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Coterie of Liars
Not yet published
Expected 4 Jun 26 One of Us Is Lying meets The Inheritance Games with the vibes of Saltburn - a seductively commercial thriller tapping into the trend 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.
The
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?
A deliciously dark comedy thriller, perfect for fans of Laura Steven and Bella Mackie.
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.
The
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?
A deliciously dark comedy thriller, perfect for fans of Laura Steven and Bella Mackie.
Audible Audio
Expected publication June 4, 2026
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About the author
Kate Weston
10 books86 followersKate Weston is an ex-stand up comedian and the author of four YA murder mysteries, as well as her adult debut thriller You May Now Kill The Bride, which was published in 2024. Her most recent YA book, feminist thriller Murder on a School Night, was shortlisted for the YA Book Prize 2024. Kate has also been been a semi-finalist for Funny Women and New Comedian of the Year, longlisted for Comedy Women in Print and the Branford Boase, and nominated for the Carnegie Medal.
Kate lives in London with her partner and adorable cat Angus.
source: Amazon
Kate lives in London with her partner and adorable cat Angus.
source: Amazon
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I received an ARC from the publisher in preparation for a < a href = https://ukyaspotlight.co.uk/>UKYAS... interview. It has not affected my opinions.
COTERIE OF LIARS is a funny, dark tale of protecting secrets.
I really appreciated that this book was being marketed as New Adult. It could easily have been put into YA - the characters are 18 and have just finished secondary school. That makes them younger than several protagonists of books sold as YA! However, by making this NA not YA it helps with the normalisation of splitting YA into two halves, one aimed at teens and one at older readers (university aged and above) who are currently forcing the age range older and older, shutting actual teens.
Why do I think this one went NA rather than YA given the characters are still teenagers? It's darker than Kate Weston's previous YA (such as MURDER ON A SCHOOL NIGHT) and the characters themselves are more mature. They're not riding around on sparkly kiddie bikes unironically and the relationships are very sexually active (not that teens don't, but these are people who have been experimenting a while and therefore are more experience in what they enjoy. There aren't steamy scenes, but you know these characters are having a lot of sex.)
Like with Kate Weston's YA and adult books, this book is very funny. Like with the darker tone of the book, the humour is darker. It's really nice contrast to the all the blood and danger that gives a bit of relief but also highlights to insanity of what is going on at this house - and the fact that they're just carrying on.
The characters are deeply flawed. They're so privileged and, while they performatively acknowledge this, don't amend their behaviour. They're saying things like "it's not our fault the scholarship kids are poor and don't have designer clothes." Not only is there something fun about characters who are clearly not nice, it also means you can don't quite trust any of them, which makes the mystery of who's behind everything more believable.
Between the chapters there are snippets from Evie's grandma's diary about her own disastrous summer with her own coterie. It plays into the idea that there might be a curse on the family - and guides your own perceptions of what's happening with great skill. I like how the end reveals the truth of the curse to be self-fulling.
The ending does go all in, in a somewhat insane way. By then, though, the lengths the characters are willing to go have been revealed and it's just fun to watch the carnage play out. These are people who clearly believe they can get away with anything - and are maybe not entirely sane - so the absurdity of it feels in character.
COTERIE OF LIARS is a funny, dark tale of protecting secrets.
I really appreciated that this book was being marketed as New Adult. It could easily have been put into YA - the characters are 18 and have just finished secondary school. That makes them younger than several protagonists of books sold as YA! However, by making this NA not YA it helps with the normalisation of splitting YA into two halves, one aimed at teens and one at older readers (university aged and above) who are currently forcing the age range older and older, shutting actual teens.
Why do I think this one went NA rather than YA given the characters are still teenagers? It's darker than Kate Weston's previous YA (such as MURDER ON A SCHOOL NIGHT) and the characters themselves are more mature. They're not riding around on sparkly kiddie bikes unironically and the relationships are very sexually active (not that teens don't, but these are people who have been experimenting a while and therefore are more experience in what they enjoy. There aren't steamy scenes, but you know these characters are having a lot of sex.)
Like with Kate Weston's YA and adult books, this book is very funny. Like with the darker tone of the book, the humour is darker. It's really nice contrast to the all the blood and danger that gives a bit of relief but also highlights to insanity of what is going on at this house - and the fact that they're just carrying on.
