In the Welsh mountains, new reality series ‘Exposure’ is being filmed- but the seven reality show contestants have no idea what they truly signed up for. Once locked in the camp they discover they are competing to keep their secrets from being exposed live on air.
When one of the contestants escapes from the camp Detective Ffion Moran is called in but the stakes are raised when a murder- leaving the detective to uncover who’s secret was worth killing for?
A Game of Lies is the second book in the Ffion Morgan series. This time the plot surrounds a reality TV show which is very similar to I’m A Celebrity with the added twist of dark truths being exposed as people are eliminated. A Game of Lies could be read as a standalone book however I would suggest reading The Last Party if you want to fully understand the characters and their back stories- especially as Clare is a very thorough and detailed author.
In terms of characters, it was great to see how some of the characters and the relationships between them developed from the first novel- Ffion Morgan remains a strong protagonist! Equally it was interesting to meet some new faces – I was particularly interested in George, a new character who I believe we will be seeing and learning a lot more about in the next instalment.
As with all Clare Mackintosh books the detail is superb; the characters are multifaceted which makes them all the more interesting, the way Clare describes the scenes instantly bring the tight-knit community to life – despite me not knowing Wales very well, and despite being a work of fiction it brings to light some very real issues including the manipulation of the media, impacts of reality TV, misogyny, power and betrayal.
Whilst, A Game of Lies is a thriller, full of mystery and twists and turns, it also has an element of romance whilst Ffion’s attitude and Dave the Dog will have you laughing which make it a real all-rounder. All in all, 5 stars, already awaiting the sequel.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. A Game of lies will be published on the 20th July.
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