This book started out so great, and then it got a little slow. But about a little over halfway through, it picked back up again, and then I could not put it down. I honestly did not predict the twist at the end like I did other pieces of the story. I think it’s a solid 3.5, but I rounded up to 4.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the eArc.

Karen McManus does it again! Such Charming Liars starts off centering around a jewelry heist, but soon evolves into a fast past mystery. There are many twists and turns that left me guessing until the very end. I also loved the romance side story. Overall, this was a fun YA mystery that I would recommend to any mystery lover. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Karen McManus strikes gold again with this gripping thriller! As a devoted fan of her work, I couldn't resist diving into this captivating tale. But don't be fooled – you don't have to be a YA enthusiast to appreciate the sheer brilliance of this story. With a fantastic setting and an intricately woven plot, McManus proves once more that she's a master storyteller. What starts as a tale of jewel thieves quickly evolves into a mind-bending mystery, filled with twists and turns that will leave you on the edge of your seat. The characters, particularly Kat, Liam, and their friend Augustus, are expertly crafted, drawing you deeper into their world with every page. McManus's signature style shines through, delivering a narrative that's as unpredictable as it is riveting. Prepare to be swept away on a thrilling journey that will keep you guessing until the very end.

I thoroughly enjoyed Karen McManus's One of Us Is Lying series, so I was excited to get a chance to read an advanced copy of her latest book, Such Charming Liars. Kat and Liam are stepsiblings from a brief and tumultuous relationship, but they haven't spoken since their parents' marriage in Vegas when they were kids. Kat's Mom, Jamie, resorted to a life as a thief to make ends meet and has one final job before she can start her life as an accountant and create a more stable environment for her daughter. All she needs to do is steal a necklace at a billionaire's birthday party... what could go wrong? Kat is reunited with Liam and his Dad - a scam artist on his own job to marry into the Sutherland wealth. In classic McManus fashion, things do NOT go to plan, and Kat and Liam are caught in the middle of a deadly game. I thought that murder on a family compound was an interesting plot idea, and I liked the dynamic of Kat and Jamie. However, this book did not read as easily as some of McManus's previous books. I still enjoyed it, but it lacked some of her usual magic. Thanks to Delacorte Press and Netgalley for an opportunity to read and review this book!

Karen M. McManus always does a great job in writing a great mystery novel. This had those elements that I enjoyed and thought it worked well with the concept. It had that suspenseful atmosphere that I was looking for and enjoyed from the genre and from Karen M. McManus. It had that feel that I was looking for and the characters felt like they were supposed to be in this universe.

YA mystery ..a heist that goes wrong in every direction with more players in the game than the game makers themselves even know!
Told in 2 perspectives---First, Kat, who has been raised not only by a single mother, but also a woman (Gem) that runs a bait and switch operation to cash in on hot commodities; jewels in particular. She is 16 and has known no other life, except for the memories of an abusive dad and being left in Vegas, her mother's worse mistake. Second, Liam--a teenage boy who is dealing with the lost of his mother while now having to live with his con-artist father, who does not care about him. Liam make sit a habit to thwart his father's deceptions on unknowing women. Fun fact--these 2 were "step" siblings in Vegas. Liam's father, Luke, is who Kat's mother, Jamie, ran off with.
Jamie, wants to go legit and leave the life of a thief behind..one last job--swap the bejeweled necklace with the fake of a very wealthy family. Kat weasels her way into this one last job, tire trouble on the way there, strangely running into Luke & Liam (though Kat doesn't realize who they are) and it all goes downhill from there. From bringing attention to themselves, a death on the property, a random man out to get them, and how many bejeweled necklaces are out there?! Kat will need to lean on Liam, as well as Liam's new friend, Augustus, ironically the nephew of the heist mark) there is too much going on and she doesn't know how to handle it all by herself. The unlikely trio has formed. I have to say I adored Augustus--yes, rich and all that goes with it but he is often left out of family business. Love his nickname for Kat! He takes all this CHAOS in stride. Though, I LOVE all the stories form Karen McManus, Technically going with 4 1/2 stars (but rounding up to the 5) as there weren't as many "didn't see that coming" moments. There are those moments but I want more ! Nonetheless, still a winner! The story was smart and the ending (as always) is a good one.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press for sharing the digital copy. :):)

This book was chaotic and unbelievable in the best way. It started off slow for me, but once I got a few chapters in, I was totally immersed. The characters are likable, although I found them to be overall underdeveloped. They serve their purpose, though. Admittedly, as a reader, you have to suspend some logic and just take the chaos for what it is. Young adult or teenage readers will enjoy this rollercoaster of a story.

