I *love* this series and when I heard there was another one coming out, I rushed to Netgalley to see if I could read it early. I'm so glad I was able to, and I read this book all in a single sitting. Maureen Johnson is just so good at crafting these mysteries and tying together the two storylines of past and present.

Also, a couple minor spoilers: I was excited to see ace representation! And oh my gosh the endinggggg.....it's not a cliffhanger in terms of the mystery, but it's a cliffhanger all the same. The only time I regret reading books early like this is I can't even go on Twitter to beg the author for a sequel, not when this book literally hasn't even come out yet haha.

Tl:dr: I loved this book and can't wait for the next Stevie Bell mystery.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the chance to read and review this ARC.

I'll admit, I was a little wary about this series being expanded beyond the original trilogy because sometimes when authors do that, it feels like the characters are just dragging on. But this didn't happen with this book; I feel like I can't get enough of Stevie and her friends (other than David. I could do with a little less David, but that's another conversation). Maureen Johnson just does such a good job of creating an atmosphere of suspense and a mystery that is so different from the others yet similar enough that there is a cohesive theme between all of the books.

This mystery was so compelling; I liked it slightly less than the one from the original trilogy, but I liked it a lot more than the one from Box in the Woods, and I loved watching Stevie put clues together. Although I will say that I feel like there wasn't that much piecing together of the mystery; it felt more like there was one moment and one clue that helped her out, and the rest of the sluething took the back burner to Stevie's relationship problems.

I feel like nine characters from the 90s was a few too many - it was hard to keep them all straight and felt unnecessary, since they were the secondary group of people. I also didn't really like the cliffhanger ending with David (but that could be because I am a David hater to my core), but overall, the positives FAR outweighed the negatives. I am looking forward to the next adventure of Stevie and her friends!

I love Maureen Johnson, and I love Stevie Bell. I'm so invested in these characters, and I really loved the setting on this installment.

I am so honored for the opportunity to read and review this book. I absolutely love this series, and this book did not disappoint. I see so much of myself in the main character, and I love his world that Johnson has built

I discovered the Truly Devious series during the start of the COVID pandemic and read the first three books within a week.I fell in love with Stevie Bell and her friends from the beginning. I was shocked to see that the series was continued and it was being taken to London and let me say, I'm happy it was! I would love to see more books in this series, whether or not some of the characters return or not and would love to see it continued into Stevie's college years and if not, then another book or two. If you love a good mystery, I highly suggest this for you and if you have yet to read the Truly Devious series from the start, I highly recommend you start there.

Stevie Bell is a student at Ellingham Academy, who with the help of her friends, solved two cold cases. When Stevie's boyfriend David, who is studying in London, invites her and her firends to visit, they jomp at the chance, but when they arrive, Stevie is in for a ride. Stevie is given the chance to look into a double-murder cold case that rocked the close knit group known as the Nine in 1995. Will she solve it in the small amount of time she has in London?

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review!

Nine Liars brings back Stevie Bell, a high school detective who has solved multiple murders that no one else has been able to crack, and this time is no different. Shortly after arriving in London to visit her boyfriend, David, Stevie and her friends meet Izzy and her aunt, Angela. When Angela goes missing, Stevie sets out to find her. Enter the Nine Liars, Angela’s college friends who experienced the murder of two of their best friends 25 years before. As Stevie pieces together Angela’s disappearance, she also begins to solve the murders of her friends.

Nine Liars did not disappoint…ok, it did just a little, but by the time I got to Stevie solving the murders, it had redeemed itself. Unfortunately, the pacing was a bit slow, and most characters haven’t changed since the start of the Truly Devious series. That being said, the book left on a cliffhanger that has left me waiting for the next book.

I enjoyed Stevie Bell when she was a part of the action, namely in the Truly Devious series. (disclaimer: I did not read The Box in the Woods!) However, this book, that pulled me out of the main mystery by having Stevie struggling with her relationship, friendships, and post graduation blues, was not my favorite.

It's still well written because it's Maureen Johnson, but it's way too scattered to be fun, thrilling, and suspenseful. I wanted to skip any chapters about Stevie's life because it simply wasn't what I signed up for when reading a Stevie Bell novel-- not like this. It's different when her life decisions affect a murder case; it's not nearly as much fun.

The. Best. One. This is my favorite so far in the Truly Devious series. Growing up for Stevie, Janelle, Nate, Vi, and David is getting series. They're trying to figure out their futures and, as usual, murder finds them. This one kept me guessing and guessing. Every time I thought I had it- NOPE! This book was a blast and yet it still managed to put me in my feels, too. Wonderful balance of fun and deep feelings.

I absolutely loved this book! I never wanted it to end. I’m a huge fan of the entire Stevie Bell series and it’s hard to pick a favorite, but Nine Lives is definitely up there. A lot of times with books that have alternating timelines you’re bummed when you switch away from one, but not so here. I was invested in the Nine, and of course, invested in our Ellingham friends. The mystery is super compelling and combined with the subplots, this is a perfect moody, cozy read. Anything by Maureen Johnson is an instant read for me.

