On a cool June morning, a woman is walking her dog in the idyllic coastal village of Salten along a tidal estuary known as the Reach. Before she can stop him, the dog charges into the water to retrieve what first appears to be a wayward stick, but to her horror, turns out to be something much more sinister...
The next morning, three women in and around London—Fatima, Thea, and Isabel—receive the text they had always hoped would NEVER come, from the fourth in their formerly inseparable clique, Kate, that says only, “I need you.”
The four girls were best friends at Salten, a second rate boarding school set near the cliffs of the English Channel. Each different in their own way, the four became inseparable and were notorious for playing the Lying Game, telling lies at every turn to both fellow boarders and faculty, with varying states of serious and flippant nature that were disturbing enough to ensure that everyone steered clear of them. The myriad and complicated rules of the game are strict: no lying to each other—ever. Bail on the lie when it becomes clear it is about to be found out. But their little game had consequences, and the girls were all expelled in their final year of school under mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of the school’s eccentric art teacher, Ambrose (who also happens to be Kate’s father).
Atmospheric, twisty, and with just the right amount of chill that will keep you wrong-footed—which has now become Ruth Ware’s signature style—The Lying Game is sure to be her next big bestseller. Another unputdownable thriller from the Agatha Christie of our time.
I was reminded a little of Pretty Little Liars and Big Little Lies. A devious book filled with so many lies!!! I guess it makes for a good plot because you never know if anything that comes out of anyone's mouth is the truth. I didn't know which characters to trust and it drove me crazy trying to put together all the scenarios that this story line could follow. I usually have a book figured out and have guessed maybe two different possible endings before I get halfway through it. This one had so many different possible paths, I had to stop trying to figure it out and just enjoy. ⠀ ⠀
I was completely fooled by my initial expectations on how this story would end. It was engrossing and cunning and I loved it. The motives and even the means of this mystery were afloat till the reveal. This is a book I'd be proud to add to my shelf and hand out to friends with no hesitation and actually grow anxious hoping that they like it as much as me.⠀
A fun reason why I finally picked up this book was I was invited to a Ruth Ware book signing by a fellow bookstagrammer @sixminutesforme at Murder by the Book in Houston, Texas. I had never been to this book store before and I was excited to go and get to meet someone I had connected with and befriended online. I did realize last minute that maybe I should do some homework and actually read a book from one of the authors so I bought The Death of Mrs. Westaway for the signing and rented The Lying Game to see if I even liked this author. Thank goodness I loved her! I also ended up buying the Echo Killing at the store after listening to Christi Daugherty explain her plot, who was the second author at the signing.
Check out my shaking, bad quality interview here: