This was such a great, twisty, mystery, thriller! Kat's mom and Liam's dad are both con artists who were married briefly twelve years ago in Las Vegas. All four of them end up at a swanky party weekend in Maine, for very different reasons. Told in alternating perspectives between Kat and Liam, the reveals and twists will keep readers on the edge of their seats. If you like con game thrillers, you definitely want to read this! Highly recommended for grades 9 & up.

4.75 stars

A twisty heist-gone-wrong murder mystery to remember!

Kat's mom is pressured into pulling off one more job swiping a necklace for a jewel thief before getting their lives back on track. En route to the Sutherland estate, they run into Liam and his dad, who happens to have been wedded to Kat's mom for 48 hours several years back. When a member of the Sutherland family ends up murdered, Kat and Liam find themselves in the middle of the mystery.

I've loved every single McManus book I've read, and this is no exception. There are so many layers to this story. Kat and Liam each have their own traumas going on while exploring a sibling relationship that apparently never truly went away. The pacing was a little slow at the beginning, but it quickly ramps up and takes a whole lot of twists to get to the end. There's a little bit of queer romance (M/M) which I was happy with. I wish there had been an epilogue to explain what eventually happened to everyone, but maybe there's another book coming with the same characters?

Overall, I loved the book and would highly recommend to readers who enjoy YA thrillers, especially involving heists.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

This wasn't fast-paced, but it was still full of twists and turns, some more predictable than others - the end was certainly a surprise!
There's a large cast of characters, many of them unlikeable, though I did like Liam a lot! The family dynamics were very interesting, and the fact that these 2 con families with a connected past ended up at the same place, each trying to run their own con, was great.

A jewel thief with a teenage daughter decides to pull off one more heist for her mentor and boss before going straight. But things don't go as planned for Jaimie and Kat at the wealthy businessman's compound and instead of a jewelry heist ; one of the family members is murdered.

This plot has so many twists and turns with ex-spouses, con men, ex-prisoners and duplicitous family members all getting involved that reader's trying to solve the mysteries of who killed the relative, who actually has the stolen necklace and not the fake(s), and what family member was the inside source will be kept guessing until the very end.

The characters of Kat and Liam are well developed and readers can certainly understand the choices they make based on their histories.

3.5 stars rounded up.

Such Charming Liars has everything I have always loved about Karen M. McManus books: lovable characters with adorable bonds, a good mystery, multiple POVs, and lots of twists. I enjoyed the added layer of theft and con artists, making this truly a mystery rather than just a murder mystery, which was different from much of what I normally read and much appreciated.

I had a harder time getting into this book than I usually do with McManus's books. I think this was in part because there was A LOT going on, and it was difficult to keep track of all the plot points sometimes. We had multiple traumatic backstories, so many crimes, a ton of characters... It was a bit overwhelming when I usually go into YA books like this expecting easy entertainment. The pacing was also a bit strange because there was so much happening, and then the characters would remind us that it had only been one day.

However, I loved the ending of this book. There were so many things I didn't think were going to be resolved or wouldn't end up being relevant, but everything came together and wrapped up in a very dramatic, creative and satisfying way.

Kat and Liam have a past…albeit one from when they were just little kids, but when they run into each other at the Sutherland compound their pasts collide with their futures. Kat and her mom have been living with Gem, who isn’t really on the straight and narrow. Jamie, Kat’s mom is going to do one more job for her and then break away to give Kat a shot at a normal life. They didn’t expect to see Liam and his dad Luke at the location of the job. Things start going sideways right out of the gate and Liam and Lat must figure out how to…well, stay alive.

McManus is a hit for me every time. I love her writing style and how she weaves a story. This was no exception and I enjoyed all of it!

This was a fun read! I liked the heist-angle of the jewelry swap, and the mother/daughter dynamic. I think readers of all ages will enjoy this.

This twisty YA thriller is told in alternate viewpoints from Kat and Liam. She's sixteen; he's seventeen. They were stepbrother and stepsister for forty-eight hours when his scammer father married her mother. They separated when the two children got lost in Las Vegas when they were supposed to be under Liam's father's care. They haven't seen each other for the twelve years that passed since those events in Las Vegas.

Now, they are meeting again as Kat's mother Jamie is doing one last heist for her employer Gem before she retires to a legitimate life. Liam's father Luke has scammed his way into a relationship with Annalise Sutherland, youngest daughter of a billionaire. Jamie is at the estate to steal a priceless necklace as her ticket out of her life of crime.

Liam has only lived with his scamming father for some months, since his mother died in a car accident. He's determined to ruin any scam his father has in the works, but he isn't sure what to do about Annalise. He's even less sure when he reencounters Jamie and Kat because his actions could cause problems for the girl he thought of as his sister for a short time.

