The Agathas

A YA murder mystery with the flavors of Nancy Drew, Mean Girls and a healthy dose of Agatha Christie sounded like the perfect read to me. So when Delacorte Press approved me for an e-galley I immediately download it and started reading.

Set an a fictional coastal town, we are introduced to a cast of characters through the eyes of high school juniors Alice and Iris. In my review as the two joint forces to solve the mystery around Alice’s once best friend they’re separate and sometimes troubled lives come into focus. I enjoyed learning each girl‘s backstory and how it affected them and their decisions. The evolution of their friendship sparked the book and it was nice to see how supportive it became for each of them.

Now this is a murder mystery and it was entertaining to see how the girls figured out what was going on including while also navigating adult reactions to teenage girls concerns. At times the mystery felt a bit overconvoluted but how Alice, Iris and the their friends obtained and handled the information kept it moving forward.

The ending left me believing that this is the first of a series and honestly I am here for it. I will definitely meet up with Alice in Iris and the gang should they put their sleuth thing skills to the test again.

This book was so good! I loved the nods to Agatha Christie, and the suspense kept me turning pages. I'm also really hoping that this will become a series, because I think it would make a good series and I want to read more about Alice and Iris.

The character development was great! I liked how the Alice and Iris were from such different backgrounds but were able to find common ground and cultivate a friendship. It also wasn't immediately obvious who the killer was, and there were some nice twists to keep the reader guessing.

For me, this was right up there with One of Us is Lying and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and I think fans of both those books will alos enjoy this one.. I think any fan of the classic who-dun-it story and Agatha Christie or Nancy Drew will also like this book.

I don't think I can even try to sound professional when talking about this book. It is the slay of the century. It is one of my favorite mysteries ever. It is definitely one of the best YA mysteries ever, right up there with Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson. I can't wait to recommend it to students.

The thing that carries this book is its amazing cast of characters. We have two POVs, one from an ex-popular girl who loves Agatha Christie and one from a girl who is in a tough situation and wants to get out of town. I loved their dynamic, and I loved that this was a love letter to Agatha Christie. The two girls we follow are both amazing and their friendship is incredibly sweet and real. It makes me emotional to think about. Also amazing are the ragtag group of stoners, lawyers and mysterious allies they team up with. I mean this book is heavy. We deal with corruption in law enforcement, domestic abuse and obviously, murder. These things are all handled well and I loved seeing these real world issues covered. That being said, I laughed out loud several times. There is a truly iconic scene where our characters pretend to be French foreign exchange students. It was gold. Also, during like the most climatic scene of the book, there is such a funny exchange that perfectly breaks the tension. What a delight!

Overall, this book is perfect and amazing and important and makes me want to read Agatha Christie. I need there to be a sequel immediately. I can not believe what a pleasant surprise this was.

This book is a terrific thriller! Alice used to be one of the most popular girls at her high school in the town of Castle Cove. But then she disappeared for five days last summer after her boyfriend, Steve, dumped her for her best friend, Brooke. Now back in school, she feels like an outcast from her former group of friends, at the same time her parents are forcing her to take school more seriously including by getting a tutor, her classmate Iris. Alice has little interest in tutoring and, despite having been classmates for years, does not seem to really know who Iris is. But when Brooke disappears after a party, turns up dead, and the police are quick to blame Steve, Alice and Iris join forces to investigate what really happened and secure the reward that Brooke's family has offered. As their investigation unfolds and they uncover uncomfortable secrets about their town, Alice and Iris find themselves in greater and greater danger as they get closer to the truth of who killed Brooke Donovan and why.

This is fun and twisty story. The mystery is great and unfolds at just the right pace. The main characters and the supporting cast are terrific. Once you pick this one up, you'll have trouble putting it down.

Highly recommended!

This was a fabulous book, both as a homage to Agatha Christie and as a stand alone teen mystery! Iris and Alice are an unlikely duo, thrown together for Iris to help Alice catch up on school work. Instead they team up to solve the disappearance of Alice's best friend Brooke. This takes place in a fictional wealthy coastal town north of Los Angeles. Is Levy Castle actually Hearst Castle? Probably. The cast of characters is nuanced, each with a surface persona and a back story that is often unexpected. There are plenty of red herrings and unexpected twists and reveals. If you love mysteries, this one is well-paced and well-played. Highly recommended for grades 8 & up.

It has been a banner year for books riffing off of the still unexplained disappearance of Agatha Christie almost a century ago. Between Nina de Gramont’s exquisite historical mystery <a href=”https://www.criminalelement.com/book-review-the-christie-affair-by-nina-de-gramont/”>The Christie Affair</a> and this modern-day young adult adaptation, there’s such a wealth of recent writing taking inspiration from Mystery’s Grand Dame herself to produce twisty, tricky tales that she would have been proud to serve as muse for.

