Fans of One of us is Lying and other similar YA thrillers will be just as happy with McManus's latest book. Although I did guess the ending, it wasn't too predictable.

WHAT DID I THINK OF TWO CAN KEEP A SECRET BY KAREN MCMANUS?
Two Can Keep A Secret by Karen McManus is a fun follow up to One Of Us Is Lying. This book follows the dual narration of Ellery and Malcolm. Ellery is a girl who is new to Echo Ridge. She moved there with her brother after their mother is basically in rehab. Meanwhile, Malcolm is Echo Ridge born and raised. Previously there were some murders around the homecoming queen. Malcolm’s brother was under suspicion and so, his family lives under that cloud. Meanwhile, Ellery is obsessed with true crime but somehow gets nominated to homecoming court.

So, okay, putting on my adult hat, I found myself wondering why the town didn’t just cancel homecoming given the penchant the event has for murder. Granted, a character responds to that question that if they do, the killer wins. Which, lol, what? No, if you cancel, no one gets killed. So, if you have adult logic, parts of Two Can Keep A Secret may not work for you. Otherwise, yeah, it works for me when it comes to suspense. It’s not really gory. The pace is fast. The two main characters are interesting and people I was okay being invested in.

HOW’S THE NARRATION?
The audiobook of Two Can Keep A Secret by Karen McManus is narrated by Sophie Amoss and Kirby Heyborne. It is 10 hours and 6 minutes long. Honestly, Sophie’s voice reminded me a lot of Emma Galvin which is not something I would ever complain about. She has a wonderful style of narrating. Meanwhile, Heyborne is a narrator I have long been familiar with and I enjoyed his narration as well. This was 100% worth the borrow and I’d say is a good use of an Audible credit as well. If you’re an audiobook beginner, both of Karen McManus’s books are good listens and easy to follow.

Karen M. McManus is the new queen of the page-turning YA mystery-suspense novel. Her first book, One of Us is Lying, is a New York Times bestseller and was recently named a Gateway Readers Award nominee for 2019-20. We can’t keep it on the shelf in my library. After reading Two Can Keep a Secret, I am confident that her second offering will be just as popular.

When their mother gets sent to rehab, Ellery and her twin brother are sent off to their mom’s hometown of Echo Falls to live with their grandmother. Bad things happen in Echo Falls. Mom’s twin sister was abducted the night of the Homecoming dance and was never found. Five years ago, Echo Falls’ Homecoming Queen was infamously murdered at the local horror-themed amusement park (aptly named, Murderland). On Ellery and Ezra’s first night in Echo Falls, a beloved teacher was killed in a hit and run accident and now, the signs that a murderer will strike again are popping up all over town in the form of creepy spray-painted messages and warnings about this year’s crop of Homecoming candidates. Ellery, who has always been a true crime buff, is scared but fascinated. She puts her brilliant mind to the task. Teaming up with her is Malcolm Kelly. His older brother, Declan, was always suspected in the HoCo Queen’s murder (he was the boyfriend, after all) and he’s finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time as each of these odd signs appear. Malcolm wants to clear his and his brother’s name. In addition to her true crime fascination, Ellery also wants answers. What happened to her aunt? Why will no one talk about her? What has her mother been hiding all these years? This whodunnit has a horror twist that will have your spine tingling and your brain trying to guess the killer. The ending is abrupt and AWESOME. If you like this one, you’ll love Maureen Johnson’s Truly Devious.

This book was so much fun!! I’m not sure why I never read the prior book. I’ll defintely have to check it out now. I loved these characters and found they really carried the story. Thank you so much for the chance to read this book!

I liked that this book had some romance but this was mystery in the past and mystery to solve. I liked the brother and sister. Overall this kept me hooked to figure out who did it and spoiler I didn't even see the killer :)

With slightly sarcastic characters in a few moments, Two can keep a secret is the kind of book in which you will suspect everyone and create various theories about what actually happened. In addition, the pace of events in the book makes the reader aware of everything that is narrated in an attempt to find out what happened. At the same time, "Two can keep a secret" is the type of reading that should please readers who do not read many thrillers, but who are looking for a book of the genre that is a "light" and engaging reading

I loved One of Us is Lying, and Two Can Keep a Secret is even better. It kept me turning the pages late into the night to find out what was going to happen next. I can't wait to share this with my students.

That last line! That last line!
I'm in shock. I loved the novel and want a sequel now. The author really know's how to write a great mystery suspense novel.

I often become irritated with books in this genre, especially YA, but that hasn't been the case with this authors books. I actually liked this book even more than One of Us Is Lying. It's a quick, but a totally engaging read with an intriguing plot and great cast of characters.

This was a solid, fun and straight up mystery story. I like how McManus doesnt try to do too much with her stories. They are focused and specific mysteries with a strong build up and satisfying ending and a strong sense of place.

I really, really loved One of Us is Lying, but this one fell flat for me. Cheesy, Scooby Doo-esque mystery.

This is a perfect thriller for YA readers. If you liked McManus' previous novel, One of Us is Lying, this is the perfect book for you!

I've always loved a good mystery, but find I don't read many mystery books because I ten to guess the ending or 'bad guy' early on in most cases. For that reason alone I am so happy I read this book, but more than that I loved the characters! Often mysteries seem to be more plot based, but this one has a nice balance between an immersive and engaging plot, and strong characters to support it. I really enjoyed the suspense and loved that it was difficult to pin down one suspect as more likely than the others to be the villain.

