368 pages
Published March 24th 2015
Published by HarperTeen
Source: Library
Rating: 3/5
For fans of Gone Girl, I Hunt Killers, and TV's How to Get Away with Murder.
Max Cantrell has never been a big fan of the truth, so when the opportunity arises to sell forged permission slips and cover stories to his classmates, it sounds like a good way to make a little money and liven up a boring senior year. With the help of his friends Preston and Parvati, Max starts Liars, Inc. Suddenly everybody needs something and the cash starts pouring in. Who knew lying could be so lucrative?
When Preston wants his own cover story to go visit a girl he met online, Max doesn’t think twice about hooking him up. Until Preston never comes home. Then the evidence starts to pile up—terrifying clues that lead the cops to Preston’s body. Terrifying clues that point to Max as the murderer.
Can Max find the real killer before he goes to prison for a crime he didn’t commit? In a story that Kirkus Reviews called "Captivating to the very end," Paula Stokes starts with one single white lie and weaves a twisted tale that will have readers guessing until the explosive final chapters.
I knew I had to get my hands all over this book as soon as I read "For fans of Gone Girl, I Hunt Killers, and TV's How to Get Away with Murder." I can now tell you that this description is very accurate. I'm not familiar with I Hunt Killers but Liars, Inc. definitely has elements from the other two. While I don't consider this book a new favorite, I really enjoyed most of it.
The premise is interesting and Stokes definitely delivers a thrilling read. The suspense is there, which is one of the main reasons I kept reading until the end. I love that I didn't see the outcome coming at all. I had hundreds of guesses but they didn't even come close to the craziness that took place. While I loved that this novel keeps you guessing until the very end, I wasn't a huge fan of the romance. I think my only issue with it is that I really didn't like Max's girlfriend, Parvati. I kept waiting for that moment that would make me like her but it never happened. I hate to say this but I think I couldn't fall in love with this novel because of her.
I'm a huge fan of her previous novel, The Art of Lainey, and this is the polar opposite. I love when writers can transform like this! It makes everything they write feel really new and unexpected. While I'm more of a Lainey kind of reader, I really loved the author's voice and the tone of Liars. If you are looking for a very crazy whodunit, definitely pick this one up!
