I read 61 percent of this novel and I had to stop. The story did not work for me at all. The female lead in this book is a detective who is trying to figure out a prep school murder and she is obsessed with miniatures and doll houses. It was just too much.

This is the second book in the Rory Moore/Lane Phillips series, but can be read as a standalone; Because though there are minor “clean ups” from the first book mentioned at the very beginning, none are spoilers for the first book.

In the summer of 2019, two students are brutally murdered at an abandoned former guesthouse on the campus of their swanky boarding school. Over the next year, three of the students present that night commit suicide by throwing themselves in front of a nearby train. Rumors swirl that it has to do with a game the students were playing that night as part of the initiation into a secret society. When a podcaster covering the case a year later winds up dead, Rory and Lane are left puzzled and intrigued about what is happening at this seemingly upstanding institution. The answers lead down a dark path into a twisted mind….

This book is told from multiple POVs across two timelines: 2019 when the events are happening and in 2020, when a podcast is being recorded.

What’s interesting and something I actually liked about this book is that Rory and Lane are actually part of a big ensemble of characters, each incredibly different and interesting. From the students, to a mysterious journal-reading character, to the faculty, the journalists, etc., each character we are introduced to adds a unique element to the story and weaves a new layer into the story. There’s a lot going on in this one, but I was able to follow it pretty easily.

As in the first book, I didn’t see the ending coming! It was really good and I liked the different twists that came along. At least one was definitely hinted at, but I still hadn’t quite put my finger on it until it was revealed. That, to me, makes a good twist.

I just wish we got a little bit more of an explanation for some of the motivations behind the crimes. We did get an explanation, but it felt a little dry. I’ll admit, I wish the bad guy “monologued,” as The Incredibles call it. That we heard from them themselves. But the explanation we got was good enough, and I’ll accept it.

This series has been really good so far, and I’m hoping there’s a third in the future. I’ll be picking it up if there is!

This was another brilliant book by the author. Though way too many characters, which really played against the book on audio (for me personally).

The story line also jumped around a lot, but it had to, to build a picture for different characters and problems without giving away the culprit, I loved that this is a dark academia (a really dark at that), dealing with family trauma, and again following a serial killer.

Now, I've come to love the quirky MC that is neurodivergent but has found a way to deal with her issues by solving puzzles that are cold cases. I thought that was brilliant. The fact that one might go into a spiraling out in their head when overcome with anxiety or needs like OCD, she chooses to channel it into something productive and helps herself out of the invasive thoughts.

If you haven't read the first book in this series, that's ok. This follows up with Rory and Lane without missing a beat, and there's no continuation of a case in this book, In other words, this perfectly reads as a standalone. So go ahead, and read this one if you need serial killers, dark academia, and a quirky lovable sleuth (investigator).

Thank you to Kensington publishing and netgalley for my review copy.

| BOOK REVIEW |

Title: The Suicide House
Author: Charlie Donlea
Format: 🎧 (Originally received an ARC from @kensingtonbooks through NetGalley)
Rating: ✩ ✩ ✩

I hadn't read the first book in this series, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but you really didn't need to read the first book to enjoy this one.


The Suicide House was a fun, if somewhat forgettable, mystery with two delightful main characters who are aiming to solve the core mystery of why students involved who survived a traumatic event in the past keep returning to the scene of the crime to kill themselves.


While there were a couple of slumps in the middle of the novel, it was interesting and I was kept on the hook waiting for the reveal of what was happening.

Key Points:
• Second in a series; I did not read the first
• Detective mystery series
• Two quirky main characters

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I didn’t like this book as much as its prequel Some Choose Darkness, but it was still very good. The first half of the book was slow for me, but the second half was much better and hard to put down. The story is set at a boarding school where an annual ritual done by some seniors and juniors turns deadly. A teacher is accused of the murders, but he throws himself in front of a train and becomes brain dead before he can be brought to trial. Strange things keep happening with the students who were involved that night. Rory and Lane from Some Choose Darkness come in to try to figure out what really happened. I really enjoy Charlie Donlea’s writing and have read all but one of his books now. Thanks to #netgalley #kensingtonbooks and #charliedonlea for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

The Suicide House is the 2nd book from Charlie Donlea featuring forensic reconstructionist Rory Moore, and her partner, psychologist Lane Phillips. I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review. My delayed review is due to realizing this was book 2 and I planned to read the 1st book but have just never gotten to it. I recently read another book by this author- Those Empty Eyes which I really liked and decided to go ahead and read this one - That being said - although this is book 2 I was able to read this as a standalone. The only thing I feel like I may have missed out on is details about the relationship between Rory and Lane. This book has a lot that got me hooked -a prestigious boarding school, a secret society, the legend of the Man in the mirror, and all of the mysterious deaths/suicides. The story is told from multiple pov's as well as dual timelines. The book features interesting characters as well as an intriguing mystery. I really enjoy this author's writing and I look forward to going back and reading Some Choose Darkness as well as checking out his other books.

