Nine Liars by Maureen Johnson: A Book Recommendation
Nine Liars by Maureen Johnson
If you’ve been following Stevie Bell throughout her Truly Devious adventures, you already know that she totally cracked the case. If you’re not up to speed, no worries. It was always safe to assume that Stevie was going to solve the mystery and you can still read about how it exactly played out.
These books always have multiple timelines, which I love (the first three books featured the 1920s, the fourth book featured the 1970s, and this one specifically featured 1995).
Now she’s taking her detective skills across the pond to unravel a mystery straight out of 1990s England. It’s another heart-pounding, laugh-out-loud standalone mystery from the incredible Maureen Johnson, bestselling author extraordinaire.
Senior year at Ellingham Academy is not going exactly smoothly for Stevie. Her boyfriend, David, is off studying in London. Her friends are all in a frenzy over college applications. And with the big cold case finally closed, Stevie feels a bit lost.
But then, out of the blue, David invites Stevie and her friends to join him for a study-abroad adventure. That’s when things get interesting.
David’s new friend Izzy introduces Stevie to a mind-boggling double-murder cold case. Back in ’95, a group of nine friends from Cambridge University decided to play a wild game of hide-and-seek at a countryside manor. But here’s the twist: two of them were found dead in the woodshed the next day, brutally axed.
Originally it was chalked up as a botched burglary. But one of the remaining seven friends witnesses something she can’t quite make sense of. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill break-in. Someone has been telling some major lies about what actually went down in that woodshed.
Seven suspects. Two murders. And one killer still playing a dangerously twisted game. This is a true country house murder mystery complete with axe murders and a comedy troupe comprised of nine liars.
Group friendships are products of the right time—the chemistry of season, activity, emotion, and random occurrence. They coalesced over a series of long nights at the pub, in rehearsal spaces, cafés, and bedrooms.
Maureen Johnson, Nine Liars
If you’re giving Nine Liars as a gift, here are a few things to consider:
The vibes are mysterious, adventurous, tense, and dark with a medium pace. I was glued to these pages and finished the book in about a day and a half.
Nine Liars is the perfect book for anyone who’s into ‘90s nostalgia, Britpop, murder mysteries, college angst, and European travel.
Permission to judge a book by its cover!
This book gives really good autumn vibes and @nverjudgeabook captured it perfectly!
*Nine Liars fulfilled my POPSUGAR Reading Challenge prompt for a book with a map.