YA mystery queen McManus returns with a twisty thriller that you simply cannot put down. From the first chapter, you're hooked, drawn into the lives of professional grifters and a web of schemes that entangles you until you piece together the intricate puzzle. It’s a smart, extremely wild ride, stunningly riveting—a standalone after the 'One of Us is Lying' series. Honestly, this is the best standalone thriller the author has created so far. With heart-throbbing pacing and a well-executed mystery that keeps you guessing who the ringmaster is until the end!

The only thing that held me back from giving it five stars was Kat’s far-fetched mistakes at the beginning of the story. They made me want to bang my head against the wall as I screamed, 'This is so stupid! What the hell is she thinking?' I understand that the character is only 16 and she just wanted to protect her loved ones, having been raised by a thief and honing many skills, but some of her actions seriously made my eyes roll. It took too much time (nearly the last third) to tolerate her. The main problem of the book is that, instead of Liam—who is a sweet pie, naive but kind-hearted—being my only favorite character. Especially the Sutherland clan, and of course Luke, the father of the year, are hardly likable. At least, the fact that the author named the family after Ross Sutherland helped me cast the characters in my mind and imagine Ross Sutherland as Donald Sutherland, which made things easier. This book would be a great choice to adapt into a series, and he's also a great actor to play the role.

The story is narrated by two step-siblings: Kat, sixteen, daughter of Jamie, a thief, 34, escaping from a dark past to get recruited by a handful of grifter Gem for years, until she tries to leave her position for a legitimate accountant job. Before getting it, she promises to do her last job for Gem, which requires her to attend the Sutherland compound weekend gathering to celebrate billionaire Ross Sutherland’s birthday party with the entire family: two daughters, two sons, and one grandson. Jamie will act as one of the servers at the event, replacing Annalise Sutherland’s famous Ruby necklace with a replica and then vanish into the air. Easy peasy. But this plan is doomed to fail when Kat decides to join her mom to protect her back as a team, as she's been doing for years, and they realize that Jamie's ex husband ( separated after 48 hours long marriage) Luke, whom she met in Vegas 12 years ago, decides to join the celebration as Annalise's boyfriend alongside his son, Liam, who is reluctantly living with his conman dad after his mother’s sudden demise, joining him to look after Annalise to make sure she doesn't become one of his father's victims.

When her mother deals with unexpected health issues, Kat finds herself in a spot where she’s the person conducting the entire robbery, guiltily manipulating her step-brother Liam for her plans. But when Annalise's young cousin, whom Liam may have a crush on, gets suspicious about her actions and one of the family members gets killed in front of Kat, she realizes she’s not the manipulative queen she considers herself to be. She becomes another sacrificial pawn in a very dangerous game. Who can she trust when everybody lies to her?

Overall, especially the last third of the book, was mind-spinning, intelligently written, and addictive. I predicted most of the twists, but they were still well-plotted and smart. I highly recommend this book for YA thriller lovers and devoted fans of McManus.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press for sharing the digital copy of one of the most anticipated thrillers of the year in exchange for my honest review, which is highly appreciated.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Random House, and Delacorte Press for the ARC!

Such Charming Liars brings us another dual-POV story, which I think has become McManus’ signature. We meet Kat and Liam, who are step siblings via a quickie 48-hour Vegas marriage between their parents that happened over 12 years ago. We learn now that Jamie, Kat’s mom, works as an accountant for a family friend who secretly runs a shady business that Jamie is finally trying to remove herself and Kat from. And Liam’s dad, Luke, is a con man catfishing women online for money through dating sites.

They run into each other as they (plus their parents) are making their way to the Sutherland compound for a weekend event. Liam’s father is dating a member of the Sutherland family; while Kat’s mom is working the weekend as a cover for her final heist job. Of course, the reuniting of the families is not a joyful one.

When Jamie gets sick, Kat takes her place, and she and Liam (and the only teenage Sutherland, Augustus) find themselves not only in the middle of a murder case, but they have to deal with the heist Kat was supposed to execute, as well as a mysterious attacker that keeps coming for the out of commission Jamie.

I actually read this book in a day; I am a big fan of Karen McManus, and her books are often too good to put down. I think Liars is absolutely in that category; as usual, McManus gives us such fleshed out protagonists in Liam and Kat, as well as Augustus, who feels just as much a protagonist as the other two. Luke and Jamie are given depth, and their relationship takes shape quickly as you learn about their two day marriage.

McManus continues to do such beautiful work with her imagery; as a New Englander, I’m familiar with many of the places her stories are set/inspired by, but I still think she is especially great at detail and description when it comes to setting a scene.

Overall, I really liked the story! I enjoyed the more criminal aspects of this book, which made it feel a bit different than her other works, and I’d gladly read it again when it’s officially released.

