SUCH CHARMING LIARS

Family secrets make for dangerous dealings in the latest from acclaimed mystery/thriller writer McManus.

At the tender ages of 4 and 5, Kat and Liam were thrown together during their parents’ ill-conceived whirlwind Vegas marriage. After the divorce just two days later, neither expected to see the other again. Twelve years later, Kat’s living with her mom, Jamie, and her jewel thief grandmother figure, Gem. When Jamie decides she wants out of the family business, Gem talks her into participating in one last heist at the ritzy Sutherland compound, and Kat sneaks along for the ride. Meanwhile, Liam has been stuck living with his con artist father, Luke, since his mother’s death six months prior. After Luke scores an invite to patriarch Ross Sutherland’s birthday party through his new girlfriend, Annalise Sutherland, Liam tags along and finds himself reunited with Kat at the estate. But when the party turns deadly, Liam and Kat, along with their new friend Augustus (Ross’ grandson), find themselves entangled in a game of cat-and-mouse with a ruthless killer. Everyone seems to be hiding something—but which of these secrets are lethal? The main and side characters alike are nuanced and wholly realistic. The dual-narrative structure adds important context and perspective to Kat’s and Liam’s struggles, both past and present. The dialogue is snappy and sharp and melds well with the tight plot and quick pacing of the story. Most characters are coded white; there’s some diversity in sexual orientation.

An unputdownable, deliciously twisty mystery.