I really enjoyed this! Definitely good for fans of One of Us is Lying and the first two Good Girl's Guide to Murder Books (the last one in that series was not my cup of tea). I do think that for any YA mystery with amateur teen sleuths, you're going to have to suspend your disbelief at least somewhat, and I'm fine with that. The premise here is that Alice Ogilvie, popular high schooler, went missing for a week the summer before this book is set, and because the police put a lot of time and money into looking for her, she's been on house arrest. She's able to go back to school where she's being shunned by the other popular kids, especially her ex-boyfriend Steve (who dumped her for her best friend, one of the factors precipitating her disappearance). Meanwhile, she is being tutored by Iris, who is not popular and not wealthy like Alice, but they strike up a strong bond because they both see Alice's ex-best friend Brooke just before she disappears. Because of Alice's earlier disappearance, the police don't take Brooke's disappearance particularly seriously until her body turns up, and Alice and Iris, along with Iris' quirky set of friends and - unbelievably - a public defender, decide to figure out the mystery themselves so that Steve isn't convicted of a murder he didn't commit. I liked the twists and, even though Alice and Iris aren't always consistently likeable characters, I liked their dynamic a lot. I wish the Agatha Christie angle had been played up even more, but it's definitely present in Alice's obsession with her plots.

The e-ARC of this book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review.

When Brooke Donovan disappears on Halloween night, most people in Castle Cove just think she must have run away. But her former best friend, Alice Ogilvie, doesn't think Brooke would do that. She partners with her tutor, Iris, and they begin to try to solve the mystery. They are even more convinced that something is wrong when Brooke's body is found and her boyfriend is arrested. The facts, as they know them, do not add up to Steve committing this terrible crime. Using what they've learned from reading Agatha Christie novels, Alice and Iris try to find out what really happened.

I didn't love this book. It may just be me personally, but I am tired of reading about rich kids and their "troubles." Even though Iris isn't rich and has some family issues, they were not enough to outweigh the kids who have plenty of money, cars, etc.

Fans of Agatha Christie will rejoice at rookie detectives Alice and Iris. Last summer Alice went missing for five days much like her favourite author – after she finds out that her ex-boyfriend and ex-bestfriend become a couple. Halloween night – Alice’s former bestfriend Brookes goes missing. Alice with a penchant for mystery decides to join forces with her tutor Iris and convinces her that they can solve this mystery. Much like an Agatha Christie novel, the twists and turns this novel takes are outrageous – almost too preposterous – however it’s a fun wild ride and I loved the unlikely duo, Alice and Iris are perfect teen protagonists.

I don’t know if this will be a series, but the ending pretty much alludes that there might be a sequel and I am here for it.

Check this one out if you love Agatha Christie and her oddball characters Miss Marple and Poirot.

*Thank you so much to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I read 50 pages of this book and was very bored. I didn't finish it. I thought thrillers were supposed fast pasted? I don't know if you like slow paced book and thrillers usually move to fast for you try this one? I like thrillers when it grabs me and it and pulls me in and I just can't stop reading this one just didn't do that. I feel like the characters didn't have much difference, like I would be reading a chapter and forget who was narrating. Overall maybe I'll come back in different mood but I think this one was just not for me.

*I received a ARC from NetGalley. Thank you Penguin Random House!!

Two YA craft masters bring us a modern-day Agatha Christie duo that comes together to find a missing girl when the police and everyone around them seems to think she just ran away in THE AGATHAS.

"It's true that a girl disappeared this summer, and it turned out to be something else," I say, "but this might not be like that. We're not all the same."

Alice may have disappeared last summer, but on Halloween night her former BFF Brooke disappears and the only person who agrees with her is her tutor, Iris - who may have been the last person to see Brooke alive. As they forge an unlikely friendship and investigate her disappearance, they uncover plenty of secrets and suprises along the way.

What I loved about it most was guessing at how these two incredible authors wrote the story, having read books from each of them I was still blown away by how these two characters came together, and how effortless their banter and friendship seemed. The Agatha Christie quotes kicking off each chapter were the perfect nod to the timeless author, and got me in the mood for each and every scene.

With great supporting characters that kept me guessing and plenty of action to move the story along, I absolutely loved THE AGATHAS, and hope this writing duo has plans to write more together in the future!

Grab a friend to devour this one with; with plenty of fun twists and turns, you'll want to gush and guess what's next with someone and won't be able to put it down until you solve the mystery!

So thankful to Delacorte Press + NetGalley for giving me an advance reader copy of this title to read and review, I cannot wait for it to be available to all readers it is AMAZING.

Castle Cove is the perfect place to escape to for a while, though if you’re looking to enjoy a nice, quiet book with a cute storyline, you’d better look elsewhere! The Agathas is one of my new favorite YA books, and though it’s fictional and entertaining, there are some pretty realistic and sometimes gritty scenes that occur.

The book begins with a chapter depicting Alice Ogilvie returning to school after a brief stint of house arrest, which she earned after she found out her boyfriend dumped her and she disappeared for several days. Since she’s been out of school for a while, her grades aren’t great and her guidance counselor pairs her up with Iris Adams, a nobody, as a homework tutor and since this is a story, of course they become besties.