Such Charming Liars is another EXCELLENT thriller from the amazing Karen M. McManus! I read this in one sitting and had a very hard time putting it down! I own all her books and can't wait to add a physical copy to my shelves come July!

Another thrilling page turner from Karen M. McManus! She never disappoints! Theee is never a dull moment with Kat, Liam and Augustus! Through all their adventures family and friendship is at the heart of this intense novel. My high school and middle school students will love it!! I’m sad they will have to wait until next school year!

Karen McManus books are popular at my library workplace, and I have no doubt this one will be as well. I enjoyed SUCH CHARMING LIARS a lot. It reminded me a bit of Tess Sharpe's recent book (The Girls I've Been) with con artistry, but it had the twist of former stepsiblings! Liam and Kat had distinct voices and stories and I enjoyed them both. (Sometimes Liam a little bit more than Kat but, ha, don't tell her) As usual, because I'm a good (aka terrible) mystery reader, I didn't guess the twists.

I will read anything by Karen McManus, so I eagerly grabbed Such Charming Liars.

This is the story of Kat and her mother--who are both skilled thieves. On the job that is supposed to be thier last, they encounter people from thier past lives. How can they pull this job off without being exposed?

There's a lovely story line of a brother/sister relationship as well as a romantic twist. Suspense was solid. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for allowing me to read an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

Another fabulous twisty mystery from Karen. M. McManus! Told in 2 POV's (Kat & Liam)

Then:
Luke & Jamie met & married in Las Vegas. The marriage ended 48hrs later after Luke left the children (Kat & Liam) alone in the hotel room & they wandered off for hours.

Now:
Jamie is a jewel thief & Luke is a serial scammer. They both end up at billionaire Ross Sutherland's compound. Jamie is planning on stealing a ruby necklace from the the youngest Sutherland daughter, the same daughter that Luke is dating.

Kat has tagged along with her mother, and Liam has been dragged along with his father. When things start going wrong at the multi-day party, the teens must join together alongside Augustus Southerland (Ross's grandson) to solve a murder and protect Jamie from the mystery man who is trying to kill her. Along the way Kat & Liam reconnect as siblings & there is a budding romance between Augustus and Liam.
And of course - there is a classic “I did not see that one coming” Karen M. McManus twist at the end.

I will definitely be purchasing this one for my HS Library.

Content Warnings: Murder, Death, Physical violence, Domestic abuse (recounted), Attempted suicide, Catfishing

I always know a book by Karen M. McManus will be a good one! This started out a little slow, but as soon as it sped up, I could not put it down! It was riveting once it sped up a little. I need more of these characters!

In classic Karen McManus style, this book goes where the reader doesn't expect it. What seems like a book about jewel thieves turns into a mystery with so many twists and turns that will keep you guessing all the way to the end!

Another fast-paced, enjoyable YA Thriller from Karen M. McManus. I read this book cover to cover in an afternoon.

This storyline had all the twists and turns I would expect from reading several of this author's books. What sets this storyline apart I think is the really fun premise in which the mystery is set. Crime families, a heist, a surprise encounter with an ex stepbrother- it set the stage perfectly for a really intriguing read!

I would definitely recommend this book if you're a fan of the author or enjoy reading young adult thrillers.

Thank you Karen M McManus, Net Galley and Random House Children's - Delacorte Press for providing me with an ARC of this book!

3.5 stars - Overall, not a boring murder mystery but not a riviting one that I've come to expect from Karen McManus either. Though the climax was not predictable by any means, the lead up to it was a bit slow at points. It took me until about halfway through the book to really connect with the characters and about 60% in before I felt like it was a page turner. I would do anything for Liam, Kat is a brilliant and relatable narrator, and Augustus is the perfect completion to the trio.

So many of Karen McManus' books are popular and of great interest to Young Adult and Adult readers alike. Based on past works, one would think that this was going to follow the earlier works. It's difficult to write this, but it was awful. It took me a full twenty-four hours and a discussion with my co-librarian who had also read the book to realize why. There is not a single adult in this book that is likeable or redeemable. There is no "good guy". Hopefully, her next work will be up to her usual standards and have fuller characters..

I love reading all of this author's books. They are such fun mysteries with a great cast of characters.

I really liked the idea of con artists and jewelry heists mixed in with rich people and murder. It has all of the makings of a great book.

I loved Augustus and Liam. I mostly like Kat, but her "chaos" got a little frustrating at times. I think that was mostly because I'm an adult reading a book made for teens.

It all ties up at the end with a few good twists mixed in. There was almost too many twists, but I think it worked to keep the stakes high throughout it. The whole mystery wraps up, but it is left a little open ended for a sequel.