This is a really original novel - I struggle to put it into any box, part crime, part thriller, part drama?! - there is even a little bit of romance thrown in!) Though I believe it is part of a series, it 100% works as a standalone.

The plot is created around a reality TV show with a massive twist filmed in Wales. Contestants believe they are on a survival contest, but really the show has discovered secrets about each of the contestants that lead to all sorts of craziness, potentially including murder!

The central character is Ffyon, a somewhat rogue police woman, who absolutely presents with all her own issues, making her both relatable and likeable.

The acerbic style of the writing grew on me, though it initially took me by surprise. Overall a very decent read!

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

📖BOOK REVIEW📖
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

#AGameOfLies by @claremackwrites #spherepublishing

⏩for synopsis

And so we’re back for a second helping of Ffion and her team…

I must say this one was such a ramp up from the first book and I’m so so glad as I love this authors books. I loved format with the mixing of the narrators and the plot which felt familiar and new all at the same time. The characters became more well rounded and overall more interesting; Ffion especially. I didn’t like her so much in the first book, but she really turned a corner with me as we got to know more of her history and as we progressed through this book.

I do think the first half was teetering on becoming a drag but as soon as the 2nd half gets going it’s all hands on deck. I’m totally invested now. When’s book 3?!

With thanks to the author #claremackintosh #spherepublishing and @netgalley for allowing us to read this one!

OUT NOW!

-EMILY

@the_book_girls_1

I'm not really one for police books. Howeber Claire seems to have a way of writing where I end up loving everything sbe has written. This is the second book in the series and I have read both and I can say I thoroughly enjoyed both of them.

In this book we meet fiona again who is investigating circumstances of disappearing people.

In the Welsh mountains a group of individuals have embarked to make the next up and coming reality TV show. Where the contestants think that they are going to be doing a survival contest where they are going to be staying in an encampment in the woods. With just the basics needed to survive. However things take a drastic turn and people have ended up going missing.

Fiona is set to find the missing person before it gets worse.

This is the second novel about DC Ffion Morgan and is as gripping and enthralling as the first. Not far from Fiona’s village in the Welsh mountains a group of individuals are setting out on the start of their reality tv show journey. The programme is called Exposure and the contestants believe that they are on some sort of outdoor trials type show and to begin with when they see their encampment, enclosed inside a clearing in the woods, primitive and basic, they aren’t disappointed. However the first night of live on screen viewing ends with all the contestants discovering the true meaning of the title exposure, they need to ‘expose’ each other to stay in. After that bombshell they all go to bed except when they wake up, not everyone is accounted for. Whilst DC Morgan has to contend with finding the misssing person she also has to deal with the fact her temporary boss is DS Leo Brady, the man she’s in love with but too terrified to actually let him know so pushes him away instead.
This thriller is a wonderful read as I’ve come to expect from Clare Mackintosh. I am really hoping that DC Ffion Morgan appear again as I love the characters and am rather hooked on the life of the residents of Cwm Coed.

Already a big Clare Mackintosh fan, A Game of Lies did not disappoint!
Many thanks for the ARC.
The book was fast paced and alternated between characters and timeline with a clever storyline concept. I enjoyed following on with the characters from The Last Party and hope there will be more in the series!
A very good 4 stars.

Another excellent read from Clare Mackintosh. I love the main characters and getting to know them better, can’t wait for the next book. Well written and great story.

Thank you for my ebook of the second in the DC Ffion Morgan series. I couldn't wait to get back into this world!

This time seven reality show contestants are stuck in the Welsh mountains and they all have a secret. If another player can guess the truth they won't just be eliminated they will be exposed live on air. Ffion must put aside what she already thinks about the contestants when one of them goes missing. Leo, from Cheshire is back too and they have to navigate new feelings and what has happened in the first book.

I'm a big Macintosh fan and I always feel that when a writer is relatively new and I can easily read everything they have written, there is a real sense of getting to know a writer, watching them get better at their craft and Clare knocks it out of the park yet again with this second installment.

I love Wales too, and long to get back there, so the setting is always so lush in this series. And it was funny! I laughed out loud at many a scathing comment or quip and I was rooting for Ffion and Leo yet again.

The concept was BRILLIANT! I loved the elements around how fake “reality” tv is, I found it refreshing reading this aspect due to how popular this type of tv is and how much it takes over. I thought the idea of the programme switch up, it was absolutely amazing and I was genuinely gripped straight away. I love Ffion, she absolutely gives me Sarah Lancashire vibes from happy valley and I will never be able to picture her as anybody else but her now! Her dry sense of humour made me fall in love with her from the first page and not once did this change. The ending was very well done, I was determined to figure out what was going on throughout but I didn’t get anywhere near the truth! It was gripping, entertaining and had great characters and it was great hearing about the tv industry too.

Second in a series - even better than the first. I love Ffion Morgan - she is so politically incorrect that I snorted out loud on a number of occasions.

