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Winners & Liars: A Young Adult Mystery of Inheritance, Secrets, and Bloody History
Not yet published
Expected 30 Jun 26Knives Out meets Death at Morning House in this thrilling standalone mystery layered with family secrets, the whitewashing of history, and a high-stakes literary competition for the keys to a Victorian-era English estate—from Aleema Omotoni, the NAACP Image Award-winning author of Everyone’s Thinking It.
Derin’s acceptance into Cambridge University is the end of an era—just not the one she expected.
When she and her ultra-competitive Uni prep group, the Kenfield Set, were first invited to Professor Darnley’s summer ball, they planned on celebrating the group’s success, surrounded by the riches of his historical Kenfield estate—not kicking off the festivities with the professor’s will reading.
But when the Darnleys’ aristocratic children are disinherited, the students are offered the opportunity of a compete in a Victorian, literary-inspired inheritance competition to be named the new heir—winner takes all!
For Derin, it’s a chance to help her working-class family. But the remaining Darnleys won’t take losing their stately home and its multimillion-pound inheritance lying down. And added to the mix, a mysterious note is slipped under Derin’s door alluding to a dark family secret lying in wait.
Now Derin must balance the cutthroat games; scheming relatives; and a cute Kenfield intern amid her dawning realization that the history of this inheritance might be soaked in lies . . . and blood.
Derin’s acceptance into Cambridge University is the end of an era—just not the one she expected.
When she and her ultra-competitive Uni prep group, the Kenfield Set, were first invited to Professor Darnley’s summer ball, they planned on celebrating the group’s success, surrounded by the riches of his historical Kenfield estate—not kicking off the festivities with the professor’s will reading.
But when the Darnleys’ aristocratic children are disinherited, the students are offered the opportunity of a compete in a Victorian, literary-inspired inheritance competition to be named the new heir—winner takes all!
For Derin, it’s a chance to help her working-class family. But the remaining Darnleys won’t take losing their stately home and its multimillion-pound inheritance lying down. And added to the mix, a mysterious note is slipped under Derin’s door alluding to a dark family secret lying in wait.
Now Derin must balance the cutthroat games; scheming relatives; and a cute Kenfield intern amid her dawning realization that the history of this inheritance might be soaked in lies . . . and blood.
332 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 12, 2026
About the author
Aleema Omotoni
4 books126 followersAleema Omotoni is an award-winning British-Nigerian author. She writes novels that centre Black teens coming of age, falling in love, and navigating all kinds of contemporary and fantasy worlds. She loves knitting, podcasts about her special interests and colourful Autumn walks in her favourite London parks.
Her debut novel, EVERYONE’S THINKING IT, won the 2024 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work - Youth/Teens.
Her debut novel, EVERYONE’S THINKING IT, won the 2024 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work - Youth/Teens.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for granting my request to read this e-ARC and provide my honest opinion.
I really had high hopes for this book; I mean, look at that cover!!! 😊 But unfortunately, I was disappointed. As a mystery YA novel, it was so slow, and personally, I do not like slow books because it takes a long time for me to connect to the book, storyline, and characters, and it makes me space out.
I must say that I felt a little thrown by the constant need of the author to make most of the characters either bi or other forms of sexual representation, and while I get the need to get sexual representation on page too, this just felt like it was overdone.
I loved the whole plot of playing games in which the winner of the games becomes the heir of a big inheritance, but... The history aspect was too much; it took so much away from the main story; it didn't work seamlessly. I kept thinking how Derin's great-grandparents tied in with the inheritance, but my brain wasn't getting it despite the many explanations 🤦🏾♀️. This might be a me issue, though.
What did work for me was the thrill of the games; the games were very intense, and I loved the tension it brought!!! But that tension brought a whole lot of chaos to the Darnleys. Yeah, sure, some of the secrets, when revealed, were surprising, but others were just there.
Thank you once again for the e-ARC.
I really had high hopes for this book; I mean, look at that cover!!! 😊 But unfortunately, I was disappointed. As a mystery YA novel, it was so slow, and personally, I do not like slow books because it takes a long time for me to connect to the book, storyline, and characters, and it makes me space out.
I must say that I felt a little thrown by the constant need of the author to make most of the characters either bi or other forms of sexual representation, and while I get the need to get sexual representation on page too, this just felt like it was overdone.
I loved the whole plot of playing games in which the winner of the games becomes the heir of a big inheritance, but... The history aspect was too much; it took so much away from the main story; it didn't work seamlessly. I kept thinking how Derin's great-grandparents tied in with the inheritance, but my brain wasn't getting it despite the many explanations 🤦🏾♀️. This might be a me issue, though.
