Review: Third Lie's the Charm

Third book of The Liar Society
By Lisa and Laura Roecker
Available now from Sourcebooks Fire
Review copy
Read my review of The Lies That Bind

Lisa and Laura Roecker bring their series The Liar Society to a close with a book that racks up the body count while delivering humor, romance, and mystery.  Be warned: minor spoilers for the first two books follow.

Kate Lowry has destroyed the Brotherhood, and she's feeling good about that, even if it didn't turn out exactly how she planned.  Now she just has to destroy the Sisterhood and her revenge for her best friend Grace's death will be complete.  Then she ignores a call in the pursuit of her goals, and another classmate ends up dead.  Kate has a new case to investigate in addition to her continued plans of sabotage.

I love Kate, who has a very masculine character arc.  She's willing to give up love in order to pursue vengeance.  And, well, if multiple guys are going to pursue her, she is going to worry about it when there aren't dead bodies on the ground and she's going to mock any and all displays of testosterone.  Kate is in way over her head, but she's been that way from the start and refuses to give up now.

I've just had so much fun with this series.  It is completely over-the-top with the almost all powerful secret societies, but that's part of what makes it so fun.  That craziness is anchored by the great heroine and her complicated relationships with friends, boys, and other classmates.

THIRD LIE'S THE CHARM did have some structural issues.  Things fall into place way too simply at the end of the novel because this is the end of the series and things have to wrap up.  There's a detour to a bizarrely short camp that is funny, but in the end could have been more relevant.  The plotting just isn't as neat, which is a shame since that's been a strength of this series.

But the characters and their interactions are as wonderful as ever, which makes the book worth it.  THIRD LIE'S THE CHARM and its two predecessors are excellent choices for young adult mystery fans.

Preorder Campaign for Third Lie's the Charm!

I think the Liar Society books by Lisa and Laura Roecker are super fun - just read my review of THE LIES THAT BIND - so I'm happy to share this news from Sourcebooks.  Best of all, everyone gets something with their preorder!

 

A Gift for You, for Pre-Ordering Third Lie’s the Charm by YA rock stars Lisa and Laura Roecker

 

For US and Canadian Liar Society Lovers!

 

We have a special offer going on for the release of Third Lie’s the Charm by YA rock stars Lisa and Laura Roecker—in stores in a little over one month! If you pre-order the book:

 

·       ALL pre-orders will receive an original bookmark signed by the Roeckers themselves

·       FIVE lucky winners will win the first TWO books in the series! This is a great way to discover this series—one that Publishers Weekly and Booklist have called “chilling, suspenseful and smart” and “smartly plotted, full of twists, clues and sleuthing.”

·       ONE lucky winner will receive the GRAND PRIZE:  an EXCLUSIVE, TOP SECRET afterword of the Liar Society series for YOU to post and share.

 

You have until December 2 or until quantities run out. Here’s how to get your bookmark and a chance to win the first two books in the Liar Society series, or the exclusive afterword:

 

1. Pre-order the book (print or eBook) through any retailer (Barnes & Noble, Amazon, your local independent bookseller/Indiebound, Books-A-Million, Hastings, etc.)

 

2. Email your proof of purchase (receipt or picture of the receipt) to sbpublicity@sourcebooks.com. Don’t forget to include your home address (US & Canada only please) so we can send you the bookmark (and possibility the books!) If you’ve already pre-ordered this book—not a problem! Send us your receipt!

 

3. You will get an email back confirming when the items have been sent out. 

 

4. Enjoy Third Lie’s the Charm when it arrives in December—just in time for some chilly holiday reading!

 

Optional: Make like the Roeckers and KATE and take a pic of you with your hair dyed—(or you can cheat and use Photoshop J) and share with us on Twitter and Facebook! Find the Roeckers @LandLroecker and Sourcebooks Fire @sourcebooksfire and http://www.facebook.com/sourcebooks.

Review: The Lies That Bind

Book Two of The Liar Society series
By Lisa & Laura Roecker
Available now from Sourcebooks Fire
Review copy

THE LIAR SOCIETY was one of last year's best mysteries, and THE LIES THAT BIND is a terrific sequel.  I highly recommend starting with THE LIAR SOCIETY because this is one twisty, involved series.  But the premise is simple enough that you could start with THE LIES THAT BIND.

THE LIES THAT BIND opens with Kate Lowry frustrated that she discovered who was responsible for her best friend's death but wasn't able to bring them to justice.  When a classmate goes missing, Kate believes she knows whodunit and this time she's going to save the girl and get real, irrefutable evidence.  That is, of course, assuming she manages to survive her investigation.

One of the best things about The Liar Society series it doesn't matter if Kate puts the clues together or comes up with a truly clever plan, she always two steps behind.  She's playing against two very powerful entities, and she's just one girl with a geeky neighbor and a boyfriend who can drive.  She's very determined and tries, but sometimes that's just not enough.  Lisa and Laura Roecker are not afraid to place obstacles in the heroine's path.  Taking down her enemies is going to take years.

And, well, Kate is a great heroine and I am perfectly happy to spend years with her as she unravels mystery after mystery behind the elite Pemberly Brown Academy.  Which, let me tell you, is a fantastic setting.  The Roeckers delve deep into the rituals and history that make old institutions of education so interesting - and sometimes sinister.

If you're looking for mysteries full of secret societies, unexpected twists, and bittersweet endings, look no further than THE LIAR SOCIETY and THE LIES THAT BIND.  Sourcebook's contemporary YA imprint has been putting out some amazing books lately, and THE LIES THAT BIND is definitely amazing.  A little over-the-top, but I like that in my stories involving super-rich people conspiracies.