This is the second novel with Detective Ffion Morgan and it was even more enjoyable than the first. I think it may end up being one of my favourite novels this year.

Seven reality contestants are camped out in the Welsh mountains, for the reality show Exposure. Except when the game begins the rules change and the whole point of the game takes a turn that none of them see coming and it strikes terror in many of them. The next morning, one of the contestants is missing and a search begins, with Detective Morgan being one of the officers involved.

We have Dave the super rescue dog, who adds so much entertainment from the very start, a bunch of reality contestants caught in a game of lies controlled by a very unlikeable producer and detectives all watching it unfold on tv during the investigation. We have an ex boyfriend of Morgan's, her ex husband and some tenous relationships playing out, all the while during the investigation and that is before a murderer strikes. This was so suspenseful and thoroughly entertaining throughout. I could not put it down. What a sensational novel and my favourite by the author so far.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Little Brown Group UK for this gifted review copy.

This is book 2 in a new detective series featuring police officers Fion from Wales and Leo from England. I thoroughly enjoyed it although I wish I had thought to read book 1 first as I know I have missed out on some background on the relationships between these two and other characters.

The story is about a new reality tv show where the contestants are not aware of the rules of the game and what will be exposed live on air. Shocking scenes are to follow and the manipulation by the producer starts a chain of events that cause more chaos than they intended.

Murder and mystery throughout with a good plot and enjoyable characters.

Many thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars!
I was really looking forward to reading that after enjoying The Last Party - Ffion is such a great character and I loved seeing her relationship with Leo develop throughout this book. While this is a sequel, I definitely think it could be read as a stand alone.

I found it hard to get into this book at first. It was quite slow paced in Part One and it took too much time for the major plot pieces to happen. I appreciate the build up but it didn’t keep me as engaged as I wanted. However, part two was a lot more exciting to read - I liked the twists and reveals a lot.

I think my favourite thing about this book was the conversations around reality TV and it’s affects on society. The secrets and betrayals were really interesting. I also enjoyed getting the story from a lot of POVs as it helped me understand why certain characters acted the way they did.

Overall it was a pretty good book and I would definitely recommend it!

A Game of Lies is another sure fire hit from Clare Mackintosh and the second in her police procedural series with DC Ffion Morgan (who now has her fantastic rescue dog Dave in tow).

Excitement mounts as on a nearby Welsh mountainside a new reality game show us being filmed. The local postwoman is a contestant and everyone is keen to tune in to see if she can go the distance in this survival style show. However, the show isn’t what it seems and as the viewers tune in, the twisted plot unspools, leaving the contestants fuming but knowing that walking out would be a bigger risk than staying to win. As tempers flare, a man goes missing and another is found murdered.

This is a well plotted, high octane thrill ride. It helps (but isn’t essential) to have read the first book in the series (The Last Party) to understand the individual relationships and back stories. Ffion continues to be a handful and, as the crimes are across English and Welsh jurisdictions Leo is despatched on behalf of the Cheshire Police. With no exception, the supporting cast (esp family and police officers) bring a huge amount to the story and the enjoyment of the book.

Clare Mackintosh books always have a seriously good twist and this is no exception. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Little Brown Book Group and Netgalley for the ARC. Hugely looking forward to Ffion (and Dave) in the next instalment.

As always a brilliant read, took me just two days to read this, great storyline all brought to a satisfying conclusion

Yet another unputdownable, page turner by the queen of just one more chapter.
We meet Detective Ffion Morgan again, with a new delightful friend. Seven contestants in a TV reality show, stranded in the Welsh mountains. All have a secret to hide. One contestant is murdered. You will not be able to stop reading this thrilling novel!

A new reality show, filmed in the Welsh mountains…
Seven contestants with no idea what they’ve signed themselves up for…
Each contestant has a secret which could be exposed at any time, live on air….
And then… a murderer strikes!
Another clever and witty mystery from Clare Mackintosh, featuring the loveable DC Ffion Morgan and her hilarious dog, Dave. The plot based around a reality TV show is very ‘current’ and highly entertaining. The multiple twists and turns keep you on your toes and guessing until the very end.
I loved this second book and really look forward to reading the next book in the series, and hopefully many more.
With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in return for an honest review.

