This was a little slow to start, particularly in the student sections, but it ended up being a true mystery. As in, I wasn't able to guess the resolution 25% of the way in--a real problem for me with a lot of mystery/thrillers. Also, I, for one, enjoyed the doll restoration scenes, but I understand that ymmv.

Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for providing this copy for review.

I really enjoyed this one and though it was a pretty solid thriller. I have to say though, I think I'm starting to become immune to a lot of so called "thrillers". I don't find myself particularly wowed by them anymore except a certain few. Maybe I read too many so I've become immune to the twists and turns? I'm trying not to let that cloud my judgement here lately.

I LOVED the plot of this.

Prep School ✔
Quirky Characters ✔
Gory Deaths (well, 1) ✔
Serial Killer ✔

Pretty solid in turns of the mystery and I really love stories that alternate time frames. There were quite a lot of characters in this one and for some reason I kept getting confused in the first 40% as to which time period we were in. Either way, I think new thriller readers will love it and I think serious thriller readers will think it's fun.

Quick side note though, what's up with the Dark Lord beer name drop? Couldn't it just be referred to as "a beer" instead of the brand Dark Lord? It was actually starting to really aggravate me as it started being mentioned 2-3 times per page.

*Review copy provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

I really liked the premise of this book, which was my first by Charlie Donlea. In a story that begins a little bit like a new season of Serial with some Ghost Hunters thrown in, a podcaster investigates a series of prep school murders for which a teacher was ultimately held responsible. The teacher then killed himself. The next year, students from the same prep school return to the old boarding house where some of the events took place to kill themselves in the same way.

This is an intriguing setup and story and I enjoyed the character of Rory Moore the most. The story eventually gets a lot more complex and twisty. This is my first Rory Moore book but I am interested to read the other one. This is what I would call more of a traditional police procedural mystery than a thriller. I really liked several of the plot twists, especially the discovery of a piece of evidence that ties a number of deaths together. It is a very well-constructed mystery.

I generally love multiple narrator/ perspective books but there were so many different characters and perspectives here that I got a little confused from time to time, particularly when some chapters and narrations come without a character name or time period (the story jumps between the present and 2019). New characters kept entering the book all the way through and I might have liked it better if the book stuck with just the most interesting ones (Rory, the reporter Ryder and one or two of the detectives, for me). I also was not wild about the person chosen to be the one whodunit, as I had constructed several other scenarios in my mind that I liked better. :) (But, this is usually a sign of a good plot, right?) Despite this I still really enjoyed the book and thought the reason for the killings was really ingenious. I will read more of this author!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for sharing this ARC with me in exchange my honest review.

I was so excited to read this! Charlie Donlea has quickly become one of my favorite thriller authors and I was excited his MC, Rory Moore, makes her return in this book! I enjoyed Some Choose Darkness and couldn't wait to get my hands on this. Definitely recommend!

A chilling murder in a prestigious prep school is at the heart of this riveting new novel from acclaimed author Charlie Donlea, featuring forensic reconstructionist Rory Moore and her psychologist partner, Lane Phillips. I love these characters! They don’t appear until well after the story begins but once you meet them this book just takes off and it’s a great ride until the end. Great plotting, believable dialog and well developed characters, this book is an excellent read. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

This book was so good. I knew I’d read a Rory/Lane book before but couldn’t remember any of the details; I just remembered I liked the characters. And I did really love them, and I loved this mystery. Once again, the author writes the story so you know just enough to piece the threads together but there’s also enough twists and reveals to keep me hooked as a reader. I did go back and look and this is the fourth book I’ve read by this author, and I think every one has gotten better. The pacing of this was so good. Can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review -
Once again Donalea has written a winner - I couldn't put this book down!
A game called the Man in the Mirror is an initiation in Indiana's prep school...…..and then one year two students were killed in a gruesome way. A teacher is convicted but there are numerous questions.
One being - why are the students who were there that night now committing suicide?
Rory and Lane are investigating with disturbing results!
You will want to grab this book!

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review. I've read all of Donlea's books, so while you don't have to read Some Choose Darkness before The Suicide House, you might find it easier to understand Rory Moore, a forensic reconstructionist, someone who solves cold cases most detectives can't solve, because of the way her mind works.

In The Suicide House, we don't become reacquainted with Rory and her partner Lane right away. We 'meet the unsub' and the story around the Suicide House is described at Westmont Prep school in Indiana. The mystery revolves around a secret game and a secret society, in which 2 students are found murdered. The supposed killer, brain dead after attempting to kill himself at the train that whizzes by the house.

