Liars Series Novels & Stories

Spent way too long figuring this out myself when I jumped into 'The Lying Game' series. The core sequence is pretty straightforward: start with 'The Lying Game', then 'Never Have I Ever', 'Two Truths and a Lie', and finish with 'Hide and Seek'. That's the main story arc following Sutton Mercer and Emma. But then there's a prequel novella, 'The First Lie', which actually slots in before the first book chronologically. I read it after finishing the series and kinda wish I'd done it first—it adds a lot of texture to Sutton's character, but honestly, you won't be lost if you skip it.

After 'Hide and Seek', Sara Shepard wrote 'Cross Our Hearts', which is a sequel set a year later. Some fans argue the series ended perfectly at four books and that the fifth feels like a bonus epilogue, but I was just happy to spend more time in that world. So, publication order works perfectly, but if you're a completionist who loves chronological depth, kick off with 'The First Lie' novella.

Ah, the Liars series. That can mean a couple different things, so I'm guessing you're after Sara Shepard's 'Pretty Little Liars' books, right? For audiobooks, I always check Audible first – they've got the whole series narrated by Cassandra Morris, and she does a fantastic job with all the different character voices, especially the snarky ones like Hanna. The subscription model is pretty straightforward.

If you're looking for ebooks, your local library app like Libby or OverDrive is a goldmine; I borrowed the whole series that way without spending a dime. Kindle and Apple Books have them for purchase too, obviously. Just a heads-up, the first few books are often bundled as a 'starter set' on those platforms, which can save a bit of cash if you're diving in fresh.

I got totally hooked on the audiobooks during my commute – they move faster than the TV show in a lot of ways, and the internal monologues you get from the books add a layer the screen adaptation just can't match. The later books in the series, like 'Twisted' and 'Ruthless', get seriously unhinged in the best way possible.

Honestly, I felt a bit let down by how the Liars series wrapped up the big mystery. We spent so many books watching those girls get tormented by 'A,' and the final reveal felt like it came out of left field. It's Alex Drake, some secret British twin we'd never heard of until the final act, pulling the strings from a dollhouse? After all that intricate, personal torment, the explanation hinges on a secret family and a lookalike? It kind of cheapens the earlier, more grounded threats. The dollhouse itself was a fantastically creepy set-piece, but the motivation behind it didn't land with the same emotional weight as, say, Mona's original reveal or even Charlotte's story.

I get that they wanted a big, shocking twist, but it felt less like a clever solution to the clues and more like a last-minute surprise for its own sake. The series thrived on the paranoia being deeply personal, so introducing a brand-new character as the ultimate mastermind in the eleventh hour just didn't satisfy that core itch. You finish the book and think more about the wild logistics of the twin swap than the poetic justice for the Liars.