Short and Thrilling: Liars, Inc.

Title: Liars, Inc.
Author: Paula Stokes
Series: Standalone
Released: March 24th 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
Length: 368 pages
Source: Publisher for review
Buy: Amazon

For fans of Gone Girl, I Hunt Killers, and TV's How to Get Away with Murder.

Max Cantrell has never been a big fan of the truth, so when the opportunity arises to sell forged permission slips and cover stories to his classmates, it sounds like a good way to make a little money and liven up a boring senior year. With the help of his friends Preston and Parvati, Max starts Liars, Inc. Suddenly everybody needs something and the cash starts pouring in. Who knew lying could be so lucrative?

When Preston wants his own cover story to go visit a girl he met online, Max doesn’t think twice about hooking him up. Until Preston never comes home. Then the evidence starts to pile up—terrifying clues that lead the cops to Preston’s body. Terrifying clues that point to Max as the murderer.

Can Max find the real killer before he goes to prison for a crime he didn’t commit? In a story that Kirkus Reviews called "Captivating to the very end," Paula Stokes starts with one single white lie and weaves a twisted tale that will have readers guessing until the explosive final chapters. 

Here’s a fair warning: don’t start reading Liars Inc. right before bedtime or when you have other, more important things to do. That will not end well. This book is a thrill ride that demands your attention non-stop from start to finish, and what’s more, it absolutely deserves it. That’s not to say that Liars Inc. is free of flaws, but for the life of me, I can’t force myself to care. The important things are covered: a wonderful, believable protagonist, a well-built story, an interesting and most importantly different romance – all skillfully written and fabulously paced.

It needs to be said that Paula Stokes has an impeccable sense of pacing. Writing a story that progresses so rapidly, but also runs smoothly is a rare talent indeed. I must confess I was thoroughly impressed by her storytelling abilities.

The mystery was surprisingly well crafted. There are so many red herrings along the way, and they are so well placed that it’s almost impossible to tell which one of them is the real threat. More than anything, though, it was the romance that kept me glued to my gorgeous new reading chair (see how I casually threw that in?). From the start, Parvati seemed to be the perfect girl for Max, but there were ulterior motives behind everything she did. She was also the only one willing to help him when things really got tough. She seemed honest on one page and deceitful on the next, which made seeing what was real almost impossible.

There are so many lies told in this story and even more truths to uncover. Good YA thrillers are truly rare, but Paula Stokes definitely knows how to write them. Liars Inc. is not the most memorable of books, but it’s undoubtedly fun. I highly recommend it.

A copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher for review purposes. No considerations, monetary or otherwise, have influenced the opinions expressed in this review.