I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

As with her first book "One of us is Lying" this is a fast paced mystery with interesting twists. My only complaints are the main characters, Ellory and Malcolm are too similar and don't have enough depth and I wish the ending would have had more explanation. The last line is definitely chilling (as other reviewers have pointed out) and my favorite part of the book.

Librarians will want to purchase multiple copies of this title. "One of Us is Lying" has been wildly popular, and McManus's storytelling is continuing to evolve. Purists may take issue with some of the plot points, but those who are reading for a good twisty murder mystery are likely to overlook those in favor of a delicious read.

Got a secret
Can you keep it?
Swear this one you’ll save
Better lock it, in your pocket
Taking this one to the grave
If I show you then I know you
Won’t tell what I said
‘Cause two can keep a secret
If one of them is dead?


I am not usually a fan of mysteries and thrillers because I get super impatient. And the mystery is all the essence of these kind of books, you can’t just fast forward it. Anyway, this book was a total different story, it kept me on my feet, invested and totally ready to gobble it all up. The small town aesthetic, with the mysterious, shady vibes, and literally anything that moves being your suspect because you’re that paranoid was so much fun. Because I usually see the culprit coming but with this one I DID NOT!!!!!!

“Ellery, our main character is moving to Echo ridge to live with her grandmother, because her mother is in rehab. The small town which she has never visited but has heard about, is all the intrigue for her because her aunt went missing when she was seventeen there. And Ellery being the super sleuth with Nancy drew intuitions just can’t wait to dive in”

Characters: Okay I really enjoyed those. Each one had their own interesting quirks.

I have always been really into slue-thy characters, because I grew up with Nancy drew, the famous five and the naughtiest girl. So Ellery my girl was fun for me. She had a whole aesthetic for murder and mysteries. And I was all for it!

Ezra, he was hilarious and funny and I loved his one liners. And the no chill line deliveries. He at one point says about the school major mean girls vibes gang:

“I have a really strong feeling that on Wednesday, they wear pink”

I actually snorted at that, it was hilarious. And it first the scene so perfectly.

I was so down for the sibling interaction and relationship in this one. It was refreshing to see how my much the twins loved each other. And gave each other the oh stop the bullshit I know you well conversations. YES!!!!!!

Malcom: ah he was such a nerd and the definition of soft. And just had the luck for being in the wrong place at the wrong time sigh. And living in the Shadow of his jock accused brother wasn’t easy. And had me instantly rooting for him because how could I resist.

Plot:
For me the plot was really intriguing. And I was invested from the start. It just gets all into it from the first few chapters and guns for the mystery with all these deep dark twists. And the whole inclusion of home coming queen drama, the missing girls into the mix added more into the mystery and the shady aura.
Villain:
So the best part of this one was who the Villain was. Because I didn’t see it coming. But also it was a little underwhelming for me. Because I was like oh. That person did it. Oh. I wasn’t like impressed by the villain. For me personality wise they were really eh.

The ending was super chilling. The last line WAS MESSED UP. oh my word and such a “woah what the heck” end to finish the book on. And i think it was the highlight of the book.

Honestly, if you are looking for a fast paced thrilling ya contemporary this one is for you. It has a nice fall aesthetic, small town aesthetic. And will keep you busy and hooked enough that you will be able to finish it in one go.

Twins Ellery and Ezra move across the country to live with their grandma. In this small town, Echo Ridge, their aunt disappeared when she was in high school and another teen was murdered only 5 years ago. Are these two mysteries connected? I loved this author’s first novel, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one. This story alternates between Ellery, and a boy in town, Malcolm, whose brother was at the center of the murdered teen. This book is fast-paced, and I couldn’t wait to find out what secrets everyone is keeping. With Ellery being a true-crime buff, she was ready to go with many different theories! If you liked Karen M. McManus’s first book, I think you’ll enjoy this one as well!

As a fan of One of Us is Lying I felt a little let down by this title. The book itself is very enjoyable but the characters and the pace is what made me not like this title as much as her other work. I will still recommend this title for anyone that is looking for a teenage thriller.

This was a fast paced thriller full of suspense that kept me guessing until the end! Twins Ezra and Ellery move to a small town, Echo Ridge, to stay with their Nana while their mother is in rehab. They don't know anything about the town, in fact they barely know their Nana. But something happened in this town many years ago- the twin's aunt disappeared when she was only seventeen. Then five years ago a homecoming queen was murdered. . Ellery, who is obsessed with true crime starts asking questions that leads to more secrets and more crime. Will they find the answers they are looking for? I really enjoyed the writing style of the author and the different points of view. Thanks so much for the ARC copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had really big shoes to fill after One of us is lying. I am not someone who really enjoys mysteries or thrillers, because they are normally really dark and brooding. So if I want to read a mystery it is usually a YA or Juvenile book. Where Juvenile books usually do really well with mysteries YA usually are lukewarm for me. Until I read One of Us is Lying. Luckily for me, Two can keep a secret is gives off the same vibe as One of us is lying. It was a very positive experience with lots of secrets, twists and turns. It did not disappoint and keeps you guessing until the end. This was a great read.