As my (shockingly) first introduction to the author, this mystery kept me on the edge of my seat. The immersive world, the way the mystery was built and layered, and the characters of depth--it's all the hallmarks of an author who knows their craft and knows their strengths. From the locked room mystery heralding back to Agatha Christie to the use of mythology to underline the modern day, this novel is definitely one of the better mysteries I've read in quite a while.

In this sophisticated and evocative mystery, a writer returns to the site of an ill-fated retreat, only to find herself entangled in a web of long-buried secrets, betrayals, and mythic echoes. The unnamed novel in question follows Maia, a woman summoned back to the Greek island of Eris fifteen years after she first attended a formative writers’ retreat—one that concluded in heartbreak and fractured trust. Upon her return, she discovers a disquieting déjà vu: the same guests are present, their fame now well-established, and their personal histories inextricably linked to one another—and to the enigmatic host who is now found dead under suspicious circumstances.

The narrative, structured around the archetype of the closed-circle mystery, becomes more than a simple whodunit. The island’s breathtaking landscape is rendered with lyrical precision, evoking both the serenity and menace of isolation. This immersive backdrop, tinged with a sense of otherworldliness, serves as the perfect stage for a narrative steeped in classic mystery tropes and steeped, quite deliberately, in the motifs of Greek mythology.

Indeed, mythology plays a prominent role. The myths are not merely decorative; they serve to enrich the psychological terrain of the characters, offering thematic parallels that interrogate timeless ideas of fate, power, and gender.

Of particular note is the novel’s candid critique of the misogyny inherent in these ancient tales. The text does not shy away from drawing attention to the troubling dynamics at play in the mythology it invokes, lending a welcome sense of moral inquiry to a genre often content to entertain without provoking reflection.

Stylistically, the prose is taut and modern, avoiding unnecessary ornamentation while maintaining emotional immediacy. The pacing is deftly managed; the reader is never subjected to artificial suspense or manipulative red herrings. Instead, revelations arise organically through Maia’s perspective, allowing the story to unfold with an earned sense of intrigue and discovery. The mystery is not driven by twists for their own sake, but by the excavation of personal histories and the psychological undercurrents between characters.

Ultimately, this novel succeeds not merely as a murder mystery, but as a nuanced exploration of memory, betrayal, and the shadows cast by the stories we choose to tell—or suppress. With moments of dark humor, visceral tension, and intellectual depth, it proves to be a gripping and rewarding read, one that lingers long after the final page.

this one wasn’t my favorite. it has potential but it’s kind of an outlandish book overall. not super believable, and i feel like the whole “retreat” idea is just overplayed. reminded me of a few books i’ve read recently, and wasn’t a fan of them either. just feels like the story writes itself and doesn’t require a lot of creativity

I liked some things about this book and others were not my favorite. If you like locked room mysteries, and mythology, you will like this book. Those are not my favorites but I liked the relationships between friends, former lovers, parents and children and the artistic process. It was medium for my, not my favorite of her books but worth the read

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for the Advanced Copy. All opinions are my own. I am a huge Carol Goodman fan and will read anything she writes. I was beyond excited to get this one prior to release!

Writers and Liars is a new twist on an old game. In Grand Agatha Christie tradition, this was a locked room mystery but with a group of mystery writers as the guests. I was pretty much hooked from that point.

As she always does, Carol Goodman intertwined the modern-day story with a parallel historical tale. I generally like that in her books, but this one was very heavy in Greek mythology. At times, it was hard to follow. That said, there was no shortage of surprises or suspenseful moments, and multiple plots to solve. It is absolutely worth your time!

This was a fun exploration of writing and publishing against a backdrop of Greek mythology and archaeology. I loved the dynamics between characters, and the dark underbelly that lurked beneath the idyllic setting.

Thank you to Carol Goodman and William Morrow Paperbacks for the opportunity to read this eARC.

Upon reading the description on NetGalley, I was totally excited and thought this would be a wonderful read as Carol Goodman's books are always highly recommended by my fellow bookies. However, for me it fell short. I found myself forcing myself to get into it to try and proceed, but, the characters were just not it - and the book was too slow and boring for me, so I ended up DNF before fully finishing. The book resembled that of the Murder Mystery 2 movie with Adam Sandler, however, this was slower.

I'll definitely try more Goodman books in the future, but for me, this wasn't my kind of book.

I’ll read just about anything by Goodman, but WRITERS AND LIARS wasn’t one of my favorites.

That’s not to say it’s a bad book—it’s just a bit strange and sometimes stretches the bounds of plausibility. Maia, our protagonist, is stuck in the past, running the same classics museum her late father once did. When she receives a mysterious invitation to return to Eris, the secluded Greek island where she attended a fateful writing retreat years ago, she’s drawn back into a web of secrets and betrayals. The retreat not only led to her debut (and only) novel but also a devastating betrayal that has haunted her ever since. Now, many of the original attendees—including Annika, Ian, Eleni, Bill, and Sydney—are returning, along with their enigmatic mentor and benefactor, Argos. (The first of many questionable decisions made by these characters!)

It doesn’t take long for things to spiral—Argos is soon found dead, and it becomes clear that danger lurks on the island. With no escape, Maia and the others must untangle the mystery before one of them is next. And, as it turns out, there are an alarming number of ways to die on a remote island.

The novel embraces the classic locked-room (or, in this case, locked-island) mystery format, and the atmospheric Greek setting is undeniably immersive. However, the heavy-handed references to mythology—gods, goddesses, and classical themes—become overwhelming, even for an English major who’s taken entire courses in Greek mythology! The characters, too, are frustratingly difficult to root for. Their lack of common sense and inability to communicate makes for some exasperating moments, and a few plot twists verge on the absurd.