I have loved Clare Mackintosh's books in the past. But I didn't overly love the first book in the DC Morgan series.
This book started with a bang - but the more it went on, the more I lost interest. I struggled to pick the book up at times. I also struggled with the amount of characters, particularly after having such a gap between reading sessions.
I feel really disappointed as the premise was right up my street! But unfortunately the book just couldn't sustain my interest and I struggled with to keep up with amount of characters.

A fantastic follow on from the first book The Last Party.
The stories get better and better. I can’t wait for book three.
Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I loved this thriller featuring DC Ffon Morgan and centred around a reality television programme filming in Wales. I love Ffon's personality and this thriller keeps you guessing with a cast of reality stars - who is telling the truth?. I look forward to more in this series.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

I love the setting and characters in this series. Dave was a great addition!

A Game of Lies is the second novel by Clare Mackintosh in the DC Morgan series. This novel features several contestants stranded on a Welsh mountain as they attempt to win the main prize on new reality show, Exposure. However it seems the show they signed up for has changed significantly and not everyone is happy about it. the stakes are higher than imagined and when a murder is committed, it’s down to Detective Ffion Morgan and her team to find the culprit. A gripping thriller that will keep you entertained. Thank you to NetGalley, Little Brown Book Group UK and the author for the chance to review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Little, Brown for the opportunity to read the second DC Ffion Morgan mystery. Set in Wales near the Cheshire border, the author brings the language and the colourful characters to life. Laugh out loud humour regarding characters, situations, and a certain dog named Dave, ensure the book is a delightful read.
Exposure, a reality show is being filmed for national television near Ffion’s village, the participants thinking it will be an endurance challenge only to find on the first episode that it’s going to expose their shameful secrets to the viewers. Anger, anxiety, and fear bring out the worst in the contestants, but they reserve their greatest hatred toward Miles Young, the creator of the series. Ryan, the most emotionally challenged contestant escapes the camp the first night. Having local knowledge, Ffion is brought into the case, and much to Ffion’s anxiety, DS Leo Brady is brought in from the Cheshire constabulary. Ffion and Leo met while working on the last case and have a lot of history. Tensions mount and Mile’s is murdered. Everyone is a suspect and Ffion has to decide where her loyalties lie, friends, family , or the job.
A gripping read, I’m already looking forward to the next in the series.

I have enjoyed the authors psychological thrillers immensely and so was looking forward to this series set in Wales featuring police officer Ffion. A Game of Lies is the second in the series after the enjoyable Last Party.
Ffion, Leo and other characters return as they investigate a disappearance and a murder on Exposure- a reality TV show set in the Welsh mountains.
I like the character of Ffion and her relationships with her family, Leo and the wider community. I love the Welsh setting and the author really brings a sense of place to this series. I did find the first book in this series a little overlong and here the plot has been tightened up so it's a shorter read. Overall this was a fairly enjoyable read but I did find that I had little interest in the reality show or the characters connected with it.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

My thanks to NetGalley and Brown Books Group Uk for a copy of “A Game Of Lies “ for an honest review.

I’ve really enjoyed all of Clare Mackintosh’s previous books , and I particularly enjoyed “ The Last Party”, so I was really excited to get a chance to review the follow up in this series.
Unfortunately, perhaps because my expectations were so high, I felt a little underwhelmed by this story.
It didn’t help, with my awful memory, that there were so many different characters referred to , but the storyline didn’t grab me and I found it a little confusing.
For me , the standard of Clare Mackintosh’s previous work is so good that I shall still want to read whatever she releases next., and give it the usual 5 stars

📖 FROM THE COVER

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…

REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved The Last Party it was one of my favourite books of 2022 so I was delighted to asked to review the next instalment in the series. Pleased to report this was just as good and is without doubt on my top ten books of 2023.

As with The Last Party we are taken to Wales were we hear from many characters some old, some new, some for only one chapter, some in the past, some in the present…all effective and intriguing written with style and flair that makes the setting come alive . I love reading about the same event from the different characters POV it adds a depth to the story and hammers home the underlaying point Clare is making within the novel.

