A mystery thriller about 6 roommates that throw one last party in their shared home in 1995, but only 5 of them are alive the next morning.

Twenty years later they are all lured with false pretenses to an incomunicated house and when they arrive there they discover that all 5 of them have been invited so that the truth of what happened to Callum and his death can finally come out.

The introduction of the characters and the time hopping made it a little hard to get into.

The characters are not likable, and we are not supposed to like them. They all have issues, and each has done some bad things in their lives. When things begin to go downhill, they quickly lay blame and turn on each other not knowing who had lured them there and who could be trusted.

I had high hopes for this story. Everything was perfectly in place, the atmospheric setting, the mystery,everyone having their secrets and blaming each other.

However the ending was just bland,not surprising, there was no real tension, suddenly Jen appears in the picture at 95% of the book when we did not really know much about her.

The characters in this were well-developed, but not likable. The plot moved along at a great pace with lots of twists.

I had a hard time getting into the rhythm of this book and how it was told back and forth in time through a diary without much guidance. I felt like I needed a timeline chart or something. The characters were mostly unlikeable, which made me want to put the book down because I'm sick of this all-too-common trope, but I liked the hidden passages and the Agatha Christie-vibes so I stuck it out. I didn't understand their motivations. Honestly, I got a little lost about two-thirds in when the story took a few complicated turns. The strangest thing was that the ending was pretty good, yet I still don't feel strongly about the book. When I have to struggle to stick it out, I lose zest for the story. I gave it 3 stars because the ending did lift the book.

Twenty years ago six college students shared a house. A few months later, one of them was found dead in the living room following an end of year party. The police ruled his death an accident ... but the remaining students knew different.

The truth of what happened to the 6th housemate has not stay buried.

Today, the 5 remaining students, who haven't seen or talked to each other in years, all arrive at a crumbing, secluded mansion. All have been invited to be there by one pretext or another.

Trapped inside with no way out and no signal to the outside world, the now forty-somethings fight each other—and the unknown mastermind behind their gathering—as they confront the role they played in their housemate’s death. They are given one choice: confess to their crimes or die.

This was just an okay read for me. I honestly did not like any of the roommates and I didn't care for all the in-fighting and bickering, The story bounced back and forth in time which left me having to backtrack what I'd already read. I have ambivalent feelings about the ending. I wasn't invested in the story, so I found it less than suspenseful.

Many thanks to the author / Skyhorse Publishing / Arcade Crimewise / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

“You’re not afraid of doing bad things. You’re afraid of getting punished for them.”

That’s one powerful opening line, am I right? For most of us, it’s also right on the money.

The premise of this novel is totally my cup of tea. Twenty years before, six strangers move into a house, but only five of them come out. Okay, well, they all come out, but one makes his exit in a body bag. In the present, the survivors reunite, and boy, do things get intense!!

I’m a sucker for storylines like this. I love digging up things that were never quite buried, and I drool at the thought of our characters coming to blows (literally or figuratively) as they face the truth about the past. Also, I adore it when tensions rise to the surface and explode onto the page. Those things are exactly what the author promised, and it’s exactly what she delivered!

I had some minor gripes here and there, but they didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book. I was worried that it would go downhill toward the end, but it did not. The ending was well-done, and I left feeling satisfied. Overall, I enjoyed this book, and I will recommend it.

Good murder mystery but a large cast and at times a bit hard to keep everybody straight. Flowed well and I liked the story line and constant questioning it creates for me. Enjoyable and certain good for a take me away from reality read.

Five friends from University arrive at Wolfheather House, a crumbling secluded mansion on the Scottish Isle of Doon, where they are taking a break. Pals, Hollis, Ellie, Oliver, Lorna, Maeve, and Callum shared the same house, 215 Caldwell Street, back in the day, but after their end-of-year party one of them was found dead on the sofa. The death was ruled an accident at the time, however, all of the remaining five roommates know that it wasn't. Now, they have been baited to turn up at the remote Scottish property that has no link with the outside world. Someone wants them to confess their roles in their roommate's death... or die.

