This doesn't release until October, so I hope I remember to share this closer to the date. WHAT A READ. Loved every second.

Fun book, great characters and kept my interest. Creepy and scintillating read, maybe a little over the top in spots but an entertaining read.

Layne Fargo wow’ed me with her debut novel Temper, so I was confident that They Never Learn would be just as impressive! They Never Learn is super fast paced book that I found myself finishing in only one day because I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep until I was done! Layne Fargo is a master at crafting plots that will completely shock you over and over again! You know that moment in a really well-written thriller when you literally say “OMG” out loud!?! Well that happened several times throughout this novel! They Never Learn is a 5 star read that will keep you on the edge of your seat from the very first page until the very last page! I highly recommend Layne Fargo’s completely unique novels to anyone who’s a fan of psychological thrillers!

Wow!!! They Never Learn by Layne Fargo is a dark and edgy thriller about a female killer. The story is a fast paced page-turner that has several twists I didn’t see coming. I loved how well developed the characters were and the book changing female characters each chapter. Great read! I’m excited to read her previous book now!

The story is told from two points of view. First we have Scarlett, a professor at Gorman University, and second, from Carly, a student at Gorman. I really do not want to give any more away. All I can say is that from the very first page, tension ramps up and excitement builds. The story is compelling, unique.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

WOW... this is by far the best thriller I’ve read so far this year. So many interesting and flawed characters and shocking twists! 10/10 would recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.

First off I want to thank @netgalley, @gallerybooks & @laynefargo for my free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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Wow ! What an engaging, addictive, page turner of a book. I really needed something like this right now. It had everything I wanted in a thriller even if it's not the whodunit type and we know who kills these disgusting men.
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I absolutely hate the topic of sexual abuse and sexual harassment but that's what made me love the book even more. It's what drew me in to hate those men as much as Scarlett did, and to be honest if I could I'd go ahead and do what she did. We also follow Carly a student at the school where Scarlett teaches, I loved both stories but be prepared for a twist you won't see coming. Fargo has an addictive way of writing with the shortness of the chapters that makes you want to keep turning those pages so fast.
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If you're a fan of psychological thrillers with twists this one is definitely for you.

I LOVED this one!! I read Temper when it came out, and was thoroughly entertained. I expected the same this time around, but was blown away by how much she's improved as a writer/storyteller - and that's after an exceptional first offering in Temper... This was a marvelous revenge fantasy, but it was so much more than that. The characterization, the plotting, the pacing, the revelations - everything about this one was spot-on. I was captivated by the darkness, horrified (but not surprised, sadly) by the bad behavior, tickled and saddened by the naivete and its attendant consequences... But mostly I was entertained by it all!

Sign me up for the next Layne Fargo novel now - I don't care what the topic, I can guarantee I will enjoy it. Her writing style is marvelous and she has an ability to craft characters, settings, and situations that resonate even when they bear no relationship to anything I've actually experienced (and thank goodness for that, since her women find themselves in horrific situations much of the time). It's a gift to be able to pull readers in so completely, and one she returns to her readers by delivering top-notch storytelling that is current, compelling, and completely enthralling!

Trigger warning for sexual assault.

I love Layne Fargo, truly. I think she's one of the best new writers in the thriller/drama space, and her writing feels so unique to me compared to other books coming out right now. Temper (her first book) was one of my *favorites* from last year, and I'm constantly recommending it, so I was pumped to receive an advance copy of They Never Learn!

Spoilers ahead! Okay let's chat!

FIRST OF ALL, holy shit - the reveal of Scarlett and Carly being the same person was ICONIC. I'm sure someone out there will figure it out before it's revealed, but I didn't and it actually shocked me. The reveal reminded me a lot of The Wife Between Us - in a good way! Everything added up, and when you know what you're looking for, you can actually see it coming at the beginning of the book. I loved that after the reveal, we continued to see both timelines rather than converging into one.

Second, I always appreciate a good red herring, and this story has many. Even as small as a stray comment here and there when you're wondering if something matters or doesn't matter to the story - it just worked. Some books lately in the thriller space have tried to throw EVERY SINGLE THING in to the story, and They Never Learn is centered around one key motivation, and it shows. All the storylines connect and overlap, and loose ends are tied up by the end of the book.