The plot is so fresh and original I have read nothing like it. It’s twisty, clever, sneaky and keeps you guessing to the very tidy well put together ending. A ending that leaves you wanting more and more. This is so much more than a crime novel it has police procedural, mystery, romance and literary fiction vibes all in one. The message Clare makes in this book about the morals of reality Tv is outstanding and something we should all remember when watching it nothing is real, no one is portrayed as they really are and what the producers want is what we say they are authors in the narrative there is nothing reality about it. She highlights this message with such subtly it is intertwined within the plot making it all the more effective. The part when the producers take about “hysterical females” for me sums just how much change is still needed within media circles we haven’t really moved from the boys clubs days and in fact reality Tv fuels this. Great interesting observations that will make you think long after reading this brilliant book.

It was joy to be reunited with Ffion and Leo both are so well written and this book develops them further, I really feel invested in their relationship. I fancy Leo all the more in this book. As for Ffion she I fast becoming my favourite fictional detective she is beautifully flawed and written with wit and dark humour. There is aspect to her character that makes her slightly cliché as the rogue officer but she gets away with this as her character is so well written and ultimately this rogue approach is what solves the case.

For me this book has it all and I can’t wait for the next…keep them coming Clare

And PLEASE can we get a TV adaption…

A reality tv show, Exposure, is all set to be filmed in a remote area in North Wales. Seven contestants are all geared up to take part in the trials, and a background crew are all in place. The first day of filming is abruptly called to a halt when bones are discovered, and DC Ffion Morgan is called out to investigate. Luckily the bones prove to be animal, rather than human, so the show carries on as planned. But that is not the last dealings that Ffion has with with Exposure!

This was so good. Another case for Ffion and Leo, with all their misunderstandings and missed opportunities to the fore.

A brilliant mix of drama, intrigue and comedy (Dave is a superstar!).

Clare Mackintosh has really got this reality tv sussed, all secrets, lies and doctored video tapes, what’s not to love?

As always, this author has excelled. More of the same please.

Thank you NetGalley.

I loved this! I read The Last Party last year and whilst I did really enjoy it, I thought it was a bit too long and missing a 'wow' moment for me to say I loved it.

I was pleased to see the characters we got to know in the last book back, I think one of the reasons I preferred this book was that I was already familiar with the main players. I also really liked the new characters and feel like they were all convincing. I'm a big fan of reality TV so I really enjoyed that aspect, and I love multiple POVs, the more the better in my opinion so this book really hit the mark for me.

The plot was really interesting, I loved guessing the secrets of the contestants and I did not guess 'whodunit' so the book was full of surprises.

The star of the show was undoubtedly Dave, a large and naughty dog with attachment issues.

I'm looking forward to the third instalment in the series.

Oh my, this was fantastic! And Dave is such an unexpected "extra", I really like this one. Going to read The Last Party now (wish I did before). Highly recommend!
Thanks to NetGalley, the editor and the author for the opportunity to access this ARC.

A game of Lies is the second book in the DC Ffion Morgan series.
We are back in North Wales in a small town called Cwm Coed with Ffion and a dog with social anxiety called Dave.
A new reality tv show called Exposure has started filming on the near mountain of Pen Y Draig. It has seven contestants who think they are staring in a show like I am celebrity. But soon they find that it so different. That each contestant has a secret that doesn’t want to be exposed and each of them must find out each other’s fear. The one left standing wins a hundred thousand pounds.
Ffion doesn’t usually watch programmes like this, but the local postie is one of the contestants and her daughter’s boyfriend is an unpaid runner on the set.
When one of the contestants Ryan, finds out that his darkest secrets are going to be exposed he escapes the camp and goes missing. Which the Police are called from both the Welsh and Cheshire boarders. As Ryan has had mental health problems in the past so they fear for his safety.
Thank you, Little Brown, for a copy of Game of Lies. I was really looking forward to reading this and enjoyed the first book in the series. This has a unique storyline and has great well-developed characters, (especially Dave the dog). But I struggled a bit to be invested as much as the first book. There was not enough action in it for me. 3.5 stars from me.