The mystery of "A" continues.

ABC Family has given the go-ahead on a third season of Pretty Little Liars. The cable network has ordered 24 episodes for the new season.

The hourlong drama, led by Lucy Hale, Ashley Benson, Troian Bellisario and Shay Mitchell, will return for the second half of its sophomore season Monday, Jan. 2 at 8 p.m.

Pretty Little Liars, developed by Marlene King and based on the popular Sara Shepard novels, has been a solid ratings draw for ABC Family, recently airing a special Halloween episode with ties to the main mystery. Its summer finale, "Over My Dead Body," airing at the end of August lured 3 million viewers.

Pretty Little Liars returns one month after the events of the summer finale and will serve as a lead-in to rookie drama The Lying Game, based on another Shepard property.

Holly Marie Combs, Ian Harding, Chad Lowe, Laura Leighton and Sasha Pieterse co-star in Pretty Little Liars, executive produced by King, Oliver Goldstick and Leslie Morgenstein.