Imagine going on a survivor-type reality show only to find out mid-filming that the show isn't what you were led to believe. The show is actually about exposing your secrets! Could those secrets be worth killing someone over?

The premise of the plot hooked me pretty immediately, I just had a hard time keeping everyone straight at times! Pace-wise I wasn't truly truly hooked until I understood the cast and characters a bit more, as the timeline and POVs jump around a bit throughout.

I also picked this up not knowing it was part of a series, so I never read book 1. While it didn't seem to matter for this particular case/crime, I'm sure the background into the dynamic between Leo & Ffion would have been helpful.

I loved Dave, the true star of the book, and how the plot all came together. Author Clare Mackintosh definitely gives you enough to keep you guessing!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅɴ’ᴛ ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴇ ʟᴇғᴛ ᴛʜɪɴɢs ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ғɪʀsᴛ ʙᴏᴏᴋ, sᴏ ᴛᴏᴏᴋ ᴍᴇ ᴀ ᴍɪɴᴜᴛᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴀᴛᴄʜ ᴍʏ ʙᴇᴀʀɪɴɢs. ᴀs ᴀ ᴡʜᴏʟᴇ, ɪ ғᴇʟᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜɪs ᴡᴀs ɴᴏᴛ ᴀ ᴠᴇʀʏ ɪɴᴛʀɪɢᴜɪɴɢ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀs ᴘʀᴇᴛᴛʏ sʟᴏᴡ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜᴏᴜᴛ. ᴛʜᴇ sᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ ʜᴀᴅ ᴍᴇ sᴏ ɪɴᴛʀɪɢᴜᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴀᴍᴇ sʜᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴏᴛ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪᴛ ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ ᴅᴏ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ᴍᴇ. ɪ ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ ᴄᴀʀᴇ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ғᴏʀ ᴀɴʏ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs- ɴᴏᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ ɪ sᴛɪʟʟ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ɢᴇᴛ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴇʟsʜ ɴᴀᴍᴇs/ ʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴs ᴀɴᴅ ᴜʟᴛɪᴍᴀᴛᴇʟʏ ɪ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴛʜᴀᴛ’s ᴀ ʙɪɢ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏғ ᴡʜʏ ᴛʜɪs ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ ᴅᴏ ɪᴛ ғᴏʀ ᴍᴇ. ɪ’ᴠᴇ sᴇᴇɴ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡs ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ ᴛʀᴜʟʏ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʜɪs sᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪᴛ’s ɴᴏᴛ ғᴏʀ ᴍᴇ. ɪ ғɪɴɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ ʜᴀᴛᴇ ɪᴛ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ɪᴛ. ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ғɪʀsᴛ ᴅᴄ ᴍᴏʀɢᴀɴ ʙᴏᴏᴋ, ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀʀᴇ sᴏᴍᴇ ʙʀɪʟʟɪᴀɴᴛ ǫᴜᴏᴛᴇs/ ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ ᴘᴜʟʟ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜɪs ᴏɴᴇ. ɪᴅᴇᴀ ᴡᴀs ɢᴏᴏᴅ - ᴘᴏᴏʀ ᴇxᴇᴄᴜᴛɪᴏɴ.

📖 ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ @bookmarked ᴀɴᴅ @netgalley ғᴏʀ ᴛʜɪs ᴀʀᴄ ᴄᴏᴘʏ ɪɴ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴀɴ ʜᴏɴᴇsᴛ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ 📖

The premise of this book drew me in. I love reality TV, and Survivor is my favorite. Although it was clear from the first page that this had some bizarre twists in store. Someone on the set is murdered, and everyone, contestants and crew, is suspect until the very end. Everyone had a deep dark secret and could have had reason to commit the murder. I really enjoyed it. I also liked the added love interest and can't wait to read #3 in the series as soon as it's released! This was a 4 1/2 star read for me.
Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and Cindy at Thoughts From a Page for the Advance Reader Copy!

A reality series. A group of participants, each with a secret they don’t want revealed. A director who changes the rules of the game and not only knows those secrets but intends to reveal them during the show – all in a quest for high ratings. The plot had my attention from the beginning.

Clare Mackintosh has written a book that is twisty, unpredictable, and definitely hard to put down. While it’s the second book to feature DC Ffion Morgan, it’s quite easy to read as a stand-alone. It takes place in Wales and there are bits and pieces of the Welsh language interspersed throughout the story, which adds depth and color.

