What an amazing novel! The characters were well drawn and the storyline flowed seamlessly. The mystery kept me guessing until the very end. Highly recommended!

This was a fantastically dark page-turner that touches on issues of past sexual trauma, the #metoo movement, the baked-in misogyny in academia, and the liminal and passionate world of girls' friendships. And murder, of course.

Scarlett Clark is a English professor at Gorman University and she's secretly killing Gorman's worst men--students, professors, custodial staff--no bad man is safe. She's really good at hiding her crimes, but when her last murder goes off the rails, it sparks an investigation. Scarlett is balancing a multiple romantic entanglements, trying to cover up her past crimes, and staying one step ahead of the investigation. There is also the interesting parallel story of Carly Schiller, a student facing her own increasingly violent feelings and responses to the sexual assault of the roommate she has fixated on.

Scarlett is a lovable serial killer, bringing to mind Dexter and Hannibal, I was rooting for her. This a great, darkly funny read.

I struggled with this book. It was slow moving. The plot didn't keep my attention. I thought a female serial killer would for sure hit the spot for me. I was wrong. I'm having a hard time finding a good thing about this one. I wanted to give up throughout most of the book. This one wasn't for me.

Oh my goodness - this one will be close to the top of my five favorite books for this year. Put another way, wow! Not that I'm all that surprised, mind you; the author's 2019 book, "Temper," was a 5-star hit with me as well. This one, IMHO, is even better; I'd give it 6 stars if it were possible.

The story involves two primary characters: Dr. Scarlett Clark, an English professor at Gorman University, and Carly Schiller, a freshman at the same school. They are similar in one respect - Scarlett literally has been getting away with murder for years while Carly, the daughter of a mentally abusive father, is considering it as an option when she seeks revenge on her roommate's attacker.

Chapters flip back and forth between the two, highlighting what's going on in their lives (and trust me, it's plenty). Scarlett is intent on winning a hotly contested fellowship in London as she lines up her next victim; Carly is tentatively trying to make friends with her troubled roomie Allison, whose temperament shifts from hot to cold in just about every imaginable way. When Allison is assaulted at a party, Carly takes it personally and vows to get even.

But then, Scarlett makes rather a mess with her newest victim - mistakes that could lead investigators right to her doorstep. Compounding the issue is that a colleague, Dr. Mina Pierce, has compiled a list of past campus-related deaths (most of which were deemed accidents or suicides) and is enlisting help from colleagues with her personal investigation. Scarlett is worried and does her best to make friends with Mina, if for no other reason but to keep tabs on the woman's findings.

Everything else is a whirlwind of action, with a major (and totally surprising) reveal somewhere around the mid-point and an almost equally surprising ending. The whole thing felt like a roller-coaster ride, right down to disappointment when it came to an all-too-soon end. In short, this one falls into the don't-miss department - and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me the thrill of reading a pre-release copy.

They Never Learn is a dark and addictive thriller about a female serial killer who only goes after bad men. In the era of the Me Too movement, this novel is perfection. It’s refreshing to cheer on a woman taking down the disgusting sexual predators of the world. Scarlett Clark is an English professor at Gorman University. And every year, she gets vengeance and gets away with it. This year, it might become difficult since the school started a task force looking into it’s history of suicides in an attempt to prevent more. Will the task force make it harder for Scarlett to take out her most deserving target this year? Scarlett’s chapters alternate with Carly, a freshman at Gorman. When Carly’s roommate gets sexually assaulted at a party, she becomes obsessed with getting revenge. Both storylines is very suspenseful and unputdownable. The characters are flawed and well-developed. The academic setting is a perfect backdrop. Highly recommended to readers looking for a fast-paced thriller with strong, powerful female characters.

I’ve been struggling lately to find books that keep my attention and when I picked up They Never Learn I didn’t have very high expectations. So it took me completely by surprise by how addictive and compelling this story turned out to be.

