I am truly more of a 4.5 on this one. This was an absolute blast. Not a five because at times it dragged a smidge.

However, I truly enjoyed this mystery novel. Though this is YA, if you loved A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, you found your next read. Alice & Iris were great main characters and even the secondary characters were well written. Though you may figure out the end of this mystery early, the story there was well done. I thought the dialogue was also well done which can sometimes be a killer in YA. The teens sounded like teens at times and mature at others. But it was not when you're reading YA and were like no teen sounds like that! lol

An exciting YA thriller set over Halloween that nonetheless has all the vibes of the perfect summer beach read. I'm always a sucker for 'terrible rich mean girl has Feelings' as a trope, and I also always love 'smart girl from the wrong side of the tracks gets paired up with a richie for Reasons' -- so clearly, this was going to work for me. the plot moved at a good pace, opening up enough interesting avenues to make me excited for a sequel.

High school student Brooke Donovan, heir to the Levy cosmetic fortune, goes missing after a high school Halloween party. A few days later, her body is found in the woods. Her boyfriend Steve is quickly arrested and charged with manslaughter. But things just don't add up. Enter Alice, Iris, and a group of friends who take on the investigation themselves. They don't want to see Steve go to jail for a crime they are all fairly certain he didn't commit.

This book had everything I like about a YA thriller. I love a book set in a school setting and this was no exception - Castle Cove High School (CCHS). I like that the characters are able to use social media (#CastleCoveCorrupt) to draw attention to the obvious oversights of the police department. I also really enjoyed the friendship that developed between Alice and Iris. There were a few twists that I did not see coming. Overall I highly enjoyed this book.

Recommended for people who like Karen McManus' books, Reconstructing Amelia & Good Girl's Guide to Murder.

Synopsis: “Last summer Alice Ogilvie disappeared after her boyfriend Steve Anderson ended their relationship. Now she’s home, & it’s time to go back to high school. She tries to return to normal despite the curiosity surrounding her disappearance, but the mystery on everyone’s mind grows even bigger when Alice’s former best friend & Steve’s current girlfriend Brooke Donovan disappears.

Iris Adams has one goal & one goal only: get out of Castle Cove! She agrees to tutor Alice because it’s a paid job, but her pupil is too distracted by the latest news to get any work done. When a reward is offered by Brooke’s grandmother, Iris sees an opportunity to fund her trip & gives in to Alice’s desire to play detective.

When Brooke’s body is found, Steve is arrested based on convenient but flimsy evidence. Alice & Iris aren’t convinced of his guilt so they turn to the works of Agatha Christie to guide their investigation. Along the way they face personal demons, hard truths coming to light & threatening the integrity of their partnership. Are they truly prepared for the task at hand, or will the secrets of Castle Cove prove to be too dangerous for two amateur teen detectives?”

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Delacorte Press through NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

“The Agathas” was inspired by the Queen of Crime Agatha Christie, & it’s not just lip service in the title. Her iconic characters Marple & Poirot are mentioned throughout, & several chapters begin with a quote from one of her many novels. If that’s not enough, there’s a special blurb about Agatha’s success, & I’m pretty sure Alice Ogilvie’s disappearance is a nod to her own 11-day disappearance. I was excited to get my hands on this book because Agatha is my favorite author; for that same reason I was terrified to start reading because the standard was set so high. The pace started slow, & the teenage tone of the dialogue took some getting used to. But just when I was starting to feel like this might not be my cup of tea, the mystery consumed me, & I flew through the last three quarters of the book.

There are two points-of-view: Alice Ogilvie & Iris Adams. I’m not sure how the chapters were divided between authors Kathleen & Liz, but the writing is seamless; the story is cohesive from start to finish while both characters remain unique & easily distinguishable from the other. I was pleasantly surprised by the addition of mixed media: Alice & Iris’ “Murder Board,” news articles, social media comments, text conversations, & transcripts from local news, police interviews, & press conferences. Those pages made me feel even more immersed in the mystery, like I was an Agatha too. I correctly identified the murderer & motive around the halfway mark, but I’m the kind of bibliophile who theorizes as I read so I wasn’t bothered by a spoiled ending. What did bother me is how the reveal happened; the location made sense thanks to excellent foreshadowing, but the interaction was a little awkward in places.

