Nicola Harris, an American, meets a wealthy Englishman named James Shuttleworth on a flight to London. He is on his way home, and she has planned a solo two-week vacation --- one week in London, and the other in Rome. But the attraction to James is so strong that she gets sidetracked and ends up going with him to his London apartment, thus beginning a whirlwind romance.

"With its fast-paced writing and intriguing storyline, this is a tough book to put down.... [T]he conclusion is surprising, with only subtle hints during the telling of the tale to indicate such an ending."

One of the first things they do together is spend a weekend at an estate owned by James’ friends. They aren’t the only guests, though. Juliet, a former girlfriend of James, shows up unexpectedly, which makes Nicola uncomfortable. They have all gathered for pheasant shooting. Unfortunately, one of the people helping out at the party is shot in the shoulder. At first, Juliet takes responsibility, insisting it was an accident because it had been so long since she had last fired a shotgun. However, she later changes her story and accuses someone else of the shooting, claiming that she was initially covering for that individual.

This is just one of the many little things that Juliet does that reinforces Nicola’s doubts, with many more incidents and conversations further convincing her that Juliet is not to be trusted. When her relationship with James turns serious, Nicola feels even more threatened by Juliet. But when she confesses her fears and misgivings to James, he dismisses them, creating a rift between the two that colors her perceptions even more.

Siena Sterling’s THE GAME SHE PLAYS is divided into three parts and is masterfully told from the points of view of Nicola, a woman named Trez, and an outside narrator. These multiple perspectives allow readers a glimpse into each of their minds, showing how the actions of just one person can have an impact on so many others. With its fast-paced writing and intriguing storyline, this is a tough book to put down.

Although some of the events here are fairly predictable, the conclusion is surprising, with only subtle hints during the telling of the tale to indicate such an ending.