Sixteen-year-old Kat and seventeen-year-old Liam have more in common than the fact that they were step-sibling for forty-eight hours when their parents married in Las Vegas and then quickly divorced twelve years earlier. Kat’s mother is a thief, while Liam’s father is a con-man and they are both headed to the birthday party of billionaire Ross Sutherland. For Kat’s mother, this is her last job before retiring as a thief and starting a new normal life as an accountant. The plan is to infiltrate the party as a waitress to steal a ruby necklace.

Liam’s father has his eyes on Annalise Sutherland, Ross’s daughter, and has been invited to the party as his boyfriend. Following his mother’s death six months earlier, Liam has been living with his father, doing his best to protect the women he tries to con, so he tags along to the party to make sure that Annalise doesn’t become another one of his victims. Things take a turn for the worse when one of the Sutherlands turns up murdered and someone seems to be after Kat’s mother. As things take an unexpected turn, it seems that Kat and Liam can only trust each other.

Karen M. McManus is back with another smart and gripping YA novel. The story is told from the perspective of the two protagonists, and, even though I didn’t agree with many of the decisions Kat made, I adored the character of Liam. Kind, sweet, not-able-to-lie Liam was my favourite character and, as the story progresses, I started to like more the character of Kat who would do anything to protect her mother, including foolish and dangerous decisions.

Such Charming Liars is fast-paced, addictive, and well-developed and it’s the perfect read for all YA readers!

Another excellent book from McManus, with all of her typical drama, wit and intrigue. Having read several of her books, I guessed one of the main twists, but still a very enjoyable read. 3.5 rounded up

**advance review copy received from NetGalley in return for an honest review***
Another enjoyable novel from Karen McManus. I still think that her One of Us Is Lying plot twist can’t be beaten, and is worthy of inclusion alongside Agatha Christie, but this is a decent book too.
A slight deviation from her more usual settings in the form of a heist, there’s no filler here and the plot explodes from one page to the next - it’s pretty unputdownable.

Teenager Kat and her mom, Jamie, had a tough start to family life. With Kat's father behind bars for a vicious attack on Jamie, and a short-lived marriage to charming but useless Luke behind them, they have spent 12 years living with, and Jamie working for, a criminal mastermind and jewel thief. But now Jamie is determined to go clean, with just one last job to complete.

But when they arrive at the palatial country estate in Maine, they're shocked to find Luke - and his teenage son Liam - already there.

I loved Such Charming Liars, which is a fun YA take on the classic grifter trope with twists galore. Kat and Liam made for strong protagonists who the reader roots for throughout, even (or perhaps especially) when they're making some dubious choices. A highly recommended YA thriller for summer.

This book was many things. It was a chaotic heist where pretty much everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, it was a murder mystery and its a story about family and abuse and running from your past.

I love McManus’s characters. There’s always a plucky heroine trying to not get herself, or in this case her mother, arrested. I loved her relationship with Liam and how they were essentially siblings, despite having not spent a lot of time in each other’s lives, that bond was still there, formed over one night lost in Las Vegas.

I just completely loved the chaos of this book. I didn’t know what was going to happen next because it was so hard to predict. While I got a bit annoyed at Kat for treating Jamie like a child sometimes, I could see that it was a character progression and something that they had to get through as a family.

Strongly recommend this book.

I was so thrilled to receive an e-arc of the newest book from one of my all time favourite authors, and of course it did not disappoint!!

This book felt very different to some of Karen’s other books, but still had the same amount of mystery and twists and thrill that I love from her books! I never knew what was going to happen next or how the ending was going to turn out, and I was definitely constantly shocked with every thing that was revealed along the way.

There were so many complicated characters, who were all a bit messed up, and they all connected in some way or another, which really helped in the slow unveiling of what really happened.

I loved both Kat and Liam’s POV, and getting to read both of their thoughts about the mystery and trying to figure out the truth. I really liked reading about Kat’s relationship with her mum Jamie, and seeing how it progressed throughout the book, and how they got closer. It was also interesting to read about Liam’s relationship with his dad Luke, but the main thing I enjoyed about Liam’s POV was his interactions with Augustus, and seeing the relationship develop, because I always love a hint of romance in every book I read!

I did feel like the ending was a little bit abrupt, but maybe that is just me being selfish and not wanting the book to end! Overall, this book was 100% one of my favourites from Karen and I definitely recommend it, and all of her books to any mystery book lover!

Had me totally addicted , and I just sat for hours turning the pages, as there was no way I could put it down until the very end… thrilling read, this book is an absolute must-read , it’s just too good to miss.