The setting in Wales is perfect for this story and that the characters are authentic and well developed. You don't need to have read the first title, I think Mackintosh back-fills all details, but you are missing out! The relationship between Leo and Ffi is complicated, starting right at the beginning of book one, and that is an episode which I was delighed to replay - it is so unexpectedly plausible.

A Game of Lies follows a group of contestants on a survival reality TV show. It has such a cruel concept that is will make you gasp and I did not guess the twist, so carefully (and convincingly) was it plotted and developed.

So many of the characters from book one make appearances like Angharad and Ffi's mother. The relationship between Seren and Ffi has moved on somewhat, but still has some way to go. I found George an interesting character with some shocking revelations and hope that she makes an appearance in book 3. On a final note, I loved Dave - everyone needs a Dave in their life. He is an enlightening addition to Ffi's life, which was already complicated enough!

DC Morgan - complicated, damaged, headstrong and no social graces - go girl!!

This latest installment was absolutely brilliant. I have really warmed to the characters of detectives Leo and Ffion. The first book was laying the foundations of the area in Cwn Coed in North Wales and the characters.
While the luxury houses on the lake and the posh people drama and murder plot of the first one was a little slower to get into, this book jumps straight into a juicy plot line.
I loved the big brother/ psychologically warped game show plot line. I loved the introduction of a new sidekick colleague George for Ffion to tackle. I loved the development of the will they/won’t they tension between Ffion and Leo. I loved the introduction of the rescue dog Dave into the story and I am beyond excited to continue on with this series and the colourful cast of characters Clare Mackintosh has created.

The basic plot is that there is a new game show hitting UK television screens called Exposure and all contestants are average people including Ceri (the local postie) and it will be filmed in Cwn Coed. But when the twist of the show is revealed. That all contestants are not trying to survive in the wilderness for prize money but are really fighting to stop their secrets being exposed on national television, this leads to one contestant escaping camp and going on the run. Ffion (Welsh representative ) and Leo (English representative ) are called in to help find him as a missing persons case but it might just lead to a murder investigation too….

Thanks to the author Clare Mackintosh, the publisher Sphere and Netgalley for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely amazing! Clare has absolutely smashed it and delivered a brilliant second instalment of the Ffion Morgan series. I was hooked from the start, fully invested in the story line and the characters. I didn’t think it would be better than the last party, but it absolutely was!

I really enjoyed the concept of this book, based on a reality tv show set in wales, it follows the trials and tribulations of ffion and Leo as they look for a missing contestant from the unusual tv show. I already cannot wait for the next book! Bravo Clare, bravo.

A page turning and entertaining crime novel based in the world of reality TV. Interesting to have the story told from the various main character's perspective, although the jumping back and forth in the story's time line can prove confusing at times.
The who dunnit side to the book is an added bonus.
Roll on the third book in the series!

There is a new Reality TV show being filmed in the mountains around Ffion Morgan's home & one which the village has a special interest in, as one of the contestants is the local postie. In the usual format, the contestants are isolated from the outside world. It is then that they find out that this isn't the usual survival show. The reason why is is called 'Exposure' for a reason- each contestant has a secret that are desperate to keep. To make that happen they need to expose the secrets of the others. When someone goes missing Ffion goes to investigate & when later the production manager is murdered Ffion is reunited with Leo Brady- someone she felt very divided about. The attraction was there but is she brave enough?

This was a great 'whodunnit' with lots of twists & turns to keep you guessing along with the 'will they/won't they'? I loved the first in the series. This wasn't quite as good but I have high hopes for the third book! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

Book two in the D C Ffion Morgan crime series and I thought the first one was good, it was, but this was even better. Set in and around Cwn Coed in Wales Ffion is back with most of the characters from book one and sadly her blossoming romance with DS Leo seems to have fallen at the first hurdle. Only one thing for it, throw yourself into work, so she does but Leo is immediately thrown back in her path. This time they are investigating a missing man who is believed to be a danger to himself and the public. This author really knows how to grab you and immerse you into the story from the first page. You really won’t want to put it down, and if you haven’t read book one don’t worry it could easily be read as a stand-alone.

Briefly, there is a reality television show being made nearby and Ffion is surprised to see her friend and local post lady in the camp. However, after the producer reveals a nasty twist in the plot one of the seven contestants runs away. Before the police can find him the producer is murdered and the missing man is at the top of a long list of suspects.

What a great police procedural this is. The plot was believable when you see just how far reality television show will go these days it’s quite shocking. For me what really makes the book is the characters. I am completely invested in Ffion and Leo’s on off relationship, both characters are damaged, both are really good at their jobs and both of them want to be together but are fighting to bring down the protective walls they have built around themselves. Honourable mentions also to Ffion’s partner, Georgina and the wonderful Dave, who almost steals the show! The plot was full of twists and turns and I didn’t have a clue who dun it. A brilliant read.

