“They say the camera never lies.
But on this show, you can’t trust anything you see.

Stranded in the Welsh mountains, seven reality show contestants have no idea what they’ve signed up for.

Each of these strangers has a secret. If another player can guess the truth, they won’t just be eliminated – they’ll be exposed live on air. The stakes are higher than they’d ever imagined, and they’re trapped.

The disappearance of a contestant wasn’t supposed to be part of the drama. Detective Ffion Morgan has to put aside what she’s watched on screen, and find out who these people really are – knowing she can’t trust any of them.

And when a murderer strikes, Ffion knows every one of her suspects has an alibi . . . and a secret worth killing for.”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh. A Game of Lies was published by Sphere Books on 20th July 2023 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats with the paperback to follow next year. I chose to read a free eARC of A Game of Lies but that has in no way influenced my review.

One of my favourite books from last year was the brilliant The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh. Set in a small, rural, lakeside community in North Wales the book featured lead protagonist DC Ffion Morgan as she went about investigating a suspicious death of a local man on New Year’s Eve. I loved everything about the book so was very excited to discover it was the first in a new series. A Game of Lies is the second instalment and let’s cut to the chase, it’s just as good as its predecessor. One of my most highly anticipated books of the year and a definite addition to my top books of the year list.

A new survival reality TV show is being filmed on the mountain by Cwm Coed. Seven contestants have signed up to be filmed 24 hours a day whilst they live in basic conditions, all muddling along together, hungry for their fifteen minutes of fame. Or so they believe. What they’ve actually signed up for and what they’ve been told are two very different things indeed. All of the seven contestants have a secret they’ll do anything to keep. If any of their fellow campmates can guess what that secret is, they’ll be exposed live on air and eliminated from the show. If a campmate guesses incorrectly, the campmate will face a punishment worthy of their worst fears. The stakes have never been higher and the pressure is on. When one of the contestants disappears without a trace, DC Ffion Morgan is called in to help track him down. But a missing person investigation turns into a hunt for a killer when a body is discovered. Ffion’s pool of suspects is small but everyone has a strong motive for murder. Just as everyone has an alibi that is firmly set in stone. Or in this case, on video tape…

A Game of Lies is a highly readable, utterly addictive thriller which I loved! A perfect follow up to the first book in the series. Although I can’t abide watching them, I do love to read about reality TV shows. There’s something truly fascinating about the process and the desire to be part of one (no shade intended!). Mackintosh has had a lot of fun with this book taking the usual reality TV format and giving it a bit of a twist. Not sure how I would feel if I signed up for one thing only to discover it was something completely different and potentially devastating! DC Ffion Morgan is back and sent to investigate the disappearance of one of the contestants following the producers announcement of what the show actually entails. Things have cooled somewhat with newly promoted DS Leo Brady who is once again called in to lead on this cross border investigation. Rather than the sparks we readers felt between the two characters in the first book, this time around it’s more of an uncomfortable awkwardness that neither Ffion or Leo address. But it makes for excellent reading and a lovely ‘will they/won’t they’ arc. Whether there is romance bubbling away under the surface or not, you cannot deny that these two coppers are pretty much the dream team (ably assisted by DC George Kent and not so ably assisted by flatulent Dave the Dog!).

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. I absolutely loved everything about A Game of Lies from the intriguing storyline, the beautifully written characters (and that includes the smaller, secondary characters too), the propulsive plot which kept me fully immersed in the story, to the glorious Welsh setting, which Mackintosh builds upon with each book. If you’re a fan of the police procedural then this is one of the best series out there at the moment and I cannot wait to read more in the *fingers crossed* hopefully not too distant future. There’s plenty of well-written tension, shedloads of intrigue and bucketloads of gorgeous suspense. I absolutely loved A Game of Lies. Addictive, thoroughly entertaining and a firm favourite of 2023. Highly recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of A Game of Lies. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh was published in the UK by Sphere Books on 20th July 2023 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats with the paperback to follow (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | Foyles | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

Clare Mackintosh is the multi-award-winning author of New York Times bestseller I LET YOU GO, and Sunday Times bestsellers I SEE YOU, LET ME LIE, AFTER THE END, HOSTAGE and THE LAST PARTY Translated into forty languages, her books have sold more than two million copies worldwide, and have spent a combined total of 64 weeks in the Sunday Times bestseller chart. Her latest novel is A GAME OF LIES, the second in a crime series featuring Welsh detective DC Ffion Morgan.