I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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 lifetime: 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.

Short and Sweet Review

Winners & Liars combines an inheritance competition with a murder mystery, making for a fun and entertaining YA read. After the death of their beloved mentor, Professor Darnley, Derin and her university prep group arrive at his estate expecting to celebrate their futures. Instead, they discover they’ve been named competitors in a series of Victorian literature-inspired games to determine who will inherit the Darnley fortune. As the competition unfolds, mysterious notes, long-buried family secrets, and questions surrounding the professor’s death make it clear there’s much more at stake than simply winning an inheritance.

The premise immediately grabbed my attention, and it reminded me of books like The Inheritance Games and Knives Out. The inheritance competition was easily my favorite part of the story. The literary-inspired challenges were creative, and I enjoyed watching the contestants try to outsmart one another while navigating shifting alliances and hidden motives. I also appreciated how the mystery unfolded alongside the competition instead of waiting until the very end. The story also touches on the whitewashing of history and the erasure of Black figures in Victorian England, and I thought those themes were incorporated naturally into the plot without ever feeling preachy. Derin was an easy protagonist to root for. She’s intelligent, determined, and genuinely wants to help her family, which made it easy to understand why she threw herself into the competition. I also liked the subtle romance between Derin and Teddy. Their relationship developed gradually and never overshadowed the mystery, adding just enough sweetness without taking over the story. That said, I did have a few issues that kept this from being a higher-rated read. The beginning felt overwhelming, with a large cast of characters being introduced all at once, and it took me a while to figure out who everyone was and how they fit into the story. While the mystery kept me engaged, the pacing occasionally slowed because of lengthy explanations, flashbacks, and information dumps. I also found myself wishing the supporting characters had been more developed. Outside of Derin and Teddy, many of them felt fairly one-dimensional, so I wasn’t as emotionally invested in the competition as I could have been. The Victorian costumes and aesthetic also felt more like a gimmick than something that truly added to the story, and I don’t think much would have changed if that element had been removed.

Overall, Winners & Liars is an enjoyable YA mystery with an original premise, engaging competitions, and a satisfying blend of family secrets, history, and suspense. While the large cast and slower pacing occasionally held it back, I still had a fun time with the story and think it’s worth picking up if you enjoy inheritance games, academic settings, and mysteries filled with twists and hidden agendas.