This book also reminded me a ton of Kate Brian's Private series - one of my all time favorites from my high school/college years. The Carly chapters very much reminded me of Reed, Noelle, and Ariana, with similar levels of confusing nice girl mean girl dynamics and murderous rage.

Non-spoiler thoughts: a fast-paced, multiple POV thriller. A couple *big* reveals throughout, with a couple smaller ones along the way. This is a read in one sitting book!

An incredible book. Halfway through, a twist that sends you reeling, but keeps you hooked. It’s a slow burn, but so satisfying. A must read

Layne Fargo is a new author for me, but with the praises of some of my favorites, a stellar cover, and interesting premise, I couldn't wait to dive in.

Scarlett is a killer out for revenge. Her targets? Men who take attack women and get away with it. Carly is starting her freshman year at Gorman. When she interrupts a frat boy taking advantage of her roommate, she's determined to protect her from him. In this dual timeline perspective, we follow Scarlett as she navigates through the boys club of academia and Carly's attempts to help her roommate deal with assault. What happens next is truly an explosion of crossroads.

Without giving too much away, this book pleasantly surprised me. I've read half a dozen books this year with this type of revenge plot, and I'm wary of execution. They can come off preachy or overkill, and instead of focusing on the important issues, they tend to veer toward revenge justification. Fargo, however, handled the topic of sexual assault, particularly in a campus setting, with grace and practicality, showing the psychological, physical, and emotional ramifications for all involved. It was refreshing to read a narrative that tackled the difficult process of reporting, the challenges young college women face when trying to report a crime, and how helpless the victim and the victim's support circle can feel.

What Fargo does best, however, is the interwoven plot lines, and I was thrilled to see the direction she takes the second half of the book. Not a procedural, as the detectives are supporting cast, but we see how a murder investigation can complicate the plans of a killer bent on justice. Character development was well executed and diverse, and I loved seeing how each character was evolving through the story.

I like my endings ambiguous, not wrapped in neat little bows with the future course set out before me, and Fargo did an excellent job of bringing everything together in a way that made sense and didn't push the realm of disbelief. I loved Scarlett and Carly, their internal conflict, and the way they viewed the world.

Overall, They Never Learn is a thrilling, twisty, revenge thriller with a strong female cast and important topics that deserve every inch of space in the market. Fargo's writing is crisp, clean, and effortless, and I'd recommend to anyone looking for a psychological suspense with a killer hook.

Big thanks to Gallery/Scout Press and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

HOT DAMN. I'm normally great at guessing where a book is going, but I did not see any of the twists in this one coming. It's one of those reads that'll keep you up late as you tell yourself "just one more chapter" and ignore the fact that you have work in the morning.

The book alternates between the perspectives of Scarlett and Carly. The first is our female Dexter - a college professor dedicated to hunting down and killing terrible men. Rapists, domestic abusers, etc. The second is an anxious college freshman trying to navigate new friendships, a bad home life, and a campus full of predatory men.

Both are about to have their lives changed forever. And I'll say it again: HOT DAMN, I did not see it coming. Absolutely one of the best books in the thriller/suspense category that I've read in the last two years.

Scarlett is an English Professor by day and a female vigilante by night. She is full of feminist rage and knows what she wants and which pathetic excuse of a man she wants to kill next.

Carly is a freshman at the same college who has trouble making friends and is struggling with her identity and her father’s infidelities.

However, the two women have more in common than the eye can see..

This was another fabulously dark read from Layne Fargo, but it was a little slower going for me than ‘Temper’. (Unpopular opinion)! Still, it has a premise that I loved, (a woman killing men who rape and/or torment women - YES!), and I still enjoy her dark and mysterious writing. I will continue to follow and read this author for sure!

Thank you to NetGalley, Layne Fargo, and Gallery/Scout Press for this eARC!!

Fast-paced & full of fury, if you liked TEMPER you’ll devour THEY NEVER LEARN. This book was so full of seething anger and moved so swiftly, I am #sorrynotsorry to declare it a "rage-turner."