Acclaimed YA authors Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson team up to write a book that, more than just being about solving a shocking crime, also celebrates the power of friendship. Our first viewpoint character is the perfect, polished Alice Ogilvie, the young heiress who went inexplicably missing for almost a week, and whose return to Castle Cove High School finds her something of a social pariah. Shortly before she disappeared, her boyfriend Steve Anderson broke up with her and started dating her best friend Brooke Donovan. After she returns and proves unwilling to provide either explanation or apology, all her popular friends turn their backs on her. No one wants to reward with attention, much less affection, what they see as a desperate stunt to punish Brooke and Steve.

Our other viewpoint character is Iris Adams, a quiet, bookish girl from the poorer side of town. When the school counselor tells her about a tutoring opportunity that will put a significant amount of money in her pocket, she quickly accepts. Sure, she knows about Alice’s reputation, but she needs the money, which she’ll get whether Alice’s grades improve via her efforts or not. Besides, she’s already braced for Alice to be as snobby and entitled as the rest of the rich kids at school.

The girls turn out to be not as different from each other as they’d imagined. They’re thrown even closer together, however, when they realize that they were the last people to see Brooke at a popular kids’ party right before she disappears. When Alice goes to the police detective in charge of Brooke’s missing persons case with her concerns, he tries to brush both her and Brooke off as attention-seeking kids. But Alice’s love of mystery novels won’t let her back down:

QUOTE
I stay put. I am going to say what I came here to say if it’s literally the last thing I do. Miss Marple wouldn’t take this crap, and neither will I. Miss Marple is a badass older woman in Agatha Christie’s books who isn’t a detective or a cop or anything, and a lot of people dismiss her for those reasons. But she never lets that dissuade her from finding the truth; she’s extremely intelligent and understands how human beings tick.

“Brooke wouldn’t do that.” I give him my best Alice Ogilvie stare. “She did not run away. Look, at first I thought maybe she was copying me, too. I mean, she clearly is into doing whatever I do these days. But, like you said, <i>no one has heard from her</i>. Doesn’t that strike you as even a little weird?”
END QUOTE

With the police reluctant to investigate, Alice recruits an already concerned Iris to help her find Brooke. They succeed… leading to murder charges being brought against Steve for Brooke’s death. Alice is aghast: Steve might not be her favorite person any longer but she knows that he would never have hurt Brooke. She’s determined to clear his name, and hers in the process. Steve’s lawyer frankly admits to the girls that she’s planning to use every tool in her arsenal to free her client, even if it means swinging the court of public opinion against his supposedly jealous ex-girlfriend.

There are enough twists and turns in this terrific mystery to fill an entire season of Veronica Mars, which this novel clearly admires almost as much as it does Dame Christie’s canon. There’s a suspenseful set of reveals near the end that really keeps you guessing as to whether you’ve correctly identified the killer. Mystery aside, this is also a really wonderful examination of friendship, as Alice and Iris bond and fall apart and come together again over the secret wounds and fears each girl harbors. This is all depicted in witty writing and dialog that feels entirely natural to our 21st-century characters, especially to our two protagonists, as in this scene where Iris and Alice make detecting plans:

QUOTE
“Here,” [Alice] says, and tosses something into my lap. “Use this. I was thinking we might need to, you know, keep things on the down low.”

“Is this a burner?” I ask her.

“Yes,” she says, sipping her drink. “I picked some up when I was getting our investigation supplies this afternoon.”

“I feel so official now,” I say. “Like a real detective. I just need a drinking problem and a broken marriage and I’m all set.”
END QUOTE

It’s rare for a novel written in this way, with alternating viewpoints written each by a different author, to feel so cohesive and naturalistic. Ms Glasgow and Ms Lawson’s partnership here is excellent, really bringing to life each sympathetic character and making readers like myself root for their friendship even more than for their ability to bring a killer to justice. I do hope this wildly entertaining book marks the start of a series. The Agathas feels as if the authors caught lightning in a bottle: a whip smart, empathetic novel of two girls inspired by Agatha Christie to be more and better than they ever thought they could be before.

The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow & Liz Lawson

Published: May 3, 2022
Delacorte Press
Pages: 411
Genre: YA Thriller & Suspense
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Kathleen Glasgow is the author of the New York Times bestselling novel Girl in Pieces, How to Make Friends with the Dark, and You’d Be Home Now. She lives and writes in Tucson, Arizona.

Liz Lawson is the author of The Lucky Ones. She lives in the Washington, DC, area with her family.

“They say money makes you happy. It doesn’t. It just makes you more comfortable in your grief.”

Iris is not someone who stands out. And she prefers it that way. She works hard and tries to do what’s right. She has a secret she can’t tell anyone, but it doesn’t matter- she’s working to escape. Alice is the only child of highly successful and busy parents. After disappearing for a week, Alice tries to get her life back on track. When she is assigned a tutor who makes her feel seen, things shift.

