I love this series and this next book did not disappoint! Not only was there an engaging mystery but the characters grew & revealed more of themselves. I love the honesty & authentic way the teens are portrayed along with being inclusive & caring.

It was great fun to hang with Stevie & the gang again, this time in the U.K.

I loved the original trilogy where Stevie solved the Ellingham mystery, and the summer camp mystery from book 4 felt like an organic way for the group to gather again. At first it felt slightly contrived to have the whole group go to London, ostensibly for a short study abroad, only to have the trip waylaid by an unsolved murder. However, it ended up working out plot-wise, and allowed for character growth for various members of the group.

The mystery itself was interesting, and while I quickly narrowed the possible suspects down to four people (including the person who is ultimately revealed to be the killer), it was not apparent until the very end who it was.

The ending was a bit abrupt, with a few loose strings, which is mildly frustrating but also promising, as it means another installment in the series is likely forthcoming. We’ve done the boarding school murder mystery, the summer camp murder mystery, and now the English manor house murder mystery. What awaits us in the next book…?

I just don't know about this one. On one hand, I really enjoyed Stevie's character growth (we aren't in high school for forever after all, and it's good that Johnson is letting her characters change and grow). On the other hand, there was just so much going on that I lost track of the plot at points and couldn't remember what was going on. There's too many main characters to focus on and I often found myself trying to remember who was who and who belonged in what timeline.

This definitely felt more like a Stevie book to me then The Box in the Woods, but like that book, there was a lot of flaws and questions I had left at the end of journey. To be honest, I'm not sure if Johnson left enough clues to figure out who committed the murders. Up until the killer was revealed, I honestly didn't have a clue. Which is sort of fine, but as a person who enjoys solving the crime with the characters, it's not really fair that I don't have all the pieces.

It's a solid entry into the Truly Devious series, which readers will enjoy (if nothing else for the relationships between the main characters), but as a mystery, it's a bit lacking.

I'd like to thank Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Nine Liars" in the upcoming release in the 'Truly Devious' mystery series following teenage sleuth, Stevie Bell. Slated to drop in December of this year, it's a shame it didn't drop before the autumnal season. It fits that time of year so perfectly.

Unfortunately, for me, this mystery wasn't as riveting as the ones before. It feels bogged down with so many other things that detract entirely from the mystery that Stevie is confronted with. Stevie is faced with the challenge of figuring out where to go after graduation, and her core group of friends kick around the idea of applications frequently. As much as this is relatable to the target audience, you can only read about it so many times before it feels like overkill.

Another thing that took away from the mystery was the setting. Since this book takes place in London, we get a lot of detail of tourist stops and what they did there. This slows the pace down glacially in the first half of the book. Normally, I find these books hard to put aside, but with this one, I didn't mind at all.

The worst part of the book for me was the ongoing drama with David that consumed the narrative entirely. The back and forth of the will they/won't they was annoying. In fact, Stevie's obsession with David just felt like a major de-evolution of her character. She becomes an unfocused void where a person used to be, unable to function because she is so focused on him. Like, he's not that great.

Once Stevie finally got the mystery, I was intrigued, and it felt more like what I was used to. It took so long in the book to get there however that the payoff wasn't really worth it. Of course, the ending, which should have felt triumphant was once again derailed by David, leaving us on a cliffhanger that I couldn't care less about.

Hopefully the next one is better and allows for Stevie to grow and focus on herself and her friends, who were sorely shafted in this book.

YA books with drug references, profanity, or sexual promiscuity typically turn me off, but Maureen Johnson can weave a tale like few authors in contemporary times, and she pulls me in with every story. She plants her stories firmly in the YA market, pushing the envelope with references to drugs, alcohol, sex, and profanity, and many YA readers will feel the authenticity and acceptance in Nine Liars.

Fans of the Truly Devious stories will be thrilled to reunite with Stevie Bell, but even those new to Johnson's fiction will fall happily into this story. Stevie is a student at a quirky private school in Vermont, but she and her friends take a study abroad week in London so Stevie can see her boyfriend David, an alum of the same school. While there, Stevie is pulled into a bizarre mystery. David's friend has an aunt who was a part of an unsolved murder in 1995, and everyone wants Stevie's take on the story because of her success solving other murder mysteries back home. After meeting Stevie, the aunt goes missing, and Stevie and her friends are pulled into the tight-knit friend group of The Nine, a group of friends who have been together since college and who have been joined even more tightly since the murders of two of the group at the lush country house where they celebrated their graduation. As Stevie collects the scraps and bits of the story, she stirs up dangerous secrets and uncovers lies long hidden. While she may solve the mystery, she may also lose her friends, her boyfriend, and her standing at school.