Something a little different to Karen M McManus' usual mysteries, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. There was a fun family dynamic with Kat and her mum, an emotional storyline for Liam and his, and a really nice relationship to watch develop between Kat and Jamie.
Plenty of twists and turns, and an excellent outcome.

4.5 ⭐️

enjoyed a McManus’s thriller after so long. this was so much better than i expected it to be. seeing teenagers acting like teenagers, instead of grown-up adults who act like they can solve world problems, was refreshing!!

i liked the plot. it had so many actions that i couldn’t stop reading. all the red herrings kept me engaged. even the twist was good.

as for the characters, all the three main characters were likeable. loved loved the siblings' relationship ❤︎

thanks to the publishers and netgalley for the copy!

There is a reason I love all Karen McManus books - you cannot put them down. I was not sure T the beginning of this one but as ever the story draws you in and hits you with the twists and turns
Already ordered for the library a must read!!!

Such Charming Liars by Karen M. McManus
"Such Charming Liars" by Karen M. McManus is a gripping thriller filled with heists, murder plots, and family drama. The story follows Kat and her former stepbrother, Liam, who reunite under dramatic circumstances involving their grifter parents. When Kat's mother, Jamie, falls ill during a jewel heist, Kat takes over, only to witness a murder at a wealthy man's birthday party.
While the premise is intriguing, the plot felt a bit convoluted, blending elements of a heist and a murder mystery. The pacing was uneven, with a slow start and a rushed ending. The characters, though bonded by past trauma, lacked depth. Despite these issues, McManus's knack for drama and twists kept me engaged. It's not my favorite of her books, but it has enough suspense to keep readers hooked.
If you enjoy thrillers with complex plots and family secrets, give this one a try.
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy, opinions are my own.

Jewel thief Jamie has one last job with her daughter, Kat. Their target? Billionaire Ross Sutherland. But Luke and his father Liam, a serial scammer, have their sights set on the same family. Oh, and it just so happens that Luke and Liam are Kat's ex stepfather and stepbrother, complicating things and making a dangerous situation even more dangerous.

Things go from bad to worse when Kat finds herself conducting the heist alone and it goes wrong, winding up with the death of one of the billionaire's sons (which Kat is the only witness to!). Now a target, Kat must rely on Liam to help her survive and solve the mystery.

I went back and forward on this book, trying to decide how much I liked it, and in the end I think it just wasn't for me. There were bits I really enjoyed - Karen McManus is the queen of YA mystery for a reason, and all her strengths in dropping clues and leaving red herrings are at the forefront. The interpersonal conflicts, again another strength of the author, are prominent and engaging. In terms of characters, I enjoyed Luke and Augustus in particular.

However, I think for me, it started off a bit slow and I had to really persevere until the point that the murder happened before I found myself more engaged and even then, I found myself taking lots of breaks and not speeding through it like I normally do with a McManus novel. As a general rule, I'm not a huge fan of heist books but wanted to give this one a try because of how much I enjoyed McManus' previous books and series. I found myself flipping through a lot of the heist specific stuff and focused more on the mystery and the relationships with the characters. I went back and forth on the main character, Kat, as well. She makes a lot of mistakes and questionable decisions and while I do enjoy reading characters like that as I find it very realistic and relatable (for teenage characters especially), but it was frustrating at times.

Overall, I think this book just wasn't for me. I'm glad I read it because I always learn a lot from a McManus book and there were aspects that I enjoyed. I will pick it up for a reread at some point in the future and see if my feelings change. If you're a McManus fan or you love heist books, I'm sure you'll find something to enjoy here!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an e-Arc!

Such Charming Liars by Karen McManus
I give this book 4.25 stars.

Jamie is a jewel thief trying to go straight, but with her daughter Kat she has one last job. Liam and his father Luke a serial scammer with his own sights set on the same family.
Kat and Liam are on a collision course to disaster.But when someone dies.they can’t trust anyone except each other. Or can they? Because if there’s one thing both of them know, it’s how to lie….

I love the One Of Us Is Lying series and was excited to read her new book,this does have a different feel to it. The POV narrative switches between Kat and Liam who join up with wealthy Augustus to become a fun trio trying to solve a murder mystery, none of the 3 have had an easy life and they quickly bond.Throw the adults (con artists) into the mix (all seem to be flawed) along with a jewellery heist and the suspense ramps up.The author does a great job of creating a complex storyline filled with crazy antics ,deception and hidden secrets to uncover. The red herrings and clues are scattered throughout along with subplots and counter twists to keep you guessing and turning the pages.An entertaining YA thriller.
With thanks to Netgally Karen McManus and Penguin Random House UK for my chance to read and review this book.