There have been a lot of #MeToo type of stories to come out over the last couple of years. While it’s obviously an important topic, I have to say I’ve been getting a little bored with it. None of these books have really brought anything new to the table and it feels like reading the same thing over and over again. The Never Learn definitely took a different spin on the subject. A serial killer who targets sexual predators? It was like a feminist Dexter and I was here for it.

The chapters alternate POVs between Scarlett, a college professor/serial killer, and Carly, a college Freshman. I thought the alternating POVs were done pretty well. The story was very character driven and I felt like I got to know them pretty well. There were several twists throughout the book and the first one actually ended up surprising me. I felt a little mad at myself for not figuring it out earlier – in hindsight you’ll definitely see the clues – but I like that it surprised me because it doesn’t happen that often these days. The rest of the twists are a little more subtle and not as shocking, but I thought they were pretty well done. I don’t feel like I can say too much about how the story plays out because it will be too spoilery.

Overall, I really enjoyed They Never Learn. I always enjoy a good serial killer story and I especially liked how it made a #MeToo storyline a little more fresh. While the characters weren’t always very likable, they were compelling and I was invested in seeing how things would turn out for them. This was my first book by Fargo, but I’m definitely going to go back and read her debut book and will look forward to whatever she does next.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 4 Stars

Do you see red when you hear about women being sexually harassed or assaulted? Dr. Scarlett Clark, English professor at Gorman University, does. But she has adopted a murderous “don’t get mad, get even” philosophy. Since she’s in academia, that leaves her with a lot of men to teach a deadly lesson. College athletes who rape young women and can count on the school to sweep it under the rug, and lecherous professors, just for starters.

Scarlett has managed her extracurriculars for 16 years without being discovered, but now the university has put together a task force to look at its history of student suicides. Though the task force’s goal is to combat future suicides, Scarlett worries it may learn too much. And she can’t afford scrutiny right now, not when her sights are set on her department head, who not only preys on students, but also plans to steal a fellowship from her.

Scarlett’s chapters alternate with those of Carly Schiller, an introverted first-year student at Gorman who is overwhelmed by the sexually charged college culture, especially when her outgoing roommate is roofied at a party.

What a thrill ride this is! This is an enthralling psychological thriller, and one heck of a female revenge fantasy. I read it in one day, hanging on for dear life as the twists and turns rocketed by. Fargo describes campus rape culture only too well, making Scarlett Clark a sympathetic avenger character—albeit someone you wouldn’t want to get too comfortable around.

I don't know what it is that gets my heart pumping with female serial killers! Maybe I have some issues. Just kidding. A just love a female calculated mind. This book is so well thought out. I loved it. Definitely put this on your must read list! Excellent! I will most definitely be looking for Layne Fargo's books in the future!

Many special thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for my ARC! Highly recommended!

This clever book is told from two perspectives: Scarlett, college professor and serial killer, and Carly, freshman college student. The story takes place on a college campus in Pennsylvania. With so many delicious twists and turns, you will not be disappointed!

Who knew a book about a murderous, vengeful, and powerful woman could make me SO happy?! I finished this book with a smile on my face, which is often not the case when I’m reading a thriller about a serial killer. The story takes place at the fictional Gorman University and is narrated by Scarlett, an English professor at the University, and Carly, an isolated and insecure freshman who befriends her sophomore roommate, Allison. A murderess is on the loose in the small college town, stalking and targeting abusive men and making their deaths look like accidents or suicides. I was completely enthralled by this original storyline as I tried to piece together how the two perspectives of the narrators would intertwine. The author has constructed a truly brilliant novel with plenty of twists and turns along the way. Although I found some of the plot points predictable, the twists were still incredibly satisfying. I highly recommend this dark and delicious novel!!! 5+ stars!