The characters are deeply flawed. They're so privileged and, while they performatively acknowledge this, don't amend their behaviour. They're saying things like "it's not our fault the scholarship kids are poor and don't have designer clothes." Not only is there something fun about characters who are clearly not nice, it also means you can don't quite trust any of them, which makes the mystery of who's behind everything more believable.
Between the chapters there are snippets from Evie's grandma's diary about her own disastrous summer with her own coterie. It plays into the idea that there might be a curse on the family - and guides your own perceptions of what's happening with great skill. I like how the end reveals the truth of the curse to be self-fulling.
The ending does go all in, in a somewhat insane way. By then, though, the lengths the characters are willing to go have been revealed and it's just fun to watch the carnage play out. These are people who clearly believe they can get away with anything - and are maybe not entirely sane - so the absurdity of it feels in character.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The funniest thing about this "adult dark comedy thriller" is that I didn't realise it was meant to be adult or a comedy till I came to leave a review
This book follows five privileged rich kids in a remote summer house when someone starts to set up accidents for them around the house to expose secrets each of them are hiding.
I was kind of bored reading this. I just never felt like I cared enough about the story or the characters and for a book that is just over 300 pages somehow this just dragged on longer than it needed to. Also I definitely wouldn't call this adult - it read very YA to me as all the characters are teenagers and act like it. Although I was interested in the mystery aspect it never felt like there was enough effort put into creating any good suspects and then it went down the path of being just plain silly. The whole 'curse' aspect was a sign from page one about how silly this book was going to be and I really wish that the curse had been left out. I did think that the plot twist at the end was good but it got ridiculous very fast so the plot twist felt wasted. The characters were all unlikable and felt like caricatures of posh boarding school teenagers so as there was no one to route for I didn't care when things were happening to them.
I don't think that this book is marketed correctly - it isn't adult, comedic, or dark academia. It is very much YA with characters just out of school who act very much like teenagers but it reads much less mature than books by other YA thriller authors like Holly Jackson and Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé. Other than chapter 1 and the odd flash back moment there is no time spent in school or with academics so I don't know why this would be considered dark academia. Finally, I wasn't aware that this book was meant to be funny when I was reading it and the only time I laughed because of this book was when I saw that it was marketed as a comedy.
Some people will like the plot twists in this and enjoy the crazy unbelievable turns that the story takes plus it was short and easy to read but this book wasn't for me and some of the marketing is off.
TW: graphic body horror (including murder)
Thank you to Electric Monkey for a proof copy of this book
This book follows five privileged rich kids in a remote summer house when someone starts to set up accidents for them around the house to expose secrets each of them are hiding.
I was kind of bored reading this. I just never felt like I cared enough about the story or the characters and for a book that is just over 300 pages somehow this just dragged on longer than it needed to. Also I definitely wouldn't call this adult - it read very YA to me as all the characters are teenagers and act like it. Although I was interested in the mystery aspect it never felt like there was enough effort put into creating any good suspects and then it went down the path of being just plain silly. The whole 'curse' aspect was a sign from page one about how silly this book was going to be and I really wish that the curse had been left out. I did think that the plot twist at the end was good but it got ridiculous very fast so the plot twist felt wasted. The characters were all unlikable and felt like caricatures of posh boarding school teenagers so as there was no one to route for I didn't care when things were happening to them.
I don't think that this book is marketed correctly - it isn't adult, comedic, or dark academia. It is very much YA with characters just out of school who act very much like teenagers but it reads much less mature than books by other YA thriller authors like Holly Jackson and Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé. Other than chapter 1 and the odd flash back moment there is no time spent in school or with academics so I don't know why this would be considered dark academia. Finally, I wasn't aware that this book was meant to be funny when I was reading it and the only time I laughed because of this book was when I saw that it was marketed as a comedy.
Some people will like the plot twists in this and enjoy the crazy unbelievable turns that the story takes plus it was short and easy to read but this book wasn't for me and some of the marketing is off.
TW: graphic body horror (including murder)
Thank you to Electric Monkey for a proof copy of this book
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
2.85 ⭐️
Did I finish this book within the day? Yes, yes I did.
Was it everything I hoped and dreamed it would be? Definitely not, and for that I'm gutted.
Please know before you go into this book that despite it being marketed at adult dark comedy, it is anything but those things apart from the gore from the murders throughout (so please be aware if you dont like gore, that some part may be uncomfortable for you). I'd say it was more YA thriller at most, I think the gorey parts was supposed to make it adult.
I spent the first quarter absolutely despising the writing and the poor humor attempts. to then becoming absolutely obsessed when the plot kicks into full swing at the party 👀
I was so invested in the plot with the reveal after reveal and it getting more wilder than the next when the ending came it sort of fell of abit? like wow we got all this juicy tension and gory death to then a lack luster ending? Like I hoped for something alittle more wild especially with how much the plot was escalating.
I think because I'm getting back into my thrillers and murder mysteries I'm learning more what I like and dont like. Unfortunately this book had a few more downsides than positives for me to give it anything higher than a three stars.
Thank you so much Netgalley and Electric Monkey for giving me a earc of this 💖
Did I finish this book within the day? Yes, yes I did.
Was it everything I hoped and dreamed it would be? Definitely not, and for that I'm gutted.
Please know before you go into this book that despite it being marketed at adult dark comedy, it is anything but those things apart from the gore from the murders throughout (so please be aware if you dont like gore, that some part may be uncomfortable for you). I'd say it was more YA thriller at most, I think the gorey parts was supposed to make it adult.
I spent the first quarter absolutely despising the writing and the poor humor attempts. to then becoming absolutely obsessed when the plot kicks into full swing at the party 👀
I was so invested in the plot with the reveal after reveal and it getting more wilder than the next when the ending came it sort of fell of abit? like wow we got all this juicy tension and gory death to then a lack luster ending? Like I hoped for something alittle more wild especially with how much the plot was escalating.
I think because I'm getting back into my thrillers and murder mysteries I'm learning more what I like and dont like. Unfortunately this book had a few more downsides than positives for me to give it anything higher than a three stars.
Thank you so much Netgalley and Electric Monkey for giving me a earc of this 💖
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is very much a book about rich kids doing privileged rich kid things!
The Coterie lead by Evie are group of five in their graduating class and about to go their separate ways. They're spending their final summer partying together at D’olobelle, Evie's family house! It seems someone is out to get them though and reveal what they're trying to keep hidden. What could possibly go wrong?
With secrets, lies, betrayals and even murder the twists just kept coming!
This book will have you questioning everything! Who did what? Who can be trusted? Who's next?
Then mixed in with history about Evie's grandma and her own Coterie!
This was an enjoyable read, the characters definitely gave spoilt rich kid vibes thinking they can do and get away with anything with no consequences!
I was just along for the ride watching everything play out!
Thank you to the publisher for the arc of this for review 🫶🏻
The Coterie lead by Evie are group of five in their graduating class and about to go their separate ways. They're spending their final summer partying together at D’olobelle, Evie's family house! It seems someone is out to get them though and reveal what they're trying to keep hidden. What could possibly go wrong?
With secrets, lies, betrayals and even murder the twists just kept coming!
This book will have you questioning everything! Who did what? Who can be trusted? Who's next?
Then mixed in with history about Evie's grandma and her own Coterie!
This was an enjoyable read, the characters definitely gave spoilt rich kid vibes thinking they can do and get away with anything with no consequences!
I was just along for the ride watching everything play out!
Thank you to the publisher for the arc of this for review 🫶🏻
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
What sounded like something absolutely up my street ended up being a book that I should have dnfed. I’m normally all in for rich people drama but for me this book was marketed as adult but felt extremely ya even with the innuendos and more graphic scenes. I also just could not find the comedy funny it just ended up leaning more on the cringier side for me. I did like the kills in this and did not actually end up predicting one of the plot twists but overall I just don’t think this worked for me in the end sadly! I do think the author did a great job at truly making the characters insufferable and this was such a fast read overall.
Did Not Finish
May 4, 2026dnf at 45 percent
I really have struggled with this one and kept pushing on, I don’t feel like it is funny. I do think the way Evie is written is well and that I do believe she comes from money. Secrets have been revealed and there’s no reaction honestly sadly I am bored and just don’t really care what happens.
thank you netgalley for the earc
I really have struggled with this one and kept pushing on, I don’t feel like it is funny. I do think the way Evie is written is well and that I do believe she comes from money. Secrets have been revealed and there’s no reaction honestly sadly I am bored and just don’t really care what happens.
thank you netgalley for the earc
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I finished this more out of curiosity than anything else, but unfortunately I can't rate it any higher. The events in this book were bizarre and felt very disjointed. I've read books with a similar premise and plot twist before, so I know it can be executed well but sadly this one wasn't
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
4.5
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Fun read as always from Kate Weston with plenty of twists and a compelling main character.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What an absolute rollercoaster of a read!
This book perfectly balances dark themes with sharp, unexpected humour, which made it so addictive to read. Just when things felt heavy, there was always a moment that caught me off guard and made me smile.
The twists? I genuinely did NOT see all of them coming. Every time I thought I had it figured out, the story flipped everything on its head. It kept me hooked from start to finish.
Gripping, unpredictable, and so entertaining. I couldn’t put it down.
Also I met Kate at an event and she is so kind and hilarious in person! So talented
What an absolute rollercoaster of a read!
This book perfectly balances dark themes with sharp, unexpected humour, which made it so addictive to read. Just when things felt heavy, there was always a moment that caught me off guard and made me smile.
The twists? I genuinely did NOT see all of them coming. Every time I thought I had it figured out, the story flipped everything on its head. It kept me hooked from start to finish.
Gripping, unpredictable, and so entertaining. I couldn’t put it down.
Also I met Kate at an event and she is so kind and hilarious in person! So talented
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
“Saltburn meets Mean Girls.”
I really enjoyed this one!
It’s YA, although it does cross the line a little with the graphic descriptions of some of the deaths, no complaints though… I loved it.
The humour is spot on. I was genuinely laughing out loud at points, and I love when a thriller leans into dark humour and actually commits to it.
The story as a whole is really well thought out. I was hooked from start to finish. The pacing was on point — not too fast, not too slow — though it did drag a smidgen in the middle.
The characters were the WORST… but in the best way? I don’t think any of them were truly lovable. I did love Tim, and I had a soft spot for Evie, but the rest? Absolutely not.
However… the ending? It was SO fast-paced. It almost felt like the author had written too much in the beginning and middle, then had to rush the end to wrap it up. And honestly, the ending deserved to land. The reveal deserved to be bigger. That part was a little disappointing unfortunately, BUT…
This is my first book by this author, but it definitely won’t be my last. A must-read for lovers of YA thrillers that hover right on that line — blood, gore, death, and humour. And if you like Cluedo? Just read this one. Full Cluedo vibes.
Thanks to Electric Monkey for my early copy of Coterie of Liars.
I really enjoyed this one!
It’s YA, although it does cross the line a little with the graphic descriptions of some of the deaths, no complaints though… I loved it.
The humour is spot on. I was genuinely laughing out loud at points, and I love when a thriller leans into dark humour and actually commits to it.
The story as a whole is really well thought out. I was hooked from start to finish. The pacing was on point — not too fast, not too slow — though it did drag a smidgen in the middle.
The characters were the WORST… but in the best way? I don’t think any of them were truly lovable. I did love Tim, and I had a soft spot for Evie, but the rest? Absolutely not.
However… the ending? It was SO fast-paced. It almost felt like the author had written too much in the beginning and middle, then had to rush the end to wrap it up. And honestly, the ending deserved to land. The reveal deserved to be bigger. That part was a little disappointing unfortunately, BUT…
This is my first book by this author, but it definitely won’t be my last. A must-read for lovers of YA thrillers that hover right on that line — blood, gore, death, and humour. And if you like Cluedo? Just read this one. Full Cluedo vibes.
Thanks to Electric Monkey for my early copy of Coterie of Liars.
Review of advance copy
Is the intention of this book to hate all of the characters? Because they were all so insufferable. If so then fair enough, but it just didn't make for good reading for me. Jessica in particular was utterly ridiculous, I'd have slapped her silly. Everyone is so snobby and in love with themselves. When Hugo said watching someone else's downfall made him horny... sorry, but WTF?? There's also way too much caps lock for the dialogue. Caps lock isn't necessary to get the point across that someone is shouting. We get it. The characters were all very dramatic. I could have got behind the first of the final "twists" as I do like a good revenge story, but it was just so rushed right at the end. This is where it could have gotten good and it was over so quickly!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Enjoyed this SO much, I'm still breathless and have a bit of whiplash from all the twists. Razor sharp, so funny, gloriously dark and gorgeously macabre, it's a truly brilliant book to escape into for a weekend. The Saltburn comparison is apt, but Weston's brilliant writing elevates it above your usual 'eat the rich' crime caper. For all their flaws the characters are (crucially) warm, nuanced and fun to spend time with, leaping fully-formed off the page, and the narrative was woven together with so much skill and so many clever little details. A deviant delight.
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