Despite a few cons, this book was a top-down, sea air thrill ride so I’m rating it four stars. I do recommend it to Agatha Christie fans, but only those who also enjoy teen novels; otherwise you might find yourself more annoyed than amused by the language & mannerisms of the youths. The coastal California setting reminds me of the Big Little Lies TV show so picture that with a teenage cast. If the result intrigues you, preorder a copy of this murder mystery right now. The release date is May 3rd, 2022.

•

Content Breakdown:

*Disclaimer: I read an uncorrected ARC so certain things might change before the final copy is printed.

Abuse: Iris’ dad is abusive, & it’s frequently discussed in her chapters. There are several mentions of the time he broke her wrist. He shows up a couple times, disobeying the restraining order; near the end of the book he barges into the Adams’ apartment & physically harms Iris & her mom. He is attacked in self-defense, first hit on the head & then pushed down a flight of stairs.

Alcohol, Cigarettes, & Drugs: There are several mentions of alcohol & being drunk, & the bar where Iris’ mom works is mentioned & visited a few times. There is one mention of Lucky Strikes cigarettes. There are mentions of pills & weed as well as being high. Two separate times, someone’s drink is drugged.

Blood: Some of the characters wear cheerleader costumes on Halloween that are covered in fake blood. There are a few instances when a character bleeds from a head wound.

Language:
Apesh*t
A*$ / A*$hole
B*d*ss
B*tch / B*ches / B*tchy
D*mn / D*mmit
Dumb*$$
F*ck / F*ckboy / F*cking / Middle finger
G*d
G*dd*mn
Good L*rd
H*ll / Holy H*ll
Holy sh*t / Sh*t / Sh*tless
J*sus / J*sus Chr*st
Merde (French word for sh*t)

These can also be considered crude: Crap, Frickin’, Mother-Sucker, & What the F ( I don’t know if those last two will be changed in the final book, but they obviously replace What the f*ck & Motherf*ck*r )

Sensual/Sexual: There are a few mentions of condoms. Alice is shown a video of another character getting intimate with a boy from their school. One character exchanged nude photos & sexual texts with multiple people, some of which are recovered & described.

Violence: After the discovery of a dead body, an autopsy is performed off-page & discussed on-page. Crime scene photos are looked at, & the body is described in gruesome detail more than once. There is one past & two present car crashes which lead to head trauma. There are a few attacks during which a character is hit on the head. When the murderer is revealed, the murder is described in detail.

I enjoyed this fun mystery. I liked the characters and had so much fun tagging along with them.

The residents of Castle Cove were shook last summer when Alice Ogilive disappeared for five days after her boyfriend Steve dumped her. Perhaps the greatest mystery is that when she returned she refused to talk about what happened. Now another one Steve’s girlfriends has disappeared. Brooke Donovan was Alice’s best friend until she stole her boyfriend Steve. This seems eerily similar to what happened to Alice, however unlike Alice it doesn’t seem like Brooke is coming back. Brooke’s grandmother is offering $50,000 for information leading to Brooke.

Iris Adams is Alice’s tutor. She could definitely use the reward money. Armed with her Agatha Christie books, Iris and Alice are determined to prove Steve’s innocence and figure out what happened to Brooke.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Alice, rich and super popular, got dumped by her boyfriend the high school basketball star. To add insult to injury he has gotten together with her now former best friend, Brooke. Alice took off for a few days and one knows where she went. It was quite the scandal. Her parents hire her a tutor named Iris to help her get her grades up. Iris is not rich and not popular. Just as Alice and Iris are getting to know each other something terrible happens to Brooke. They team up and with some crime solving inspo from Agatha Christie decide to find a killler.

I really enjoyed this book! It’s got several interesting threads going plus some entertaining and smart teenagers who aren’t going to let closed-minded adults stop them.