They Did Bad Things is told in seamlessly transitioning chapters between past and present, narrated by the five roommates and one other person's diary entries. This style worked very well for me, making unfolding events easy to follow. The characterisation by Lauren A. Forry was very well done and each had plenty of essential unlikable personality. I was invested in all of them and needed to know how the story would pan out. Wolfheather House had its own identity, complete with the secret passages, and hidden rooms, creating a wonderful creepiness, sense of unease, and general ominous vibe. The atmosphere of the old hotel during a terrible storm added further darkness to the story.

They Did Bad Things is an enthralling locked-room thriller that included good dollops of harboured secrets, evil, jealousy, lies, and intrigue. A pretty good all-round, riveting read.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Skyhorse Publishing via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

This book was full of characters I kind of loved to hate. A whodunit with big time Agatha Christie vibes, it takes place in Scotland which is definitely different for me! I struggled at times to stay engaged and found myself confused and re-reading certain parts, but overall I liked this book. I'd give it 3.5 out of 5 stars and I would definitely read more by this author!

I started this book with huge expectations, but unfortunately at the 50% mark I finally had to hang it up. This book is all over the place and I had a really hard time keeping track of who was who. I also didn’t find there to be much in the way of character development. One of the main characters dies, and honestly, I didn’t care. I wasn’t committed to the character, or this story. It just didn’t work for me. Life is too short to stick with a book that doesn’t work for you. Thanks for the opportunity - on to the next read.

I could not put this down! I was completely pulled in by the characters and writing style from the very beginning. The characters were believable and relatable. I love that this kept me guessing until the very end! I absolutely would recommend this book to anyone who wants a good thriller/mystery!

4.5 Stars

I saw mixed reviews for this book but wanted to give the author a chance as I really liked the premise. I am really surprised with all the bad reviews as I enjoyed this book, a lot, and I read it in one sitting. I started last night thinking I'd get a chapter or two in (the chapters are quite long yet didn't feel like it!) but boy did I get sucked into this story!

This is a compelling story with a group of characters who are quite varied and give the reader a good look at their issues, secrets and pasts as well as a bird's eye view of the current disturbing situation. As readers progress through this character-driven read, they'll begin to doubt their initial ideas of the culprit's identity which heightens the tension and makes for a wonderfully twisted murder mystery.

Overall, this was a refreshing and clever whodunit that has a healthy dose of menace, an intriguing ensemble of characters and spattering of murder that puts the characters as well as the reader on the edge of their seats. While this book gives a hearty nod to Dame Christie (an author who knew a thing or two about how to craft a well-written mystery), Ms. Forry provides readers with a compelling, multi-layered old-school mystery with her own personal touches. I did take half a star off because it was a little over the top.

I usually don't read horror/thriller mystery books but this book was very good. The story unfolds in present day and back when the murder happened. The interesting thing about this plot is you don't exactly know why they were murdered and throughout the whole book the suspect is constantly changing. It is a slower read but it is still very good.
I think the author did a wonderful job of showing the monstrous sides of these characters. It was hard to really truly like any of them because of how dark their other side was. I would say this is not only. thriller mystery but also has a psychological aspect to it. I thought I had it figured out, but I was completely wrong. I like being surprised by the ending. Not only that but you can tell the author thought out the plot extensively.
In conclusion, I really think the author did a great job of exploring the darker parts of the human conscious and revealling that each of the characters could be just as guilty as the last.

