Sizzles with tension, desire, and a forever-escalating sense of menace! Let this supremely enjoyable thriller whisk you up, up and away. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the second book in the series with DC Ffion Morgan.
In this investigation she is called to a outdoor set of a television reality programme called Exposure.
A murder mystery with a list of contestants who have secrets to hide.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second outing for Detective Ffion Morgan.
This time she is called to a Welsh mountain site near her home village, where a reality show called Exposure is being filmed, and someone has died.
The problem is that everyone involved in the show, contestants and crew all have something to hide, and a motive for murder.
The book really shows the dark side of these TV shows, how the audience and contestants alike are manipulated, while also being an engrossing thriller.
Ffion is again joined by Leo, with whom she has unfinished business, and a new colleague, George, who is an interesting character who hopefully will figure in future tales.
Also, her extended family and characters from the previous book make an appearance.
And of course, Dave the dog, who comes good in the end.
I look forward to the next episode!

Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK, Sphere for the opportunity to read this book.

Having thoroughly enjoyed The Last Party, the first in Claire Mackintosh’s Ffion Morgan series, I was eager to read the second instalment.

A Game Of Lies finds us back in Cwm Coed, a beautiful border village sat around the shores of Llyn Drych. Exposure, a new reality TV series, is being filmed locally, on the slopes of Pen Y Ddraig; surprisingly featuring the local postie, Ceri. Unfortunately for producer Miles, all of his well laid plans start to go awry when bones are found in the camp. This is just the beginning of the problems for him, and his prized production.

As soon as I started reading, I felt back at home with Ffion, and was very happy to see DS Brady making a reappearance; along with many of the previously met characters. All you need to know about DC Ffion Morgan, is shown to you in Chapter One. She is strong willed, fiercely independent, doesn’t take direction well. I love the humour shown by the author in this chapter too.

As much as I enjoy Ffion’s character, she is not my favourite. I love Dave, he is glorious! He loves with all of his heart, and doesn’t care what others think. My “Dave” ate my son’s mattress and duvet on one memorable day, and another day dragged an open bag of compost from the garden into the house. So I say with a loving understanding, we all need a Dave in our lives.

The storyline is extremely topical, very current. Reality TV and social media taking centre stage. The book gives us a warning. Reality TV will keep growing, mutating into a bigger and more unpleasant beast. As long as the viewing public are prepared to dive to deeper unsavoury depths, to watch and promote via ‘socials’, these programmes will keep pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable. Repeating the same format will cease to shock, trend on social media and provide the sought after viewing figures.

I really enjoy a strong backstory between characters in a book, it adds an extra dimension to a series. The development of Ffion and Leo certainly ticks that box. The title of the programme, Exposure, has a clever double meaning, which becomes clear as you read on. In a nutshell, I loved this book, so much that I flew through the last half in a lazy Sunday morning. The book is very well written, and kept me guessing. It goes without saying that Claire’s attention to detail for the police procedures is second to none. Though this is the second book in a series, A Game Of Lies can easily be read as a standalone. 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Clare Mackintosh's 'A Game of Lies' see Ffion Morgan and Leo Brady once again reuniting to solving a crime that spans the Welsh-Cheshire border.

Up in the mountains, seven contestants come together for what they think is a survival reality TV show with a £100,000 prize. However, little known to them, 'Exposure' doesn't just intend to test the contestant's physical endurance, but also the lengths they will go to protect their secrets. Whilst the programmes creator, Miles, expects there to be betrayals and fireworks, he does not expect his attempt to get high ratings and revenue will end in murder.

I really enjoy Mackintosh's writing. The way in which her characters speak and think are entirely believable and often made me laugh or nod in recognition. The plots are well developed and include enjoyable twists. The relationship tension between Ffion and Leo adds to the story. I also really loved Dave! I would recommend this novel and the first one in the series to anyone who enjoys great crime fiction.

This is the second book featuring DC Ffion Morgan, and it has been worth the wait.
Exposure, a reality TV show, is being filmed nearby and is the talk of the village. Everyone, including the contestants, believes the show will be a test of their survival skills. However, on their first day in camp, when all is revealed, they find that the real aim of the game is totally different. The contestants all have a secret, and the competition will pit them against each other. Only the one left at the end will leave with their secret still safe.
When one contestant disappears, Ffion is part of the group tasked with finding him. As the disappearance happens on the English side of the mountain, it becomes a joint force investigation. Leo Brady, recently promoted to DS, will lead the search for the missing person. Can Ffion and Leo put their shared history to one side and work together effectively?
What starts off as a missing person’s investigation quickly becomes more. What lengths are people willing to go to keep their past hidden?
The story looks at the darker side of the reality TV craze, highlighting that what we see might not be what actually happened. To make entertaining television, the truth can be twisted. But at what cost?
All characters are well rounded and believable. The story is fast-paced and a real page turner. I look forward to seeing Ffion again soon.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much for enabling me to read A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh - it is just brilliant.. Ingeniously put together, twisting and turning like the narrow roads that feature in the book, the plot is incredibly clever and the creation of the TV show Exposure just irresistible. It was also a joy to see Ffion and Leo meeting up and working together once more - I love them both so much. Yet another five star triumph from Clare.

