LIE OR DIE

 

by A. J. CLACK;  

                                                                                       

An Adventure Book Review by Erin the Literary Cat©, International Book Reviewer.

Hello, and welcome to my first weekend Book Review of the year, featuring this week a YA/Adult Adventure in Fiction. (Scroll on down for the selfie & bloghop.)

 

And my, this is a real winner. So, without further ado, let's get on with the show. This is a story, one most clever and dark, where the game contestants are dying and lying to get the prize . . . .

 

AUTHOR:  A. J. Clack

 

Cover art by: N/A

 

Published by:  Firefly Press

 

Publication date Paperback:   7th March 2024

 

 

Paperback ISBN:  978-1915444417

UK Cover price for Paperback:  £8.99

 

Pages: 367

 

Age range:  YA Thriller/Murder Mystery

 

 

SPOILER ALERT

Some as to early plot, direction and characters.

 

 

Thank you to...  

We are exceedingly grateful to Firefly Press Publishers for reaching out to us to see if we would like to Read and Review this much-anticipated book before publication. 

Having read the advance press release, we were only too pleased to read this. I do hope you will be, too, after the review.  

As ever, our views are our own, and we only share reviews of books we have bought, been given as gifts, or received in exchange for an impartial review. 

First and foremost, the books we review are those we select to read, like, and feel our global readers deserve to know about and that we hope they, their family, friends and students will enjoy. 

The plot

 

A little preamble. In this book's scenario, Lie or Die is a new reality T.V. show based on the real-world social gathering/party game Mafia, or in some circles, it is known as Werewolf.

 

The game, usually played with 10 players, is that the assembled group is split into two sides - Mafia and Townspeople. The Mafia tries to bump off the Townspeople whilst the Townsfolk try to get shot of the Mafia. There is also a Detective and a Doctor in the mix. Their roles are pretty straightforward. The detective seeks to detect a Mafia member in each day and night cycle of the game, whilst the Doctor can save a Townsfolk member each cycle. 

 

Each player is given a role to play. But, nobody knows who or what any other players are until they are eliminated. 

 

Now, during the day period of the game, the players can nominate someone to eliminate from the game, to send to the electric chair if you will. The nominated person is then put on trial and, if found guilty, removed!

During the Night segment of the game, the Mafia can eliminate a player. And so the game goes on.  

In Lie or Die, the story focuses on three late teenage pals, our key protagonist, Kass, and her best mates, Lewis and Thea. Kass has fallen out with Thea after having kissed Thea's ex-boyfriend. It is a silly rift that seems to be splitting the girls apart, big time. When an audition is held for Lie or Die, Thea says that Kass going for it with Thea is the only way she can trust Kass once more. Kass wants to put the whole mess behind her, so she is pressured into doing it. It turns out Thea has already entered them both, and the interviews take place soon after.

When Kass fails to pass the test, she is secretly relieved. After all, she has shown she is supportive of Thea. But, when on accompanying Thea to the studios, one of the contestants is bizarrely poisoned with seafood (even though there is none in the building), and her EpiPen is nowhere to be found; Kass, being already on the ground, is enlisted into the game. 

 

Her fellow players are an interesting mix of quiet, calm and outright play-to-win types that would do anything in the game to win the £50,000 prize and the social media stardom that could rocket their future careers. Everything goes, especially lying. In fact, daubed across all the studio walls is the phrase "Trust no one"!

Kass is considered the 'Girl Next Door' type. Bland and boring and not the likely fav of the audience that the show is being streamed to. What Kass does have in her favour is the ability to spot if people are lying. Telltale signs or tics that will give away their role. Also, none of the other players know she and Thea are besties. 

So, with an immediate ally, things get off to a good start. But then, the rules change from the perceived norm. First, a manakin is spotted hanging from a tree in the set garden. In its leg, Kass spots the EpiPen of the now-gone contestant. When that evening/night, one of the players is carded and seemingly killed by an agent, there is surprise amongst the players as only one kill a night is expected (the manakin being the first). The acting looked so real, even down to the drool from the contestant's lips, and later on the finding of a poison bottle.

The players are, for want of a word, 'controlled' by an A.I. personality called Cohin. It appears hooded in a hologram projection unit where the players are forced to congregate when commanded. The projection actually morphs into various characters that have exited the game as it progresses. So, when Kass has her doubts, especially as none of the others are aware of the truth regarding the girl she has replaced, she is soon assuaged when the poisoned girl appears to speak to them via the hologram and puts the recent realistic poisoning down to epic acting. 

I think by now, you can maybe see where this is going. 

The action takes off from here as the players accuse and prosecute one of their housemates. 

In the surprise outcome, which I won't spoil for you as it is a pivotal point, one player goes to the chair and, with a ghastly scream, exits the game and the house. Or do they???