The book is fun for a murder mystery but has some serious themes. There’s child and intimate partner abuse, child neglect, drugs, and obviously murder.

Thanks to @netgalley and @delacortepress for an advanced copy of this book! It will be released on 5/3/22.

3.5 stars rounded to 4.

This is a solid, entertaining YA mystery. I liked the Agatha Christie angle and it may finally compel me to read an Agatha Christie novel. Why I haven't read one yet, I dont know...

This book seems to be set up for a sequel and I would probably read it.

★ ★ ★ ★
another NetGalley book down & this one was SO GOOD!! i was immediately attracted to the cover & description and was pleasantly surprised!! what a great, quick read!! it is for sure a YA mystery but it rarely felt like i was reading something catered towards a younger crowd!! it is a dual perspective of these two high school girls who are dealing with their own personal struggles while trying to solve a crime the they believe the police have screwed up…but have they?! it was littered with Agatha Christie quotes and references and of course that is the title of the book but i didn’t find it super necessary!? this book had me hooked for the beginning & it could have stood strong on its own without trying to make it a modern Christie novel. i am really trying to stop solving the book in the first 2 chapters and i am so glad i did it with this one because while the motive was a little lack luster, i was shocked (even though i have to say for my Nancy Drew reputation i did think on more than one occasion it was this person)! i would recommend this to most people & really think it will be enjoyed whether you’re 15/16 or 35/36! this 28 year old loved this YA! thank you SO much to Random House, NetGalley, Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson for this advanced copy!! Make sure to check out The Agatha’s coming out May 3rd!!! official ruling: you NEED to read this book!!

Such a fun teen Murder Mystery! Unlikely friends Alice, who knows a thing or two about disappearing and Iris, who's desperate for a way out a bad family situation, team up to solve the their towns biggest mystery yet....who killed Brooke Donovan?

This book had a lot of suspense and action, but it's not super gritty or gruesome. It does touch on domestic violence, but provides hotline information at the end of the book.. I would recommend this to 13+.

Popular rich kid and some nerds unite to solve a mystery about a missing rich girl. They learn a lot about each other, and especially that our popular rich kid is an Agatha Christie nerd.

The book itself reads like your usual mystery but with all the class dynamics brought about by money, power and popularity in high school--amplified by Coach, the father of the missing girl. The solution to the mystery is surprising in that I wouldn't have guessed it, but not as it's quite believable though it does rely on a lot of mental illness and a lot of secrets. But who doesn't like secrets in a mystery?

Last summer after her boyfriend broke up with her and started dating her best friend, Alice Ogilvie disappeared for 5 days and no one knows where she went. When she returned, she wouldn't discuss it with anyone. Because of all the time, effort, and money the town spent looking for her, Alice finds herself on house arrest for months. Now she's back at school and finds herself a social pariah. Then, her ex-best friend goes missing and people begin to suspect Steve, her ex-boyfriend.

Iris Adams is Alice's tutor and she's making plans herself to disappear, but for very different reasons. When Steve is arrested for Brooke's murder, Alice knows he couldn't possibly have done it. She convinces Iris that, together, they can solve the mystery. Armed only with their intelligence and motivation to succeed, and Alice's extensive knowledge of Agatha Christie novels, the two young women set out to find a murderer and earn the reward money Brooke's family has offered.

I love mysteries and I have loved everything I've read by both Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson so I was thrilled to receive an advanced reader copy of this book. It did <i><b>NOT</i></b> disappoint! Told with two different point-of-views (Alice and Iris) with an occasional text chain between side characters or news article thrown in, this book absolutely captures the frustration and angst and energy of being a teen. Both girls have their own issues and are reticent to trust. Both girls have their own dreams and goals and motivations and its all believable, including their conflicts with each other. The plot pacing is perfect, I didn't want to put this book down. The writing is excellent and the side characters are fleshed out enough to be real. The actions of both the teens and the adults, including the cops, are realistic and make sense and, as a reader, you can buy into the story without too much suspension of disbelief. I enjoyed the Agatha Christie references, too.

