My relationship with this series has been very up and down. I loved the first one, gave the second three stars, and then gave the third book 4 stars with the opinion that it was a good conclusion to the end of what I thought was a trilogy. The fourth book came out last year and pleasantly surprised me, but unfortunately I didn't have the same experience here.

Both the central mystery and the surrounding relationship/friend group storyline both bothered me in certain ways. I won't fully spoil anything but don't read these comments if you want to go in without anything swaying you


Main mystery: Somehow this was both boring AND overly complicated. 9 people in this complicated incestuous friend group was a lot and I never felt like I knew or cared about them. They were caricatures at best and invisible at worst. They felt like a knock off version of so many other British dark academia friend groups that came before. I never guessed the solution but not because it was clever - it was just meh.

Friend group side of things: I know I don't have to agree with everything that a main character does but we are on book 5 and Stevie is pulling the same shit. Garnered a big eye roll here. By the end I was actually semi invested on the relationship part and I feel personally attacked by the cliffhanger. It felt more like a gimmick to get me to pick up the next book than an actually good narrative tool.

An excellent follow-up to last year's THE BOX IN THE WOODS, Stevie Bell is back in NINE LIARS and has traveled to England to help solve a decades-old murder mystery at a large English estate.

I will say that I liked this slightly less than THE BOX IN THE WOODS but I can't quite put my finger on why. I think the EXTREMELY abrupt ending plays some part in that, however it also leaves me anxious for the follow-up in a way that TBITW did not.

Overall, a very enjoyable read that I absolutely FLEW through once I sat down with it. Maureen Johnson continues to excel at having believably snappy dialogue, but also manages to make teens-on-the-cusp-of-adulthood issues and anxieties relatable and understandable (especially impressive as I am now closing in on my fourth decade of life).

A highly recommended stand-alone title.

This was an enjoyable book and I was anxious to read it. There are a couple of editing errors in it still. I did not feel it was as interesting as the previous books in the series, but I enjoyed the addition of new characters and think my students will gobble it up.

This is a follow up to the Truly Devious series by Maureen Johnson. The author wanted to write an English manor mystery, so this time Stevie Bell and her friends are studying abroad in London. David is in college there now, and arranges for Stevie and her Ellingham Acadamy friends to join him there for a week. Of course Stevie finds herself immersed in a cold case involving the aunt of one of David's English friends. Back in 1995, when the aunt was just finishing her time at Cambridge, two of her friends were brutally murdered. All of her friends were there, and someone is lying about what they know. The murderer may still be around, and it's up to Stevie to piece together what happened back then in order to stop a possible murder now. This one was hard to put down!

Nine Liars is the fifth book in the Truly Devious Series. It takes place primarily in England with Stevie and the crew solving a Knives Out-esq cold case involving nine friends, an English countryside manor house, and a double ax murder. I've loved the previous four books in the series and was very excited that there was a fifth. I truly enjoyed this book and am very excited for the next one. For anyone who has, of course, enjoyed the previous books in the series, Good Girl's Guide to Murder and One of Us is Lying.

I haven't been able to read much this year. Not much sticks to my brain. One day I'll be a voracious reader again but current events have thrown me off-kilter.

This series is a favorite of mine, though, and I pushed myself to read it, knowing I would enjoy it. I certainly don't regret it.

In this book Stevie and her friends visit England for a whirlwind, 1-week study abroad. Stevie's boyfriend, David, is going to school there and makes the suggestion. Of course, because this is a murder mystery, Stevie is soon sidetracked trying to solve a murder from 1995 (and bringing her friends along for the ride).

Stevie has anxiety and so do I. Sometimes the anxiety on the page rubs off on me a little. I wouldn't really call this a problem--rather, clever writing-- but it is to be taken into consideration. Stevie doesn't always make the best decisions, but they're often interesting.

As ever, the heart of the series is Stevie and her friends. They may exasperate one another, but they care for each other very much. Their banter is quite funny.

Another murder solved. I look forward to the next in the series!

Another charming addition to the Truly Devious series.

Stevie and the gang are once again asked to help solve a cold case,which takes them across the "pond:,to England. As a bonus,for Stevie, David just happens to be there,too.

This installation has several characters, which didn't seem much of an obstacle once getting into the rhythm of the book.
I'd have preferred more dialogue from Janelle ,Vi and Nate. Honestly, Stevie reads a bit selfish in this book.
Unfortunately ,this may have led to a slight chasm between she and her bestie as well as she and her boyfriend.
While, I would not recommend this addition as one to readers unfamiliar with the series I would say it is a must read for those who enjoy the Truly Devious series and wish to keep up with these likeable characters.

I'd give a 31/2 if possible.

One thing about Maureen Johnson is she's going to create a good mystery in England. If you've read the Shades of London series, you're sure to recognize her skill of capturing the feel of London and its surrounding areas. I don't want to give away too much of the book, but imagine Clue meets Nancy Drew meets Truly Devious and you've got a good idea of what this book is about. I loved it, as I have loved all the Truly Devious books. Seeing Stevie's growth throughout the books has been one of my favorite parts of this series and I can't wait to see her come into herself more. She's my girl!!! I'll defend her until the end!! This will be the perfect book to cozy up with on a cold winter morning as you lose yourself in its mystery. READ IT! Talk to me about the ending!!!