Johnson is a plotter extraordinaire, planting small details that ALWAYS come back around. Her characterizations are spot-on, allowing readers to know her characters and care about them, even as they stumble and blunder and fail. Through her characters, Johnson blends realistic references to anxiety disorders, family trauma, the inability to fit in, and the quest for belonging. While readers will love her plots, they should also be prepared for many references to current social issues like asexuality, non-binary identities, queer relationships, and the changing world of today. While these topics make the novel difficult to use in a classroom, the story will engross readers and make them fans of Johnson's mysteries, plots, and characters.

So so so good. Except the last paragraph. That made me so mad. However the mystery was great. I, once again, did not figure it out. Can’t wait for the next one

I was provided a free digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you're familiar with Maureen Johnson's Truly Devious series, then the format of this book will be familiar to you: everything begins with a story that sets the stage for the mystery at the center of the novel, and then we jump into life at Ellingham with Stevie and her friends. This time, however, Johnson takes us across the pond for a countryside manor mystery and plenty of London history.

Personally, I liked this mystery the best out of all the ones that Stevie has solved, especially because there are essentially two mysteries happening. It felt more connected, thematically, to the issues Stevie and her friends face in the story. Speaking of these issues, although I grew so frustrated with Stevie and the choices she continued to make in this novel, I wasn't really surprised by them because they are definitely in keeping with her character. In fact, I might like this novel best of all the books in the series because of Stevie's character arc and because of the place where this group of friends find themselves at this moment in their lives.

This is a fun series, with a great mix of mystery and relationships, and for me, this installment is the best of the five.

Maureen Johnson's latest Stevie Bell mystery does not disappoint. Tension builds as Stevie convinces her headmaster to allow her to travel with friends to London for a week's immersion. Thanks to David, she meets a girl named Izzy with a mystery to solve: in the 90s two of her aunt's best friends were murdered on a group vacation. There was an explanation, but it never satisfied Izzy's aunt. When she goes missing, Stevie has to decide what to next and deal with the consequences of that decision.

There aren't many things more delightful to me than a new Maureen Johnson book. This one was an unexpected surprise! It was wonderful to revisit all of the members of the found family central to the Truly Devious series. The English setting, the country manor murder, and the hint of teen romance possibly going amok made for a delicious read. I devoured it in a day and am bereft that it is over so soon. If you enjoyed the previous books this one will be a welcome return to Stevie and co. and the humor and suspense we know and love.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the advance copy of Nine Liars! Though I don't think this is the strongest of Stevie's stories, it did capture my attention and keep it throughout the course of the book. I was fairly certain I had the crime solved fairly early, and I was only off about one thing. However, it was the deeper look into Stevie's relationships and her struggle to move into a place where she wouldn't see her found family every day that really drew me in. Overall, a solid read that my Truly Devious fans will be excited to find!

After a misstep (in my opinion) with the last Stevie Bell book, this one returns to the hallmarks of the original series I loved. The only thing I didn't love about this one is that it ended and I have to wait awhile til the next one (there's going to be a next one right?!)!

Another Truly Devious mystery. This time Stevie and her friends travel to England to solve a double homicide from the 1990s. For about half of the book, the murder takes a very backseat to teen drama, relationships, and college anxiety...but then it picks up and drives all the way to the end. Definitely recommended for fans of the series.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Childrens Books for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I love Stevie and the mysteries she solves! Nine Liars is my favorite one so far! Stevie is missing David while he’s in London. David convinces her to do a study abroad with their friends. While in London David’s friend asks for Stevie’s help. Her aunt was involved in a cold case, 9 friends go to the countryside only some of them survive. Is this a classic case of burglary or do the nine know more then they have said? I enjoyed Stevie getting to see another place, the references to London and England were fun! There were twists and turns, plenty of intrigue, and this mystery was deeply personal! I of course loved Nate, Vi, Janelle, and David as always! I also enjoyed the nines backstory they were all very interesting characters! Izzy was also a really fun addition to the group! And the ending left me heartbroken! There has to be a sixth book! An enjoyable mystery that I couldn’t put down! Highly recommend if you like mysteries, especially if you have enjoyed Stevie’s journeys from the beginning! Can’t wait to read it again!

Nine Liars is another entry in the Stevie Bell saga, following our favorite sleuth and her friends across the pond to a new, London setting. In comparison to the previous books, the mystery component of this book felt much lower compared to the interpersonal conflicts. It’s refreshing to see more of the friendship dynamics at play in this book, while most of the mystery plays out in flashback chapters. The nod to a locked house mystery will delight any readers of classic mysteries and the week-long deadline will hook reads who love suspense. All together, this is a great addition to the Stevie Bell universe and it leaves reads waiting eagerly for the next book!