Wow, this was an awesome read. In the beginning I thought this was gonna be a solid, four star type read. I am definitely here for a professorial lady Dexter who brings rapists to justice. (Not a spoiler - this is how the book STARTS!) Then there was also a female antagonist (who would normally be the protagonist, were I inclined to want our friend the professor caught), a male lover who might have a little more going on than meets the eye, and an alternate narrator who is a nice girl just trying to get through her first year of college.

But then came the first of many awesome twists which made this book way more special than I was expecting from a usual genre thriller. This book has a little something to say about sexual harassment but it does it in a really entertaining, scary and gripping way. Most of all though this book is entertaining as hell. Tons of twists, but none are wrong for the story or forced. I could not have predicted the ending and I LOVED it. A perfect feminist suspense novel and revenge thrill ride for the #MeToo era..

Thanks to NetGalley, Layne Fargo and Simon and Schuster for the early copy of this awesome book in exchange for my honest review. Layne Fargo's first book just shot to the top of my "must read" list..

Layne Fargo's second book takes everything that was great about her debut, Temper--the rage, vengeance, sex and murder--and cranks it ALL THE WAY up. It's a wild, dark ride and I was on board from the first page. Every time I opened a door, I never found what I expected, but what thrilled with what was there. As an author, Fargo has already forged a unique voice and wasted no time in mastering it.

I ripped right through this raw feminist thriller about killing bad men who deserved it! This page-turner was very entertaining and the rich depth of the characters’ vivid emotions drew me closer to their fierce motivations. The author has an intimately delicious writing style of female empowerment that’s hard to pull away from as introduced in her debut, TEMPER. In THEY NEVER LEARN, I adored the two POV story-telling and the college setting, but was absolutely floored when I discovered how Scarlett and Carly intertwined. The dark twists, the justice, and the methodical murders were exactly what I wanted.

I agree that if you’re a fan of Killing Eve and psychological thrillers of revenge murder, you will enjoy this story!

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.

Meanwhile, Gorman student Carly Schiller is just trying to survive her freshman year. Her new roommate, Allison Hadley is beautiful and confident—everything Carly wishes she could be—and the two girls quickly form a complicated and intense friendship. Enter Wes, Allison's friend from high school, to muddy the waters and add emotional conflict. When Allison is sexually assaulted at a party, Carly becomes obsessed with making the attacker pay.

Where to begin - this book leaves you with the feeling of "what the heck did I just read?" It is unlike anything I have ever read and the twist about halfway through the book is so artfully done, you almost can't grasp what you just read. Dark, but also somewhat humorous so it doesn't get too intense, this book is very hard to put down. I loved this book, even though I don't normally enjoy reading stories with bisexual or gay elements to them.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

So many people read and loved Temper by Layne Fargo and her book, They Never Learn, is sure to please her fans! I was intrigued by the plot and expected dark suspense. It was!

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.

Meanwhile, Gorman student Carly Schiller is just trying to survive her freshman year. Finally free of her emotionally abusive father, all Carly wants is to focus on her studies and fade into the background. Her new roommate has other ideas. Allison Hadley is cool and confident—everything Carly wishes she could be—and the two girls quickly form an intense friendship. So when Allison is sexually assaulted at a party, Carly becomes obsessed with making the attacker pay…and turning her fantasies about revenge into a reality.

I read this in a single day, I was glued to the pages wanting to know what happened next.

There are some surprises and twists in this novel which makes the whole book carry an air of suspense. You can’t really fault someone for wanting to kill those who hurt women, can you? As Scarlett continues to deliver justice to these awful men, her cover is about to be blown and she may lose control of her secret hobby. It feels so wrong to want her to get away with these crimes, you will see what I mean when you read this book.

Published on October 13, pre-order here.

Wow. Wonder Woman on a college campus - vigilante justice writing wrongs. Interesting characters, a story that grabbed my attention in the first sentence and kept me spellbound to the last page. What woman hasn't been made to feel this way, at some point in her life? Ahhhh, but to actually carry it out? Successfully? For years?
Rock on, Scarlett!
The climax had me gripping my kindle with both hands. I could NOT wait to see what would happen.
Enthusiastically recommend this book!!!





Thanks #NetGalley and #Simon and Schuster for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.