Too Long; Didn't Read

I approached The Lying Game with a great deal of trepidation—you see, Ruth Ware has hurt me before. When our relationship was in the honeymoon phase of In a Dark, Dark Wood, it was all smart dialogue this and taut suspense that. But of course, the honeymoon had to end sometime. And end it did with The Woman in Cabin 10…I wasted the best 384 pages of my life on that far-fetched snooze-fest. Needless to say (but I will anyway), I started this book with a healthy dose of cynicism and a dash of hope. The Lying Game presents itself as a mystery/thriller, and I have to admit my interest was piqued faster than it took Bob the dog to find that telltale body part in the Reach and kick off the world’s most depressing reunion. We’re introduced to Kate, Thea, Fatima, and, our feckless narrator and lead protagonist, Isa when Isa receives a 3:30 am text from Kate that simply says, “I need you.” Ware subtly reveals the nature of the group’s dynamic with a haunting, but resolute, observation: S