Such Charming Liars

April 1, 2024
Former stepsiblings reunite to solve a murder in this uneven thriller from McManus (One of Us Is Back). Kat Quinn, 16, and Liam Rooney, 17, haven’t seen each other since their parents met, eloped, and divorced during a weekend in Las Vegas 12 years ago. Kat’s mother then joined a jewelry theft ring, while Liam’s father started fleecing lonely women. When Kat’s mom announces her intentions to pull one last high-stakes job before going straight, Kat contrives to tag along. Mom hopes to use “half billionaire” Ross Sutherland’s 80th birthday bash as a distraction to steal a ruby necklace, but upon arriving at the Sutherlands’ compound in Bixby, Maine, Kat encounters Liam, who reveals that his father is there with his newest mark, Annalise—the necklace’s owner and Ross’s daughter. Complications avalanche, and after someone shoots a Sutherland, Kat and Liam find themselves on the run from an unidentified killer. Following a lengthy setup, the narrative slips into high gear, executing hairpin twists and exploding bombshells that catapult the tale to an electrifying close. Kat and Liam take turns narrating, and their candid first-person-present accounts confer tension and texture. All characters cue as white. Ages 14–up. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio.

May 1, 2024
Family secrets make for dangerous dealings in the latest from acclaimed mystery/thriller writer McManus. At the tender ages of 4 and 5, Kat and Liam were thrown together during their parents' ill-conceived whirlwind Vegas marriage. After the divorce just two days later, neither expected to see the other again. Twelve years later, Kat's living with her mom, Jamie, and her jewel thief grandmother figure, Gem. When Jamie decides she wants out of the family business, Gem talks her into participating in one last heist at the ritzy Sutherland compound, and Kat sneaks along for the ride. Meanwhile, Liam has been stuck living with his con artist father, Luke, since his mother's death six months prior. After Luke scores an invite to patriarch Ross Sutherland's birthday party through his new girlfriend, Annalise Sutherland, Liam tags along and finds himself reunited with Kat at the estate. But when the party turns deadly, Liam and Kat, along with their new friend Augustus (Ross' grandson), find themselves entangled in a game of cat-and-mouse with a ruthless killer. Everyone seems to be hiding something--but which of these secrets are lethal? The main and side characters alike are nuanced and wholly realistic. The dual-narrative structure adds important context and perspective to Kat's and Liam's struggles, both past and present. The dialogue is snappy and sharp and melds well with the tight plot and quick pacing of the story. Most characters are coded white; there's some diversity in sexual orientation. An unputdownable, deliciously twisty mystery. (Mystery. 12-18)

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May 1, 2024
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Since Kat was four, she and her mother, Jamie, have been living in hiding, changing their names and location after fleeing Kat's abusive father. After a failed marriage lasting only 48 hours in Las Vegas, Jamie works at Spotless, a cleaning company that is a front for a forgery ring, especially forged jewelry. Jamie wants to work for a legitimate business, and her boss, Gem, is agreeable, provided Jamie help her with one last job at a birthday party for the head of a wealthy family. Complications quickly arise: Kat tags along with Jamie, and they learn that the 48-hour ex-husband, Luke, and his son, Liam, are also in attendance. It doesn't take long for everything to implode: Jamie becomes violently ill; Kat witnesses the murder of one of the family's sons, Parker Sutherland; and the murderer also has Jamie in his sights. Kat, Liam, and Parker's nephew Augustus join forces to solve the mysteries and stay alive as blame and suspicion ricochet around the compound. McManus's plot goes into overdrive with ingenious and unexpected twists and turns, including a particularly satisfying double twist at the end. Kat and Liam are very sympathetic characters, and their personalities balance each other perfectly. McManus fans will devour this, and she will certainly earn some new fans as well.High-Demand Backstory: McManus is a regular figure on the New York Times best-seller list, and her many fans are sure to be eager for this latest thriller.

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Starred review from July 1, 2024

Gr 9 Up-Kat and Liam haven't seen each other for 12 years, not since their parents' disastrous 48-hour marriage in Las Vegas. Since then, 16-year-old Kat's life has been anything but normal. After Vegas, Kat's mom, Jamie, started working for a criminal mastermind named Gem. When Gem takes Kat along on a heist without permission, Jamie knows it's time to get out. They just have to do one more job-steal a ruby-laden necklace at a billionaire's birthday party. Liam, on the other hand, has lived a relatively normal life after the "Vegas incident." But six months before the story begins, his mom dies and he is stuck with his con-man father, Luke. Looking to score big, Luke starts wooing an heiress, who also happens to be the owner of the ruby necklace. When the four characters cross paths on the side of the road heading toward the birthday party, things get a lot more complicated-and deadly. Told through Kat and Liam's dual perspectives, this novel's twists take readers on a wild ride until the very last page. While the mystery is thrilling, McManus also deftly explores themes of family, loyalty, love, and class. All characters default to white. VERDICT This might be McManus's best yet. Recommended for all collections.-Katie Patterson

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