This was a great first book in a series. The characters were all so well developed. And readers will have no issue identifying with someone.

This is a classic case of the grass not always being greener- Iris is poor, but her mother adores her. Alice is wealthy and often alone or with her nanny. They are doubtful to be friends. Yet their paths cross, and the journey begins.

I love how fast-paced this story was. It was impossible to put down. The plot was often heavy and riddled with adult themes, but there is an innocence and a lightness that keeps things moving.

I love that Alice is obsessed with Agatha Christie, and that helps her take the steps she needs to humble herself and grow. Iris has to learn to trust and not judge people based on their circumstances.

Together, they form a pure charm bond and are filled with a genuine love for one another. This was a fantastic book. And I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

When a popular high school student is found murdered and the police don’t seem to want to investigate very hard, Agatha Christie stan Alice Ogilvie and her sorta-friend Iris Adams decide to investigate themselves.

This book claims to be One of Us Is Lying meets Riverdale, and seems to be heavily influenced by Veronica Mars. While it was an entertaining, quick read, I think it falls a little short of the material that inspired it. The adults involved in the case are way too willing to talk to a couple of teenagers, and the evidence is uncovered a bit too easily.

The book leaves the door open for at least two more sequels, if not three, as a few unsolved murders are mentioned. While this isn’t a book I would call a favorite, I did like it well enough to continue reading future books. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Net Galley and Delacorte Press for the gifted review copy.

Loved this book. Loved the characters. Loved the mystery. This book is a very good teen mystery because the writing is good, and the mystery is good. Alice has everything anyone could want in life except someone who cares about her. Iris has lots of friends and a good relationship with her mother, but no money. When Iris is assigned to tutor Alice it seems to be an unlikely match, but they are able to bind to solve the mystery. When Iris brings her friends, who are not part of the "in" crowd to help, Alice finds friendships. The book has all the teen drama including boyfriend problems, and class differences. As for Agatha--she is not my favorite mystery author, but maybe teens may be inspired to try her for themselves.

thank you netgalley for this arc! okay so!! i love ya thrillers, they are so fun and i read them so fast because i become obsessed with the story and wanna see where it's going and if my assumptions are correct. this was a great one! i had fun reading it and recommend it to everyone who wants to have a fun time.

This was a fun YA mystery. I was rooting for the characters and enjoyed how an unlikely crew came together to solve their classmates murder. It has tons of Agatha Christie quotes and references if you’re into that. CW for domestic violence and child abuse.

Thank you to Net Galley for a free advanced copy of this book to review.

This was a great YA thriller. Plenty of unique characters and a great mystery to be solved. Parts of the story felt a little implausible, especially toward the end, but it all led to a very satisfying conclusion.

I will definitely recommend this to my high schoolers when it comes out.

When heiress Brooke Donovan disappears, the town of Castle Cove is left wondering if she's copying her ex-best friend Alice (who just needed to get away for a few days after a bad breakup), or if there's something more sinister at hand.

Even though their friendship is long over, Alice can't quite believe that Brooke would try to pull a stunt like she did. There has to be another explanation. But before she can spend too much time trying to solve the case, she has to pass history class... Thankfully, Iris Adams needs some extra cash, so she agrees to tutor Alice. But who can focus on homework when there's a mystery to be solved! When Brooke's body is found, Alice and Iris team up to make sure that the wrong person doesn't go away for a crime they didn't commit.

This YA murder mystery was so fun and such a page turner. I flew through it in one sitting! If you're a fan of One of Us is Lying or A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, you'll absolutely want to get your hands on this book as soon as possible!

Beyond the story, one thing I really appreciated were the notes at the end of the book with a few crisis websites/hotlines. There are a few topics covered in this book (domestic violence, dating violence) that the mostly teen audience of this book may need some help navigating, and adding these resources is a really great lifeline for readers.

4.5/5 rounded up. I hope to see more of these characters in the future! Thanks to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Content warning: domestic violence

“What would Agatha Christie do?”

Alice Ogilvie was on top of the world until her boyfriend, Steve, broke up with her…then started dating her best friend. Heartbroken and embarrassed, Alice takes a page from her favorite author, Agatha Christie, and disappears for five days. The community of Castle Cove went into a frenzy, only for Alice to reappear unharmed. No one knows what happened or where Alice was.

Iris Adams just wants to be invisible. She wants to go to school, save money, and get out of Castle Cove with her mom as soon as possible. When she’s given the opportunity to tutor Alice, she agrees. The Ogilvie family has money and is willing to pay for Iris’s services. How could she say no?

But then Steve’s current girlfriend (and Alice’s former best friend) goes missing. People assume Brooke is copying Alice and will return safely. But Alice knows Brooke and she wouldn’t just disappear like this. There’s also a hefty reward for any information regarding Brooke’s whereabouts or if anyone can solve the case, which would help Iris and her mom get out of town.

