Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. What an insanely wild ride this one was, and I mean that in the best way possible!!
5 former college room mates find themselves at an old Scottish mansion, none of them knowing the others would be there. As it turns out, the 5 of them were responsible for the death of the 6th room mate, Callum, 20 years ago. Someone wants them to pay...possibly with their lives!
I could not put this book down, read it in one day! I was turning the pages as quickly as I could to try to figure out who the "bad guy' was, and as this book is told from the view of a few different characters, it kept me guessing right until the very end. Great writing, terrific characters, shocking twists and turns...everything I'm looking for in a thriller!

Ok wow I was hooked from the start, it’s definitely a page turner and twisty! I enjoy plots that brings you back in time to an event usually a tragic one and find new discoveries. The characters were a bit much though and some aren’t likable per my rating. Thanks to Arcade Crimewise and NetGalley for an ebook ARC. This is my honest review.

*** 3.75- 4 Stars ***
Expected Publication: June 2nd, 2020

In 1995, six university students move into a house but only 5 survive the year. What happened to the 6th and who caused it?? Twenty five years later the remaining 5 people are lured back to the house but what for?
This story started problematic for me, I must admit. I found the beginning extremely confusing and with the alternating time periods and so many characters being introduced, I almost gave up because I felt I couldn't get a grasp on what was happening. However, I am SO glad I stuck through this because by ~20% in, things started clicking and I became invested. I'd encourage others to power through the beginning because the story line is worth it. It felt like "Clue" or a modern Agatha Christie "whodunit" with so many twists and turns. It was extremely suspenseful and I felt myself racing through the pages at the end to figure everything out. One thing I found to be a negative but it did work for the story was that I couldn't stand a single character, they are just seemed like such horrible people. Typically I want to relate to a character to enjoy the story but with this mystery/thriller it works to have them all be jerks!


Special thanks to NetGalley and Arcade Crimwise for allowing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know how to feel about this book.

It started great. A good premise, a growing mystery and several characters that could've been interesting. But all of a sudden it turned into this messy ride I'm still struggling to understand. My peeves:

1. With so many personalities to work on in this story, why did the author have to make all characters so hateful? Their history while living together lacked normalcy and created a phony base for what was to come. Why would 6 housemates be so hostil towards eachother?? There were little or no references to them getting along. Always grumpy or mad, fighting with eachother. What a group of annoying people.
Also, why did they take every little thing so seriously?? A pregnancy test was found in the bin - Oh, let's all have a house meeting and humiliate every girl in this house, because that's what normal people do. WTH?

2. Chapters were titled after each character, but had almost nothing to do with them.They were just a normal narration of events, ending with a sentence about the concerning character.

They were also based on alternate timelines - "Past and Present" chapters - which was very confusing and unstructured.

3. The actual events were all over the place. I had some difficulty undersating a few parts of the mystery. It felt a bit stuck together with spit.

The ending, although unexpected, wasn't very thrilling.

I can say I enjoyed around half of the book and was expecting it to take a different route. It certainly has potential and the writing is impecable. I think it will please many readers. It just wasn't for me.

I'd like to thank NetGalley for sending me this copy in exchange for my honest review.

This story took a bit to get going, but once it did - wow! I didn't see the ending coming, which I very much like.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

This mystery was not bad, but it seemed to drag out a little bit. What I really enjoyed was I was not able to figure out the plot twist so easily. Overall, it was an entertaining read.

This is a twisty thriller that I enjoyed. The first chapter was a little slow, but then the book starts to pick up. I did not see the final few twists coming, which is always a sign of a greatly plotted mystery.

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

If you are a fan of Agatha Christie, this one is a modern twist on the genre that you’ll enjoy!

PLOT SUMMARY:
Twenty years ago, six young adults met for the first time when they became housemates at Caldwell Place during their first year of university. Personality issues, family stresses, and many, many secrets prevent them from truly becoming friends. But which one became a murderer? When reunited under mysterious circumstances, will Hollis, Ellie, Oliver, Lorna and Maeve finally reveal the truth about what happened twenty years earlier? Well, one of them has to, or they will all die...how’s that for a fun weekend away?

PROS and CONS:
Wow! There is ALOT going on in this one...you will need to have a very good memory for names, and a very good mind for seeing house layouts in order to truly understand just what’s going on!

I enjoyed the challenge of keeping all the information straight, and I liked the two timelines - one from when the six characters were first in university, and later when they are reunited at Wolfheather House for their mysterious weekend away. They all had reasons to feel guilty, but one had more reasons than the rest... who was it? This one will certainly keep you guessing.

