Nine Liars, Maureen Johnson’s newest entry in the Truly Devious series, is a weak companion to the books that came before it, yet still managed to retain some of the charm of its predecessors. The novel takes place between two time periods: one being the 1990s in England, following a group of nine friends in a rural house, and the other being a modern-day continuation of the lives of Stevie Bell and her friends. While her boyfriend is off at college in England and all her friends are making definite plans for their futures, Stevie Bell is left feeling restless and bored at Ellingham. Without a case to solve or a killer to chase, she finds herself worrying about the future of her relationship, as well as her life as a whole. Luckily for her, an opportunity to visit England with her friends provides not only a reunion with her boyfriend, but also a chance to solve a set of murders from 1995.
I have conflicted feelings about this novel, mainly because I’ve been a consistent fan of the series. To me, the strongest aspect of this plot was the characters, which was mainly due to my pre-established connection with them from the other books. The mystery itself was intriguing but was excessively drawn out throughout the novel. Overall, I would give this book three out of a possible five stars.