I’m so excited to return back quirky, peculiar, cold case solver Stevie Bell’s intriguing universe! The entire gang is back and they are on board for a special trip to England. Hurray! I love the series so much! Let’s dive into it without thinking any further!

Before meeting with the gang, we get introduced THE NINE: bunch of comedy writer teenagers who have complex relationships, dating with each than breaking up and dating the rest of group members ( story takes place in 90s so it’s understandable that their relationship patterns remind us Aaron Spelling’s young adult series like Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place) Pretentious Sebastian, free spirited Sooz, Irish joy Rosie, vintage styled Noel, natural athlete Peter, comedy nerd Yash, heartbreaker Julian, aspiring history student Angela, medical student Theo are the group members. They are vivid, interesting characters and as soon as I got introduced with them I wished they had their own book instead of being part of Stevie Bell mystery drama. Amount of the character numbers is already too much. I got a little exhausted to concentrate on the nine and gang of Stevie including David’s new British friends!

So many names, so many back stories confused my mind a little.
A quick confession: I all wanted to read more about is Nate Fisher who is my favorite character and thankfully he was so brilliant in this book as always he was!

I cannot say same for David. From the beginning of the series, I keep getting irritated by his pretentious manners and in this book… when I was reading the chapters related with him, I wanted to jump into the book and punch him in the face.

Let’s focus on the plot line because if I write more about my feelings about the characters, I can blurt out something and I’ll hate myself if I ruin your reading experience.

After being introduced to the nine, we go back and see how our gang is doing at Ellingham Academy. Janelle and Vi are doing great, focusing on their projects and their college applications. Dear Nate is punching his fingers too hard to the keyboard like a maestro working on his latest composition. He’s writing again but his dedication to his project never stop him to take a break to listen Stevie’s ongoing drama.

Stevie is frustrated because she keeps getting weird messages from the people who think their neighbors are murderers ( at least Broaddus family from New Jersey didn’t ask her services to find the WATCHER! ) She cannot concentrate on the articles she has to read and she cannot make plans for college because even though she can get scholarship for education, she still needs to pay for accommodation and daily expenses which she cannot afford by working at grocery store. She also suffers from long distance relationship with David. Being away from her pretentious douche boyfriend ( okay, my emotions for David affected my judgment again) correction: her dear boyfriend makes her question their relationship. She feels extra vulnerable.

When David calls and arranges a place for the entire gang to visit him in England, Stevie gets so excited! And as soon as her trip starts, she finds herself involved into another cold case investigation: the mystery of nine!

I have to say Agatha Christi- esque vibes of the mystery: claustrophobic whodunnit with And Then There Were None and Clue themes made me love the story more.

The characters’ evolving were realistic. The insecurities of Stevie changed her. Her obsession of solving the case pushed her to make more mistakes, lying to her friends, harboring trusting issues about David.

The conclusion of the mystery was good. The cliffhanger at the end made me scream a lot!
As I mentioned before the storyline about the Nine could be another standalone but it was still great to return back to Truly Devious universe and embracing the entire gang ( or wanting to strangling David )

I’m giving my four mysterious, exciting, intelligent thriller stars! I cannot wait to read the sixth book! I’m truly devoted fan! I hope we can read more about Nate Fisher in near future!

So many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins’ Children Books/ Katherine Tegen Books for sharing this amazing digital and physical reviewer copies with me in exchange my honest opinions. I absolutely loved it!

This is the 5th book in the Truly Devious series and like the Box in the Woods, it could be considered a stand alone but in my opinion the overall experience is better if you’re familiar with the series.

This book has all the Clue-like and And Then There Were None vibes and I loved it! This is just as amazing as her other books in this series.

⚠️Possible Sp0ilers Ahead⚠️

Things I Loved:
❤️ same great characters
❤️ fast paced
❤️ flawed MC
❤️ lots of twists
❤️ setting & history

Things I Didn’t Love:
💔 wanted more of the side characters
💔 cliffhanger ending
💔 direction of the characters
personal lives

Thank you to NetGalley & Harper Collins for this ARC to review!! It’s been on my TBR since it was announced and it did not disappoint! ❤️

The latest installment of the Truly Devious series was fun! Set in England, the newest mystery revolves around the murder of two friends from a larger friend group in the Nineties. Part of this was set at an English manor and the who dunnit nature of the mystery was fun and quick. The romance struggles in the book seemed a little surface at best, but I still found the characters to be endearing. I look forward to reading more books in this series.

Thank you so much Net Galley for the arc! I couldn’t believe that I got approved to read this! Now Maureen…….I love your big genius brain! But that cliff hanger….we’re going to fight lmao! This series has NEVER failed me, The growth these characters experience is so real and relatable that it makes me think about where I was at their age applying for colleges and last night with high school friends. The inner struggle Stevie was having I felt so bad for her because solving mysteries became her purpose and we got to go through the motions with her including her relationship. I still hate David and that hate has only grown with this book! Lol! Just seeing these babies grow so serious and mature has been an absolute pleasure I feel like I’m watching my kids grow up! and I can’t WAIT, to see what she comes up with next! Also Maureen somebody and you know who I’m talking about needs to BEG…and I mean BEG! Crawling back I want to see it all! You’re absolutely fantastic and I adore you!

