Three Truths and a Lie by Brent Hartinger

Series: N/A
Author: Brent Hartinger
Page Count: 272
Published: August 2nd, 2016
Publisher: Simon Pulse
  4 Stars ★★★★

In this young adult mystery, boyfriends Liam and Rob, and couple Mia and Galen decide to head to a cabin in the woods for a nice, relaxing weekend together.  Unfortunately, things go south quickly when items are moved around, escalating over time. It becomes obvious that somebody is messing with the four friends. And if they aren't careful, they won't all make it out alive. 

This was a short mystery with some twists that I did not see coming. I was drawn into the mystery immediately and I honestly had trouble putting the book down! 

The setting was a bit cliche, but it worked well. I mean, if I were in a cabin in the forest, and stuff was moved around, I'd definitely be suspicious. The author uses the setting effectively, leaving me feeling like the characters were in a dangerous, almost isolated situation. 

The mystery behind the strange happenings was also well written. In my opinion, the best mysteries encourage the reader to constantly analyze the situation and form their own theories, which was certainly the case for myself and this book! I was always switching who I thought was the culprit. And I was always on the lookout for clues in the setting, the characters' speech and actions, etc. 

I think that at times the book was pretty unrealistic, which bothered me. This is a contemporary young adult mystery, which means that, as its not a fantasy or paranormal, certain real-life, rational aspects need to remain. I felt that at times, the characters acted in ways that would not make sense for someone in their situation. 

I did really appreciate that two of the characters were LGBTQ! I love mysteries, and I love LGBTQ characters, and this book combined both those things very well! I also love how the gay couple was really not a big deal in the book, in that themes of coming out and prejudice weren't in the spotlight. I love "casually queer" books. 

And finally, that ending! I did not see that coming. I should have for sure....but I didn't! 

I recommend this book to those looking for a short mystery. If you're looking for YA LGBTQ books, you might enjoy Three Truths and a Lie. 

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