The story is a little clunky and convoluted to follow but I enjoyed the parts with Rory and Lane, journalist named Ryder and the ending was great suspense. Even with a red herring, I wasn't surprised at the identity of the unsub who murdered these kids. It wrapped up a little neatly with a bow, but I liked how the woman saved herself instead of waiting for someone to save her. This book is somewhere between a 3.5 and a 4 out of 5 stars. If you like mysteries, and you've read Donlea's books you will enjoy this one.

This is the second book with Rory Moore and Lane Phillips, but can be read without having read the other. Rory is a forensic reconstructionist that helps uncover what really happened in cold cases. She has just seen her last case to fruition and is ready for a much needed break when she she stumbles upon the West Minster Prep case. A missing person with a tie to the school, murdered students and much more set up her new case for Rory to delve into.

Another great book. I was guessing until the end and highly recommend this book!

I, unfortunately, didn’t like this. It was repetitive, too many characters, unnecessary information (doll restoration), and one character ruined a lot of the story for me. Then the ending just came and went leaving me wondering, “that’s it?”. I mostly enjoyed the killers journal entries, that was the best part. Some parts interesting and other parts boring. Not his best work.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of THE SUICIDE HOUSE by Charlie Donlea in exchange for my honest review.***

2.5 STARS

Charlie Donlea is back with another mystery/thriller led by Rory Moore and Lane Phillips. Being a psychologist, I was particularly drawn to Lane but more skeptical about Rory’s character’s authenticity.

THE SUICIDE HOUSE checks all the boxes for books I usually devour:

Boarding School
Secret Society
Re-examining a crime
Suicide or murder
A journal

I expected to enjoy Charlie Donlea’s latest more than I did, especially after reading the intro chapter from an unnamed professed serial killer. Instead a slogged through THE SUICIDE HOUSE, enjoying some of the characters and the intrigue while at times becoming confused with the multiple points of views from many too characters for my liking. Donlea’s writing is most chilling with the killer’s cold, calculated diary and the POV most memorable to me.

The Man in the Mirror seemed like something more suited to younger kids, at least from my personal experiences. While it wasn’t a central aspect of the story, I was distracted.

Most reviewers enjoyed THE SUICIDE HOUSE more than I did, so check out what other people are saying too.

Another hit by Charlie Donlea. This is technically a follow up to Some Choose Darkness, but you don't have to read the first to completely enjoy this sequel. In fact, other than a few quick comments alluding to Rory's past, there's nothing that would make a first time reader stumble here. I would, though, suggest reading the first in the series just for the character development and because Donlea's book are always a good time.

In this book, we're taken to an elite boarding school where a double murder has taken place; as though that isn't bad enough, the horrific massacre is one-upped by the number of suicides that have been piling up at the murder site over the past year. Donlea keeps you guessing on this one, as there are multiple potential murderers to ferret out. One minor issue I had with the plot was the double role faculty and administrators at the school play: a teacher and a dean are both also serving as counselors--which should never happen. That's a huge conflict of interest and could shut the school down and cost the counselors their licenses to practice. But, that's an overall minor detail and is used to move the plot forward so . . . okay.

I really enjoy all of Donlea's books and have him on my immediate To Read pile each time a new one is released. I highly recommend this book but also recommend reading earlier books by this author as well. One little thing I really liked in this book was the author's afterword. He tells us here that he does write all of his novels to be read as stand-alones (and yes--he does this well). But in addition, he reminds us that many of his characters populate the larger Donlea universe and pop up from book to book (constant readers usually love this!). Because I read his novels when they first come out, it's been years since I've read a couple of his books. So as a book nerd, it was fun to read his afterword that reminded me who the crossover characters were and what roles they played in other novels. (I KNEW I had seen Gus in another novel but couldn't put my finger on it! So thanks, Charlie Donlea, for helping this OCD reader out!)

Final advice: Donlea is one to watch. Read him. You won't be disappointed.

This is the second book I have read featuring Rory Moore and Lane Phillips. I love the characters especially Rory's quirks. This is a fast paced thriller that will have you guessing to the end. It can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading the first novel before you start this. A satisfying thriller. I give it five stars.

3.5 stars

While a popular podcast focuses on “The Suicide House” at an elite boarding school, a journalist, a forensic reconstructionist, and a profiler, are brought together to piece together a tale of murder, suicide, and a secret society.

The Suicide House brings back Rory Moore and Lane Phillips, who were featured in Some Choose Darkness, which I loved! Rory, a forensic reconstructionist, uses her autistic abilities to see what others can’t. Lane analyzes serial killers. Together they solve the unsolvable. While they play a critical role in this book, they are not featured nearly enough.

