Nine Liars Review
It’s no secret that the Truly, Devious series by Maureen Johnson is one of my favorites of all time. I love the characters, the complexity of the mysteries, and the fact that each book leaves me feeling a little bit creeped out. In a fun way, obviously. Maureen Johnson is a master of the YA mystery genre, who writes complex, twisty, exciting stories. There’s so much depth to each novel, and when it came time to read the latest installment, I knew I’d have a lot of thoughts. Naturally, I had to write a Nine Liars review.
As part of my YA thrillers kick, I had to read a Truly, Devious mystery. There’s something about mid summer that just feels like the perfect time to read all the spooky books. Maybe it’s all the thunder storms. Is there any more perfect weather for reading a murder mystery? I love this author and this series, and I couldn’t wait to write a Nine Liars review.
The Plot
The novel follows our favorite teen detective, Stevie Bell, as she travels to London for a study abroad program. Of course, with Stevie being Stevie, it’s not long after she arrives before she gets caught up in a mystery. This time around, it’s a cold case from the ’90s involving a country estate, a double axe murder, and seven suspects.
Review
Listen, I love the Stevie Bell mysteries. I’ve read them all and will continue to read them all. However, I have to say that this was my least favorite so far. Although the dual timelines added all the right suspense to the story, I found it hard to really get into the present day storyline. The plot moved too slowly, and it was much more relationship centric than any of the previous books.
I get it, character development is important. I just wish there was a little less relationship drama, and a little more murder drama. Maybe what I’m longing for is another long format mystery like we had in the first three Truly, Devious books. When the mystery is more complex, we really get to see Stevie shine! Also, I just love the thrill and complexity of a multi novel mystery.
Anyway, regardless of my lack of enthusiasm for this book, I’ll still eagerly devour any other Stevie mysteries Maureen Johnson writes. I have to believe that it can only go upward from here. If you haven’t read any of the Stevie Bell mysteries, you absolutely must start with Truly, Devious. It’s such a well written, fun, suspenseful, mystery that will have you hooked from page 1!
Overall Rating:
Xx, M