The murder in this one is convoluted, with far too many characters at play--characters who feel bland, with the most expression coming from Julian, whose personality is "is a slut (affectionate)". Time in between working the case was slow, but if you can sludge through it, you get to a gross mis-characterization of David!

Nine liars is phenomenal! I highly recommend the Stevie Bell series as a teen mystery series. I wish I had the books when I was a teen to read. I really enjoy that the books in the series revolve around cold cases that Stevie solves. I will be using this in my book club. This is a great mystery for teens or adults who enjoy classic murder mysteries. This one pays homage to Agatha Christie with the classic country house murder. It was great to tag along with Stevie and the gang in London and throughout England.

I'm glad I finally read a book in the Truly Devious series. I had my eye on The Box in the Wood for so long.
Nine Liars is a funny, modern YA version of Nancy Drew, with lovable Stevie as the detective heroine.

Thank you HarperCollins Children's and NetGalley for the digital review copy.

Oh this was GOOD (though, I don't think excellent).

We're back with Stevie and gang and, compared to The Box in the Woods, I loved this mystery even more. Though I'm not sure if I can say I enjoyed this AS much as the original trilogy.

The mystery surrounds a group of nine freshly graduated Cambridge students who have their own comedy show. I LOVED this. I loved the character dynamics--this fierce protectiveness of one another, their incestuous and overlapping relationships with one another. Stevie's on her mission to discover what happened one night in 1995 when two of them are killed...

Meanwhile there's lots going down with Stevie and David, as well as Stevie and her friends. Personally I love the David drama, what can I say. I also really liked Stevie in this one as she grapples with some of her own insecurities in her relationships both romantic and platonic.

I do have to say there is a lot of repetition of the events pertaining to the mystery--lots of rehashing, the same story told over and over but in different ways. This did get a little tedious for me.

Overall fast-paced and enjoyable. I love these books and with that ending... I'm gonna need the next asap Maureen Johnson!!!

Another amazing entry in the Truly Devious series! This one follows Stevie and friends on a week abroad in London. Their plan starts to fall through, however, when Stevie learns of murder that took place in the '90s. Compounded by a mysterious disappearance and all the friend/relationship dramas we've come to expect from other entries in the series, the stakes are high!

I loved the mystery here. While I enjoyed the previous entry, The Box in the Woods, I didn't love the mystery at the core of the book. I felt that this mystery had a lot more meat to it, and the interspersal of witness statements and flashbacks really brought the story to life. The group of friends surrounding the murder were very interesting to learn about and the reveals, while they all made sense, often surprised me.

Stevie's friend group also shines in this book. I loved the dynamics between her and David, especially given the implications of keeping up a long-distance relationship, I didn't love where this book left off on that front - I think it would have been more meaningful to follow-through on this theme completely as opposed to the ending we were given - but overall, I enjoyed this aspect of the book. Stevie's friendships with Nate and Janelle are also explored and deepened. I loved how we saw the impact of the group's impending graduation on their relationships.

I think this series has a lot to offer to just about any reader. They are hard to put down, and this entry is no exception. I love this series and will continue to recommend it to anyone who will listen!

There's only one way to describe the ending of this book...

...truly devious 😉

See what I did there?

Because, of course, now we're going to be waiting anxiously for the next one to see WTF was David thinking??

Oh, yeah. There was a #murdermystery in the book, too. A #countryhousemurder mystery! I loved the dual plot lines in this, and loved that I was suspicious of all seven remaining members of The Nine.

I wish the twist at the end had been a bit more... substantial. It didn't seem like there was quite enough crazy/anger/jealousy for it to really make sense.

And, I do have a hard time relating to the teenage characters sometimes. Do you really need to apply to THAT many colleges? And how many high school seniors are plotting out their futures on a spreadsheet? But I do love their #foundfamily

But overall, it was a really solid #mystery and I will absolutely be looking to read the next one!

Thank you to @netgalley and @harpercollinsch for the #arc 👍🏻

Another Stevie mystery hit! I enjoyed the recurring characters and to see how the relationships grow and change among the Ellingham group. I personally would have liked a mystery near Ellingham more, but I understand that the murder mysteries need to expand outside of that tiny circle. There are some great London touristy moments too which was a fun addition to the story.

The murder mystery is interesting. There are many parallels between "The Nine" and the Ellingham group of friends. There was some good flashbacks to the events at the Merryweather house and the present situation. I didn't love the resolution of the mystery. It seemed like a little too much guessing was involved. It also felt a little more one-dimensional than some of the other books in the series. I enjoyed the puzzles mixed with the mystery instead of just this one mystery.