Karen M. McManus, a #1 New York Times bestselling author, gained fame after publishing her first novel, “One of Us is Lying” 2017. This book was the first in a series of four, and eventually, because it was so successful, it was turned into a TV series in 2021. On July 30, Karen M. McManus published a new book called “Such Charming Liars”, a standalone novel that was a murder mystery—similar to the others she had published.
This book focuses on the lives of two stepsiblings, Kat and Liam. Kat is the daughter of Jamie, a professional jewel thief trying to go straight. Before Jamie abandons thievery forever, she must perform one final task: replacing a multi-million dollar necklace with a fake one at billionaire Ross Sutherland’s birthday party. However, not everything goes according to plan. While on the way to the Sutherland complex, Kat runs into Liam and his dad, a professional scammer who has set his sights on Ross Sutherland’s daughter. When one of the Sutherlands is killed in the middle of the party, and Kat witnesses the murder, what should have been a relatively easy act of thievery turns into a dangerous game of life and death.
This book is a 7/10. The plot was detailed, complex, and masterfully crafted, as there were no jumps to conclusions. In addition, there was no “dead air” time. The book was packed with suspense and exciting events, and at no point in the story did it feel like the author was just adding scenes to make the book longer. I read this book in two days, and during this period, I felt no inclination to put it down because it had become boring. In addition, the characters were all very lovable, and I could relate to them a bit. There was some character development throughout the story, but the main characters did not change much. However, the thing that irked me the most about this book was the ending. It seemed incomplete, and I thought there should have been a chapter afterward. There wasn’t much of a message in the book, but it was an enjoyable read.