Reads like a golden age mystery. I enjoyed it immensely and was astounded by the ending. Highly recommended.

Agatha Christie like mystery that I loved. I could not wait to solve the mystery and you won’t be able to either.

4.5⭐️
Initially, I was overwhelmed. The Nine were a lot to tackle. Not only did I keep flipping back to their introductions, but I also checked several times to make sure that this was indeed a Stevie Bell mystery. Soon enough, keeping the original cast + the newbies straight all became manageable (yes, even though we’re talking about roughly 15 characters).

I appreciated that while other cases (ie earlier books) were referenced, there were no giveaways, so going back to read them would still be an option.

The double timeline was made easier to follow with the separate sets of characters, but the overlap really drove the book. While Izzy was not my favorite catalyst, she was necessary to bridge the two generations.
I caught onto several nuiances necessary to unravel the mystery, but wasn’t quite able to put all the pieces together myself—which I loved!
The mix of history + mystery + love triangle + gory murder really does make the book appealing on multiple levels.

Minus -.5 stars for a) the all to convenient conclusion that wrapped up a little too simply and b) the slow start. However, I’m happy for the set up of yet another book and will continue to both read these myself and recommend them to others.

I’ll tell my students about: language, tobacco, drugs, alcohol, sex, gore/violence/murder, mental health, trauma, LQBTQIAP+

**Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for the free ARC prior to publication. All opinions expressed are my own.**

Nine Liars is great for lovers of mysteries set in Britain and cozy mysteries. Like all of Johnson's work, it is witty and the characters are appealing. It is part of the fantastic Truly Devious series, but Johnson does a masterful job avoiding even the slightest spoilers. I think other adult readers will enjoy it.

Fans of the previous Truly Devious books are sure to enjoy this continuation of Stevie Bell's adventures solving mysteries. In this one, Stevie, now a senior, goes with her friends on a trip to England for a week long study abroad program and they end up embroiled in a current missing persons case, which may or may not be connected to a murder that happened decades ago. Although the mystery has a satisfactory conclusion, the book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I assume there may be more Stevie Bell adventures in the future.

In book 5 of the Truly Devious series, Stevie Bell travels with her friends to London where her boyfriend, David, is currently going to school. As a senior, Stevie seems to be amiss between her boyfriend being abroad and all her friends focusing on their futures after Ellingham Academy. She needs focus. She has that itch. This trip will help and low and behold, she runs into an unsolved murder mystery from 1995. Through a friend of David's, Stevie learns that about the group of friends who believe a burglar killed their friends. However, one friend does not and as an avid researcher, she's been working out details...until she goes missing!
Told in alternating perspectives, the story provides the background of the group of friends; aka The Nine (hence Nine Liars) leading into the unsolved murder of two members of the friendship group. The story also not only provides Stevie's thought process on the unsolved mystery but also weaves in their trip to London, sights, smells, sounds, history as well as that awkwardness of young love and friendship. The story gives a rich understanding of the English countryside and keeps the reader guessing on the outcome. And of course, leaves an opening for book 6.
Maureen Johnson creates a rich story, highly entertaining keeping you at the edge of your seat. 5 stars. It does not disappoint. Thank you Netgallery.

I was so excited to see that there's a 5th book in the Truly Devious series. This latest book follows Stevie and her friends as they make their way over to London for a week. While there, Stevie finds herself involved in yet another murder mystery. I really enjoyed the story and that Maureen Johnson lets her characters grow up. Stevie is still herself but we get to see her become more like a teenager getting ready to head off to college.

This was a very fun book and I cannot wait for the sixth installment.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC of this book.

Stevie Bell is a mess and I love her for it. Loved this installment, but that ending!? HOW RUDE! Can't wait to see what happens next!

I am obsessed with this book. I read it in one sitting - I am a Truly Devious superfan, after all. I loved the setting. There were a lot of characters and with it being on Kindle it was hard to scroll back to their descriptions but it worked out in the end. I didn't like the cliffhanger because these are more of standalones so that was kind of strange but at least the teenagers started to act like teenagers and have teenager problems. I still don't like David and I love Nate's journey but still five stars all the way!!! Just wish they could've released it in fall.

When I requested this I had no idea it was part of the truly devious series, I just wanted it because Johnson writes such engaging books.

I wanted to like this more. I actually felt like the mystery took away from the story. I wanted so much more of Stevie and her personal relationships. And the end left me in a place that makes me so mad that I have to wait for the next book.

Maureen Johnson is PEAK writing with this series. I love every single character, the way the mysteries perfectly come together, the banter and writing style, and just generally everything about them. The English country manor mystery was so well done. I have nothing negative to say about this book. I am THRILLED she is obviously going to continue the series, even though the ending of this one was a bummer. 10/10 recommend.

Maureen Johnson has another blockbuster! We join Stevie Bell as she journeys to London to visit her boyfriend David with the gang in tow and to distract herself from her college applications as deadlines loom. Once there, Stevie meets David's friend, Izzy, and is draw in to help solve a cold case j of two college students killed with an axe. They were two of the group called The Nine. When Izzy's aunt disappears, the stakes now include another life. Will Stevie learn which of the Nine is the liar? Will they find Izzy's aunt in time? And what will happen with Stevie & David? So many twists, so many lies over so many years.