"The Suicide House" by Charlie Donlea is a thrilling and suspenseful novel that kept me hooked from start to finish. The story revolves around a group of college students who investigate a string of suicides that occurred at an abandoned mansion known as the "Suicide House." As they delve deeper into the mystery, they begin to uncover dark secrets and sinister motives.

Donlea's writing is crisp and engaging, with well-crafted characters and a tightly woven plot that keeps the reader guessing. The twists and turns are well-executed and left me constantly on the edge of my seat.

What I particularly enjoyed about this book is the way it explores the psychology of fear and trauma. The characters are all dealing with their own personal demons, and the novel effectively examines the impact that past experiences can have on our present actions.

Overall, "The Suicide House" is a masterfully crafted thriller that is sure to keep readers entertained and engaged. Donlea's ability to build tension and suspense is second to none, and I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good psychological mystery.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Charlie Donlea did it again! I love everything he has written so far and this one surely did not disappoint. Set around a podcast about two students who were murdered at an elite boarding school. OH THE DRAMA!

I am sorry, this was just not for me. I loved the premise and I always enjoy mysteries that have a bit of a podcast aspect as a fan of podcasts myself - but this just did not work for me at all. I think the first issue is that I did not actually know the characters before, and I got the feeling that this is supposed to be a follow-up to an amateur detective's story, but I had no connection to them so their abrupt introduction into the story felt a bit random to me. Then the pacing threw me completely off and the dialogue just felt... so stilted. I got feedback from some other friends who read this and didn't enjoy it either, but I really enjoyed Charlie Donlea's The Girl Who Was Taken and later on Twenty Years Later, so clearly this was just a bump on the road and I'll be picking up more of his books for sure.

The Suicide House brings back the team of Rory Moore and Lane Phillips. Rory is a forensic reconstructionist and Lane is a psychological profiler. They undertake an investigation into the gruesome murders of two students at a prestigious boarding school which leads to the subsequent suicides of four others. The school requires therapy for all their students, not just the ones with serious issues. Part of that therapy is journal writing, which figures into the plot. Short chapters keep the reader off balance. It started off slower than his other books and it took longer to draw me in. I was definitely up in the air as to who was behind the murders. This was a really good book!

I've been a long time fan of Donlea's since his debut novel, Summit Lake. In fact, I still find myself recommending that one often to other readers. When I heard he would have a book set in a private school, I was immediately intrigued - there's just something about that setting that always draws me in! Unfortunately, this one wasn't quite the same hit for me that some of his prior books have been. Ultimately, I did still enjoy it though.

3.5 Stars

This book was ok, but I never felt invested in the story. It was fine as I was reading, but I could have put it down, not picked it up again, and wouldn't have wondered how everything ended up playing out.

If you liked "Some Choose Darkness" then you will like this one as well. I like books with boarding schools and podcasts. Great writing, good pacing, three-dimensional characters. Another solid novel from Charlie Donlea.

I loved this! Such a solid psychological thriller that keeps you guessing and is very captivating. The academic setting and journal entries just added to the dark, creepy atmosphere and added an excellent layer of mystery to the whole story.

Though I haven’t read the first book in this series, I don’t feel like that took away from it.

What I loved is the fact that one of the main characters is neurodivergent. It made me feel excited to see an author using someone’s idiosyncrasies for good.

Add to that a compelling thriller with multiple story lines that all weave together and you have an amazing book!

I don't know what it is, but I LOVE a good thriller that incorporates a podcast that follows the killings happening in the story at hand (or in-hand haha). This was such a great read that had all the awesome features of a suspenseful thriller - slow start to help follow along, short chapters, different POV and keeping the reader guessing throughout the book!

My first book by Donlea but definitely will not be my last!

A huge thank you to NetGalley, Charlie Donlea and Kensington Books for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Read but was not terribly memorable. I am clearing out the books published in 2020 from my "to review" shelf!

RATING: 3.5
2020; Kensington Books

I liked The Suicide House a lot more than I liked Some Choose Darkness (the first in the series), but I just couldn't get into the actual storyline. The characters were better shaped now that we know the background story from book one. I am hoping with a more exciting mystery in the next book, I can get the thrilling feeling I did from his standalone novels.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

The Suicide House is a podcast focusing on murders taking place at Westment Prep School. Loved the addition of podcast excerpts and diary entries. There is a large cast of characters to keep straight which sometimes was confusing on the audio but I loved how things were revealed from different perspectives. There are multiple sub plots and the story goes back and forth in time between 2019 and 2020.

While I enjoyed the secret society aspect and the prep school setting, I felt things got convoluted at times and had more red herrings than I'd have liked. Things felt bogged down at times and I couldn't help but think that less is more. Still, Donlea never disappoints and this was twisty, creepy and had a real sense of horror to it that I enjoyed.