Having loved the last party the first in the series of DC Morgan books I was looking forward to reading the next instalment. This book could be read as a standalone but I highly recommend reading the other one first for the whole experience and to be introduced to all of the characters

Loved the storyline and the characters in this instalment and was great to be back in the heart of the welsh countryside and seeing where DC Morgan’s next case took her as well as finding out more about her relationships and personal life and her new found friend Dave the rescue dog

This was a tense and fast paced police procedural read and once I had started it I couldn’t put it down and am looking forward to book 3

I loved the second book in the Ffion and Leo story.

Set again in a fictional Welsh village on the border of north Wales and England, Clare Mackintosh has again weaved a darkly atmospheric tale which keeps you gripped from the start. She brings back a string of characters from the first book, together with the central characters - sassy, unapologetic Ffion and methodical and calm Leo.

My only problem now is waiting for the third book in this excellent series!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Clare Mackintosh knocks it out of the park again - this second Ffion Morgan crime thriller is as utterly gripping as the first.
In 'A Game of Lies', a new reality TV show is being filmed on Ffion's doorstep. Contestants have been told that its an endurance test, but when they're locked in, the truth emerges. The show is all about buried secrets and every contestant has something to hide. Its a game of expose someone else, or risk being exposed yourself. And sitting above it all is megalomaniac producer Miles, who is only interesting in ratings and social media hits.
On the first night, one of the contestants makes a break for it - cue Ffion and fellow police officers investigating a missing person under the scrutiny of the national media. Then the stakes are raised even higher as the crimes get more serious, can Ffion and her colleagues get to the bottom of it before its too late?

I loved the first book in the Ffion Morgan series, she is a wonderfully real person with quirks and bad habits like the rest of us. I was delighted to see that she was on equally good form in book 2. Clare Mackintosh has created such a loveable person, who you want to shake sense into at times - roll on book 3!

A brilliant concept; reality shows are absolute marmite to the general public but they are impossible to ignore and the idea that all the contestants have secrets they're keeping is an excellent twist. Clare Mackintosh has a real gift for making her characters come alive, we feel we know each one and how they'll react and their interactions are perfect. The plot was ingenious and whipped along keeping me glued to the pages plus the descriptions of the stunning Welsh scenery makes me think she should be asking for contributions from the Welsh Tourist Board!

I loved this book, loved the police procedural part and loved the budding romance and the evolving relationships. Highly recommended and a definite 5-star read.

Reality TV is big business, whether you're covered in fake tan and sequins or heading into the Australian bush to eat disgusting and unimaginable delicacies. You could have been approved to take part in the latest show where contestants are shielded from the outside world while every facet of their lives are dissected around breakfast tables, in offices, or on social media.

Seven people will find their every move examined having been secreted in a camp in North Wales to test their survival skills to the limit, or is there more to it than that? When one of the participants goes missing from the new reality show, Exposure, Detective Ffion Morgan and partner Georgina Kent are tasked with finding out why.  Knowing they all have secrets to protect neither of them should be surprised when emotions run high but how can they discover who had the most to lose when things turn deadly?

Book two in Clare Mackintosh's DC Ffion Morgan series is a pleasure from the very first page and I devoured it. I would suggest reading the books in order for continuity. The tension is raised quickly to begin with but then there is a gradual climb to the reveal showcasing the author's own police and location experience to draw the reader in and keep them involved until the end. The main protagonists are all still here and then there’s Dave, I loved Dave and really hope he's here to stay.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and Sphere and was also lucky enough to win a free proof copy on Twitter but the opinions expressed are my own. I loved this and didn't want it to end. Highly recommended. Book three please!

Utterly Enjoyable…
The second in the DC Morgan series arrives with a flourish. This time a reality television show is being filmed in the Welsh mountains and the contestants are in the dark as to the real reason behind the show. It is not what they think. As rumours, secrets and lies abound, unnatural death will soon come to visit the enclosure of ‘Exposure’ and Detective Ffion Morgan may well find herself in danger. Another tremendous outing with a perfectly drawn cast of characters - not least the wonderful and eminently heroic Dave - a solid sense of place, a well crafted plot littered with red herrings and misdirection galore. Wholly immersive and utterly enjoyable.