Meanwhile, the characters are well-developed and the plot is solid. I hope there are more books planned for this well-written and compelling series. I thoroughly enjoy it and recommend A Game of Lies to anyone who likes a mystery, a good police procedural, and lots of twists. NetGalley provided an advance copy.

The second in a series that can be read as a stand alone. An interesting premise that'll hook reality tv fans, carried mostly by a core group of engaging characters. And a farting dog.

The full cast is so large (the core group of investigators, Ffion's family, and then the reality show cast and staff) that you don't get enough on-the-page time with any one character to learn enough to care about them. But, the premise of the reality show, revealing each person's deepest secret- ones that could ruin their lives- is evil enough to keep the reader quickly turning pages.

Good for the reader looking for a stay up way to late reading thriller with just a hint of humor.

The second book in the DC Morgan series, this was a fast-paced, twisty British popcorn thriller involving newly discovered remains and a group of reality show contestants. With an entertaining cast of characters and an ending I didn't see coming this was a solid follow up to the first book. It was also good on audio. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

A Game of Lies is the second in the DC Morgan series, but reads well as a stand alone. I read the first book and enjoyed it and this one was even better.

The story focuses on a reality series with a twist. A wicked twist that can harm the lives of the contestants and their families and coworkers. When a contestant disappears and then a man turns up dead, the show is cancelled and all the contestants and staff are kept on the premises while Detectives Ffion, Leo and Georgina investigate.

Georgina is the a new character being introduced into the series and readers won’t quite learn her story just yet. She’s a good complement to Ffion and Leo.

Reading this reminded me of the game of Clue where you have a small group of suspects and they all have secrets and alibis. I really enjoyed it and look forward to the third book in the series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to give my honest review and recommend this to other readers.

Well, this was a surprise. I love Clare Mackintosh's past novels, but I wasn't aware of her foray into police procedurals. She has created a detective, DC Morgan, who is quite entertaining. She is rough around the edges, but deep down she has a big heart. (I mean, her rescuing an unwanted dog alone captured my heart!) The setting is in the Welsh mountains. It features 7 contestants on a reality TV show who become suspects to a murder of one of their own. I was sucked into the story. Choosing reality TV as the basis of this study of what people are willing to do in order to be famous was perfect. I felt it was well-plotted out and contains the right amount of tension to make for a great read! One thing some might find difficult to follow is the Welsh language scattered throughout. I like the authenticity but it could be distracting for some.

I loved the first DC Morgan series book (5 star rating from me), but this second book fell flat for me. I was just not terribly interested in the plot or characters and won't remember it. I think it is because I have recently read 2 other books in the past few months about reality show contestants which were very well done, and this one just wasn't as captivating. I don't really care for the main character/detective (although I do adore her dog!) so I think this might be the last book in the series for me.

Seven seemingly random people have been selected to compete on a reality show set on a Welsh mountainside, where they believe they will have to survive life and challenges similar to the Ant and Dec show I’m a Celebrity.
However, on their first day in camp the competitors are told by the show’s producer Miles Young, that the competition has a twist. Not only are they to survive the harsh living conditions on the mountain but the show knows a dark secret for each one of group and it is up to them to correctly reveal their campmates secret and thus eliminate them (live on air) to keep their own secret safe. Guess wrong and face their worse fear (spiders, snakes, etc.) in the challenge room, where they must survive the allotted time without admitting to their secret to stay in the game.

The morning after the big reveal all the campmates are fretting over whether to stay and try and keep their secret safe or to quit and potentially have their secret aired anyway, when it is discovered that one of their number is missing. Since she knows the area and speaks Welsh, Detective Ffion Morgan is sent to support DS Leo Brady in coordinating search efforts to find the missing contestant.
In the middle of all this drama, one of the crew is murdered. Now Leo and Ffion need to find a missing man and a murderer, or maybe a missing man who is a murderer; either way, they also must keep in mind, that is more than one person on that mountain who had reason to want the victim dead!

Having watched the recent downfall of some popular reality shows/competitions due to their inability to support the mental health of their participants, I want to point out there was a very real portrayal of mental health vs social media in the book. How the need to provide shocks and tension in order to get ratings and make a show a success, is done often to detriment of the mental health of those involved – from the different tensions between the campmates when they are told their darkest secret might be revealed live on air for goodness know how many people to find out, and what they would have to do to be the last man standing; the resultant mental breakdown of one of contestants; and the side story of another character rebuilding their life after a devastating loss.

Overall, a thrilling mystery with characters you will just love to hate and others that you cant get enough off. Five stars and totally recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC of A Game of Lies in exchange for an honest review.

