Reviews with content warning for Physical abuse - Such Charming Liars

This is one of her better ones! I found it less predictable, but I'm sure some people saw the main villain coming, I didn't however. There were enough villains that it was hard to tell who was truly evil and who wasn't.

There was a diversity in sexuality, with one bi/pan character, and one gay main character. But no diversity in the race of the characters, who were all white.

Overall, I found it enjoyable, though a bit darker than the author's other books. The MCs were likable but a lot of the lesser characters weren't.

Narrator(s) Rating: 4.5 stars

The narrators did an excellent job. They could have used a bit more vocal differences to characters for a 5-star rating.

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creolelitbelle's review against another edition

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adventurous tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Kat and Liam are very entertaining, and I love Augustus interacting with their dynamic. For a while, pieces of the plans feel too convenient, but McManus ties it together in a believable way with the master reveal. The story leans almost too far into the trope of removing adults from the playing field. Without that removal, though, everything would happen too quickly and messes would not develop into the intricate excitement that overtakes Kat and Liam's lives. Learning at least partial fates of some players is great. I do wish the ending provided more than wonder at the fate of someone key to the whole puzzle and how Kat and Liam ultimately move on. They are teens who could be unclear on life anyway.

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bellebookcorner's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

If you’re looking for a YA mystery with a heist, dark lies and secrets worth killing for then this one might be for you!

The first 20% of the story is a bit slow since the author wants to introduce the key players to the readers and how they’re going to be connected to one another.

However, things will get a lot more interesting once the mystery starts with a sound of gun shot in a middle of a party…

This story is told in dual POV from the main characters – Liam and Kat.

At times, Liam appears too innocent to be involved in a heist, while Kat is the complete opposite of him - she’s reckless but also highly intelligent in a life or death situation.

But, that’s what makes them both interesting main characters for this story and despite how different they are and haven’t seen each other in years, they clicked and treat each other like family instantly.

The last few chapters are quite intense as the puzzle pieces started to come together, twist upon twist are thrown which can be quite overwhelming so I have to read it slowly to understand all of it.

But, I have to admit the last twist manage to surprise me real good!

Overall, it’s an enjoyable and entertaining mystery read with a satisfying ending.

This is not the first time I read a book by this author and won’t be the last, I’m looking forward to read more books in the future.

Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tour, Netgalley, author and publisher for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!

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livinthestacks's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

Kat and Liam were step siblings for all of 48 hours when they were kids. Their parents’ Vegas marriage ended as abruptly and dramatically as it started but neither have forgotten their time together. Years later, Kat’s mom is a thief for a living but promises this one last job is it and then she and Kat can live a normal life. Liam’s stuck with his conman dad after his mom died and he tags along to a family gathering of his new (rich) girlfriend to keep an eye on him. Not one of them was expecting to run into each other on the sprawling Sutherland estate—and nobody was expecting the murder of a Sutherland either.

Nothing beats flopping down on the couch and finishing a Karen McManus in two sittings. SUCH CHARMING LIARS was everything you love in a McManus book: thrill, challenging mystery (I only figured out 1 twist before it happened!), infuriating yet lovable characters, and all the sassy banter. The sibling dynamic between Kat and Liam was fun and I’m glad it was the main relationship focus (though the romantic subplot was a major plus). The heist as the original driving mystery was a refreshing change of pace - but you know it’s not a McManus without a murder thrown in as well!

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