Coterie of Liars is a full-throttle and darkly humorous story skewering the elite, the secrets they’ll go to any lengths to keep and the deadly legacy they may be carrying. You do not want to miss out on the party of the summer.
Kate Weston is a supernova. She has this incredible way of delivering dark humour and horror that sticks in your mind long after the final page. These brilliant concepts are delivered in sharp and witty ways that elevate the idea to a fully fledged story that feels layered, insightful and interesting. Her work across the adult and YA spaces always lands well and I would highly recommend catching up on her backlist if you have not done so already. Coterie of Liars might just be my favourite work from her yet.
This is Saltburn with a wonderful twist – delectably dark and the perfect book to get lost in with the baking heat of summer. It is snide and sensational in equal measure, turning the luxurious glamour of this trip into a deadly nightmare. Weston takes aim at the hierarchical nature of society and the lengths to which people may go in order to preserve their standing. It is a book rooted in issues around class and privilege, which especially lands in the context of British society where this is still keenly felt. It is an unspoken barrier between people and Weston explores that wonderfully.
I love how expansive the mythos of this story feels and the myriad of unexplored stories that could be in this world, but they are within your imagination and you can go down numerous rabbit holes if you so wish. It is clever, subtle world-building that has this deft balancing act between fantasy and reality. All the way through, you’re questioning the role of the supernatural within it and Weston uses this as a way to represent the cyclical nature of violence. This is a family with their hands steeped in blood and that might just be coming back to haunt them. Of course, this toxic friendship group is not exactly squeaky clean in that regard either…
Rich people behaving badly is one of my favourite tropes in literature – there is just something delicious about the ways authors can use it to make these larger societal and political points and expose the underbelly. It’s all quite like lifting the curtain in The Wizard of
Oz, exposing the artifice and corruption at the core. Here, the vast majority of these characters are pretty unlikeable. They are vapid, self-obsessed and tangled up in a complex web of secrets. Their privilege has shielded them from the outside world and encountering genuine difficulties, of course, until now. You are kind of rooting for them to get their comeuppance but the ways in which this is delivered are a twisted kind of genius. They’re dark, bloody and pretty gory and remind me of the best dark comedy slashers.
This book has a great twist on where you may expect the story to be going and you move between timelines to uncover every secret and lie. This is quite a twisted little gem of a book with some nefarious plot developments and excellent surprises along the way. Everything builds to a conclusion that still brings a wry smirk every time I think of it. It is so perfect for this story and has that perfect blend of tragedy and comedy that encapsulates this book’s tone. Weston has previous form for sticking the landing and twisting the knife just that bit further and once again, she delivers here.
Coterie of Liars is a marvellous darkly comedic thriller with tinges of horror and dark academia adding extra texture to the mix. Weston is a shining talent and I cannot wait to read her next book.
Coterie of Liars is available from Amazon, Bookshop.org, Waterstones, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis
One of Us Is Lying meets The Inheritance Games with the vibes of Saltburn – a seductively commercial thriller tapping into the trends of dark academia and decadence from stand-up comedian Kate Weston.
It’s the party you’d KILL to be invited to…
As Evie and her friends – dubbed the ‘Coterie’ in homage to her grandmother’s legendary group of artists – graduate from their elite private school, they prepare to host one last epic summer party at Evie’s family mansion, D’olobelle. The D’olobelle parties are notorious, with everyone desperate for an invite and a taste of the debauchery.
And the Coterie are determined this year’s party will be the most scandalous yet.
Hugo: The suave and charming golden boy, and Evie’s devoted boyfriend, whose charisma hides deeper complexities.
Jess: The passionate vegan influencer who struggles with her principles –especially when she stress-eats chorizo.
Tim: The hot mess with a drink perpetually in hand and a knack for self-sabotage.
CeCe: The fashion-loving intellect who’s too clever for their own good, always ready to dissect the drama.
And Evie herself, queen bee of their elite private school and aspiring actress. She wants this last summer to be perfect.
But as the festivities unfold, a series of chilling ‘accidents’ begin to plague the group. And it seems that each of them has something to hide. Who is targeting them, and what dark secrets are lurking just beneath the surface?
And as eerie photos of the previous Coterie emerge, it becomes clear that D’olobelle is not just a backdrop for their celebration – it holds secrets of its own.
Can the Coterie unravel what is going on – or will the last summer at D’olobelle be their last summer of all?
