4.5 stars - Happy Pub Day!

Another great mystery and time spent with my new favorite murder-solving duo, Leo and Ffion. I am so happy I read The Last Party (the first in this series) before diving into this one because I had all the back story to fill out the previous encounters that were mentioned here in Book 2. Some of the things I love about this series: Great character development, learning a little about the Welsh language, the descriptions of the gorgeous scenery in Cwm Coed in Wales, our lead characters flirting on the edge of will they/won't they, excellent murder mystery setups with surprising reveals. Mackintosh has done so well with this series and that cliffhanger of an ending! I can NOT wait to read what will happen next.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

So happy to be back in this world! Setting and characters were just as immersive as book one, and I for one LOVED the reality show element. A solid mystery from one of the best writers we have!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me a digital ARC of the new book by an absolute favorite, Clare Mackintosh. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Let the games begin - on a Welsh mountaintop, seven hopefuls are competing to win a reality show. However, the game isn't what any of them expected when they signed on. Each of them are threatened with not only being eliminated but having their darkest secrets exposed live on air. What will they do to keep those secrets hidden? When one of the contestants goes missing, DC Morgan is called in to investigate.

I love everything Mackintosh writes and this one was no exception. This is the second in a series featuring DC Morgan, her former partner, Leo, and of course, Dave the dog. While you should definitely read The Last Party, this book could easily be read as a stand alone. You can cut the tension in this book with a knife - not only between the contestants and crew, but between Ffion and Leo as well. There are plenty of suspects and you'll be questioning everyone along with the detectives. Dave is a wonderful character (dogs are characters, right?) and adds some humor and levity to the book. Loved it - anxious for more in this series please!

Clare Mackintosh hooked me in with the first Detective Ffion Morgan book, The Last Party. The tiny Welsh village is the setting for another intriguing mystery, involving a reality tv show gone awry. The juxtaposition of the villagers and contestants, in one case one and the same, provides a solid background for Ffion's working and not-so-professional relationship with English DC Leo Brady as the two sort through clues and misdirections,

The series reminds me of a grittier version of Twin Pines (Louise Penny) with the same kind of deft character development.
So good. Bring me #3!.

Welcome back to the small Welsh town of Cwm Coed, where a new reality TV show called Exposure has just started filming. Contestants arrive expecting to brave the elements in a Survivor-type contest but are instead greeted by an exposure of a different kind: the possibility of having their deepest, darkest secrets exposed. Some contestants will go to any lengths to make sure their secrets stay hidden, and when a contestant goes missing, Detective Ffion Morgan and the local police department are on the case.

The second book in the DC Ffion Morgan series is really interesting and enjoyable. I loved the reality TV angle and the exploration of what some people will do to win, as well as the toll these types of shows can take on mental health. The premise of the show is cringe-inducing but just like a train wreck, I couldn’t look away! Ffion is a compelling character; snarky, chaotic, and willing to cut corners to get the job done but always with an eye on justice. This time, she’s joined by a stinky, needy foster dog named Dave and her old partner DS Leo Brady. This book is a great blend of suspense and police procedural with a bit of romantic tension. Although it doesn’t feature as much of the small town feel or the quirky residents of Cwm Coed as the first book did, it’s still plenty atmospheric and an overall good read. I hope there will be more books in the series to look forward to!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me an advance copy of this book.

7 people think they have signed up for a Survivor- like reality show. However one the cameras start filming they learn there is more to the show- everyone has a secret and they need to compete to keep their secret because someone's will be revealed each episode. But once this is revealed, once contestant goes missing. Det. Morgan is on the case but who can be trusted? And when someone ends up dead Ffion realizes the stakes are even higher than she thought.

I did not realize this was part of a series at first, but I was able to quickly read The Last Party before diving into this. I really enjoyed it I liked seeing the changes in characters since book 1. I loved this one and flew through it a lot faster than the first book. I hope there are more this series!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The hottest new reality show is currently filming- each stranger has a secret and can only be saved by revealing another contestants secret. In the first days a contestant goes missing and there are lots of reasons for him to disappear. Detective Morgan is called in to help find the missing contestant- but things only escalate on set.

The premise of this show is both intriguing and terrifying- it was an easy book to read quickly. I read this as a standalone novel, having not read the previous Detective Morgan books. I was quickly pulled into the game show hijinx and wanted to know how the story ended.

This is the first book I've read written by Clare Mackintosh. The second book in the DC Ffion Morgan series. It can be read as a standalone.

If you are a fan of reality television and murder mysteries, this book will likely be right up your alley. Set in the Welsh mountains, reality show contestants are unaware of what they’ve gotten themselves into. Secrets, lies and murder play a big part in this book. It reminds you that what you see isn’t always what you think it is. And what people will often do for money.

