While I wasn’t in love with the first book in this series, <i>Dying to Be Her</i> had my full attention. Olsen writes murder and crime well (as they are his background).

Once again, the small island of Port Gamble wakes up to news that another teenager is dead. Exchange student Olivia was brutally stabbed in a bedroom during a Halloween party the whole gang attended. And everyone’s a suspect, right?

Meanwhile, the Ryan twins are trying to get a better sense of their past and what exactly happened during the ill-fated bus crash that killed everyone but them (and 2 others). And what exactly happened at the prison where her mom lived near the grounds?

Hay-Tay take a deep dive into this info and I was all in. The side plots are good but I want more!! Can’t wait for the next installment.

This book was previously released as Betrayal (Empty Coffin #2), . It read well as a standalone, Fast paced, easy, fun thriller that I read in one night. If you are looking for one to just chill with for the evening and figure out whodunit. Gregg Olsen can always be counted on for a quick, good time story.

I read this book before when it was named "Betrayal (Empty Coffin #2), but didn't realize it was the same book that had been rebranded. This is the 2nd in a series but can read as a standalone. This being said, I enjoyed the book both times. This is a young adult book that features high school students based in the tiny town of Port Gamble, WA. I know this area well, which added to my enjoyment on the book. The story starts with the murder of exchange student Olivia, and the rest of the book is spent trying to figure out what happened. There are a few primary characters, namely identical twins Taylor and Hayley, their friend Beth, and "frenemies" who may or may not be involved, including Starla, Brianna, and Drew.

Despite the multitude of characters, the story is easy to follow and it's kind of fun to read about teenage cattiness throughout the book. The mystery around Olivia's murder is a good one and I didn't figure out who it was until later in the book (despite having read the story before!). There are also references to another mystery around a bus crash that happened when these characters were all young children.

Some of the constant reminders about Hayley and Taylor's "twinness" got a little tiresome as the book went on, as well as the descriptions of what Beth was like being told to us rather than shown to us through her actions. These are small nits, though, as the story itself moved along pretty quickly and there was a good deal of action.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and if there is another book in this series, I will read it. I don't read a whole lot of YA but this definitely held my interest, and the familiar location was definitely a selling point. I'd recommend this to those who enjoy mysteries, whether YA or not! Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Gregg Olsen for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Dying to be Her is the second book in Gregg Olsen’s Young Adult series, Empty Coffin. The original books were published in 2012 and have been re-edited with new names.

Olivia Grant has come to Port Gamble, WA, as an exchange student from the UK. When the book opens, Olivia is attending a Halloween party at Brianna Connor’s house. Brianna has the honor of being a member of the richest family in Port Gamble, and her house is a showplace. Unfortunately, the party ends with murder instead of candy. Shortly after, the party is over. Briana discovers someone has stabbed her new BFF to death on her bedroom floor.

Hayley and Taylor Ryan, 16-year-old twins, are introduced to the reader in the first book, Beneath Her Skin. Both girls have mysterious powers and the ability to sense when someone is in trouble, including themselves. They also get visions and jumbled letters that once unscrambled help them solve crimes.

Gregg Olsen has the uncanny ability to create well-rounded and fascinating characters who jump off the page. One example would be Brianna Connor. When we first meet Brianna, she is making out with her boyfriend in front of her house, which is being combed over by cops and detectives after Brianna found Olivia’s body. She is even more annoyed that the police will not clean up the room after they remove the body and that she must stay at a hotel until the house is no longer a crime scene.

Another interesting character in this book is Beth Lee, BFF to the twins and Olivia Grant’s host in Port Gamble. Beth had a fight with Olivia before she left for the party and also becomes a suspect in the murder. She is an outcast at Kingston High and one of the least likely to commit a murder. I loved that the Author brought out a vulnerable side to Beth in this book, which was not obvious in the first book.

There are some side stories in this book that feel a little out of place and maybe don’t get the reader’s full attention as they should. The mystery of the bus accident could be an entire book of itself. This is touched on in the first book and then solved in this book. Though I felt the resolution was confusing and should have been explained a bit better. There were clear holes that were left unwritten and unexplored. One example would be the death of Savannah Osteen, the linguistics professor they introduce us to in the first book.

Gregg Olsen knows how to weave a tale with just a bit of truth to it. His knack of engaging the reader with interesting stories and well-developed characters is truly a gift. As a genuine fan of his books, I hope he continues this series so we can hear more from the teens of Port Gamble.

An engaging supernatural thriller taking place in a college town, with young sleuths trying to solve a mystery. A solid read!

The second in the Port Gamble series featuring the twins Haley and Taylor Ryan and their unusual abilities. This time, an exchange student from England is murdered and the girls get to work. To discover the killer, the twins will have to confront a family member with a secret past of betrayal. Well written supernatural tale with enjoyable characters, that captures the world of teenagers and their lives. A pleasing sequel and psychological thriller, that is an entertaining read with a three-and-a-half-star rating. With thanks to NetGalley and the author for a preview copy for review purposes.

It’s Halloween in the small town of Port Gamble, and a group of teens have gathered for a party. Beer is poured and laughs are shared, and after the last beer is drunk a body of one of their classmates is found brutally murdered upstairs. The victim, exchange student Olivia, got more than she bargained for when she signed up as an exchange student in the Port Gamble Community.

Neighbor and twins Hayley and Taylor know that there is more to this story, and put their supernatural abilities to the test. But they soon get more than they bargained for as they start to uncover a secret of a family member. In the meantime, a couple of suspects have fled, all of which leads to a good story.

This is the second book that I’ve read in Gregg Olsen’s series. I would start with Beneath Her Skin first, since the second book builds on the second. Both made for a good read!

