Seven teenagers are trapped in an isolated motel, with no WiFi and no transport, by an anonymous vigilante. A year ago three students at their school died in a tragic fire and their captor knows that each of them is carrying a guilty secret from that day. Every hour, one of them will die until all the secrets are revealed.
There are strong ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ vibes, but the true story of the fire is a little more layered than the traditional hit and run-type scenario. The setup is well contrived and very sinister – an abandoned motel in the desert, surrounded by snipers, and rigged with surveillance equipment and explosives. The author jumps straight into the action and it’s a page-turning read – I finished it in one sitting.
The story is told from several of the POVs, the main ones being Ana, the introverted twin sister of one of the victims, and Ellis, the captain of the school sports team and self-appointed leader of the group. Some of the characters are more likeable than others and the usual high-school stereotypes prevail, but there was some nuance to the relationships and someone to root for. This is a tropey story, but the fast-paced action and the tension between the characters keeps it moving. I’m torn about the ending, I did guess the twist but the denouement wasn’t fully satisfying.
‘Circle of Liars’ is a combination of Agatha Christie’s ‘And Then There Were None’ and the claustrophobic setting and tense, real-time pacing of Holly Jackson’s ‘Five Survive’. A well-written and engaging thriller – I’m sure this one will be popular in the school library!
Thanks to Usborne for the ARC.