As the game progresses, the ante is upped, and the contestants become more stressed, sleepless and, dare I say it, paranoid. With loud sounds and flashing bright lights, who wouldn't be? 

If you can take a breath, you should do so here before the book's second half. You won't want to leave this until the very last full stop.

 

So, what did we think?

The reality Television Mrs H and I know of is some of the worst T.V. out there. Has beens and wannabes, shameful and shameless. At least, that is our view. 

The book pulls apart from the inside what reality and reality T.V. is and means, and what it can do. But it also shows the fragility and underlying motivations of the players, some worthy, some not so. 

 

I love that Lewis points out that it is a beast we create, and whilst we may outwardly reject it, there is something that draws folks in. Maybe it's the fact that it's not them on the receiving end – voyeurism.

The author has skilfully manipulated our protagonist, labelled 'as the girl next door' by the other competitors, into the ultimate detective. Fighting to support Thea and survive and escape a deadly sealed studio.

 

Mrs H read this to the end, where I got so far and the tension and dread was so much that I have to admit to sneaking a look at the ending. But even then, I was surprised.

 

Let me tell you, this is one doozy of a read. Well paced and delightfully cast. Not only are there shock revelations but also extra double twists right down to the closing sentence. 

 

So . . . . 

Crunch time. 

 

The ultimate locked room mystery – twisted, deadly, dark and seriously addictive. Turning the banal T.V. genre into a must-read hit! Thank goodness this ISN'T on T.V.!

A must-read, and one Mrs H and I both feel far exceeded our expectations to become the brilliant and gripping read it was. 

 

Would we watch reality T.V. now? Absolutely NOT. 

 

Want to buy a copy?

To get a copy, please place advance orders with a local bookshop; that way, you're helping maintain local shops and economies. 

****** GIVEAWAY ******

One lucky commenter on this blog will receive a copy of this book thanks to Mrs H dipping into her pension and sherry fund. 

To be eligible, commenters on this post will need to be in an area covered by Amazon and be able to take receipt of a package from them with a suitable delivery address. They must also be willing to furnish Mrs H with their address if they win. This address will be deleted after the successful delivery of the package. 

Given the nature of the book theme, Mrs H and I are limiting this giveaway to those we know are over 18.

Comments must be made before midnight (GMT) on Saturday 13th January 2024.

 

A.J. CLACK's Twitter/X page can be found HERE or type this: https://twitter.com/alisonclack1?lang=en-GB

 

 

FIREFLY PRESS'S web page can be found HERE. or type this https://fireflypress.co.uk/

We are joining the Sunday Selfies, hosted by the wonderful Kitties Blue and their mum, Janet Blue in America.

 

This is as close to reality and prying cameras as we want to get . . . .

 

Till laters!

ERin 💙

 

'Death in the Spotlight' by Robin Stevens

 A Murder Mystery book review by Erin the Cat Princess

Erin the cat: Addicted to Murder Mystery & Mice!

It's saturday, and that means it's time for a book review!

But first, a quick look at my week here at the Palace. Monday, I sent Mrs H out to look at new flooring for the study. And would you believe it, she came back having looked at nothing but skirting boards. So, being the cunning feline I am, I sent her out on Tuesday to look for skirting boards with the hope she would look at flooring instead.

The logic was there, but somehow.... well, let's just say the request translated into looking at wallpaper. By Friday, we, meaning I, had sent her to look for everything else, but come what may, I still had no samples of flooring. I have catalogues for sinks, taps and plumbing sundries. There's also a teetering pile of paint swatches, and strips of curtain fabric – which Mrs H assures me she did not cut out of the curtains in the shop window. I also have multiple rolled up lengths of wallpaper that look like the most ornate and expensive rolls of loo paper imaginable. I'll be saving them for when we have royal guests I want to impress!

Any hope of new floorboards seemed to have disappeared. So I took things into my own claws. This morning I finally managed to corner Mrs H on the matter whilst she had her porridge; the live mouse I'd invited to share her bowl of said breakfast stodge, poised (gracefully in my delicate jaws) ready to join her.

Mrs H hurriedly apologised, and assured me that there were no physical samples available. At least not of a length that wouldn't jeopardise the lives and limbs of pedestrians as she cycled by. So, she has decided to get the same as we already have.

Wouldn't it have just been easier if she'd told me that from the the off?

Anyways, enough of my interior decorating and building woes, let's get on with the show!

 

'THE STAGE IS SET FOR MURDER.'

This week we review the next book in the 'Murder Most Unladylike' series, 'Death in the Spotlight', by the fabulous Mrs Robin Stevens.

The Plot:

Hazel and Daisy have returned from their adventure in Hong Kong, but it is mid-term, and they can't yet go back to their school, Deepdean. Instead, they stay in London with Daisy's Uncle Felix and his new wife, Aunt Lucy. 