I really like this author and I try to read all her new releases, they have all been varied in topic but equally enjoyable. A Game of Lies is the first time (I think) that we see the same characters, Ffion and Leo from the previous book.
Seven contestants have been selected for a reality tv show based in the Welsh Mountains. Unfortunately while filming the first show they find what they thought they had signed up for is not correct and they are in fact going to have their deepest darkest secrets revealed. Each contestant has a secret in an envelope locked in a box. To have a secret revealed, the contestant can be voted in by the audience or nominated by another player. If the contestant doesn’t want their secret revealed they have to go into the confession pod and face their fears, be is spiders, snakes, water etc. if another contestant nominates another player and they are wrong they have to go in the pod., if they guess the truth, the contestant is eliminated.
All of the contestants have terrible secrets they want kept and it isn’t long before one of the contestants goes missing. This is where Detective Ffion Morgan and DS Leo Brady appear, Ffion and Leo had slept together in the previous book and there are simmering feelings between the two. Then a murder happens and it is almost impossible to work out among the tight knit group of contestants and the few crew, who the murderer is.
The back story on the characters and in particular Ffion’s family is greatly drawn, and although it has several people from the first book in it, this can easily be read on its own.

#AGameOfLies. #NetGalley

There have been some heavy topics in my reading this month so A Game of Lies came at exactly the right time for some wonderful distraction! I have been waiting eagerly for the return of Ffion Morgan and I am here to tell you that the second series is even better!

Cwm Coed is buzzing with excitement as a new reality show, Exposure, is filming locally in the mountains. Seven contestants have been signed up - they are ‘ordinary’ people hoping to win a fortune and the local postal lady, Ceri, is one of them. Ffion is initially called in to investigate the discovery of old bones discarded on site, but when the rules of the game show change, a contestant disappears and Ffion is back to investigate the disappearance… and then a murder..

I loved everything about this! It reminded me of the pure entertainment value of reading. Ffion is so wonderfully observed from the domesticity of her home life, the complications of her on/off ‘thing’ with Leo, and the unique qualities she brings to her policing. Ffion is sharp, feisty; she has a wonderful sense of humour; she’s intuitive with great powers of observation, but her personal life drags her into poor choices and conflict..

There is a delightfully rich seam of humour in this - more so than the first- and I laughed a lot. The dialogue is sharp and Ffion’s retorts often epic, and there’s is a lot of situational comedy -
‘He had a feeling it wasn’t going to be that sort of night when Bronwen answered the door wearing Winnie-the-Pooh pyjama bottoms.’
‘I understand you’ve found some bones?’ As Ffion says his favourite word, Dave sits bolt upright, his tail sweeping an arc on the cobbles.’
The game show device is brilliantly executed with twists and turns creating wonderful drama, pitting contestants/characters against each other and providing some excellent motives for murder as the drama spills off screen into their lives..
If you aren’t convinced I will throw in a gorgeous rescue dog with wind and separation anxiety, some fabulous welsh scenery, and some fizzy chemistry! Wonderful!

Contemporarily relevant, intense and original, this encounter with Detective Ffion Morgan is an immersive experience. Set in North Wales, the story has a good sense of place and a cast of characters that add authenticity to this police procedural. The negative aspects of reality television are the impetus for this investigation which delves into the darker side of human nature and has a closed-room mystery aspect. The police investigation is realistic, and the personal element of FFion and the investigation team's lives draw the reader into the story. The mystery is twisty and resolved believably, the menacing ethos is palpable, and the case resolution is clever and convincing. I like the dramatic setting, the characterisation and the well-thought-out mystery.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

It is hard to believe that DC Ffion Morgan was only introduced to us one book ago in ‘The Last Party’ – but here she is again in fine form in her quest to uncover the truth among a stack of deceit, lies, false leads and secrets in the beautiful setting of Cwm Coed in Northern Wales. This stunning backdrop is being used as the stage for a reality TV show, but each of the seven contestants has almighty secrets to keep and it is not long until one contestant disappears, and the production manager of the show is found dead. Ffion and her team, which includes her former ‘accidental partner’ Leo, set out to investigate and to bring this unusual case to a conclusion. What makes the investigation (and the novel as a whole) so compelling, in my opinion, is partly the beautiful Welsh setting and partly the fact that Ffion and Leo are such imperfect but entirely believable investigators with their own closets in the cupboard and demons to fight. It looks as if both are here to stay – and I cannot wait to read what they will investigate next! Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for the free ARC that allowed me to produce this book review.

A Game of Lies is the second book in the series. I enjoyed this one a lot more than the first. I think the author has refined their writing. The first book was difficult for me to get through because it’s set in Whales and the names and language used was very specific to the area. While I can appreciate that, it did make it difficult for me to read. A Game of Lies is also set in Whales and captures the culture there, but it was much easier for me to read and understand.
I would consider this story more of a mystery rather than a thriller. It is character driven more than anything else, which I typically don’t enjoy however these characters are interesting and kept me engaged. I hope there are more to come in the series!

Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK, Sphere for a digital ARC.

What a great follow up to The last party,It felt like meeting old friends. The story line was great and unlike any I’ve read before,Along side the main story you get to catch up with the familiar characters..alongside new ones,I do hope Dave stays around that’s for sure!
I’m looking forward to see what’s next in line for Ffion and Leo,Thank you net galley for the opportunity to read this book it was brilliant.