Stranded in the Welsh mountains seven reality show contestants have no idea what they've signed up for.
Each of them strangers to each other.
Each of them have a secret they don't want revealed.
If another player can guess the truth,they won't just be eliminated,they'll be exposed live on air.
The stakes are high and they're trapped.And when a contestants goes missing its not part of the drama and 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 she knows every one of the has an alibi and a secret worth killing for.
The second in the Ffion Morgan Series.
A clever plot that keeps you engaged from the first few pages that had me laughing out loud,a great way to start a book.The relationship between Ffion and Leo is still part of the story and the end had me shouting out"No I want to know what happens next"but I'll have to wait till the next in the series which I really look forward to.
Though part of a series this book can be read as a standalone.
Well done Claire Macintosh you've given us another winner.
Thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for the ARC.

4.5 stars
DC Ffion Morgan #2

Reality tv show “Exposure “ has seven contestants who have to spend 14 nights on Pen y Ddraig Mountain in Wales, has the usual set of challenges and a public vote. The first show contains a surprise for viewers and an even bigger one for the contestants as this is a game of lies like no other. The following morning the shows producers informs the police at Bryndare that contestant Ryan Francis is missing. Ffion and DC Georgina Kent set off to investigate. Meanwhile, DS Leo Brady over the border in Cheshire has left the odious DI Crouch behind and now works for Cheshire CID. The search to find Ryan becomes a joint Cheshire/Welsh operation which goes from bad to worse.

I absolutely love the start of this where we are introduced to flatulent rescue dog Dave, a character in his own right and shall we say a bit of a handful? He’s well matched with Ffion who is such a brilliant character, she’s funny, a motor mouth, great at her job and rather impossible to both live with and without. The dialogue when Ffion is about is snappy, witty and funny. She sure keeps everyone on their toes, not least Leo. The more off than on vibes between those two are terrific and keeps you guessing throughout which is pretty much how Leo feels!

The plot with the reality show at the centre of it is so good, the awfulness of the show makes me cringe (though most reality shows do, yikes) and of course, this gives the author huge scope which she totally maximises! It really is a runaway train and you’re just waiting for the inevitable wreckage and pile ups. It’s highly entertaining, the storytelling is lively throughout and keeps you glued with multiple twists and turns and all told at a fast pace. Tension comes from several quarters and I like how several chapters have suspenseful endings which keeps you reading on. The finale is almost Christiesque and is clever and the ultimate ending is excellent.

As for the setting, that is fantastic. You really do feel the Welshness via the language, the local characters and their roots and the area is beautifully described so it exudes atmosphere. It makes me want to jump into the car and get myself to Wales!

Finally, I do hope number three is underway as I can’t wait for my next dose of Ffion, Leo and Dave who hopefully will be less er, Dave!

Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Little Brown Book Group, Sphere for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I loved A Game of Lies. It is the second book in a series with DC Ffion Morgan. Ffion is a well rounded character and it was wonderful to get to know her and the supporting characters better. The reality show premise would have in other circumstances put me off from reading the book as I'm not a fan of reality TV but my confident in Clare's storytelling was well placed. A satisfying murder mystery all round and I for one cannot wait to see what trouble Ffion can find herself in next. Big shout out to Dave! Thank you for providing this advance copy.

I love Clare Mackintosh's books so I was highly excited to be invited to read A Game of Lies, the second in her DC Ffion Morgan series. (The first was excellent.)

It's a pleasure to be back in North Wales with Ffion, who has now acquired a large, emotionally troubled rescue dog named Dave. Ffion continues to struggle with policing her own small rural community, with relationships, and with authority. And previous readers will be glad to know that cross-border DS Leo Brady also appears.

The plot is a juicy one - a reality TV show, Exposure, is being filmed on the nearby "Dragon Mountain" (Pen y Ddraig, to the locals). Supposedly an outdoor survival show, it's not quite that, and you do have to rather suspend your disbelief that this show would ever get the green light, given the deception involved. Disbelief duly suspended, it's a highly entertaining read, following both the investigation of the inevitable murder, with flashbacks to the experiences of the seven contestants (who include local postwoman Ceri).

Meanwhile Ffion is dealing (or not, as the case may be) with her family relationships, her feelings for the lovely Leo, and Dave the dog's extreme separation anxiety.

Fantastic read as always. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy!

Rating: 3.4/5

I loved the first book in this series. It was one of my favourite reads of 2022 and I even went as far as saying in my review that I felt it was the best work that Clare Mackintosh had produced to date. That being the case, as soon as I heard there was to be a sequel, I was always going to make sure that I read it at the earliest opportunity. The big question was always likely to be whether "A Game of Lies" could live up to the high standards established in "The Last Party".