Soon, Alice and Iris go from tutoring sessions to stakeouts, as they try to solve the case. But searching for the truth can be dangerous.

Y’all. I LOVED THIS BOOK.

I am a huge Agatha Christie fan, so the synopsis of this book had me so excited– and it did not disappoint! It’s a fast-paced, thrilling, funny, twisty mystery.

I read a lot of twisty mysteries, so I always say that it’s hard to surprise me. While I had my suspicions about certain twists, I definitely didn’t catch everything coming and I still thoroughly enjoyed each twist.

I loved all of the different layers to the story. We had the central mystery of what happened to Brooke, but also where did Alice go for the five days she was missing? And why does Iris want to leave town so badly?

I also enjoyed Spike, Zora, and Neil. They were great side characters and I wanted to see more of them. And I appreciated that these characters (plus others, including adults) believed Alice and Iris and trusted in their investigative abilities. In most books, characters are dismissed as teenage girls who don’t know what they’re doing. But they were actually respected and I loved seeing that.

Overall, I just really loved this book. I had hyped it up so much in my head and I wasn’t disappointed.

Plot: This was a great mystery, that took several twists and turns!

Characters: Alice and Iris were great main characters, and I liked the supporting cast.

The Cover: I like it!

Overall: I thought this was a great YA mystery, that I would definitely recommend to anyone who thinks it sounds interesting!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

The Agathas is a young adult whodunit that will entertain you as you try to follow the clues to who murdered a popular girl in a small affluent town. The story is told through the alternating perspectives of Alice and Iris. Alice comes from affluent parents who are almost completely absent in her life, other than providing monetary support and paying for a caretaker who actually cares for her. Iris comes from a single working parent household, a household she's determined to protect and support. So obviously, these two are completely opposite in many ways...most ways, really, but they unite to try to solve this murder and go from frenemies to true friends. As Alice uses Agatha Christie's methodology and Iris uses her friends and their broad knowledge base, they go step by step through the events leading up to the death, relentlessly trying to get to the bottom of what happened. There's humor and emotion and twists and The Agathas left me with hope that we'll see these characters team up again.

I loved this book! Fun, intriguing and spot on with the writing of teenage girls. I was invested in finding out how this would all end up and if the characters that I was most interested in would survive. I felt like I was right back in high school with how vivid the writing was (I enjoyed it much more this time). I highly recommend The Agathas.

Have you pre-ordered a copy? You should. You really should.
A fast, propulsive read, this book is so much fun. With just enough tropes (mean girls, zoners, poor little rich girl and a missing heiress) to get readers hooked, the Agathas plants well timed twists to keep readers off balance enough that they won’t see the end coming but will enjoy the satisfying conclusion. Full of secrets and drama while also light enough to comfortably hand to middle school students. All the characters are hiding secrets, but Alice and Iris are complex, making sometimes bad but understandable choices. I enjoyed the reading ride but it was the developing friendships that helped this book resonate. Dual narration trades between Iris and Alice sprinkled with text conversations and tv reporting. I can’t wait to read more of Iris and Alice’s adventures. I love that they are collecting a team around them and know other readers will also hope you are already considering the next volume.

For libraries where Karen McManus’s books and GGGTM series are popular be sure to purchase multiple copies. This is the book all those readers are going to DEVOUR this summer.

Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this title that publishes 5/3/22.

Privileged but ignored at home and outcast at school, Alice pairs up with Iris, her tutor, to find her former best friend who went missing at a Halloween party. Secrets, clues, and plenty of suspects keep them on a twisty path throughout the story. While some slang is quite outdated, and some incidents are pretty unrealistic (it IS fiction, though, right?), I really liked the characters and how they worked together. I’m hoping this is the start of a series that will be refined in the next installment.

Thank you to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, Netgalley, and the authors for early access to this engaging mystery.

Is it me or was this book was awesome!! We meet two teens, Alice who is a rich popular girl, ran away from home the town was on a frenzy and then she came back, not saying where she went or what really happened to her. Then we meet Iris, she is not popular, but she is a smart girl, and likes to stay under the radar, they both have a lot in common, they don't realize it until something happens to Alice's ex bestfriend, who stole her boyfriend by the way.

Lets not get into the whole "she stole my boyfriend" there is so much going on this book that I really did not care for any of that crap, the mystery of what happened to Brooke was more of an interest, there so much mystery with her disappearance, HUGE who done it scenarios, and also what the characters are going through in their individual lives.

I am a huge true crime fan, that when Alice references Agatha Christie for practically everything when it comes to getting evidence to get the right person in jail, I was in LOVE! The twists and turns were worth it and I couldn't put the book down.

Thanks Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.