Okay, maybe not quite besties, especially since Iris is definitely not in the same friend group as Alice. Of course, Iris has heard rumors around school and is curious about Alice’s legendary disappearance which means they both find it strange when one of Alice’s friends, Brooke, goes missing.

Despite the fact that Alice isn’t quite as close with Brooke as she once was, it just so happens that Iris was the last person to see Brooke before she disappeared. Despite the fact that the police think they have to things figured out, Alice and Iris have found inconsistencies with what is being reported and what really happened. At this point in the book, I was pretty hooked and getting A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder vibes and loving it. There are multiple chapter narratives that occur over the course of this book, including text messages between characters, which was difficult for me to follow at first, but once I got into the story and had sorted out who was who I found that the different perspectives made for a thrilling reading experience!

Review of a Digital Advance Reading Copy from Random House Children’s Books

3.5 stars

This book has all the A Good Girls Guide To Murder vibes, and I was so happy to have found it. I loved the sleuthing and the girls teaming up to solve a mystery, and the zany hijinks were so fun. The Agatha Christie element was well-played and properly delivered, and the pacing was just right.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Delacourte Press for the arc for review.

I had a really good time with this one: an Agatha Christie-inspired YA mystery that kept the clues spooling out at a good pace, while also building a believable and interesting friendship between the two main characters, with a really fun, tropey set of side characters to fill out the cast.

While it does get a bit heavy-handed at times (referring to high school cliques by names like The Mains, Zoners, etc, unironically and outloud; referring to both Iris and Alice's pasts ominously without revealing details; somewhat overblown stereotypes of the bad boy, the rich girl, the nerds), it also leans by the same degree into campy fun, with Iris and Alice taking solving the mystery into their own hands, sneaking into suspects' houses, setting up a murder board complete with connecting string, burner phones, and even the requisite townspeople with pertinent information, very Murder She Wrote.

The mystery is set up with plenty of legitimately believable ways it could have gone, and the idea of two teenagers with no reason to even like each other taking it on is both hilarious and delightful. Their separate reasons for getting involved serve as reasonable motivation for them both, though, and also as solid underpinning for the friendship that develops between them. The motley little gang that has come together by the end of the novel, in roller skates, no less, is definitely a group I'd like to see again.

3.5 stars, rounded up for Goodreads.

“ ‘She’s had a long life of experience in noticing evil, fancying evil, suspecting evil, and going forth to do battle with evil.’—iris adams! This book is exactly what I needed Agatha Christie references with some Veronica mars teenage murder mystery detectives! I loved every minute of it! Alice is fresh out of a scandal when she is assigned to be tutored by iris Adams then Alice’s her ex best friend Brooke winds up murdered. This begins a beautiful friendship for the girls and the mystery begins! Read this book!

The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson. Pub Date: May 3, 2022. Rating: 3.5 Stars. A YA mystery, this book is a homage to Agatha Christie with a teenage twist. In Castle Cove, Alive disappears and then returns but does not talk about where she went or what happened. At the time of her disappearance, she was dumped by her then boyfriend Steve. Upon return, Steve is dating one of her friends who subsequently disappears. When this happens, Alice and her tutor Iris set out on a mission to discover what happened. Teen detectives with whit and angst, this book is for YA and Adult readers who love a good mystery. At times I felt the novel was slightly slow, but overall executed well. I was not completely invested in the characters and wished I was. I could see this becoming a series in the future. Overall, solid read but not my absolute favorite. Thank you to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

If you like the whodunit of Agatha Christie this YA version might be of interest. The setup took a bit but you know it's mystery. I thought it was kinda clever to use an actual event from Christie's life as a plot of the book. Where I disconnected from the story was the framing of the haves and have not which is also classic Christie framing but it was just ok.

I enjoyed this book, but didn't find it OMG Amazing. Probably won't recommend as a first purchase, but if there's room to spare grab it.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. This book was good. A mystery with a modern twist. I usually do not like characters like Alice, but she was likable. Iris the "invisible girl" was also very likable and relatable. They pair up, as unalike as they are, to look into the disappearance of Brooke, Alice's ex-best friend, and her ex's new girlfriend. The drama! I honestly liked this book and the mystery more than I thought I would. This is one that I will recommend.

Thank you so much NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

I loved every minute of this book!!!

*I received a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley.

Alice Ogilve’s known as the girl who disappeared after her boyfriend, Steve, broke up with her. She was gone for 5 days. After she returned, Alice kept the secret of what happened to her. But in little towns, people make their own stories up about what happened. Alice became ousted by her friends. Soon, another of Steve's girlfriends disappears. Brooke vanishes and it doesn't look like she's "pulling an Ogilve" like everyone believes." Iris becomes Alice's tutor to catch her up after her vanishing act, and the two decide to discover what happened to Brooke and if Steve is really the one to blame.

