by both old and new geniuses and eccentrics who add drama and texture to the unravelling of a usually pretty good mystery. You will love Stevie Bell’s best friends who seem to stand by her through everything. Although boooo David!

I’m pretty disappointed with this series entry, and it wasn’t just the infuriating ending (which I’m really, really mad at—make no mistake). I’m good at suspending disbelief when I’m really enjoying other things—characters, dialogue, fun relationships, etc.—but there were too many pivotal plot points that felt like huge stretches and too much Stevie angst this time. I like this series, but I think it might be time to wrap things up. Of course I’ll read the next book, and I have high hopes for a strong finish. This is my least favorite of the series so far.