Review: Liars, Inc. by Paula Stokes

Read: May 5-13, 2016
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Pages: 362
Genres: realistic fiction, mystery, romance, thriller, contemporary

Blurb from Goodreads:

"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."

The blurb is what initially attracted me to this book. The idea of selling lies as a business venture? Cool!

And then you sell a lie to a friend to go meet this girl online...and he goes missing?
Uh oh!



The majority of the books I read are fantasy, so this new change of genre was refreshing. This entire novel mainly focuses on Max, the guy who sold the lie to his friend...who went missing....
When Max finds that someone is trying to pin the murder of his friend on him, he begins this mad adventure of trying to prove himself innocent while simultaneously trying to find the real murderer.

I enjoyed the fact that this mystery focussed on relationships that weren't necessarily romantic. Yes, there was a love interest...and yes, there were issues, but it wasn't overly done. And...huh. How do I phrase this....this book found a way to deal with love issues without it taking over the plot.

Wow. That sounds better than it did in my head....anyways.....

You know those mystery novels where the outcome is easily predictable? This isn't one of those books...well, not to me, anyway. I had my guesses...but the ending...wow...I never saw it coming...!

This book dealt with difficult issues...I mean, besides the obvious...there were underlying themes like family. And it was bittersweet. Because Max was adopted, he kept his foster parents at a distance...never gave them a chance...but by the end of the story...aww!

Another "difficult" issue. Cheating. I loved how this YA novel dealt with it in such a mature manner...not like the typical angst-ridden teenagers that are usually seen in YA.

I wonder...is there a next book? Although the ending seemed to tie most things up...I would have liked to see a few more relationships mended more fully.

Final word: Awesome.

Would you take advantage of a profitable business, knowing the possible consequences?

When was the last time you lied?