What did work for me was the thrill of the games; the games were very intense, and I loved the tension it brought!!! But that tension brought a whole lot of chaos to the Darnleys. Yeah, sure, some of the secrets, when revealed, were surprising, but others were just there.
Thank you once again for the e-ARC.
Want to Read
October 10, 2025"Knives Out for YA readers, this is a twisty, high stakes game for a life-changing inheritance brimming with chilling family secrets"
preordered just like that
preordered just like that
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I would like to thank NetGalley, author Aleema Omotoni, and HarperCollins Children’s Books for the ARC version of this book in return for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Derin spent the last few years preparing her self to apply to her dream school, Cambridge, part of it spent with a group of five other students all with the same singular focus. Just as they are preparing for their interview results, they are also recovering from the sudden loss of their beloved mentor who coached them all the way through the application process. And just because Professor Darnley could do anything as expected, he posthumously threw his will reading into a tail spin by disinheriting his family and setting up his mentees with the opportunity to compete in a series of games to inherit it all.
What no one expected from this already unexpected situation was for it to also uncover a murder plot, a generations long family secret cover up and not one, but two family members that no one knew about. Even the professor and his deceased wife couldn’t have cooked up a plot this delicious.
What a fantastic plot for a book! I love a good game especially a battle for an inheritance. It adds such a fun high stakes situation to a book plot. I love the way Omotoni wrote it to be based off a book written by one of the characters and the immersive environment of Kenfield Estate. I wanted to immediately book a trip there.
The absolutely necessary conversation of history and how it is white washed and as so beautifully wrapped into the story and plot that made it important to where you couldn’t ignore it, but not in a preachy way that would turn someone away from the story. And was very well done age appropriate wise.
I love that every character, even Derin, has character flaws that made them relatable but they also, eventually, all Acknowledged them or were held accountable for them. Every character each also had a unique grieving story and we got to see multiple ways that trauma situation can/will be handled.
I was utterly obsessed with the subtle way that Teddy and Derin’s flirtship grew into a relationship. It felt very natural and didn’t overtake the plot point, but still let us as the readers along for the journey.
I felt a little thrown into the world and confused at first, but by the time the games got there, I pretty much had a handle on everything. I also would have liked some excerpts or more explanation about the plot and story of BTSE as it is a huge plot point of the book but never fully explained or described. Some parts of the book felt lacking to me but not enough to overshadow a phenomenally written book.
Derin spent the last few years preparing her self to apply to her dream school, Cambridge, part of it spent with a group of five other students all with the same singular focus. Just as they are preparing for their interview results, they are also recovering from the sudden loss of their beloved mentor who coached them all the way through the application process. And just because Professor Darnley could do anything as expected, he posthumously threw his will reading into a tail spin by disinheriting his family and setting up his mentees with the opportunity to compete in a series of games to inherit it all.
What no one expected from this already unexpected situation was for it to also uncover a murder plot, a generations long family secret cover up and not one, but two family members that no one knew about. Even the professor and his deceased wife couldn’t have cooked up a plot this delicious.
What a fantastic plot for a book! I love a good game especially a battle for an inheritance. It adds such a fun high stakes situation to a book plot. I love the way Omotoni wrote it to be based off a book written by one of the characters and the immersive environment of Kenfield Estate. I wanted to immediately book a trip there.
The absolutely necessary conversation of history and how it is white washed and as so beautifully wrapped into the story and plot that made it important to where you couldn’t ignore it, but not in a preachy way that would turn someone away from the story. And was very well done age appropriate wise.
I love that every character, even Derin, has character flaws that made them relatable but they also, eventually, all Acknowledged them or were held accountable for them. Every character each also had a unique grieving story and we got to see multiple ways that trauma situation can/will be handled.
I was utterly obsessed with the subtle way that Teddy and Derin’s flirtship grew into a relationship. It felt very natural and didn’t overtake the plot point, but still let us as the readers along for the journey.
I felt a little thrown into the world and confused at first, but by the time the games got there, I pretty much had a handle on everything. I also would have liked some excerpts or more explanation about the plot and story of BTSE as it is a huge plot point of the book but never fully explained or described. Some parts of the book felt lacking to me but not enough to overshadow a phenomenally written book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Actual Rating: 3.75 Stars
Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! This comes out June 30th.
Winners & Liars by Aleema Omotoni follows Derin and the rest of her university prep group, nicknamed the Kenfield Set, after the death of both their beloved professor and his wife, a celebrated novelist. Instead of celebrating their acceptances into Cambridge University or mourning the loss of that dream, the five students find themselves at a will reading where it’s revealed that Professor Darnley and his wife Cornelia have left their inheritance to whomever from the Kenfield Set and a group of other students can win a series of games.
The set-up of this novel is a lot of fun but it didn’t quite live up to the premise in my opinion. The stakes felt relatively low and every time it seemed like Derin was in trouble she got out of it with relative ease.
