Liars, Inc by Paula Stokes

Liars, Inc by Paula Stokes
Release Date - March 24, 2015
Publisher Website - Harper Collins
Publisher Social Media - Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader/Frenzy
Pages - 368 pages
My Rating - 4/5
**received for an honest review from publisher**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

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.

Who killed Preston DeWitt? That is the question that starts off one killer mystery in Liars, Inc. Paula Stokes masterfully weaves a tale of murder, lies, revenge and romance to create an immensely enjoyable read.

Lies are the foundation, building blocks, and decoration of this novel. It makes you question the lies you tell, the ones you might be told, and the ones we tell ourselves. Trust and where it is placed is something that you'll leave this novel pondering. It is rather thought provoking and will leave you questioning connections and how well we know those around us, even those we might be close to.

With Liars, Inc Paula Stokes shows that she can move easily from one genre to another. While mystery appears to be her calling, it seems that she is comfortable in any of them. Her versatile writing manages to retain the tone and feel that are her trademark while embracing the particular genre that she is writing at the same time. The banter of The Art Of Lainey is found within these pages. The attention to detail from Venom is there as well. The meticulous plotting of the Venom series serves her well in relation to the mystery elements. She grows with each novel and only gets better. This adaptability, along with her talent, means that fans can eagerly anticipate a wide variety of books to come from this impressive talent.

The voice in this novel, that of main character Max, is one of the stand out elements. Max as a character comes to life. He was easy to picture, and Paula captured his voice perfectly. It, to me, came across as the way real teenage boys would talk and think. Characters are one of the strongest aspects of Paula's novels, and Max was no exception.

The character that will win your heart, however, is Parvati. She is intelligent, a total liar, and an incredible bad ass. I loved her, and how she was written. She felt like a character in her own right and not just there as an extension of the plot, or a character created only to further Max's story. A story from her point of view would be most welcome as I feel this novel only scratched the surface of the depth of her character and her complexities.

A mystery novel is only as good as it's core mystery and Liars, Inc delivers in more ways than one. I expect that more than a few harden mystery lovers will be pleasantly surprised by the who, why and how of this nuanced plot. It blind sided me, and yet made complete sense within the story. There are subtle clues if you know where to look for them, but the framework of the story allowed for a pretty impressive final act. One that is not only smartly planned out but felt logical and plausible.

A gripping mystery, a believeable voice, and surprising romance all make Liars, Inc a must read. It's one that mystery fans will not want to miss with it's sharp, and smart unraveling and outcome. Paula adeptly showcases that she's one to watch in this genre and I cannot wait to see what she releases next.