Little Threats by Emily Schultz is about twin sisters Kennedy and Carter who are living the teenage life when Kennedy goes too far and winds up in prison for murder. Years later when she is released, the reader finds out what actually happened that night, and what secrets were worth keeping. The story is unique with an original premise that I wanted to love it, but it just ended up being an OK read. Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! What a dark story! This was a mystery that brought a lot of surprises and twists as I read, and I really enjoyed it! It had a slow build up to the ending and the big reveal, and I found some portions to be a bit slow, but overall, I liked how it had me guessing and guessing at what was really happening! It's a great murder-mystery with some pretty dark storylines! Totally worth reading!

Overall, I enjoyed this book.

Kennedy has just been released from prison, 15 years after she made an Alford plea to the murder of her best friend, Haley. Kennedy is trying to navigate life out of prison and rebuild a relationship with her twin sister, Carter, and her father, Gerry, when a show called Crime After Crime comes sniffing around to review Haley’s murder and maybe find a new suspect.

There is family drama galore. Gerry has a drinking problem. His wife, Liane, had cancer and died while Kennedy was in prison. Carter has had a drug addiction and been to rehab. Gerry wants his family back together but it really seems impossible because everyone has some pretty serious (and incompatible) flaws.

Carter is also dating Haley’s little brother, Everett, behind everyone’s backs. And of course Everett isn’t going to tell this to his mother or father, who both despise the Wynn family since Kennedy went to prison for Haley’s murder.

There’s a lot going on here and it is definitely a multi-layered story. Beneath the family drama, Kennedy wonders if she actually killed Haley, since she was in the haze of an acid drop that night; Carter wonders if Kennedy killed Haley and if she and Everett can ever really be together or if her life has already passed her by; Everett still has a lot of questions he’s not ready to ask or answer about his sister’s death. We do eventually figure out for sure who the killer is, but that’s really not the point of the book.

My biggest annoyance is how sometimes scenes just change without warning. At one time, Kennedy is at her new job, but then suddenly she’s at someone’s house and it’s three days later. I found that pretty frustrating.

Thanks to NetGalley and GP Putnam's Sons for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Unlike many reviewers, I was not expecting a traditional murder mystery. The dynamics of twins, privilege, and flashbacks to struggling through adolescence were captivating enough. While I felt the end wrap-up was a bit rushed, overall I savored this convoluted exploration of deceit and eventual justice.

This little under the radar thriller really hit the spot. Two sisters, the death of one best friend, and tons of 90s nostalgia. The perfect amount of darkness balanced with some actual substance (which I need in my thrillers). One part made me literally *gasp* so there is that. Definitely recommend!

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book. It kept me interested enough that I wanted to continue reading instead of doing the things I should be doing. There was a good twist or two. I thought the characters were well developed and the story flowed well. 3.5

An intricately woven novel told from various perspectives, the story unfolds in the present and with flashbacks. I found this method effective, disorienting and unsettling which I think is exactly what the author intended. A dark story with twists and turns, some predictable and others foreshadowed.

** I received an electronic ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review of this book.

This one was hard to finish.
Tough plot to follow, seemed to literally to a new time and setting in the middle of any random page, characters were not too interesting and it was just really hard to get into.
We have twin sisters and one ends up in jail too drunk to remember if she committed the crime or not.
15 years later, we're still trying to figure out if she committed the crime or not, and her twin sister isn't sure what to believe anymore.
What ensues is a mish mosh of moving between characters, points of view, settings, time periods, with just lots happening all at once.
Finished, but barely.
Thankful for the ARC

Kennedy's best friend is murdered in 1993 and she's spent the last fifteen years in prison paying for a crime she doesn't remember committing. Now, in 2008, she's returning home, to the town that hasn't forgotten, to a father who wants his children to be around again, and to a crime show host who believes there's more to the story. The world's moved forward, Kennedy is behind the times, but she's ready to let her life begin again. Except, memories are returning and she's beginning to wonder if she really did it.

Talk about a rough go of things, Kennedy's just spent 15 years in prison and upon her release even her own twin suddenly begins acting as though she did it. You expect some media and attention, but Kennedy's delivered to a home that hasn't changed since she left it as a teen, a father who is overly concerned about perfection, and a sister with a secret. I loved the interactions with the crime show team, but it took a long time to get there. First, we're treated to flashbacks, varying perspectives, romantic entanglements, and an awful lot of family drama. Kennedy and her twin, Carter, may have kept up while she was away in prison, but her return home brings back a lot of the past, and not just the part about her best friend being dead. There's exes, old friends, and an awful lot of 90's memories to sift through.