Whodunits in the vein of “And then there were none” are catnip to me, and this one did not disappoint. These characters are not strangers though, they knew each other in college and they all know why they’ve all been tricked into this unwanted reunion. One of their friends died. It was ruled an accident, but the friends know it wasn’t, so we get two mysteries: what happened in the past and who’s trapped them in a creepy bed and breakfast on an island in the middle of a storm. A few plot twists were a little too implausible, but the rest of the novel kept me turning the pages. The characters are complex. They were selfish and despicable in college. Some of them haven’t changed much, but others have matured. When things go sideways, we see who has truly evolved and who’s gotten even worse. I was surprised at how much I cared about the characters, like I say, they are not the nicest bunch. The plot offers some creepy details, including the house’s strange décor, a blackout and a disturbing picture. Original and suspenseful with a well-crafted plot, mystery lovers will enjoy this novel.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Skyhorse Publishing/Arcade Crimewise!

Five people lured to a weekend stay at a mansion. Sounds great right?

They're all happy to get away until upon arrival where they realize they all know one another. They use to live together while going to college on 215 Caldwell street. They have not kept in touch and immediately want to leave but suddenly realize they can't. Their vehicles have all been vandalized. They receive a note that states no one leaves until someone confesses to killing on of their roommates back in 1995.

Story starts out strong. I was ready to finish it in one sitting. However, with the constant changing back and forth it made it hard to focus. The chapters are really long as well. When I look and see 53 minutes left in this chapter I get discouraged.

The entire story is a blame game of course with bodies being found throughout the book. Nobody wants to confess what really happened to Callum that last night he was alive. He was completely drunk. The cops did not mention homicide. It was a done deal wasn't it? Then who has them here and who has been holding this grudge?

Thank you Netgalley and Skyhorse publishing in exchange for my honest opinion.

The title caught my attention and the story sucked me in and didn't let go. Twisty and taunt. It had me guessing from beginning to end because I just couldn't figure it out. My favorite kind of story. You will love it. Happy reading!

A fast-paced read I found it hard to put down. This is similar to Christie’s And Then There Were None, with people forced together under false pretenses to pay for old sins. Reversals and misdirections come quickly and often, keeping the reader on edge. Good for anyone who likes their thrillers ultimately on the bloody side.

Thank you to Netgalley, Skyhorse Publishing and the Author Lauren A Forry for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I found this book a little hard to get into, but once I got all the characters straight it was unputdownable!
A total Agatha Christie like "And then there were none" Whodunnit!
With an I didn't see that coming ending!
My first read from this Author and I will definitely be following her and reading more of her books.

- too many characters & too much back and forth; I found so much of this incredibly difficult and confusing to follow
- so many plot holes?? how did the "villain" know everything they knew? who the killer was in 1995, full conversations between other people when they were not there.. etc etc. why did someone in the group originally kill in 1995 over something SO SMALL & INSIGNIFICANT? *******spoiler******* stealing answers to a test?? I also don't believe someone could assume someone's identity so well that 4 people that lived with them for over a year not realize..I get it was years earlier but still. nobody looks that similarly, not to mention voice/mannerisms/etc.
idk just super unbelievable & convoluted with plot holes galore.

This one sounded so promising. A creepy house, 5 roommates who hadn't seen each other in 20 years and a mysterious death. It was interesting how the author introduced the characters by way of an invitation to a weekend away. But the book went downhill from there. It was slow and hard to follow. The characters were all unlikable, underdeveloped and boring. Unfortunately, I can not recommend this book to anyone.

3 Stars

This is a fun, dark, and twisty adventure that hops perspectives and time lines between 1995 and the present. Six college roommates rented a house and one of them died. Fast forward twenty years and the remaining five are all called to a remote mansion for the weekend to determine who was at fault for their roommate's death.

I really enjoyed the time hopping and only getting nuggets of the story. There are lots of gory details and twists and turns to keep you on your toes! It was also entertaining to see that they're as messed up as adults as they were as teenagers. None of them were able to overcome Callum's death and become successful in their pursuits.

I look forward to checking out Lauren Forry's other book!

A special thank you to NetGalley, Skyhorse Publishing, and Lauren Forry for providing me with an ARC.