The Lying Game by Ruth Ware
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a slow burning psychological thriller about four women whose lies as teenagers has come back to haunt them. It is separated into chapters, describing the game they play ‘the Lying Game’: Tell a lie, stick to your story, don’t get caught, etc., so you see how the game is played.
In the middle of the night Isa receives the text she hoped would never come from Kate. “I need you.” She and her other friends, Thea and Fatima, all head to Salten to be with Kate. None have been back since that fateful date years ago when they were mysteriously expelled after Kate’s father Ambrose died.
Atmospheric and sometimes downright creepy, this is a riveting story written by one of the best suspense novelists out there. There is no outright shock here, and arguably no dramatic twists to talk about, but Ware has intricately woven a story about real-life characters and how it feels looking back on your past, managing to make it both chilling and gripping. The metaphors and the lyrical prose are accomplished and beautiful, and Ware’s writing really shines through in this gentle suspense novel.
