Reviews with content warning for Murder - Valede mäng

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

I confess that I've been a bit worried about this one... I wasn't exactly a fan of The Last Party and I hadn't realized that A Game Of Lies was actually the second book of that series when I requested a copy. Still, I usually do love a good reality TV angle in thrillers, so I decided to just dive in and see how things would go. Thankfully this sequel somehow ended up working a lot better for me in the end! I'm still not a fan of the main character Ffion, but the reality TV element made for an excellent distraction along the way.

It's actually kind of funny how much I'm drawn to thrillers with a reality TV element considering the fact that I would NEVER watch this kind of contest on TV. I guess knowing that most shows are complete trainwrecks is more fun for me to read about than watch Anyhow, Exposure without doubt fits the bill of bad reality TV that people can't help but watch. Is it fun for the contestants? Absolutely not. But the promise of secrets, drama and ruined lives makes it very easy to believe that the show would be a big hit. And this makes the plot so much more plausible...

Like I said, I'm still not a fan of Ffion at all. I didn't like her in the first book, and she doesn't exactly redeem herself in this sequel. The constant tension between her and Leo as well as the whole love triangle vibe doesn't help either, and having to spend time with both characters was probably my least favorite part of the story. I did love her dog Dave though, and the role he played in the plot. As for the rest of the cast... The Exposure contestants and other people involved aren't exactly likeable either, but somehow this bothered me less as I wasn't expecting them to be. I was more intrigued by what they were trying to hide, and what they could offer as potential suspects... Proof that sometimes unlikeable characters don't have to be a bad thing.

A Game Of Lies uses a multiple POV structure, and there are a lot of different characters and POVs to keep track of. It might take a little time to keep them apart, but I think the multiple POV structure actually worked in the story's favor this time around. It ment spending less time with each unlikeable character, and the focus was more on the plot instead of a thorough character development. There are also some jumps between past and present that will need your full attention; you will have to keep track of the dates mentioned or you might get confused otherwise.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot to avoid spoilers, but A Game Of Lies has plenty of action, secrets and lies for you in store. And yes, you will even get a dose of murder and a LOT of potential suspects along the way... If you don't mind unlikeable characters and are intrigued by a reality TV element, this sequel might just be the book for you. It can even quite easily be read as a stand-alone without missing out on too much other than some character background.

Content Warnings

mrscorytee's review against another edition

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mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Content Warnings

theoceanrose's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Content Warnings

serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A reality tv show is being filmed on Pen y Draig. When bones are discovered on site DC Ffion Morgan is sent to the investigate. She quickly realises that they are animal remains. However, it won’t be her last visit to the filming site. First a contestant disappears and then there is a murder.

I really enjoyed the structure and changing perspectives of this novel. The majority of the chapters are told from the perspective of either Ffion or DS Leo Brady. In Part One there are also chapters centred around the viewing of each episode. Each is from a new point of view including Ffion’s mother, the wife of one contestant, the site’s security guard, and a YouTube vlogger. In Part Two Ffion and Leo’s perspectives continue but we also hear from each of the reality show contestants. I also thought the pacing was spot on. My attention never dragged, new information and twists came regularly but never out of left field, and the very short chapters in Part Three were well suited to the tense action packed scenes that were unfolding.

The reality show plot line was lots of fun, with all strategic plays from the contestants and the behind the scenes manipulations and lack of ethics by the producers confirming my prejudices about the genre. I continue to enjoy Ffion, despite her flaws and messiness. Her heart is in the right place even if her behaviour is sometimes questionable. The conflict inherent in being a member of the small close knit Welsh community she polices continues to challenge her boundaries and priorities which makes for good reading. I enjoyed seeing her navigate her feelings towards Leo, with his promotion providing an additional challenge. Finally, I thought the ending was spot on. The book is totally complete within itself. None of those annoying cliffhanger endings you sometimes see in series books. But there is also some interesting setting up for book three including Ffion’s personal relationship with Leo, a work relationship with George, and Seren moving to London. Very much looking forward to seeing how it all plays out.

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