I also wish the characters were better developed. As it stands, they’re rather thinly sketched. It’s hard to care all that much about who killed Cornelia and who will win each game when the characters don’t have much going on in terms of personality. I found myself much more taken by the late Cornelia and Professor Darnley than the teenagers.
I enjoyed the queer representation. Derin, her love interest Teddy, and her ex-girlfriend Bryony are all bi. Bryony is also demi ace which is so wonderful to see. I liked that despite dating in the past, Derin and Bryony remain close friends. There’s this myth that you can’t remain friends with someone you once dated and I loved seeing it dispelled in this.
I thought the chapters set in the past and told in third person were rather random and added nothing of substance to the story. The choice to write them in the third person is strange to me when they all follow Derin. I think Omotoni missed a chance to follow other characters, and develop them further, in these chapters.
It felt like a very young YA book to me, even close to middle grade, and I think it could definitely appeal to younger readers. If I had read this in middle school I could see myself having loved it.
I thought Winners & Liars had great things to say about the role of Black elites during Victorian Era England and their erasure, and the white-washing of history. It’s definitely something I want to learn about further.
Even though Winners & Liars wasn’t perfect for me I do recommend it to others! I think Omotoni has a bright future in the YA and middle grade age ranges.
Thank you to HarperCollins Children’s Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! This comes out June 30th.
Winners & Liars by Aleema Omotoni follows Derin and the rest of her university prep group, nicknamed the Kenfield Set, after the death of both their beloved professor and his wife, a celebrated novelist. Instead of celebrating their acceptances into Cambridge University or mourning the loss of that dream, the five students find themselves at a will reading where it’s revealed that Professor Darnley and his wife Cornelia have left their inheritance to whomever from the Kenfield Set and a group of other students can win a series of games.
The set-up of this novel is a lot of fun but it didn’t quite live up to the premise in my opinion. The stakes felt relatively low and every time it seemed like Derin was in trouble she got out of it with relative ease.
I also wish the characters were better developed. As it stands, they’re rather thinly sketched. It’s hard to care all that much about who killed Cornelia and who will win each game when the characters don’t have much going on in terms of personality. I found myself much more taken by the late Cornelia and Professor Darnley than the teenagers.
I enjoyed the queer representation. Derin, her love interest Teddy, and her ex-girlfriend Bryony are all bi. Bryony is also demi ace which is so wonderful to see. I liked that despite dating in the past, Derin and Bryony remain close friends. There’s this myth that you can’t remain friends with someone you once dated and I loved seeing it dispelled in this.
I thought the chapters set in the past and told in third person were rather random and added nothing of substance to the story. The choice to write them in the third person is strange to me when they all follow Derin. I think Omotoni missed a chance to follow other characters, and develop them further, in these chapters.
It felt like a very young YA book to me, even close to middle grade, and I think it could definitely appeal to younger readers. If I had read this in middle school I could see myself having loved it.
I thought Winners & Liars had great things to say about the role of Black elites during Victorian Era England and their erasure, and the white-washing of history. It’s definitely something I want to learn about further.
Even though Winners & Liars wasn’t perfect for me I do recommend it to others! I think Omotoni has a bright future in the YA and middle grade age ranges.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Fun. Fun. Fun!!!
This book was so much fun. I started and then could not stop, and then boom, it was done. (Which made me so sad, sigh.) It took me about 24 hours to finish in and around life and work. But that may have been because every second I could, I was running back to the pages. Simply put, the author had me in a trance.
The story is told from the pov of Derin, our FMC. She and her friends are just about to enter university. To prepare them for this, they spent some time being mentored by a beloved professor. They get to know him and his wife, and a strong bond forms between the professor and his wife, and the students, and amongst the students themselves. Unfortunately, instead of the celebration they expected to cement this rite of passage from high school to university, they must go listen to the professor’s will.
And that is where things get intriguing and competitive. It is also when the students find out what their relationships with one another are really all about. Are they friends? Will they now be foes? Who can you trust? The answering of those questions kept my brain sizzling as I read.
Mixed in with those queries are some historical surprises and deep family mysteries that push them all to their limits. And by all I mean me as a reader too, lol!
As I said… so much fun!
The pace is quick, the emotions are potent, and the backstories are fascinating. Trust me when I say anyone who loves mysterious academic twists, along with found family realness, will have a new joyous read with this one. Slip this one onto your tbr today; you will not regret it.
Thank you so much to HarperCollins Children’s Books and NetGalley for this arc in return for my honest review!
This book was so much fun. I started and then could not stop, and then boom, it was done. (Which made me so sad, sigh.) It took me about 24 hours to finish in and around life and work. But that may have been because every second I could, I was running back to the pages. Simply put, the author had me in a trance.
