The Bookish Ashley

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 Stars)

Karen M. McManus does it again! Such Charming Liars delivers all the twists and tension that fans of One of Us Is Lying and Two Can Keep a Secret will devour. This time, she weaves a tale of family, deceit, and a heist gone terribly wrong, and it’s filled with the kind of intrigue that keeps you up late, turning pages.

At the heart of this story is Kat, a young woman who’s always lived on the edge, thanks to her mother Jamie’s life as a con artist. It’s been just the two of them against the world, with Kat learning the tricks of the trade. But Jamie’s ready to go legit—after just one last job. Of course, as you can expect, things go horribly off the rails. Enter Kat’s estranged stepbrother, Liam, and his father, another career criminal, who are both at the same party that’s supposed to be Jamie’s final score.

The tension between Kat and Liam is one of the book’s strong points. They haven’t spoken since their parents’ brief marriage and nasty divorce, but now they have to trust each other—or at least pretend to. The dynamic between them is deliciously complex. They’re both smart, suspicious, and skilled at deception, making their interactions a constant game of “who’s conning who.”

McManus excels at balancing plot twists with character development, and while the mystery of the Sutherland murder is gripping, it’s Kat’s internal struggle with who she can trust—and whether she can even trust herself—that keeps you hooked. The flashbacks to her childhood as a mini-con artist are fascinating, and watching her try to navigate the high-stakes game she’s suddenly thrown into is edge-of-your-seat thrilling.

One of my favorite aspects of Such Charming Liars is how it questions the nature of trust and deception. Kat and Liam have been raised by liars, so their whole worldview is skewed. Can they really trust each other? Or is it just another long con?

Why It’s Not 5 Stars:
As much as I loved the book, there were moments where the pacing felt a bit uneven. The final twist, while satisfying, felt slightly predictable if you’ve read McManus’s previous work. That said, the journey to get there was so much fun that it’s easy to overlook.

Final Thoughts:
If you’re a fan of Karen M. McManus or love a good heist-meets-murder mystery with family drama layered on top, Such Charming Liars is a must-read. It’s fast-paced, full of tension, and will leave you questioning who you can trust up until the very last page. Kat is a protagonist you’ll root for, even when you’re not sure if you should, and the ending? You won’t see it coming.

McManus continues to hold her crown as the queen of teen thrillers. I’m already excited to see what she cooks up next!