Dr. Scarlett Clark is an English professor at Gorman University with a huge secret. She targets male low life’s, the ones who rape and get away with it, and then kills them. Some look like suicides, some like accidents, but all of them deserve after what they’ve done, and she’s quite good at murdering them.
Carly a young insecure student at Gorman is having trouble fitting in, until her roommate starts hanging around with her. She too Is being harassed by men who don’t know the meaning of the word no.

A fast read, a plot with many twists, and full of surprises.

Thank You NetGAlley, Publisher & Author for this gifted e-book!

Summary
Scarlett Clark is an exceptional English professor. But she’s even better at getting away with murder.

Every year, she searches for the worst man at Gorman University and plots his well-deserved demise. Thanks to her meticulous planning, she’s avoided drawing attention to herself—but as she’s preparing for her biggest kill yet, the school starts probing into the growing body count on campus. Determined to keep her enemies close, Scarlett insinuates herself into the investigation and charms the woman in charge, Dr. Mina Pierce. Everything’s going according to her master plan…until she loses control with her latest victim, putting her secret life at risk of exposure.

Review
WoW! This was a complete shocking, thriller!
I really loved this entire book, from the first page to the very last.
I read this book in one day, it was a fast paced book.
Overall- Wonderful.

Rating- 4/5

A refreshingly impressive addition to the thriller genre. A first purchase title for all general fiction collections.

So, I’m going to be upfront and say that I was sitting on this ARC for a couple of months, saving it for a rainy day. And damn, was it exactly what I needed.

After how much I loved Fargo’s debut TEMPER, I had high hopes for THEY NEVER LEARN – and I was not let down in the slightest. THEY NEVER LEARN is the dark, complex, revenge driven feminist serial killer story that I have been dying for. Between Scarlet – our composed, deadly, professor, and Carly – a young woman is just starting to come into her own – Fargo weaves a deadly tale full of twists that will leave you breathless. THEY NEVER LEARN had me hooked from the first page, and I could not put it down.

Also, it’s queer as fuck.

If it’s not already on your list, add it. It’ll be the perfect fall read.

Dr. Scarlett Clark is a beautiful, brilliant English professor at Gorman University . Dr. Clark is also a serial killer; a very, very successful serial killer. From the opening pages, where Dr. Clark is in the process of murdering her latest victim, through to the very end, this book is a wild ride that is impossible to put down.

This is also the story of Carly a freshman at Gorman University . She is young and apprehensive about her new life at the school and we witness how her first few months at college change her. Watching the story unfold through the eyes of both Scarlett and Carly adds an intriguing depth to this tale of murder.

The writing is bold and fast paced with just enough clever twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your chair. The characters are well developed with truly despicable villains and heroines you can’t help but hope don’t end up getting caught. But, plans don’t always work out for our ladies and that’s what makes murder interesting and this book so good.

My copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it.

This dark, twisty book made my feminist heart sing! As with the author’s debut TEMPER, this book is a study in female rage, ambition, and desire, and I devoured it.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the arc.

I liked Layne Fargo's first book, "Temper," but "They Never Learn" is amazing! You will not be disappointed by this thriller. I could not put it down!

This book was such a THRILL!! Every twist and turn had me on the edge of my seat as I rooted for the women in this story. This story was deeply healing in some ways.

Five stars all the way. Set a day aside to read this. You will not want to put this down and you will want to commit homicide on anyone who interrupts you. Damn, I loved this book
Strong female characters, a not-your-normal serial killer and snooty professors being eliminated. What's not to like? Oh and that surprise halfway through? Supurb.

I cannot do justice in this review as to how good it is. Highly, highly, highly recommend.

A delicious revenge thriller for the #metoo era and beyond. Dr. Scarlett Clark doles out vengeance on behalf of the women of Gorman University. And for some of her targets, the comeuppance is a long time coming.

Don’t look for any redeemable characters in this one — there aren’t any.

I listen to too many true crime podcasts, so I may have a few quibbles about Scarlett as a serial killer. But I had to put them aside. You just have to say f--k it, this one is too fun.

Ideal for fans of Killing Eve.