I enjoyed the story, although the Welsh lingo was a bit confusing for me at times, and there are a lot of characters to keep track of. Add this book to your list of summer thrillers.

Thanks to Sourcebooks, Cindy Burnett, Thoughts From a Page, and NetGalley, for the advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

CW | Contains scattered strong profanity. Innuendo and a few crude conversations.

And the award for greatest beginning AND ending EVER goes toooooo........... Any story that begins with fart jokes has my undivided attention. OH, how I love this series!!! Ffion is just so amazingly flawed, and Leo and George are the best characters! And Dave and... I could go on and on! I am begging the author to not stop at just 2 books!! Ffion has a lot of life left! But anyway, about the story. Contestants gather near Cwn Coed for a new reality show, Exposure. The premise sounds like the worst idea ever and I am actually surprised no one has thought of it in real life but anyway... the idea is to gather a group then one by one eliminate them by publicly revealing a deep secret about that person! Great idea, right? A dead body and mayhem ensue, and it is Ffion to the rescue! I couldn't put this one down and may have liked it even more than the first one! Clare Mackintosh can do no wrong! And once again, please, please, oh please continue this series!

Thank you to #Netgalley, Clare Mackintosh and for this much appreciated ARC! All opinions are my own.

I should have paid more attention. This is another reality tv show book and I lost interest about 30% into it.
I won't finish it as I just don't like it. I'm not enjoying it at all.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh is the second in her DC Morgan mystery series. In this installment, a reality show is being filmed in the Welsh mountains near DC Morgan’s home. At the start of filming one contestant disappears and a producer is murdered. As DC Morgan works to assist in solving the crime she discovers that many things at the reality show are not as they first appear.

This book had some interesting takes on the reality show plot that has cropped up recently. This particular book had a large cast of characters which took some time to keep straight. Overall an enjoyable read, especially for those who read the first in the series.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Clare Mackintosh for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for A Game of Lies coming out April 23, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed the first book, so I was excited to receive this book from NetGalley. I love that the story is set in Wales. The plot was really interesting to me. I enjoy game shows where the contestants have to compete and then something sinister happens. I’ve read quite a few books with that set up. Ffion is a strong character and she always works hard to solve the cases. If this was made into a tv show, I’d definitely watch it.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys procedural detective stories!

This writer is such an amazing person.I like how she also put welsh words into the book. This was a true crime story and it was really interesting.How this took place in a little welsh town. The title says it all the game of lives. It was based on a TV show called exposed. And all these people wanted to go on this show, but they thought it was like survival type. Things little did they know. It was about exposing people's secrets to the world.. M I M l e s was the producer of the show. He hired a security guard named dave who was supposed to keep the contest contest in the camp. These people would all sit around and discuss things.And then if they felt there was that telling the truth , they were going to the confession type room to see who was telling what. The first contest Ryan Gary was exposed and he was very upset and he took off through the mountains in wilsh.. Detective, Game was a woman named f. F. ION which is a Welsh name. She lived in this town with her sister and her mother. She had a fail marriage as well and she felt her detective named leo who worked on another murder case in this tow Things got really crazy and she had Dog, who always seemed to get into trouble because he wanted to To be with there all the time. The second murder was based on the producer who was murdered and it was really interesting how they went about trying to solve this murder. One of the contestants name. Henry had a very interesting background and you'll find out what really happened with this character in the book. Everybody had secrets and this was a small town.Everybody kind of knew everybody's business. The detective's husband was also somehow Link to this as well. Everybody wanted the box with the secrets in it and this was really interesting.How people really were trying to do this but everybody had a past. It's a great book because everything was tied in and you could see how things were moving around on this book

A GAME OF LIES by Clare Mackintosh is the second book in the Detective Ffion Morgan series, and, like everything else Ms. Mackintosh writes, it is outstanding. Ffion is such a great character. She is most definitely not your ordinary detective hero. She is as quick to anger as she is to ignore orders and flout the rules. She is more likely to protect a friend than to follow procedure. She’s rough in appearance and manner, foul-mouthed enough to make a sailor blush, and I love everything about her. In this second book, we also meet Dave. I love Dave. Dave is the best character in the series. All books need a Dave in them.

When you have such great characters as Ffion and Dave, the murder mystery almost takes a backseat to their antics. Ms. Mackintosh is able to keep her characters under control long enough to highlight the exploitive nature of reality TV shows and pop culture media. The murder itself is chilling, not because someone kills someone else but because of the reasons why.

In A GAME OF LIES, Ms. Mackintosh takes the premise of a locked room murder mystery and modernizes it, complete with 24/7 surveillance and near constant social media coverage. Combined with Ffion’s rough and ready approach to mystery solving, and Dave, and you have another excellent mystery/thriller by one of the best in the business!