With all her usual smarts, Karen M
McManus dazzles again with a thrilling, gripping and well plotted YA mystery.

A classic Karen McManus novel with duel POV & plenty of plot twists.

Most the characters are morally grey & it's very hard to know who/what to trust.

Kat and Liam were step siblings for less than 48 hours but when they meet again years later, Liam instantly recognises Kat and her mother Jamie. A lot has happened to the pair since they were abandoned kids in a Las Vegas hotel, but despite the time that's passed, they still feel a sibling bond.
When Jamie and Liam's dad, Luke, are both at a big event for the wealthy Ross Sutherland's birthday, with nefarious plans to earn some cash, Kat and Liam end up embroiled in a murder plot that they wanted no part in. Jamie's only goal is to get this last jewellery heist over so she can move on with her life and take herself and her daughter away from a life of crime, but when she's taken down by a sickness bug Kat decides to finish the mission without her. Unfortunately, she sees more than she bargained for when a party attendee is shot in front of her. Not knowing who to trust, she runs to Liam and together they have to figure out what's happened before the killer finds Kat.

I've read a few Karen M McManus books and absolutely loved them but this wasn't my favourite - the premise was a little weak and too confusing (can you tell by my summary above?!) to really engage me. Was it a heist? A murder mystery? The characters were also a little bland and were only really bonded through their shared trauma - not a trope I love...
The pacing was a little slow for me and far too fast at the end, it felt like there were so many random plot points that had to be created in order to get to the action.
It didn't read as well as One of us is lying or Nothing more to tell so I'd recommend picking those over this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Puffin Books for the eARC.

So happy that I got to read an ARC copy of Such Charming Liars via NetGalley. I was captivated from the beginning of the book and the main characters Kat and Liam (and Augustus) were really likeable. I was quite proud of myself as I guessed some of the plot twist but there was a whole other plot twist I DID NOT GUESS. Overall, the book was amazing and Karen M. Mcmanus’ books have such a great writing style that allows the reader to be really immersed in the book. I have enjoyed other books such as One Of Us Is Lying by the same author and would highly recommend all of her books. Really excited to read more from Karen M. McManus.

McManus does it again. The master of murder mysteries is back with another corker. I loved the twists and turns (some of which I guessed) but then ending came as a surprise! Loved the characters and the friendship that they formed. Will be recommending this book to my pupils and librarian

When saw a Karen McManus book was on here i had to have it! I love her books so much! I wouldnt say this is my favourite as I love one of us is lying. I would definitely recommend as so many twists and turns. The 2 main characters just have a wonderful relationship despite being years since they have seen each other.

I’m reading along and so far this book is about two teenagers, Liam and Kat, whose parents, who had them young themselves, are grifters. Liams father, Luke, pulls cons using dating apps. Kats mother, Jamie, works for Gem an old friend who uses her cleaning business as a front for her main business, making costume jewelry based on the real thing and then Gem steals the real thing just for good measure. The link between both children is that they are stepbrother and sister, Jamie and Liam had gotten married, for 48 hours, following a drunken incident in Las Vegas a few years prior.

When Kat gets caught up in one of Gems’ scams her mum, decides not to work for Gem anymore, but she’ll only let Jamie go if she pulls one more scam, go to the Sutherland estate to steal a necklace and replace it with a fake one. Luke pulls Liam into a scam by introducing him to Annalise, a woman he has been dating just so that he can eventually get his hands on the family’s money or jewellery. After a lot of slick hint dropping by Liam to Annalise, Luke has to take him along to meet the family for the weekend.

Along the way both families meet at the Sutherland estate and the necklace that Gem had made to be replaced with the original has been stolen from the room and because Jamie is sick, Kat has had to take over hosting duties and also mingle in the party to find the necklace, as she believes that one of the other hostesses had taken it from their room. But whilst there she gets lost in the woods and witnesses a murder. What are the chances of her getting away from the killer, finding the necklace and trying to finally wake up her sick mother, Jamie? And who is the insider at the Sutherland residence?

Those are the questions that you’re going to ask once you read this book. It is a non-stop rollercoaster page turning delight which she will take full pleasure in reading. I love this book and it’s one that’s definitely going to be read again at some point. But then again this author, Karen M McManus, writes many good books all aimed at the young adult audience but this one was definitely for us oldies to enjoy and enjoy it you will.