The story is full of twists including the death of one of the other Sutherland children. He's shot to death and found with a copy of the necklace Jamie was supposed to switch for a flawless duplicate. Kat witnesses the shooting but can't identify the shooter. But he's seen her and makes two attempts on her mother's life since he believes she was the witness.

Liam, Kat and Liam's new boyfriend Augustus Sutherland are all working to figure out what is going on. There seem to be too many necklaces and too many villains and nothing is clear about who killed Parker Sutherland.

I enjoyed this story and really liked the young characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book!

As a longtime fan of Karen McManus, I was so excited to read this! I really enjoyed the book, especially the heist/con elements of the story.

Kat and her mom, Jamie, plan to participate in one last heist and then leave that life for good. But, their plans are thrown into chaos when Jamie's ex-husband is present, someone is murdered, and then someone is trying to take them out of the equation for good. The story is fast-paced and fun, with lots of twists I did not predict! I will absolutely be buying a copy for my classroom library.

This book was such an amazing read. Karen McManus never ceases to tell a great story! This book kept me engaged from beginning to end. I know my students will love it

If you like this author, you'll probably enjoy this. There are a ton of twists and turns. We follow Kat, who has been living the grifting life with her mom for years and this is their last job. We also follow Liam, who was Kat's stepsister once but they haven't seen each other in years. He's stuck with his dad again now after his mom's death and his dad is not an honest man.

Lots of are they/aren't they in terms of who is being honest, who is playing others for a fool. Just enough action for my taste without being overwhelming. Lots of mysterious stuff with a tiny tiny hint of romance for fun, plus it's full of rich people which always adds some interest.

Oh my, what a ride this was. Once you get past the first 30% of this book, which admittedly was a bit slow, you will not want to put it down! I loved all of the complex twists and how multifaceted this story was. Fans of Karen McManus will love this one.

The story is told through the points of view of Kat and Liam. They were briefly step siblings when they were very young, but when they meet again as teenagers they find that the sibling bond still sort of remains. I loved both of these characters and adored how they looked out for each other. Kat has a lot of street smarts and is pretty good at figuring out solutions to all of the things that happen in the story, but she also makes a lot of bad decisions. But I still found myself rooting for her to get her act together, which she sort of does. Liam was adorable and goofy, but I loved how he wanted to protect everyone, especially from his father.

There is a light romance between Liam and Augustus, the grandson of the very rich Ross Sutherland. I loved the two of them together and adored watching them find their feelings for each other. I also loved how attached Augustus was to Kat and how willing he was to help her even when it meant uncovering some dark secrets about his family.

The adults in this book were too much. Almost all of them were morally gray and many of them showcased the worst in human behavior. I did really like Jamie, Kat’s mom. She was out to do what was right for her daughter, even when it meant breaking the law. Luke, Liam’s dad, was so unlikable that it was very easy to root for Liam’s antics in bringing down his scams. The Sutherlands were a bit on the caricature side, in that they all represented all of the bad things you always hear about the uber rich.

This plot was so full of well timed twists, many that I did not see coming. The beginning was a bit slow as the story is set up and we are introduced to all of the players, but once it takes off you are in for a rollercoaster ride. The writing is well done and I love how well Ms McManus is able to write such complex and multifaceted characters. The motivations and deceptions by the adults are slowly revealed throughout the story, and made it really hard to guess who was involved in the murder. The ending and the final twist were a bit rushed, and I felt like there just needed to be one more chapter to really give closer to the story.

Another great book by this author. If you are a fan than I don’t think you will be disappointed by this one. I really hope we get another book with this trio of characters. They are a lot of fun and I felt a bit of an attachment to them that I am not willing to let go yet. Highly recommend this one to those of you that enjoy thrillers.

This is the kind of book you DROP EVERYTHING AND READ for. In fact, that's just what I did only hours after getting it in my hands.
Kat, Liam, and Augustus are interesting characters and you want to stick around to see what will become of them as their story progresses.
The adult characters are intriguing as well.
This pacing and intrigue really drew you in to the story and left you wanting to figure out exactly what was going on.
I enjoyed the hours I spent with this book and think other YA readers will as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's | Delacorte Press for this ARC! "Such Charming Liars" by Karen M. McManus is a gripping young adult thriller that masterfully weaves suspense with complex character dynamics. The story centers on a group of teenagers entangled in secrets and lies, leading to a shocking mystery that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. McManus excels in creating multifaceted characters whose motivations and deceptions are gradually revealed, adding depth to the narrative. The plot is intricately crafted, with well-timed twists that maintain a high level of intrigue throughout. With its engaging writing style and a story that delves into the darker aspects of teenage life, "Such Charming Liars" is a compelling read that fans of McManus and the YA thriller genre will thoroughly enjoy.