Although I was curious about the murderer, to me the real mystery was: Who is pulling the strings on this dreadful weekend, and who wants to see them all punished? There are many characters and scenarios that seem possible, but I must admit that although I liked some of the ending, I did think that part of it came completely out of left field. But that could just be me! There is definitely a lot of action and drama, and a locked room mystery is always fun to read.

YES or NO:
It’s a YES if you like complicated mysteries with lots of characters! I enjoyed it!

4 Stars

This thriller checks off all the boxes I like in a novel: part school setting, secrets from the past, teen jealousies, mean girls, intrigue, dead bodies....Check, check, and check! Clearly Forry channeled Agatha Christie and Hitchcock when she wrote this and I was intrigued by the present/past storyline which has five students from college re-convened without each other's knowledge, only to be confronted by the death of a classmate they have all attempted to forget and erase. Creepy basements, candlesticks, ominous notes, a rainstorm, and a remote location that's hard to escape. Yep, it's an awesome storyline with many surprises!

If Agatha Christie and Stephen King had a baby, They Did Bad Things would be it. Mysterious, creepy, and attention grabbing. Like the character in the book says, almost a real life Clue game with added goosebumps and the feeling of being watched. Definitely a book I'll be recommending!

Right off the bat, something about the title of this book bothers me. It almost sounds grammatically incorrect, though I suppose it’s not. Can’t put my finger on it. That being said, I loved the cover and the description.

The premise is a perfect locked room mystery, and it jumps straight into the story, but the chapters are long and it’s a bit of a slow trek. There are a few parts, like the discovery of two of the bodies in particular, that are overly dramatic and are a little reminiscent of Scooby Doo.

On the plus side, it does keep you reading and makes you think. I did not see the ending coming, which was both satisfying and frustrating— I enjoy a good surprise ending but this isn’t one where you get the big reveal and suddenly realIze you missed the clues— there simply weren’t any. Had it ended after the first big reveal (which was surprising but made sense) instead of going off into an unforeseeable route it might have won me over.

Overall this book was pretty decent, recommended for people who love locked room mysteries. Additionally, the way it was written painted a good picture and I would be interested in a Netflix adaptation because I feel like they would tweak it just enough to perfect it.

This is the Gen X version of "And Then There Were None." This novel was a twist fest with several swerves I didn't see coming. The book suffers from an awkward and jumbled introduction and it took me well into a quarter of the book to keep all the character's straight and figure out what was going on as a result. I also felt that the location where the characters were stranded at was not well described which hurt the overall experience. All that said, the ending is so satisfying that it it still remains a good read. If you are an isolation thriller fan there is a real strong chance you will like this one.

I honestly couldn't put down this this book about long-buried secrets and the sins of youth. I was hooked as soon as the five estranged college flatmates started to arrive at a remote mansion on a Scottish island, lured there by a mysterious benefactor intent on solving the mystery of and meting out punishments for the death of the sixth flatmate. Besides an especially propulsive plot, what distinguishes They Did Bad Things from other books with similar themes is Forry's commitment to diving into the worse angels of human nature. The cynical first chapter narrated by the benefactor tells the reader there will be no heroism or redemption here. As the plot unspools, the atmosphere of paranoia and recrimination grows more oppressive and the flatmates revert to their worst selves; the selves they were in the grimy university flat, which is itself a character in the book. They Did Bad Things is due to be published in June so if you're looking for a engrossing thriller that could chill you on even the hottest day of the summer, pick up this book.

Mysterious circumstances ✔️
Flashbacks to a crime ✔️
Creepy isolated location ✔️
Tons of tension ✔️

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am obsessed with Scotland. So when I was given this thriller to review and realized that it takes place there, I was so stoked.

This story is cleverly written, and hits hard for such a short amount of pages. The synopsis reports that it’s like “And Then There Were None meets The Last Time I Lied“ and I would have to agree on that statement. Except, more gruesome.

It is like a horror movie in book format and gave me some I Know What you did Last Summer vibes. I read this one in a day and immensely enjoyed it. It’s a great thriller quick read. Those of you who liked the book, The Guest List, by Lucy Foley should read this one! Everyone seemed guilty, and I couldn’t have ever guessed the ending. I enjoyed it!
I give it 3.5/5 stars rounded up to 4 for this review.

They Did Bad Things by Lauren By Lauren A Forry is a contemporary mystery thriller about six college kids who all partake in activities that dramatically alter the course of their lives – one fatality!

In keeping with writers of this genre like Ruth Ware and Lisa Jewell, Forry crafts a plot where perception is everything, especially when paired with the context of time and the phase of one’s life. Readers will appreciate how the very things that were earth shattering in college may not be viewed as such as a more seasoned adult. Hindsight is 20:20 but that can’t change the past for the residents at 215 Caldwell. But, will it be enough to thwart what has already been set in motion for their reunion at Wolfheather House 20 years later?