This book also marks some unchartered territory for the author, as it is the first time that she has written a series follow-up rather than producing a standalone novel. If you have read the first book in the series, then it is quite apparent that Clare Mackintosh has tried to replicate the format and formula that worked so well in "The Last Party", which is perfectly understandable. This time, although the action plays out in the same location, we have a reality tv gameshow as the backdrop rather than the exclusive property development. The show is called "Exposure" and it has a wickedly cruel format. If you have seen these reality programmes yourself, then you will probably recognise something of a mash-up between the likes of "Big Brother", "I'm a Celebrity..." and "Traitors".

In common with the first book in this series, Clare Mackintosh executes certain aspects extremely well. The plot is well thought through and stylistically it is, once again, quite filmic, with characters who are well-drawn and relatable. The author draws on her previous life as a police officer in addition to her experience of living in North Wales to paint an authentic picture with plenty of integrity. The central protagonist is again DC Ffion Morgan - an endearing character who is flawed, but sharp-witted and amusing. Leo Brady from the neighbouring Cheshire Constabulary also returns from book one. However, it is impossible not to see the author laying the foundations for a potentially long-running series, as we are also introduced to a number of other characters (or reintroduced, but in greater detail to returning characters) who it seems will inevitably feature again as this series progresses.

However, although "A Game of Lies" has all the ingredients to make this another top-notch mystery thriller, I felt there were a few elements that prevented it from matching the brilliance of its predecessor. Firstly, I think readers who have not read the first book in the series will have a less rewarding reading experience than those who have. I think there are lessons that could be learned from Cara Hunter, who writes the DI Adam Fawley series. She exhibits great consideration for her audience in the way that she develops long-running characters, but without letting anyone picking up the series part way through feel as though they are missing essential background information. I also felt that there was much more a police procedural feel to this novel than had been evident in book one. Some readers may not mind that, but as that is not my favourite genre, it irked me a little. If you are not a fan of multiple viewpoints in your reading material, then you may struggle with "A Game of Lies" too. In total there are a staggering sixteen different points of view used in this novel. Coincidentally (or perhaps not), there were exactly the same number of character perspectives featured in "The Last Party". Utilising so many different viewpoints really shouldn't ever work, but somehow in "The Last Party" Clare Mackintosh pulled it off. Unfortunately, the same approach doesn't work quite so well this time around.

Nonetheless, in spite of the less appealing points I have mentioned, this is still an enjoyable read that has plenty going for it - it just doesn't quite match the high standard of "The Last Party". In any case, I will be back to read future offerings from Clare Mackintosh, whether that be more in the Ffion Morgan series or a completely separate standalone.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Detective Ffion Morgan is back in this second instalment of the series. We are also back in Wales, on the set of new reality series called Exposure. The contestants have zero idea exactly what they’ve signed up for, until it’s revealed their hidden secrets will be exposed live on air. Everything seems to be going like clockwork for the guy in charge, Miles. Until a contestant disappears, and then a murder strikes. Ffion must team up with other officers to figure out who the perpetrator is.

I really enjoyed this, and the concept of the book was great, and fairly unique. I’m pretty sure that reality tv show would be gold in real life. The characters were all mildly annoying, but extremes well written, and I didn’t guess the murderer until close to the end. Ffion is and especially brilliant character, who frequently bends the rules, but she’s usually bang on the money. The descriptions used for Wales are beautiful, and really add to the atmosphere of the book perfectly. An excellent read I’d recommend.

Our T.V. schedules are peppered with reality T.V. shows, featuring both 'celebrity' stars and hopeful members of the public seeking their moment in the spotlight. The setting of Ms Mackintosh's new novel, 'A Game Of Lies' is a reality show combining elements of 'Traitors', 'I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here' and others of a similar ilk. This theme, set in Ms Mackintosh's beloved Wales, provides the backdrop for a 21st century Agatha Christie-esque whodunnit with many twists and turns which kept me on my toes and had me guessing all the way through.
This is the second novel in the series featuring police officers Ffion Morgan and Detective Leo Brady. We catch up with them a year or so after their first eventful meeting and it was lovely to pick up their stories from where we left them after 'The Last Party'. For anyone who has not read the first book in the series, 'A Game Of Lies' is an entertaining standalone read but far more enjoyable if you have already met many of the characters featured.
Murders happen in this book, amid much skulduggery, but anyone looking for grisly, bloody and gruesome details will not find graphic descriptions of blood and gore. The strength of this story comes from the characters , including a new four-legged one whose personality certainly captured my heart! I don't want to give away any of the plot, or share the characters secrets. Ms Mackintosh has delivered another wonderful page-turner. Bravo!
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this title.