The story is told from the pov of Derin, our FMC. She and her friends are just about to enter university. To prepare them for this, they spent some time being mentored by a beloved professor. They get to know him and his wife, and a strong bond forms between the professor and his wife, and the students, and amongst the students themselves. Unfortunately, instead of the celebration they expected to cement this rite of passage from high school to university, they must go listen to the professor’s will.
And that is where things get intriguing and competitive. It is also when the students find out what their relationships with one another are really all about. Are they friends? Will they now be foes? Who can you trust? The answering of those questions kept my brain sizzling as I read.
Mixed in with those queries are some historical surprises and deep family mysteries that push them all to their limits. And by all I mean me as a reader too, lol!
As I said… so much fun!
The pace is quick, the emotions are potent, and the backstories are fascinating. Trust me when I say anyone who loves mysterious academic twists, along with found family realness, will have a new joyous read with this one. Slip this one onto your tbr today; you will not regret it.
Thank you so much to HarperCollins Children’s Books and NetGalley for this arc in return for my honest review!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for sending me this eARC! I love all kinds of high-stakes competitions, so "Winners & Liars" was a good fit for me. It started off a little slow, because there was quite a bit of background establishment, but by game time, I was hooked. The games were exhilarating, and the overarching mystery led to some shocking revelations and an explosive finale. When the plot twists came to light, I was left downright speechless; I completely missed the subtle foreshadowing!
Cornelia's historical research was fascinating, and it was fitting that it played such a major role in the story since the games were inspired by her novel. She was a catalyst by which Omotoni effectively shed a light on the domino effect that tainted history can have.
Cornelia's historical research was fascinating, and it was fitting that it played such a major role in the story since the games were inspired by her novel. She was a catalyst by which Omotoni effectively shed a light on the domino effect that tainted history can have.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I picked this book up, intrigued by the synopsis, but I really struggled to read this. The writing style was choppy and slow, and I just couldn’t fully get into it. The premise is honestly right up my alley, which made this even more disappointing. I liked the idea behind the story and there were moments I enjoyed, but overall I found myself getting bored and zoning out.
I can definitely see being a favorite for other readers, but it just wasn’t for me - 2 stars.
Thank you to Aleema Omotoni, HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperCollins, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book!
#WinnersLiars #NetGalley
I can definitely see being a favorite for other readers, but it just wasn’t for me - 2 stars.
Thank you to Aleema Omotoni, HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperCollins, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book!
#WinnersLiars #NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Winners & Liars (Hardcover)
by Aleema Omotoni
A black history month feature. This story shows the nature of black history and how it affects society in England. The fact that blacks have been in English history before the roman rule, and were white washed out of English history in the 1800's. The book shows the nature of that popular ideology, how it is wrong on many modern levels. The mystery and games brings these controversial history to light, but not as a lecture, but as a correction. The author does a great job of blending history and current ideology.
by Aleema Omotoni
A black history month feature. This story shows the nature of black history and how it affects society in England. The fact that blacks have been in English history before the roman rule, and were white washed out of English history in the 1800's. The book shows the nature of that popular ideology, how it is wrong on many modern levels. The mystery and games brings these controversial history to light, but not as a lecture, but as a correction. The author does a great job of blending history and current ideology.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I think this book will be popular with high school readers and would recommend for ages 15+. The parts of the book involving the games were very engaging and the pages flew past. The historical aspects were also interesting and like that it centered on a hidden part of history that happened far too often. I wasn’t a big fan of the regular references to everyone’s sexual orientation, but there was noting graphic in the book. I enjoyed this book and would read another by this author. Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
To be honest I didn't really care that much about who did it I just enjoyed learning about Derin and her family history. The friendship was also nice to see, especially because they are going after the same thing for most of the book.
I received an arc through netgalley.
I received an arc through netgalley.
October 22, 2025
SO excited for you all to read it!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
thank you NetGalley for the arc.
this was a solid read for me. i really enjoyed the mystery aspect with us following derin along as she's trying to figure out what happened to her professor while also competing in these competitions to be the heir to the kenfield estate. just a fun, quick read.
this was a solid read for me. i really enjoyed the mystery aspect with us following derin along as she's trying to figure out what happened to her professor while also competing in these competitions to be the heir to the kenfield estate. just a fun, quick read.
March 4, 2026
Absolutely devoured this!
March 19, 2026
AUTHOR APPROVED ARC: this was really good to hear quite honest , everything was so fun & mysterious
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
The beginning was hard to get into, but I enjoyed it once I got into it more.
Received from Giveaway
Received from Giveaway
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March 31, 2026My first starred review for SLJ! I really enjoyed this one. See my thoughts here: https://www.slj.com/review/winners--l...
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