The premise of the book is intriguing where 6 roomies with seemingly little in common harbour secrets, lies and half-truths leading to the mysterious death of one of their own, a cover-up and an ensuing game of cat and mouse to catch the killer at long last. They Did Bad Things makes for a thrilling adventure. With shifts in narration and perspective taking, readers will have to keep up or risk missing essential pieces to the plot and letting the killer slip away in plain sight! They Did Bad Things speeds to its end with twists, turns and realisations that bring the book together. Thrill seekers will enjoy this summer mystery in June 2020! 4 frat parties out of 5.

Thank you to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for the electronic ARC in trade for an honest review.

This was a fun, Agatha Christie-type mystery that kept me entertained and eager to find out who the culprit was.

In 1995, a group of 6 college students live together, and only 5 leave alive. Years later, the 5 are each separately invited to a getaway at a beautiful bed and breakfast, only to realize they’ve been invited together...and they might not leave alive.

3.5 stars rounded up. The characters are mostly unlikeable, but the mystery, deaths, and backstory create an interesting premise. I love when people find secret passageways and hidden rooms, and this book did not disappoint in those scenarios. All in all, a fun and intriguing book that kept me entertained...and sometimes that’s all I need.

Thank you to Lauren A. Forty, Arcade Crimewise, and NetGalley for an ARC.

I really enjoy thrillers and mysteries. They Did Bad Things was like reading a modern-day Clue (in fact, Clue is even referenced in the book). The characters were quite loathsome and not very relatable, but this actually added depth to the plot. There was quite a twist in the story, but unfortunately, that's part of what I think also had a hand in undoing this story (for me). While the twist was interesting, it was pretty out there. I also kept questioning, why wait 20 years? For 20 years to go by, the characters were pretty much the same as they had always been. I would've loved to see more of a growth in them and not have them all unravel so quickly. There was a ton of detail to the characters and the plot itself, but there was always something lacking in the background.

They Did Bad Things switches between the past and present and also between the different narrators. The present is being narrated by someone unknown. I do wish there was more detail about what led to Callum's death (I wish there would've been narrations from Callum as well that also told his side and not just as the other's saw him). I sometimes felt as if Callum wasn't a super important character, even though he was the MOST important character. As detailed as the plot was, I was also left questioning other things. They Did Bad Things wasn't a bad book, just didn't feel as tidy at the end as it could've. As far as holding my interest, I did want to know more and it did keep me reading. They Did Bad Things is a decent thriller/mystery.

In 1995, there were 6 students that inhabited 215 Caldwell Street. They were all good friends on the outside, but just months later, one of them would be found dead and the other 5 would hide the horrible truth; one of them was a murderer. 20 years later, those five people are brought back together, under false pretenses, to confront the terrible secret they've all kept hidden. Confess your crime or be killed. Who brought them all back? With suspicions (and bodies) mounting, the tension reaches an all time high. They Did Bad Things uncovers the lengths of depravity that people will go through to keep their secrets buried, even if it leads to murder.

Thank you to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for this ARC.

I absolutely love good psychological thriller's and this novel was atmospheric, creepy with a lot of dark secrets. The characters was a mess, they weren't likable but that was also the good part of the book 😉
I'm always happy when I don't quite figure out the twist!
Quick read so i recommend it definitely.

Thank you NetGalley.

I’m not a fan of taglines on books. I’ve found that whenever a title has a tagline, I won’t love the book. I didn’t check with this one before I downloaded it and I wish I would have. I only started reading thrillers last year, but what I’ve come to expect is an edge of your seat, “must keep flipping pages to see what happens” feeling. Especially when “thriller” is the tagline. It was a chore turning pages because the pacing and storyline were slow.

I looked at some other reviews because I wanted to see if this book was as hard for others as it was for me. Many people liked this book, so it will be hit or miss for some readers. Overall, it fell flat and just wasn’t for me.

Most psychological thrillers I read get under my skin, but they aren't truly scary. They Did Bad Things? It had me very, very creeped out.

The book opens on a rainy night in the middle of nowhere, and only goes downhill from there. (For the characters, at least. The reader fares considerably better.) Throw in a dilapidated mansion, a few buried secrets, and a hankering for vengeance, and you have one very gripping story.

Between the changing perspectives and the flashbacks, it took me a little bit to get into the story. Once it grabbed me, however, I couldn't put it down. Perhaps my favorite aspect (which, again, didn't bode well for the characters), was that Lauren A. Forry wasn't playing games. She threw in a lot of plot twists and the type of turns typically saved for the last few pages. The kinds of plot points that make you wonder how things could possibly get worse. And yet, they kept getting worse.

If you want to be sucked into an ominous story filled with WTF moments, pick up this book. You might get a serious case of the chills, but you won't regret it.