I am a huge fan of murder mystery/ psychological thriller novels, and I have been a fan of this series ever since I picked up The Lying Game #1 back when it first came out. Sara Shepard knows how to create this creepy, mysterious environment where everyone becomes a suspect and the chase for the truth becomes more like a game of hide and seek. This is not a newsflash since Sara Shepard is already famous for her "Pretty Little Liars" series, and while I did not read the books, the show is one of my favorites!
Now that I am done with my rambling, I'm going to try and review this book and try to be as unbiased as I can be (you'll find out why if you keep reading). I was super excited to finally get my hands on the third installment in this series. I actually jumped up and down from happiness! The story continues from where it left off at the end of book two. A new character, and suspect is introduced, and it is Thayer Vega. Thayer is Madeline's brother and his disappearance has always been a mystery to Emma, and his relationship with Sutton was always a target for gossip. The book begins with a new suspect and a new trail to follow to either prove he is the killer, or he is innocent. I had one problem with this book and it is that it was basically a carbon copy of book number two! In book number two it was the Twitter Twins, and in this book it is Thayer. I felt restless throughout the book, I knew that Thayer would be proven innocent because that is how the first and second books ended.
The Lying Game book Cycle
New suspect -> investigations, following trails -> suspect proven innocent.
To be honest I couldn't get past the repetitiveness of the book. The writing is superb and Sara Shepard is an amazing author but I can't help but wonder If this series would have been better off as a trilogy, or even a duo. Especially when it comes to murder mystery novels, there is a limit to how long an audience can wait, especially if nothing NEW ever really happens. Another problem I had was with the show The Lying Game. I am NOT a fan, and I felt that some of the negativity I feel for the show rubbed off on the books, which is why I tried erasing the show from my mind and just concentrate solely on my feelings about the book. While this review might not be all that positive, I must say that I did enjoy the book, it was a disappointment, but I always liked Sara Shepard's writing, I just wish she would end this series and begin a new one that is bound to be exciting!