Pages: 371
Published: 20th July 2023
Genre: Crime
Content warnings: Mental health, sexual references
They say the camera never lies.
But on this show, you can’t trust anything you see.
Stranded in the Welsh mountains, seven reality show contestants have no idea what they’ve signed up for.
Each of these strangers has a secret. If another player can guess the truth, they won’t just be eliminated – they’ll be exposed live on air. The stakes are higher than they’d ever imagined, and they’re trapped.
The disappearance of a contestant wasn’t supposed to be part of the drama. Detective Ffion Morgan has to put aside what she’s watched on screen, and find out who these people really are – knowing she can’t trust any of them.
And when a murderer strikes, Ffion knows every one of her suspects has an alibi . . . and a secret worth killing for.
It is not particularly often that you would file a crime or police procedural novel under the guilty pleasure category, but this book manages to buck that trend. That status owes a huge amount to a concept based around a fictional reality television show that manages to be even trashier than the ones we see in real life, which as we see it play out in the written word, happens to be strangely irresistible.
For an author of the calibre of Clare Mackintosh, this series deserved a second chance after a largely disappointing first instalment where the mystery failed to really ignite and the secondary characters were insufferable. There were several high points on show that hinted at serious promise should the case capture the imagination a bit more, such as engaging protagonists and an intriguing setting, and luckily she delivers with a thoroughly entertaining story.
There is definitely an element of light and shade going on here, and some of the more serious themes work despite not being portrayed with much subtlety. It clearly explores the issue of reality television show contestants whose wellbeing is of little concern to the producers, who are merely interested in viewing figures and social media hype. And in Exposure, we have one evil programme with an even more heartless producer.
Exposure is at first presented as a survival show with challenges and a public vote, like a cross between I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here! and Castaways. But then comes the twist, which turns it into something more like The Traitors. For any reader, this makes the prospect of the rest of the book all the more enticing, and it also paves the way for mystery where you are weighing up the suspects in a furious process of elimination.
Some of the potential suspects you can actually rule out pretty quickly, but what is particularly well done here is that the author covers all the bases and gives plenty of people a motive. We have the contestants themselves who have been hoodwinked into signing up for something totally different to what they were sold. There are the crew members who are treated awfully; the sleazy security guard, and the YouTuber who is ready to pounce on any sign of incident to get a social media exclusive. Together, they make a fascinating crowd.
Although the list of suspects narrows quite fast, it is still tricky to work out who the killer might be, and the whole setup with the contestants carrying closely guarded secrets is fertile ground for a wide variety of theories. The mystery is made all the more exciting by the dynamic between Ffion and Leo, who were the highlight of book one and continue to be an excellent double act.
Indeed, there might be a lot to say about the case but this is equally a very character-driven story full of amusing moments and occasional innuendo. There is obvious tension between Ffion and Leo as both struggle to acknowledge their feelings for one another, and those unspoken words hang awkwardly in the air as they work together, with Leo especially trying to hide behind his authority as the officer in charge.
Leo is still very likeable, however, and the scenes where he is spending time with his young son really do help us to connect with him. By contrast, Ffion is a law unto herself. As a police officer she definitely cares about her job and doing the right thing, but she can be unprofessional, can take foolish risks, and she has some bad manners. Despite all these traits, you still kind of have to love her, as without doubt she is great fun to read.
Following the revelations in the previous book, the dynamic between Ffion and her family are still evolving here and that gradual process is handled very well. Together with her mother and the strong-willed Seren, they make a good unit and are not complete without Dave, the dog who seems to get in the way of absolutely everything. If you are a dog person, you will adore him.
There are a lot of supporting characters here, including everyone connected with Exposure. Miles is self-important and nasty to everyone, the YouTuber Zee seems to care mainly for her subscriber count, while the host Roxy does have a moral compass but spends most of the time under duress. As for the contestants, we are given a lot of time to scrutinise them and they are an interesting bunch.
The true mystery begins with Ryan and his plight is where the theme of entertainment over mental health is most pronounced. Henry is unremarkable on the surface, Jason unlikable, Pam is superbly stoic and she has a nice maternal relationship with Aliyah, who may come across as a reality show stereotype at first but is actually the most genuine of them all. In contrast, the more unflappable Lucas and Ceri are curious and you wonder what they might have to hide.
One of the most distinctive parts of this series is the setting, with the story straddling the border between England and the North East of Wales. It is a beautiful and characterful part of the world and the author conveys the two separate cultural identities with relish. The use of the English name of the filming location rather than the traditional Welsh name is a particularly memorable moment and you do get a proper feel for the atmosphere of the place.
Overall, this book represents a dramatic step forward for this series. There are sections here that do lack in terms of subtlety, and the writing style lacks a little bit of sophistication, but in the main it is really enjoyable to read. The mystery is unpredictable and keeps you hooked, there are some moments that will make you laugh out loud, and the character development is strong. It certainly leaves you wanting more.
Needless to say, I enjoyed this much more than The Last Party. It was not perfect, but it was lots of fun to read and I loved the unpredictability.
