Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I found the premise very exciting and I think it will appeal to readers who are invested in Reality TV (in particular challenge shows) along with the card game Mafia. It's a premise I've never seen before and it works very well in a thriller/horror setting.

The only reason I am rating it as a three rather than a five is that I felt that some characters were lacking personality and I often found it difficult to sympathise with them. That being said, the plot was good and the pacing was just right so that you could get through the novel without feeling it was dragging.

And the ending - did not see it coming!

As a fan of Murder Mystery, I was eager to dive into Lie or Die. Firstly, let me say that the book kept me entertained, although a few things bothered me. The premise is awesome and kind of unusual —a reality show with a murder game turning suddenly real. I was immediately hooked. The characters were intriguing and diverse; some were annoying, some likable, but all seemed authentically portrayed.

The main character sometimes bothered me with her overly emotional and slightly naive demeanor, but perhaps that's fitting for her age. Otherwise, I found her quite likable. The writing style was also appealing—modern and to the point. However, one habit of the author irked me greatly, and it felt a bit lazy and cringe-worthy: Throughout the book, I encountered phrases like, "She smiled a 'leave me alone'," "He waved a 'be careful'," or "I gave him an 'oh my God' look." This approach leaned more towards telling than showing, coming off a bit lazy.
Despite this, the story is well-written, progresses intriguingly, and kept me engaged. There were some nice twist and turns and some breath holding moments. Even though I suspected early on who the villain might be, it didn't detract from the overall good reading experience.

This YA thriller felt fresh and I loved the reality tv show setting.
Especially for newcomers to the YA thriller genre, I would genuinely recommend this book.

A little preamble. In this book's scenario, Lie or Die is a new reality T.V. show based on the real-world social gathering/party game Mafia, or in some circles, it is known as Werewolf.

The game, usually played with 10 players, is that the assembled group is split into two sides - Mafia and Townspeople. The Mafia tries to bump off the Townspeople whilst the Townsfolk try to get shot of the Mafia. There is also a Detective and a Doctor in the mix. Their roles are pretty straightforward. The detective seeks to detect a Mafia member in each day and night cycle of the game, whilst the Doctor can save a Townsfolk member each cycle.

Each player is given a role to play. But, nobody knows who or what any other players are until they are eliminated.

Now, during the day period of the game, the players can nominate someone to eliminate from the game, to send to the electric chair if you will. The nominated person is then put on trial and, if found guilty, removed!

During the Night segment of the game, the Mafia can eliminate a player. And so the game goes on.

In Lie or Die, the story focuses on three late teenage pals, our key protagonist, Kass, and her best mates, Lewis and Thea. Kass has fallen out with Thea after having kissed Thea's ex-boyfriend. It is a silly rift that seems to be splitting the girls apart, big time. When an audition is held for Lie or Die, Thea says that Kass going for it with Thea is the only way she can trust Kass once more. Kass wants to put the whole mess behind her, so she is pressured into doing it. It turns out Thea has already entered them both, and the interviews take place soon after.

When Kass fails to pass the test, she is secretly relieved. After all, she has shown she is supportive of Thea. But, when on accompanying Thea to the studios, one of the contestants is bizarrely poisoned with seafood (even though there is none in the building), and her EpiPen is nowhere to be found; Kass, being already on the ground, is enlisted into the game.

Her fellow players are an exciting and excitable mix of quiet, calm and outright play-to-win types that would do anything in the game to win the £50,000 prize and the social media stardom that could rocket their future careers. Everything goes, especially lying. In fact, daubed across all the studio walls is the phrase "Trust no one"!

Kass is considered the 'Girl Nextdoor' type. Bland and boring and not the likely fav of the audience that the show is being streamed to. What Kass does have in her favour is the ability to spot if people are lying. Telltale signs or tics that will give away their role. Also, none of the other players know she and Thea are besties.

So, with an immediate ally, things get off to a good start. But then, the rules change from the perceived norm. First, a manakin is spotted hanging from a tree in the set garden. In its leg Kass spots the EpiPen of the now-gone contestant. When that evening/night, one of the players is carded and seemingly killed by an agent, there is a surprise; only one kill a night is expected (the manakin being the first). The acting looked so real, even down to the drool from the contestants lips, and later on the finding of a poison bottle.