Little Threats is very slow, there's more, I guess, story than mystery. It doesn't have the thrills I typically like in my reads and, in this case, the twists that were meant to be surprising were expected. That's not to say it was poorly written, quite the opposite, it just wasn't as gripping as I'd like. That may be, however, due to the fact that crime show themed novels are all the rage right now and it does feel a bit like if you've read one you've read them all. If you've not read one yet or you're looking for a slower-paced novel full of grunge nostalgia, then Little Threats will work for you and I do recommend it.

While I think there's improvements to be made here, Little Threats is another good novel in the crime show genre. It's more of a contemporary drama novel than a crime read, but if you're looking for less mystery and more interpersonal relationship then this just might be it for you.

A fun little mystery read that I enjoyed. It didn't change my life, but I found the characters interesting and Emily Schultz has a writing style that really drew me in. Thumbs up for this one. Four stars.

Unfortunately, I could not get into Little Threats by Emily Schultz. This was a DNF for me. I could not get through the first twenty pages.

This slow burn thriller is a fun weekend read. It isn’t as fast paced as a typical thriller/mystery but it’s worth pushing through to the end! I will definitely be looking for more by this author, because she clearly has a talent for writing.

I'm not sure why it took me so long to read this one, but this slow-burn was a great break & exactly what I needed to between my recent romcoms & nonfiction titles!

While at first, I kept hoping for something MORE to happen, the ending made it 100% worth the wait. I enjoyed how we were kept guessing who the true killer was throughout the story, I just wish it had been slightly more exciting at times. Schultz wove the privileged family storyline into a grungy, dark murder dynamic that I really enjoyed with the fun & nostalgic 90s vibes that made this one different from anything else I had read recently.

Thank you to NetGalley & G.P. Putnam's Sons for allowing me to read & review this title in exchange for my personal review!

Little Threats by Emily Schultz is a thriller about a woman, Kennedy, who spent 15 years in prison for murdering her friend Haley. Kennedy can't remember that night. Did she actually kill Haley though? Even Kennedy's dad and twin sister Carter seem to think she is guilty. Kennedy is released from prison, and a crime show decides to cover Haley's murder. Many things are uncovered, and many secrets are revealed. This story was well-written, but the characters were mostly unlikable. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

DNF 14% - I can't stand the twins or their dad, it's unfathomable to me that the brother of the murdered girl would hook up with the presumed murderers sister... It's just not working for me.

absolutely loved this book. I'm a big fan of Laura Lippman's writing, and this is very much a read alike for fans of her work.
An awesome story that keeps you guessing as the tale unfolds! The characters were well developed.
It was suspenseful, well written, and had so many twists and turns I didn't see coming. I was sad when it was over because I didn't want to end.

Was so confused and honestly not too captivated by this book. A pair of twins have a friend who passes away. One of the twins is accused of the murder and sent to jail for it. The story picks up with the twin being released from jail and reintegrating back into society. Interactions with the brother of the girl who died and town members who hate her for what she did. But was she the one who killed her friend? Or is she covering for someone else? Definitely didn’t see the end coming. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Little Threats was beyond amazing. Even though it took me two days to devour, because sometimes you just need to sleep, it was still such a great book to get lost in. I mean the whole mystery part of who did it had me guessing left and right throughout the entire book. Of course I kept to one main suspect who just ended up being a certified douche bag. Ugh, I'm the worst detective known to everyone in the world but I will redeem myself one day.

Other than that, I really enjoyed the three POVs that I got: Kennedy, Carter, and Everett. Kennedy and Carter are twin sisters and Everett is the little brother of their best friend Haley. Unfortunately, the whole mystery is revolved around who killed Haley one night. In the beginning, we see how everyone sort of coped with the murder trial and how they are coping with Kennedy out of jail.

It was interesting to see how anyone reacted towards Kennedy because it kind of seemed obvious to me that she did nothing to Haley. She loved Haley in such a way that it just didn't seem possible to me. They were family and blood sisters. No matter what, she couldn't truly hurt her or vice versa. So I really wanted to know who did it and why.

In the end, when it was revealed as to who actually did it - well, I was surprised. Really, I was. I had no idea why they never popped in my mind but I guess that means the book did the job. It kept me engaged and mystified me so that I had no idea they could be a suspect. Definitely enjoyed the heck out of this book and look forward to the next one by Emily.

Little Threats is a slow burn mystery about a young woman recently released from prison for murdering her friend 16 years before. Kennedy doesn't remember anything about that night so when she is out new evidence starts to surface.

I thought the writing was really well done, but some parts moved too slow for me. I would have also liked to see how Kennedy was affected by spending her young adulthood isolated in prison. 3 stars

I received this book "Little Threats" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. wow this book was totally not for me at all!! I did skip around a bit because I just could not get into this book. I thought it might get better, but no. Hated the grunge stuff.