This is the first fiction from Gregg Olsen I have read. I have been a long time of his true crime books so it was only natural to read this.
Olivia, a foreign exchange student, attends a Halloween party with local high school students and is later found dead. With a long list of suspects, the police are interviewing and investigating several kids at once, mainly Brianna, whose parents own the party house and her boyfriend Drew. Twin sisters Hayley and Taylor have been able to "see" events for a while and get glimpses of the suspects. This book has twists and turns and kept me up reading late into the night. The ending surprised me and that is unusual for me. I usually figure out who the killer is before the ending.
Dying To Be Her is a re-edit of Betrayal first released in 2012. Thanks to Bookoutre, NetGalley and the author for an advance copy in exchange for a fair review.

Gregg Olsen has become one of my must read authors! Thrilling, gripping and unstoppable, Do yourself a favor and pick up this book and lose your night reading! Best missed sleep ever!

A fun high school Halloween party goes wrong when the body of foreign exchange student Olivia is found stabbed to death. The party hostess seems not to care about this tragedy, and continues her life as normal, leading to her and her boyfriend becoming the top suspects. Twins Haley and Taylor use their mysterious, unexplainable powers to help bring justice to Olivia.
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I didn't realize until after receiving the arc that this book was the second in a duology by Gregg Olson, and is being republished after being edited since it's original publication. I disagree with some reviews that say you can read this book without picking up it's predecessor. There were certain points of the characters that I knew I was missing out on because they had clearly grown from the first book.
With the teenage joke and immature choices of the main characters, this book read like a cozy mystery, and not a young adult thriller. Things just seemed to be in the right place at the right time. The plot felt pulled in too many directions. The bus accident and the twin's history, their mother's childhood trauma, the mystery behind the girls' powers and who knows about them, oh and then there is the main plot line. I think things could've been better if the author picked a lane. Enjoyable, but not the best.
3 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to @netgalley, Gregg Olson and Bookouture for an advanced copy of the book for review.

Dying To Be Her is the second book in this series and I actually prefer it to the first (although that was also very good). I enjoyed learning more about the twins and loved the twists and turns throughout the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

This book was just an ok read for me. It just didn't hold my attention.



Thank you to NetGalley for the arc in return of my honest review.

What a great read.
I loved the way Olsen has created some loathsome characters.
The way he has used the modern "entitled brat" generation to create a world we are all aware of, and mostly don't like. A rich brat and her thick-as-a-brick boyfriend are central to the plot and I found them loathsome and compelling at the same time.
The inexperienced Police Chief is far removed from the usual fictional cop and is a breath of fresh air.
The story is brilliant
What else is there to say except, I loved it.

I couldn’t finish the first one. I’m so sorry!!! I won’t be reviewing it on any other platform. I really wanted to connect right away but I just couldn’t get into it.

I loved this book. This is not my first book by this author but it ranks right towards the top. This is a thriller that brings suspense to a new level. This is a well developed story that kept me turning pages to the end. I loved being pulled in right from the beginning. The twists and turns had me sitting on the edge of my seat. Just when I thought I knew who did it, another curve ball left me questioning. The characters are connectable and made the story easy and entertaining to read. The twins were my favorite. I highly recommend this book and this author.

The "Hay-Tay" adventures continue, with a great mystery and fun characters. Olsen does a great job capturing the angst of high school and the arrogance of the privileged kids. I recognized a lot of the characters from my own high school days, which made the story highly relatable, and likely will be the same for many. The mystery was good, plot solid, and the bit of "psychic twins" thrown in make it even better. Would like to see another installment!

The second book in the series and I liked it better than the first. The story and the plot were good and the suspense was maintained tightly. There were less of the twin’s supernatural visions in this book which I appreciate. A good mystery thriller.

Published: February 2, 2021
Bookouture
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Gregg Olsen is a Seattle native, lives in Olalla, Washington, with his wife, twin daughters, three chickens, Milo (an obedience school dropout cocker spaniel), and Suri (a mini dachshund so spoiled she wears a sweater).


“All it had taken was the sharp edge of a knife.”

Hayley and Taylor are front and center of another tragedy in their small town when a foreign exchange student is brutally murdered during a Halloween party. The sisters were at the party, with their best friend Beth, and they knew the girl who was killed. They also know there is more to the story and are determined to get to the bottom of it no matter what. Except for this time, they may be too close to the case, and this case may be their last.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The storyline was quick, fresh, and spooky. I love this little town and the residents we meet. I also really enjoy the Ryan twins are such dynamic and bold characters.

I liked that this book tied into Beneath her Skin but was also completely independent as far as the plot went. I also enjoy that there are still plot points that haven’t been answered yet, hopefully, another book.

The pacing is faster in this book than in the first book. But the story is equally fantastic, and the characters get even more in depth, and we discover more about what makes them tick.

This book starts with a serious bang and doesn’t let up until the very end. The plot is so fast-paced and intense, and it is almost impossible to put down. I found myself reading at such a rapid pace because I had to find out the truth.

There are some twists in this book that you will never see coming. The first big twist left me staring and the same sentence with my mouth agape. I am so happy I was approved for this book, and I think thriller readers will enjoy the dynamic world Gregg Olsen has brought to life.

I read this book, which is book two of the series first, which made it a little confusing with some of the history of the characters. While I like this author a lot, this was not one of my favorites of his. Seemed almost like a young adult book, but without the punch that some of those mysteries have. So while it was ok, interesting enough, it was also a bit disappointing

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. This was a DNF for me. I just could not get into it and the twins were getting on my nerves.