A Game of Lies by Clare Mackintosh

A locked room mystery with plenty of motives for murder! An intriguing premise for a reality show leads to deadly consequences in A Game of Lies. Seven contestants get more than they signed up for when the rules of the game change. 

Trapped on the set in a remote mountain location, the players learn they’ve been tricked. It’s not simply a game of physical survival and who is the strongest. Each of the contestants have a dark secret and the goal is to expose the others on live TV. The winner keeps their secret and the prize money. But when a contestant goes missing and a body turns up, the question is: Which secret was worth killing for?

As the secrets are exposed, Detective Ffion Morgan deals with more than finding the killer.  Ffion’s new partner, Georgina, seems to be a mystery herself. Her ex-boyfriend, Leo, has been assigned to the case, complicating the situation with personal feelings she tries to set aside. Her dog, Dave, who refuses to be left in someone else’s care, tags along, making a nuisance of himself. Ffion’s relationships add a personal touch to this police procedural. And author Claire MacKintosh’s experience as a police officer brings a dose of reality to the story, as does her description of the Wales countryside and use of the Welsh language.

I enjoyed the different points of view and seeing into the lives of the people involved in the game, and how their secrets would impact their personal relationships. Juxtaposed with the reality show clips, it becomes obvious that things are not what they appear to be.

Although I hadn’t read the first book in the series, A Game of Lies is a good, solid mystery that can be read as a stand-alone.