To keep them out of trouble (Ha!), Aunt Lucy takes them hither and thither to enjoy London. BUT when something crops up at Lucy's very secretive workplace, the girls end up going to help Lucy's friends mother. She happens to run the Rue Theatre in London. The thought is Hazel and Daisy will be entertained, supervised and enjoy the acting experience. Yes, that's right, the girls get small parts in the theatre's upcoming production of Romeo and Juliet.

This sets the scene, quite literally, for what happens next — MURDER.

The girls soon discover the cast has many conflicting personalities, and pasts they would rather not share. And there are the ever-present problems of a lack of money. There is also the sweet scent of romance, and not just because it is Romeo and Juliet.

Things start on a reasonably even keel with a prima donna of a star, Miss Rose Tree, causing the usual fuss and rubbing everyone up the wrong way. 

But very quickly, there come the threats. A note in Rose's roses saying someone is coming for her. A peacock feather is left in her room at the theatre, and then her gown is slashed. Next comes a set of posters papered to the outside of the theatre for all the public to see. In a nasty version of Kitty in the well, they say that's where Rose Tree is! 

When Rose Tree walks out and does not return the next day, few seem bothered. But the girls sense foul play. Soon after a murder is uncovered, and the real drama begins. Following on, the girls meet up with the Junior Pinkertons detectives, Alexander and George and the case takes them across London. Like all the best detective stories, the devil and the murders are in the detail. There is so much more I want to tell you, but really can't.

So, I do think this is a perfect place for the first interval. With the curtain down, I shall let you head to the bar to ponder over a soft drink or cocoa – after all, there are kids present in the audience – what will happen next. Will the show make it to the first night? Will our intrepid duo survive rehearsals and get to take their bows and an encore? Or will the play and the cast die a horrible death, and not just from the critics?! To find the answers to these meddlesome questions, you will just have to wait and see. . . 

 

What did we think?

Robin Stevens has picked an excellent theme for this adventure mystery. Theatre is full of tradition and superstition. And most importantly, the cast is already pretending to be who they aren't. Seeing through not one but two or maybe three disguises is, I think, what makes this adventure extra appealing. 

I didn't manage to solve this one, though I did think at one point it was the lady that sells the ice creams, and it was all down to timing. When Mrs H asked why, I insisted on proving my point by ordering up some double-cream ices tubs of my own. Mrs H timed me eating them and, well, let's just say that my idea, like the cream tub, came up empty. Oh, the things I do to be a detective. 

Anyway, as the series has progressed, we have met both girls, their classmates and their families, in sadness and in joy. Now it is time to learn more about the girls themselves, more so Daisy in this book. This aspect is done so well by our author. I dare say I had not seen such a thoughtful representation of characters until I started reading Middle Grade/YA books. 

I think it is often assumed/ignored in adult books and tiptoed around and over in younger age books. I shall add that this is a rounded adventure that does, like all the others, deal with matters sensitively and thoughtfully. It does it in a way that, like the clues, weaves itself seamlessly through the pages. 

So, if we were looking for candidates for this year's book of the year, then this one is definitely a candidate. 

The prize for the winning author is a one-week free holiday in the Palace's newly built holiday chalet (AKA Old Ned's potting shed – cold running water and insect spray available on request with small surcharge payable).

 

Should I buy a copy?

If treading the boards, greasepaint, costumes, and all manner of murderous acts are your thing, then Murder in the Spotlight is likely to raise the curtain on an evening or fives worth of entertainment. So the answer is a resounding – Oh Yes You Should!

 

Want to buy a copy?

As to buying, please do support your local independent bookseller.

If you would like something extra spiffing, Round Table Books, here in the UK, can offer special editions, signed copies and pre-orders. I believe they do ship internationally too. A link to Round Table Books special orders can be found HERE. If you cant see what you are after, then do drop them an email.

Round Table Books is "an Inclusion-led book shop" based at the heart of Brixton, London, UK. As shown on their website, their purpose is to highlight and celebrate underrepresented children's books, writers and illustrators. It draws from as wide a range as possible of the UK and Irish publishing houses. 

 

Next time I will be reviewing the next major book in the series, book 8, 'Top Marks for Murder', the penultimate adventure. 

OK, so that is it from us here at the Palace. We will return, editorial work on our own adventure novel permitting, in a week or so time.

 

Till then, we hope your own spoons will be filled with nothing more sinister than lukewarm porridge! 

Until later,

Toodlepip and Purrs!

ERin

PS

Mrs H has asked me to offer this warning: Do remember choc-ices, lemonade and popcorn all cause a sticky mess, so, if participating in such delights, best not read this in bed!