4 stars for the latest installment of the "Truly Devious" series, "Nine Liars"!!! Have read and really enjoyed them all, and this latest is no exception, with the friends getting more mature as we go. This time, Stevie Bell & the gang investigate a 90's cold-case in England at Cambridge, since her bf David is studying in England. Enjoyed the time-lines a lot more in this one and of course, the author's well-known shock twists. I voluntarily read and reviewed a gifted DRC from the publisher & NetGalley and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Having not read all of the previous books in this series I thought I would be lost but that was certainly not the case. This was a fun romp through London and the English countryside as Stevie attempts to solve a murder from 1995, find a missing aunt AND spend time with her long distance (but now right in front of her) boyfriend! The Nine were a group of inseparable friends in 1995, they lived, worked and lived together. Their dynamic was a unique one and that all changed when two of them were killed during a game of hide n seek. All these years later some thing unsettle Izzy’s aunt and she is determined to find out the truth, possibly with Stevie’s help. This book was fun, if a bit long, and gave lots of details leading to the solving of the murder.

Very fun read with a clever mystery and likable characters! Although this is a continuation of the Truly Devious world, Nine Liars will definitely appeal to new readers since it’s a standalone story which gives plenty of context for past backstory. With that being said, it did take me some time to get into the past setting since it was so front heavy in the book and didn’t really set up why so much time was taking place there. Also, because of this, it was at times difficult to keep track of the many characters who were part of the mystery. But once Stevie and her friends are on the case the story picked up pace and came together in really clever ways.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC of this title.

Stevie Bell is back! And she’s in London! (I follow Maureen Johnson on Twitter and know she has ties to England; I’ve been waiting for a TD novel set in England!)

Stevie, Nate, Janelle, and Vi convince Dr. Quinn that they should be allowed to do a study abroad trip for a week in London - where David is studying. Of course, Stevie crosses paths with someone who wants her to solve a murder, this time from 1995. Stevie is really feeling the pressure of being The Girl Who Solves Murders, so this book dives into her dealing with that and how it’s affecting her mental health.

Another solid addition to the Truly Devious series. I admit I had to read the big reveal a few times to try to understand how Stevie figured it out. It seemed like a teeny tiny bit of a mental stretch to me (I’m still a bit confused about one or two details), but I rolled with it and overall enjoyed the book.

And the last page…..I think people are going to have a lot of feelings about that!!!

If you like the series, you will definitely want to read this book. If you haven’t read the series, I definitely recommend starting with book one and giving it a try!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I love Stevie Bell adventures and this is just so perfect. I could not put it down. I was so happy to be back with the gang. This gave me dark academia vibes and I am so here for it. If you are a Stevie and the gang fan read this book.

I read the other books in this series and was excited for this book, but it fell flat for me. I don't know if my mood wasn't conducive to this book or if the story wasn't that great, but compared to the other books in this series, I was a bit disappointed.

Pros:
The mystery was very intriguing. Unlike the other mysteries that Stevie solved, this one had basically no clues, which made it more interesting to see how she would solve it without any familiarity.
I liked the representation of ace individuals with Nate.
I didn't see it coming when Stevie figured out who the killer was. I was very surprised.

Cons:
Stevie seemed more disoriented, disorganized, and all around dysfunctional in this book. She seemed to barely be engaging at school, the fact that she couldn't even dress herself besides a black hoodie was alarming, and no sense of planning for the future. It was just unappealing that Stevie is almost an adult and seems to have decided that if she isn't solving a murder she basically will act like a useless blob.
There was too much descriptions of scenery and the setting in this book. I had to skim several sections because it just went on and on. I get wanting to set the scene for the reader but this was too much. Most of this book barely felt like a mystery and felt like an in-between transition for Stevie and the characters.
Stevie acted so selfishly in this book. Her complete disregard for her friends and their plans for what they were going to do in England was ridiculous. She lied to them knowing that it was putting everyone in jeopardy with the school.
The group was in England for 7 days. During this time Stevie managed to solve a case that had no evidence. This was just really unrealistic and felt like a stretch. Stevie was good at solving cases in the other books but at least she had time and evidence. This time there was nothing to suggest she would be able to solve this case and somehow she did.
All the stuff with David and the will-they-won't-they was unnecessary. Also, the ending and the cliffhanger was not needed.

Overall, this was an okay book. The biggest redeeming quality and what kept me from taking off another star is how surprising it was when Stevie caught the killer. However, many aspects of this book felt unnecessary and like the author was trying to create a transition for the next book(s). I also don't understand why this book ended on a cliffhanger.