Before I start this review, I want to say I am a Huge Karen M. McManus Fan. I have read all of her book! When I saw this book was coming out and was able to get a copy of the ARC, I was so excited! This was a slow burn; I was really trying to figure out what was going on what was going to happen. I was thrown off, but then thrown off again! It really starts to pick up mid book and you are just thrown down hill with one thing after another. You don't want it to stop but aren't sure if it will ever slow down.
Jamie is asked to do one more job, but Kat isn't going to let her mom go alone. Will they be able to complete the job and get out without any issues or will there be "chaos".
Luke is planned to go meet the family of his girlfriend, but Liam tags along to make sure his dad doesn't do anything stupid.
What is the worst that can happen when past meets present?
This book had a way of making me really rally for Jamie, then get so mad at Jamie to rally for her again. I love the bonds and friendship that were created and cared for during this book. Ugh Luke and Kat's relationship really just made me tear up. I really enjoyed the book.
I rated 3 stars, because it was a slow read for a while, I was like okay, so this is happening now what is next. Then once I got to the middle of the book and it really started picking up. I just was like what?!?!?!?! Start of the book is 3 and the end of the book is higher for sure! Honestly. It would be a 3.5 for me. The characters were well put together and created. They really draw you in and question everyone. Karen does it again!

#Netgally #ARC

Thank you to Karen M. McManus, Random House Children's, and NetGalley for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am a fan of many young adult thrillers, but I found this book to be much slower than I'm used to and I didn't find it very thrilling. It was hard to keep my attention focused on the story. There are many characters to keep track of and although some were very well developed, others I still don't feel like I really know anything about them. We learn a little bit about Jamie, Kat, Luke, and Liam's past as well as get to know the Southerlands, Gem, and Morgan. My favorite dynamic would be between Augustus, Kat, and Liam. I enjoyed seeing the challenges they faced and how it connected them far beyond just the current situation. I would say that it briefly picks up around 80% and that was the most exciting part of the book when most of all the action and twists takes place. And then that ending....well it just ends, abruptly. I'm assuming there will be a sequel, but the pace was so slow in this book that I'm not sure if I'd want to dive deeper, but on the other hand, a part of me still wants to know how it will all truly end. It has all the making of a great novel with theft, deception, secrets, murder, etc., it's just that the delivery I felt could have been done better. Overall it's a good read, just not my favorite. This book publishes July 30, 2024.

In “Such Charming Liars,” Kat and her mom decide to leave the Heist life. They’ve got to complete one more job and then they’re out. They’ve got to visit the Sutherland family estate during the patriarch’s elaborate birthday party to swap an expensive necklace. When the plan starts to go awry, Kat enlists the help of her long lost stepbrother. Did I mention that his dad is also a con-artist? This fast-paced story is thrilling, filled with murder and twists! I thought this book was different from McManus’ usual. It’s more of a thriller with some mystery, and I really enjoyed it!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Such Charming Liars is full of twists and turns. Just when you think you know what's going on, something else happens! I really enjoy a young adult mystery/thriller and Such Charming Liars is no exception.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children’s for an eARC.
Another amazing mystery thriller from Karen M. McManus. This one includes a heist, murder, and family drama. Kat and her mom get taken in years ago by a woman who runs many jewel heists. They want out and have one last heist to do. They need to switch out a necklace during a rich man’s birthday party. Things don’t go as planned and they run into the man Kat’s mom married in Vegas years ago along with his son, Liam. Kat and Liam along with rich boy Augustus band together to figure out what went wrong with the heist and why was someone murdered. Another great mystery that kept my entertained.

Such Charming Liars follows Kat whose mother Jamie who is a jewelry thief. They are doing one last job which is to steal from billionaire Ross Sutherland at his birthday party. While there the run into Liam who is Kat’s previous stepbrother. However Liam and Kat’s parents had a bad divorce. While at the party Ross gets murdered and now they are targeting Liam and Kat. They can’t trust anyone not even each other. Will the be able to make it out alive?

I am always excited when a new Karen M McManus has a new book out. She is one of my go to YA thriller authors. However, this was not her best book. I was entertained and wanted to keep reading. However this book did leave me bored. I feel like this book had a lot of different plot lines to keep up with and that did get confusing at times. But it was not a bad book. But I really like all of his authors other books, so this one didn’t seem to live up to my expectations the way the others did.