Liars, Inc. by Paula Stokes

Title: Liars, Inc. 
Author: Paula Stokes
Length: 368 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
Classification: Young Adult, Mystery, Contemporary, Thriller
Release Date: March 24, 2015
Source: ARC (won giveaway from author, Thanks Paula!)
Read: February 2015

For fans of Gone Girl, I Hunt Killers, and TV's How to Get Away with Murder.
Max Cantrell has never been a big fan of the truth, so when the opportunity arises to sell forged permission slips and cover stories to his classmates, it sounds like a good way to make a little money and liven up a boring senior year. With the help of his friends Preston and Parvati, Max starts Liars, Inc. Suddenly everybody needs something and the cash starts pouring in. Who knew lying could be so lucrative?
When Preston wants his own cover story to go visit a girl he met online, Max doesn’t think twice about hooking him up. Until Preston never comes home. Then the evidence starts to pile up—terrifying clues that lead the cops to Preston’s body. Terrifying clues that point to Max as the murderer.
Can Max find the real killer before he goes to prison for a crime he didn’t commit? In a story that Kirkus Reviews called "Captivating to the very end," Paula Stokes starts with one single white lie and weaves a twisted tale that will have readers guessing until the explosive final chapters.

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***I won an ARC from an author giveaway. This does not change the way I view this book.***

I love this book! I really enjoyed reading it! 

I love Paula's writing style. Liars, Inc. is a darker read than The Art of Lainey (which I loved too!). But even though it is darker, I still found moments that brought a smile to my face. Paula's writing pulled me into the story instantly. I could not put this book down. This story kept me up late, and I don't regret staying up at all. 

This story is very entertaining and kept me on the edge of my seat, it is full of action, plot twists, mystery, and lies! 

Max, Parvati (his girlfriend), and Preston (his friend) decide to start Liars, Inc. after some students seek out Max's help with lies. The group comes up with various small lies to sell to their fellow classmates. The lies range from alibis for nights out to signing slips to turn into school. It is an easy way to make some extra money. What could go wrong?
Max doesn't hesitate to help out Preston with an alibi for leaving town to meet a mystery girl. But then Preston doesn't come home and Max is the last person to see and talk to him. Which makes Max the prime suspect. Now Max has to figure out who the real killer is before it is too late!

I love everything about this story, the characters, the mystery, and the thrills. But my favorite thing about this book was that I was able to guess right along with Max. Pretty much every time a guess popped into my head, not long later Max thought the same thing (or pretty close to the same idea). I was always second guessing my ideas and wondering how things were really going to turn out. And I LOVE that the ending did surprise me. I am quite happy that I wasn't able to completely guess the twist. 

I don't want to say too much more about the story because I don't want to give anything away. But I really enjoyed the mystery and the small clues that Max finds. Evidence keeps piling up and things aren't looking good for Max, but he is determined to find out the truth even though he is surrounded by lies.

The characters are realistic and well developed. So easy to care about them. 

Max is a fun character He has layers. He comes off as a bad boy type, but he is also very caring and nice (a lot of the time). I was definitely able to care about him as a character and become very invested in him being able to find out the real killer.
I enjoyed the relationship between him and Parvati! It was so refreshing to read a story where the couple is already dating and together. (We learn about how they met and everything.) They really care about each other, and their relationship also felt very real to me. Parvati is a strong character, I love that she is confident and outgoing.

My Recommendation:

Read it! I am definitely looking forward to getting and reading a finished copy of this book! I highly recommend reading if you enjoy mystery thrillers that have action and twists as well as interesting characters. The story has a dark side, but I still found myself laughing and smiling at parts of the story. I really cared about the characters and what was going to happen. I am so glad that I had the chance to read this story! 

My Rating: