YA Book Chat

Author Interview: Maureen Johnson (Nine Liars)

January 30, 2023 Leah Stuhler Season 3 Episode 8
YA Book Chat
Author Interview: Maureen Johnson (Nine Liars)
Show Notes Chapter Markers

Join NY Times Bestselling Author Maureen Johnson and me as we chat about her brand new book, Nine Liars. Nine Liars follows Johnson's teen sleuth, Stevie Bell, as she tries to solve a cold case murder from 1995.

In this episode, Maureen and I chat all about Maureen's writing process, what it was like bringing Stevie in for another book, life in college theatre, what it's like having an English husband who have friends with amazing English country homes, how to craft a murder mystery, and more! You'll even get to hear a little bit about Maureen's good friend and fellow author, Holly Black.

Entire episode is spoiler free!

About Nine Liars:

Senior year at Ellingham Academy for Stevie Bell isn’t going well. Her boyfriend, David, is studying in London. Her friends are obsessed with college applications. With the cold case of the century solved, Stevie is adrift. There is nothing to distract her from the questions pinging around her brain—questions about college, love, and life in general.

Relief comes when David invites Stevie and her friends to join him for study abroad, and his new friend Izzy introduces her to a double-murder cold case. In 1995, nine friends from Cambridge University went to a country house and played a drunken game of hide-and-seek. Two were found in the woodshed the next day, murdered with an ax.

The case was assumed to be a burglary gone wrong, but one of the remaining seven saw something she can’t explain. This was no break-in. Someone’s lying about what happened in the woodshed.

Seven suspects. Two murders. One killer still playing a deadly game.

*A special thank you to Maureen Johnson for coming on the podcast and chatting with me. And thank you to Megan Beatie at MB Communications for setting up the interview.

Check out Maureen's website
Follow Maureen on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook


The Happy Writer with Marissa Meyer
Authors, from debuts to bestsellers, chat about books, writing, publishing, and joy.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

Have a question about today's book or author? Have a book you want me to review on the podcast? Just want to say hi? Send me an email at yabookchat@gmail.com

Don't forget to give the podcast a 5 star rating, and leave a review! Thank you for your support!


(Cont.) Author Interview: Maureen Johnson (Nine Liars)