That said, there are some genuinely surprising moments, and Goodman is skilled at building tension—you can practically feel the island’s eerie isolation creeping in. If you love a locked-room mystery in an exotic locale, this might be right up your alley.

I just want to say that I wanted to love this book but I think it was not for me I just couldn’t get into the story line it just fell flat

Writers and Liars by Carol Goodman is a perfect read for fans of Agatha Christie. Intriguing cast of characters stranded on a remote island ending up solving a murder or murders. All received invitations to be there but the host is found dead. Guests not knowing who among them is the murderer. Add to that a secret about the island and its artifacts is exposed.. Numerous twisted plots to solve.

Maia Gold has been invited to a reunion on the exclusive island of billionaire Argos Alexander. Fifteen years previously, she and a half dozen writers were invited to the island to write their greatest book. And while she did write a great book, life got in the way, and she never lived up to her potential as a writer. As such, her first instinct is to ignore the invitation, but peer pressure causes her to agree to join the retreat.

When they arrive (and Maia deals with her mixed emotions), their host is missing, but they are invited to write the first chapter of a murder mystery, set on the island, potentially featuring their fellow guests. The next morning instead of presenting their work to Argos, he’s found dead, apparently murdered. The goal quickly switches for Maia from writing another award-winning novel, to staying alive and possibly solving the case.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I really enjoyed it, but some pieces felt a bit implausible. For example, a ‘dark betrayal’ happened to Maia on her visit which she immediately runs away from and tries to ignore for 15 years? Seems like she would have confronted the people involved before she left the island, or they would have confronted her during the next 15 years. Likewise, this event which has impacted her life (and a few others) for 15 years is cleared up rather quickly and everything forgiven – no hard feelings for anyone? The end feels a little contrived as well with tie to the labyrinth. And based on the description and some early comments, I thought this was going to more of a locked -door murder mystery – like Christie’s And Then There Were None which gets mentioned early in the story. On the flip side, it was very entertaining which is the primary factor for me to read a book. I liked how Maia’s parents’ past was brought into play and how the future of the island is hinted at without going into lots of details.

Overall, recommended, although a suggestion to not look too closely at the details.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley.Com which I voluntarily reviewed.

The story, the characters, the history, the plot! All of it wrapped up into one great book! It had me second guessing who could be trusted and who couldn't, and then back again. Definitely one for the mystery lovers out there!

Classic, much loved mystery tropes and a cast of mystery authors in a closed-room mystery ... EEEEEEK! I loved the premise and I loved the story even more. I was riveted, captivated, and gobbled this up waaaay past my bedtime. And the lack of sleep was so worth it.

I LOVE a thriller about authors! It's probably my favorite MC career in a thriller next to a podcaster. And Writers and Liars by Carol Goodman not only features a group of mystery authors, it also has some of my favorite tropes! Like an isolated setting—a Greek island with a dark history--and a competition that turns deadly! Out on 07/15! This book is truly a book for book lovers and sleuths!

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for an ARC of this book! I’m on a roll with locked room mysteries this year, and this one was well done. If you love Greek mythology and a good whodunnit, this is the perfect book for you! I gave it 3.75 stars.

The premise of the story is a group of mystery authors gather on a private Greek island for a writers’ retreat, where they find themselves stranded with a dead host and a list of reasons why each person might have been the one to kill him.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I really enjoy a locked room story. I felt like all the questions about why they couldn’t get off or contact the outside world were answered plausibly, which is no small feat! There was a ton of Greek mythology mixed into the story in a way that didn’t seem forced. I did have my suspicions about the killer, but Goodman surprised me on another couple of twists which I loved.

My only critique is that while I can appreciate how much research and skill went into weaving all the mythology into the story, it was a bit too much for me. At some points I found myself skimming the text to move past those passages. I know there are many people that will appeal to, though!

All in all, I thought this was an enjoyable, dark (but not TOO dark), mystery suspense. This is one I will recommend to friends I know love the genre!

In my mind, Carol Goodman can do no wrong. Luckily books like this keep boosting that impression. She continues to be able to do brilliant work while building on her latest obsession of mixing gothic suspense with meta narratives about writers and publishing. This one is one of her best ever.

I am sorry to report that, in my honest opinion, this is a painfully average thriller. The quality of the writing itself is not particularly great, and unfortunately I do not care about any of the characters - protagonist included. I tried so hard to hang in there, but I am choosing to DNF at 65%.

This book didn't have a strong start for me and the plot was weak along with unlikeable characters. The story seemed familiar, but it just didn't work for me.

Ok, is it just me or is this also, basically, the plot of The Bones of the Story? It felt like utterly familiar ground, from the stereotypical over-the-top trope-like characters to the gist of the locked-room setup... I struggled with that one too. It is unfortunate that I don't seem to connect to these books at all, because I really like her concepts (and covers), yet the execution doesn't work for me each and every time... I think we just aren't a good fit, reader-and-book wise.

Wow, I found this mystery pretty mesmerizing. The Greek myths seep their way into the story, and I love the writing. It feels immediate and modern and concise, which is the perfect counterpart to a complicated, well-plotted mystery. Another thing I really love about this book is that even though all the solutions are rooted in the past, there aren't a million annoying hints of the kind I see a lot in other mysteries. We discover connections and causes right along with Maia, and it doesn't feel like the author is purposely holding out on us just to keep us reading. This is a strong, dark mystery with some great physical drama and wry/dark humor, as well. Bring on the next title--will there be a next title?

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.