The Lying Game

Ruth Ware's terrifying new book is published by the immediate New York Times bestselling author of the popular thrillers In a Dark, Dark Wood and The Woman in Cabin 10.

On a cool June morning, a woman is walking her dog in the idyllic coastal village of Salten along a tidal estuary known as the Reach. Before she can stop him, the dog charges into the water to retrieve what first appears to be a wayward stick, but to her horror, turns out to be something much more sinister...

The next morning, Kate—the fourth member of their once-inseparable clique—sends Fatima, Thea, and Isabel—a text message that, in their hearts, they had always prayed would never arrive and simply states, "I need you."

The four ladies were closest friends at Salten, a boarding school of low quality located close to the English Channel cliffs. The four, each unique in their own way, were inseparable and were well-known for engaging in the game of "The Lying Game," where they would tell falsehoods to faculty members and other board members at every opportunity. Their lies ranged from serious to lighthearted, and their frightening nature made sure that everyone avoided them. The myriad and complicated rules of the game are strict: no lying to each other—ever. When it seems like the lie is about to be exposed, let it go. However, the ladies' little game had repercussions, as they were all expelled in their last year of education due to unexplained circumstances involving the passing of Ambrose, the school's eccentric art instructor and Kate's father.