A Game of Lies
by Clare Mackintosh
Pub Date: Apr 23 2024

A Game of Lies is a book about seven TV contestants who become suspects in a murder. Not a reality show but an exposure show. It was an excellent book.

I enjoyed the premise of the book, although it did go a bit slow at times. I did not read book 1, The Last Party, but I do feel this book, A Game of Lies could be read as a stand alone. Although a third book is coming out soon so you may want to catch up on both books!

Many thanks to #NetGalley, #AGameOfLies and #SourcebooksLandmark for providing me with an E-ARC of this book.

I was so excited to see there was another book in the DC Morgan book series out for review! I enjoyed the first book in the series, The Last Party, and couldn't wait to read A Game of Lies. This book does not disappoint!

The contestants signed up to be on a reality show. They were excited to participate and hopefully, fingers crossed, win the cash prize! But did they read the fine print??????? Nope! When they arrive and start filming, they are all shocked to learn that this show was about secrets - their deepest darkest secrets. The very ones that they don't want anyone to know! If they win, their secret remains a secret!

After a contestant goes missing, Detective Ffion Morgan is called in to investigate. Soon DS Leo Brady is called in to assist in the investigation as well. If you have read the first book in the series, The Last Party, you will recognize both and know of their connection to each other.

I found this book to be an enjoyable whodunit it with many suspects, a loveable dog named Dave, and tension galore. I enjoyed putting on my super sleuth hat and trying to figure out whodunit. Plus, I loved seeing Ffion and Leo together again. There is so much tension there. Ffion is a great character who is strong, fierce, yet doesn't like letting people get close to her. Leo is likeable, smart, and knows what he wants.

With so many suspects, the investigative team has their work cut out for them. I enjoyed reading about their investigative work, banter, and learning the secrets of the contestants.

I found this book to be well written, well thought out, and gripping. It has a nice number of twists and reveals which kept my pages turning and my interest piqued.

I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Seven contestants are secluded in the Welsh mountains for a reality show. Each contestant has a secret, and it is up to the other contestants to try to figure out what their secret is and "out" them in front of the cameras. The catch - if they guess wrong, they are put in a chamber with whatever their biggest fear is and have to stay there for several minutes. The only way to get out before the allotted time is to confess their own secret. When one of the contestants disappears, the police are called in to help to look for him, Then, someone is murdered and it is up to Detective Ffion Morgan to figure out which contestant had a secret worth killing over.

This book was right up my alley. I admit it - reality shows are my guilty pleasure. So I was completely invested from the very beginning. Even though none of the contestants were particularly likeable, I thoroughly enjoyed learning everyone's secret and the scenes with the confession tank made my skin crawl. If you are a fan of mysteries, then you should definitely check this one out!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second in the DC Morgan series by the author and it does not disappoint!

Seven reality TV show contestants signed up for a Survivor-esque adventure quickly discover that they have been lied too. This show will expose their deep, dark, secrets and their fears of having their biggest secret revealed leads to murder.

Enter DC Morgan! We meet Ffion’s new partner, a transfer in named Georgina (George) who is tight lipped about her past, and Ffion’s new rescue dog, Dave who suffers from separation anxiety and flatulence, which adds a bit of humor.

This is a slow burn tale thick with suspense and tension as the story progresses. Also, the author does an excellent job of transporting the reader to the Welsh mountains!

Highly recommend!

A Game of Lies is the second book in the series of Detective Ffion Morgan that explores the twisty world of reality tv. Set in the Welsh mountains on the border of England, seven contestants join the show Exposures not realizing that their secrets will be exposed and guessed by the other players live on the air. In addition to the already tense environment , one of the contestants goes missing so the police are called in to investigate. Quickly the situation escalates and now Ffion must navigate a toxic set with untrustworthy suspects with a murderer among them.

Read this if you like:
-toxic reality show trope
-secrets and lies with hidden agendas
-multiple POVs with police procedural
-twists and turns with tension filled environment
-unlikeable characters
-snippets of humour
-satisfying ending

My rating 4 out of 5

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this eARC that will be released April 23 2024.

Compared to other books by Clare Mackintosh, A Game of Lies fell a bit flat for me. The premise is interesting: a group of people are recruited for what they believe is a Survivor-style competition show, but they soon find out that they have actually been brought together by something entirely different. Rather than competing to survive in the Welsh countryside, they are competing to reveal the secrets of their castmates. How far will some people go to keep their skeletons firmly in the closet? I was hooked on the premise, but A Game of Lies was very slow to start and lacked the typical character development that Mackintosh includes in her other works. The final quarter of the book was more along the lines of what I'd expect from Mackintosh, but the first 75% dragged for me. In the acknowledgements, she actually comments that writing a series (this is the second in her DC Morgan series) is very different from standalone books, so maybe that is the difference here.