A lot is going on in this book: there are several mysteries and storylines to keep track of. The mystery of what’s going on at this elite prep school is compelling but gets bogged down by featuring too many characters and POV’s. For this reason, I wasn’t sure quite what I was supposed to be focusing on. I was confused in the beginning, but eventually, all the pieces came together. The pacing is slow, but with having so many characters and storylines to keep track of, I appreciated this aspect. Some parts are also repetitive. With that being said, I still love Rory and Lane. I also enjoyed reading the killer’s journal. I was left with some questions about the killer's motivation in the present and felt that this individual came across a little cartoonish, especially in their final scene.

Overall, Charlie Donlea can write. While this book is crammed with too many storylines, characters, and voices, I still felt that this is a well-written thriller. I only wish it capitalized on featuring Rory Moore and Lane Phillips. However, it looks like there is a strong chance we will be seeing them again in the future

How excited was I to see a new book from Charlie Donlea?! And then, to discover that one of the best characters in recent fiction came back to grace us with her presence, made me ecstatic! Rory and Lane are back to investigate the mysterious suicides of high school students from Westmont Prep. Each has been found along the railroad tracks, outside an abandoned house, tucked deep into the woods. This story is perfect for fans of true crime podcasts, secret societies and urban legends. Sure to keep you turning the pages late into the night, this story is hard to put down! Another pleasant surprise was the reappearance of retired cop, Gus Morelli, and his amazing stash of case files from his long career. This brought a fun, unexpected element into this story and it was such an appropriate tie-in (don't want to give too much away!). While this is a book with recurring characters, it could read as a stand alone. Reading previous books will give you more insight into the characters personalities and may make them more enjoyable and like old friends. Don't forget to add this to your to-read lists - you don't want to miss it!

3 Stars

Westmont Preparatory School. An Elite School and Campus. An initiation game where select Juniors are invited to play “The Man in the Mirror.”

Much to the horror of the participants and the school, the game does not go as planned.

Podcasts detail the atrocity of the events.

An investigation involving the Police and Forensic Reconstructionist Rory Moore and Psychologist Lane Phillips take place.

The issue of course is that no one, and I mean, no one is safe.

“The Suicide House” is the third book that I’ve read by Charles Donlea. Unfortunately, it left something to be desired. It started out slow and felt more like a YA horror novel than an adult mystery suspense. It also involved a few different themes, which I personally don’t feel meshed well. It took until the middle of the book for me to be interested in the storyline (as that featured more of Rory and Lane) but unlike Mr. Donlea’s other novels, I didn’t care about the characters in the same way, which is surprising given the fact that Rory Moore and Lane Phillips both appeared in Donlea’s prior novel “Some Choose Darkness” and that was a favorite of mine.

All in all, this ended up being an enjoyable, fast paced read even though it didn’t rate as high as the other Charles Donlea novels that I’ve read. I still have a few of his books to read and plan to move them up on my tbr asap and look forward to this author’s next release.

This was another book read with Kaceey!

Thank you to NeGalley, Kensington Books and Charles Donlea for the arc.

Published on Goodreads on 4.26.20.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC. This was my first Charlie Donlea book and I found it hard to put down! This was a thrilling read with multiple POVs and two major timelines which all wove together in a brilliant way. Occasionally the multiple POVs were hard to keep straight since some of the POV switches happened abruptly but overall it was not a major detractor. I look forward to reading more about these characters as I continue the series!

I can't say enough about Charlie Donlea! It started with his first, Summit Lake, and each one is just as good or better!! The Suicide House is no different! I was so happy for this ARC! The story continues with Rory and Lane from the previous story, Some Choose darkness. I love both characters, but especially Rory. Rory is a forensic reconstructionist, she solves cold cases that no one else can solve. She is on the autism spectrum so her mind works differently, which is perfect for that sort of detailed work. The story revolves around campus murders from the previous year that were solved, but the solution never sat right with several people. This is very fast-paced and I liked each short chapter ending with something significant. I did have one question at the end that was unanswered, or maybe I missed it, but no spoilers. It was not enough to detract from thoroughly enjoying this book! READ IT!!! And I can't wait for another!

Thank you to Charlie Donlea, #NetGalley and Kensington Books for this much appreciated ARC!

Incredibly gripping story and exceptional writing. Absolutely loved this book and had a hard time putting it down! The unique characters and fast-paced made this mystery an enjoyable experience. This was my first book by the author but as there are other stand alone mysteries that feature some of the main characters, I will definitely be tracking them down to read. Cannot say enough about how much I loved this book! Well worth the read.

What a fun thriller! Charlie Donlea has written another great thriller that includes some of my favorite things: boarding schools, podcasts, and murder--obviously! A couple of students were killed during a boarding school game gone wrong, and now more students are committing suicide by throwing themselves in front of moving trains. A super popular podcast picks up the story, and that's when pieces start falling into place. This story includes Rory and Lane from Donlea's previous book, Some Choose Darkness. I highly recommend this book--it's fast-paced and it will keep you guessing. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.