The players are, for want of a word, 'controlled' by an A.I. personality called Cohin. It appears hooded in a hologram projection unit where the players are forced to congregate when commanded. The projection actually morphs into various characters that have exited the game as it progresses. So, when Kass has her doubts, especially as none of the others are aware of the truth regarding the girl she has replaced, she is soon assuaged when the poisoned girl appears to speak to them via the hologram, and puts the recent realistic poisoning down to epic acting.

I think by now, you can maybe see where this is going.

The action takes off from here as the players accuse and prosecute one of their housemates.

In the surprise outcome, which I won't spoil for you as it is a pivotal point, one player goes to the chair and, with a ghastly scream, exits the game and the house. Or do they???

As the game progresses, the ante is upped, and the contestants become more stressed, sleepless and, dare I say it, paranoid. With loud sounds and flashing bright lights, who wouldn't be?

If you can take a breath, you should do so here before the book's second half. You won't want to leave this until the very last full stop.

So, what did we think?

The reality Television Mrs H and I know of is some of the worst T.V. out there. Has beens and wannnabes, shameful and shameless. At least, that is our view. The book pulls apart from the inside what reality and reality T.V. is and means, and what it can do. But it also shows the fragility and underlying motivations of the players, some worthy, some not so.

I love that Lewis points out that it is a beast we create, and whilst people may outwardly reject it, there is something that draws folks in. Maybe it's the fact that it's not them on the receiving end – voyeurism.

The author has skillfully manipulated our protagonist, labelled 'as the girl next door' by the other competitors, into the ultimate detective. Fighting to support Thea and survive and escape a deadly sealed studio.

Mrs H read this to the end, where I got so far and the tension and dread was so much that I have to admit to sneaking a look at the ending. But even then, I was surprised.

Let me tell you, this is one doozy of a read. Well paced and delightfully cast. Not only are there shock revelations but also extra double twists right down to the closing sentence.

So . . . . Crunch time.

The ultimate locked room mystery – twisted, deadly, dark and seriously addictive. Turning the banal T.V. genre into a must-read hit! Thank goodness this ISN'T on T.V.!

A must-read, and one Mrs H and I both feel far exceeded our expectations to become the brilliant and gripping read it was.

Would we watch reality T.V. now? Absolutely NOT.

This is an exciting thriller, Kass is the typical next door with a slight twist. The book is based upon teenagers playing a game of mafia on a television show called lie or die in a big brother style of show. The book is a slow start but gripping none the less. Half way through a big secret is revealed and this book turns from a slow read to a dark, twisty and gripping story. The twists and turns are gripping and come thick and fast paced. This book is the quickest I've ever read as I couldn't put it down! I'm just hoping for a sequel!!

If you are into TV reality shows and enjoy a locked room murder mystery, you will love Lie or Die. The contestants characters were easy to get to know and the action packed pace of the story will keep you turning the pages right through the twists and turns to the very end. The show's motto "Trust no-one" was spot on!

I loved the TV series The Traitors so this was right up my street. The twists and turns had me gripped. I’ll be recommending this to my students and asking our librarian to get it for the library.

The modern concept was very exciting and intriguing. It definitely added to the inmersive feel to.the story.

WOW i was looking f9r a hook too get me out of my reading slump and i definately found it eith this i couldn't put it down it was soo gripping and had enough twists and turns too keep you in suspense and i didnt see the end coming. You could really get Behind all the contestants even when secrets started coming out. I had never heard of mafia didnt even realise it was a real game so that gave me something too look into. Really well done to A J Clack for this awesome read

WOW!! And wow. I’ll start with that and the fact it was a solid 10/20 read. That’s all you really need to know but I’ll continue.

I loved the concept of this, with the big brother, reality feel but with something at stake. It was surprisingly easy to get to grips with all the characters, which was impressive considering there was 10 contestants and it could have been easy to get lost and confused. But it was expertly done!!

The characters were all great and well crafted, diverse and a great crew to get to know. The storyline itself was immensely entertaining and one that will have you effortless reading and flicking through the pages. I think my heart left my body for the majority of this book…!

Couldn’t read it fast enough and I couldn’t believe how quickly I read it. It was different from anything I’ve recently read and was a stand out for many reasons.

I was so on the edge of my seat, I was off it. Probably couldn’t even see my seat! It was super entertaining and one of those books which will have you forgetting about time and consume you completely until you’ve finished it! I will now be a complete avid follower for this author after this book and it’s one I’m tempted to go back and read all over again!