My first Clare Mackintosh. She really spun a thrilling tale of mystery. I enjoyed my time with this one greatly. Sitting on the edge of the seat

This is the second novel in a series about Ffion, a detective from Wales. I read The Last Party, last year and was drawn into the setting and the story. This one is no different, the setting is descriptive and amazing. The story is enthralling.

A reality tv show is coming to Cwm Coed. The contestants think they are joining a survivor reality tv show in the Welsh Mountains, but each one has a secret. When the tables are turned and the show turns out to be a show revealing each contestants secret to the world, they will stop at nothing to keep their secret. One of the contestants goes missing and a search is called. Soon one of the suspects is murdered and everyone has an alibi. Would someone kill to. Make sure their secret stays hidden?

This book will take you on a roller coaster of highs and lows. You will be thinking each suspect is the culprit throughout the book. I absolutely love watching Leo and Ffion, they have a connection like no other, and I loved reading their interactions, but also hearing their inner thoughts as well. The characters in this series are well developed, but each book you get to add a little more. I can’t wait to see what’s next for them all!

Game of Lies is right! Reality TV turns to murder. So juicy & dark, I read this as fast as I could!

I liked this second book in the series better than the first. I was a little worried when Leo didn’t show up at the beginning of the book but then he popped up and I was happy. Ffion, Leo and George made solving a murder interesting and fun. The Exposure people added to the story with their varied characters but my favourite character was Dave the dog. The welsh was a bit hard to follow at points but it was also fun to see how the language looks. I will be looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for a copy of this book.

“𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭. 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞.”

Clare Mackintosh has been a must-read author for me since her debut, I Let You Go. This has not changed with, The Last Party, the launch last year of her new police procedural series, and I couldn’t wait to return to Cwn Coed.

This story has a compelling and intriguing concept: a reality show that will attempt to expose contestants’ secrets that they worked hard to conceal from family and friends, feeling like a mix of Survivor and Fear Factor. I adore Ffion and Leo; their points of view are interspersed with the villagers and Exposure contestants, as they watch or film the show. This is similar to The Last Party with the points of view of the New Year’s Eve party go-ers. I like this structure and think it’s a good trademark of this series; it helps highlight Mackintosh’s remarks on reality television and how it can be completely manipulated with an editing of the truth. I love when there is a touch of humour in a mystery; Ffion’s rescue dog provides this in spades (plus who doesn’t love a sassy and needy pet!?). The murder itself feels very Agatha Christie like: done methodically, seemingly impossibly, in front of people with large risk in getting caught, like the infamous gunshot in Death on the Nile. The potential suspects all seem to have alibis, and the clues are all cleverly planted and revealed. When Ffion and Leo piece everything together, I was miffed at myself for not seeing it sooner!

A Game of Lies is a story of reality tv, deception, secrets,and fear. It’s another worthy addition to the Ffion Morgan series (which might even be better than the first), and another excellent read from Mackintosh. Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the ARC!

This was an enjoyable read. I really liked the first book in the series, although I remember having a hard time keeping track of all the characters in that book. I felt the same way about this book - the characters are a little hard to distinguish and keep track of.

I think this is enjoyable and worth a read if you liked the first book. I will say it felt a little disjointed at times - you jump around POVs and in the timeline, so that can get a bit confusing. Still a fun whodunnit though.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the copy in exchange for my honest review!

Five stars! I'm a sucker for anything Clare Mackintosh writes. Her cliffhangers and suspenseful writing draw me in every time. A GAME OF LIES offers a unique premise and plenty of page-turning moments. Can't wait for her next thriller.

Pretty good book,. It took some time for me to get into it but the last half was eventful and held my attention.

Thank you very much @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh. This is a mystery about a reality TV show that takes place in Wales. There are 7 contestants and they all have secrets that they must keep secret-or be exposed. Then someone disappears and the game completely changes. There are several detectives that have been in previous novels, and they come in to solve the mystery. #agameoflies #claremackintosh #mystery #netgalley #advancedreadercopy #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #booknerd #whattoread #readingtime #bookaddict #ilovetoread #ilovebooks #needtoread #readallday

4.5 stars Thoroughly enjoyable detective procedural starring the very Welsh Ffion Morgan and the English Leo Brady. Given that the area they work is on the border of both countries, it makes sense that their cases will often overlap. This is book two in the series. You don’t have to have read book one in order to read book two. I didn’t. But it would help because you would know the background of the relationship between many of the characters, as well as know about the previous case Leo and Ffion worked together. I liked this story so much that I went and checked out book one of the series from the library. Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this as an ARC. I excitedly await book three in the series!