Senior year at Ellingham Academy for Stevie Bell isn’t going well. Her boyfriend, David, is studying in London. Her friends are obsessed with college applications. With the cold case of the century solved, Stevie is adrift. There is nothing to distract her from the questions pinging around her brain—questions about college, love, and life in general.

Relief comes when David invites Stevie and her friends to join him for study abroad, and his new friend Izzy introduces her to a double-murder cold case. In 1995, nine friends from Cambridge University went to a country house and played a drunken game of hide-and-seek. Two were found in the woodshed the next day, murdered with an ax.

The case was assumed to be a burglary gone wrong, but one of the remaining seven saw something she can’t explain. This was no break-in. Someone’s lying about what happened in the woodshed.

Seven suspects. Two murders. One killer still playing a deadly game.

“Johnson delivers a meticulously crafted fair-play mystery that gratifies as a standalone while also forwarding the richly textured characters’ arcs, a treat for fans of the series.”
— ⭐ Publisher’s Weekly, starred review

“The exploration of the importance of friendship (with parallels between the Nine and Stevie’s group) adds emotional vulnerability to this book, which has a well-developed sense of place and features the series’ signature humor and layered mystery elements. The cast includes diversity in race, gender identity, and sexual orientation.”
— ⭐ Kirkus, starred review

“Nine Liars is a thrilling new story featuring Stevie, a cold case, and a gripping mystery. Highly recommend for fans of suspense, detective work, and a clever and intrepid heroine!”
— ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ YABC

“Johnson delivers another satisfying mystery, with diverse characters, authentic depictions of mental health, and friends holding one another accountable for their actions in loving, supportive ways. Highly recommended.”
— SLJ

 “As always, Maureen Johnson offers humor, suspense, vivid characters and a well-crafted plot in this intriguing tale, a worthy entry in the tradition of the British country manor murder mystery.”
— The Buffalo News

“Nine Liars is an ingenious continuation of one of the all-time best YA mystery series ever… Nine Liars is essential reading for anyone who enjoys a good old-fashioned mystery, but with a distinctively modern twist. Prepare for Johnson to fool you all over again.”
— The Nerd Daily

“Johnson once again combines an edge-of-your-seat mystery with a cast you’ll love to hang out with…you’ll be clamoring for Stevie’s return ASAP.”
— Buzzfeed

“Johnson once again works her magic with a mystery set in the past that Stevie unravels in the present.”
— Forbes

“Johnson’s stressed-out, singular teen detective won hearts—and spots on best-seller lists—with the Truly Devious series and in the standalone adventure that followed; readers will happily follow Stevie to this second location.”
— Booklist

“‘When everybody lies, somebody dies.’” Which is exactly what happens in the bestselling YA author’s latest twist-filled tale that will have your pulse pounding.”
— E! News

“Remember the first time reading Harry Potter and knowing it was something special? There’s that same sense of magic in the introduction of teen Sherlock-in-training Stevie Bell in Maureen Johnson’s series opener….Parallel mysteries unfold with cleverly written dialogue, page-turning brilliance and a young sleuth just as captivating as Hercule Poirot or Nancy Drew.”
— USA Today, ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of four stars

“Johnson’s novel is deliciously atmospheric, with a sprawling cast of complex suspects/potential victims, surprising twists, and a dash of romance. As in her Shades of London books, Johnson remains a master at combining jittery tension with sharp, laugh-out-loud observations.”
— ⭐ Publishers Weekly, starred review

“A classic mystery that would make Dame Agatha proud.”
— Kirkus

“The versatile Johnson is no stranger to suspense, and this twisty thriller will leave plenty of readers anxious for more.”
— Booklist

“The Agatha Christie-like ecosystem pairs with lacerating contemporary wit, and alternating past and present scenes makes for a multilayered, modern detective story.”
— New York Times

“Maureen Johnson has a totally original mind, a passionate set of moral convictions, an extraordinary sense of bravery and ridiculousness, and she writes pretty sentences.  Read whatever she writes.”
— E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars and Genuine Fraud