The Lying Game: A Novel
Praise for Ruth Ware's instant New York Times, USA TODAY, and Los Angeles Times bestseller: "So many questions....Until the very last page! Needless to say, I could not put this book down!" --Reese Witherspoon "Once again the author of The Woman in Cabin 10 delivers mega-chills." --People "Missing Big Little Lies? Dig into this psychological thriller about whether you can really trust your nearest and dearest." --Cosmopolitan From the instant New York Times bestselling author of blockbuster thrillers In a Dark, Dark Wood and The Woman in Cabin 10 comes a chilling new novel of friendship, secrets, and the dangerous games teenaged girls play. On a cool June morning, a woman is walking her dog in the idyllic coastal village of Salten, along a tidal estuary known as the Reach. Before she can stop him, the dog charges into the water to retrieve what first appears to be a wayward stick, but to her horror, turns out to be something much more sinister... The next morning, three women in and around London--Fatima, Thea, and Isa--receive the text they had always hoped would never come, from the fourth in their formerly inseparable clique, Kate, that says only, "I need you." The four girls were best friends at Salten, a second-rate boarding school set near the cliffs of the English Channel. Each different in their own way, the four became inseparable and were notorious for playing the Lying Game, telling lies at every turn to both fellow boarders and faculty. But their little game had consequences, and as the four converge in present-day Salten, they realize their shared past was not as safely buried as they had once hoped... Atmospheric, twisty, and with just the right amount of chill to keep you wrong-footed, The Lying Game is told in Ruth Ware's signature suspenseful style, lending itself to becoming another unputdownable thriller from the Agatha Christie of our time.
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Community Reviews
I thought the story was captivating and the characters were complex, but I had a hard time finding any of them likable. The ending was confusing and there were a lot of questions that were wrapped up in a way that felt rushed, or that were not touched on.
At first it was giving definite Girl On The Train vibes, but it did turn out surprising me in the end!
Four friends from school have a huge secret. A secret that could upend their lives and cost them everything to hey hold dear. Does this secret have anything to do with a little game the girls used to play? The Lying Game ™️ sounds just like something teen girls would have too much fun with, until the premise changes and the girls started getting malicious with their lies. Now that they're all grown up they have to come back to their old stomping grounds when their secret is at risk of being exposed.
The plot points about the game and the friendship feel rushed and not fully formed. This plot had so much potential to be a really great story about friendship but all of that was sacrificed for time I guess because it's almost completely missing details about what made the girls such great friends and this game besides a few small flashbacks from characters.
I also don't think that the thriller aspect of this novel worked. Yes, we are worried about the secret coming out but otherwise there is zero excitement or sleuthing involved, I really prefer a book that keeps you guessing all the way through to the end but this one just wasn't it for me.
I just feel like this plot had so much more potential, and as much as I love Ware, I also think her writing is better in other books.
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