The Agathas is a fast paced murder mystery that will leave you wondering if all the facts really are pointing to the right person. Alice and Iris are a fun pairing to read because they are people who find themselves to be opposites, but in the end they have common goals. I also thought that the book had a great cast of "side" characters. They were funny and didn't let the novel get too heavy. The pop culture references to detectives had me laughing as well. The book pulled so many different time periods together when it came to detective TV shows and books. I thought that was a great addition. This book gave a lot of interesting insight into how lawyers, police officers, and journalists work, but I'm not sure how much of it was factual.

In any case, this is a mystery that I had a hard time putting down! Definitely a book I would recommend to all lovers of these kinds of stories. It will feel similar but altogether new.

The Agatha’s by Kathleen Glasgow & Liz Lawson is a young adult whodunnit that reminded me of early seasons of Riverdale meets Scooby Doo crew with a little bit of Pretty Little Liars.
I would like to preface this by saying I’ve never read anything by Agatha Christie & I don’t remember requesting this. I have chronic health issues & a perpetually foggy brain so I’m not sure how it happened, but I’m always grateful to be approved for arcs! I don’t think Agatha Christie is the best person to idolize but I am a fan of girl & woman empowerment!
The once popular girl, Alice, has been exiled from her status & clique after her mysterious 5 day disappearance last year. She is forced to get tutored by one of the school’s smartest kids & unpopular girl, Iris. Then popular girl & Alice’s ex-best friend Brooke goes missing…is this a repeat of last year or something more sinister? With multiple mysteries, twists & turns, Alice & Iris form an unlikely duo of teenage Nancy Drews & try to solve the whodunnit!
It was a little far-fetched at moments but as it is young adult, I think it works. I think it did a good job in showing the power of social media for demanding change. I give big props to Gen Z in helping be a vehicle of changing this world for the better along with us elder generations.
I really liked how everything came together. My favorite part was the development of genuine friendships & the importance of finding your eclectic group of friends that are all different but somehow manage to get along beautifully.
The Agathas comes out May 3, 2022!

Massive thanks to NetGalley & Random House Children’s for giving me the opportunity to read an arc of this in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings: This book mentions &/or contains violence, underage drinking, drugs, murder, gore, domestic violence & car accident.

I will post on my Bookstagram in the next week & add link when I do.

3.5, rounded up. This would be perfect for fans of Karen M. McManus or Holly Jackson; it joins the plethora of YA murder mysteries that have been popping up over the last decade or so. The book feels fresh, though; it only gives us the POV of two characters instead of five or ten, which allows us to get to know them better (though I definitely prefer Iris to Alice). While the side characters end up being a little flat and some plot points glossed over, the mystery itself was fun, and the authors also addressed issues of abuse.

Overall it's an enjoyable read, and the Agatha Christie Easter eggs are delightful for those who have read her books.

I adored this delightful mystery with its snarky humor and lovable teenage misfits. Agatha Christie obsessed protagonist Alice and her new tutor, Iris, find themselves attempting to solve the murder of their classmate. With several references to Agatha Christie, both subtly and directly, this book is sure to satisfy any fan of the detective genre. Even though it’s written for young adults (I recommend 14+), I think adults will love it too.

This is a story about taking solving mysteries into your own hands.  Alice Ogilvie has been having a rough few months -- her basketball star boyfriend dumped her, started dating her best friend Brooke, and she disappeared for five days, creating quite a stir in her hometown of Castle Cove.  

Now back in school, Alice is struggling to fit in when her old friends don't want much to do with her and all people seem to want to talk about why she disappeared.  And after her disappearance, Alice's school and largely absent (and rich) parents expect her to buckle down, and insist she get a tutor.  The school assigns Iris Adams to tutor Alice.  Other than being classmates, the two seem to have little in common -- unlike Alice's high-flying and rich parents, Iris lives in a small apartment with her bartender mother.  

But when Brooke disappears following a party, Alice and Iris discover a common interest in solving the mystery of what really happened to Brooke.   And after the police are quick to blame Steve, the two are convinced they have the wrong person -- and are determined to discover who is really responsible.  For Alice, it is an opportunity to apply what she has learned from her obsession with Agatha Christie books ... and to find her former best friend.  For Iris, it is an opportunity to win the reward that Brooke's wealthy and famous grandmother has offered ... and to have the resources to finally get her and her mother out of town.  But as their investigation continues, Alice and Iris discover that little about their town -- or each other -- is what it appears.  

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  The book has strong Veronica Mars vibes -- which is very high praise.  It combines the trials and tribulations of high school life with an engaging mystery.  Both Alice and Iris are compelling characters with interesting, and often mysterious, back stories that are revealed over the course of the story.  The twists and turns, and red herrings, had me tearing through this story to find out what happened.  And I enjoyed how Agatha Christie was integrated throughout the story.

Definitely recommended!

When I saw the title, I immediately thought Agatha Christie, and was pleasantly surprised to see all of the references to to the great mystery author. I did get mixed up at times about which chapter was whos, but maybe that was just me. I loved the mystery, the friendships (old and new), the twists and the little bits of comedy. Well, I thought that that use of a scrunchie was funny!! I liked how it showed that no matter your social class, people can still be friends. And, you never know what goes on behind closed doors. ((Content warning for domestic abuse.))