Overall this book is highly recommended, I thoroughly enjoyed it! 5 enthusiastic stars!

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Growing up, I was a big fan of the Cam Jansen series, the documentary television show Forensic Files, and everything Zodiac Killer. This love of sleuthing and case cracking has followed me into adulthood with the likes of A Good Girls Guide to Murder, Snapped, Serial, and countless more morbid series.

The Agathas delivered an intriguing, mysterious series of events that definitely tickled my prefrontal cortex!

What I liked about the book:
1. For me, I can always tell a book is going to be good if it has a map! This one had a map and it was great, so for now the theory still stands.

I also really liked how the date and time were presented at the beginning of every chapter, as well as an updated suspects list any time there was a revelation. It gave the book a real CSI feel to it.

2. I loved that the town is definitely corrupt and social media played a large part in outing them. The cops in this town were giving me Making a Murderer vibes reeeeal bad…it was fun to see a hashtag constructed by “just dumb teenage girls” develop such a strong public outcry over the cops mishandling the investigation.

3. As far as characters go, I have some thoughts:

• I was really hoping for Alice and Iris to end up together. At no point is it mentioned that they could potentially be into each other, and we only knew them to have had feelings for men, but I was still hoping. There was just such a connection between the two women that I honestly thought that was where it was going to go. To me, it seemed to transcend a friendship level of care and compassion.

“Alice Ogilvie, what have you done to my life,” I say softly. I mean, if a man said that to a woman in a romance novel, they would totally be endgame.

• If Iris is going to end up with anyone but Alice, please let it be Spike and not that “bad boy”. Spike is a good guy, while the bad boy is kinda...interesting....and is definitely going to be involved in shady stuff if there is a sequel to this book.

• I loved that the guidance counselor was named Ms. Westmacott after Agatha Christie’s pseudonym Mary Westmacott. Such a perfect little Easter egg!

4. I appreciated that the ending was not what I saw coming. I pride myself on being pretty good at guessing whodunit, but I didn’t really figure out this one until the interview with all of Coach’s lady friends (almost at the end of the book).

5. The roller skating after school at the local rink was giving me total 90s vibes and I loved it! As a kid who hit up the rink after school with my super cool inline skates with the Lisa Frank stickers, I appreciated the vibe this created in the book.

What didn’t do it for me:
1. I have long attested to the fact that I can read a book about two characters just sitting at a bus stop as long as the characters are good. For me, characters are so much more important than the plot. However, the characters in this book were the weakest link for me. I felt we really only got surface-level information on even our main characters, and a lot of the side-characters were very similar.

With that said, obviously the plot was so good in this book that it still earned the rating it did from me even with fairly bland characters.

2. I love the potential for spin-offs I can see coming from this, but in the same vein, I feel there were quite a few things that didn’t receive resolution. Mostly about everyone’s home life, Remy Jackson’s murder, if Raf and Alice will be a thing, and if Iris will really date the bad boy. I really hope they do have follow-up books of more mysteries so we can explore these themes more.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson for the opportunity to review this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

4 "Mistress of Mystery" stars!

I really enjoyed this one! Not to give too much away, but I really enjoyed the characters and the plot as well. Very compelling!

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this incredible arc!!

I loved this book. I adored every second.

Alice is rich, with rich famous parents, parents who are never around. And, after the chaotic events surrounding Alice last summer, nobody else really wants to be around either. Iris is a student at the same school but from the other side of town... the not rich at all side. So when she is offered 3000 dollars to tutor Alice, Iris goes for it. Neither girl expecting to solve a crime or, even weirder, to become friends.

This book was so exciting and really... loveable. A very thrilling read. There were some serious issues, TW for domestic violence and assault.

Out on May 3rd!

When Alice’s ex-best friend ends up dead, she’ll do whatever it takes to solve the crime, using her Agatha Christie obsession to pave the way. Armed with her secretive tutor Iris and Iris’s band of “Zoner” friends, they just might break the case wide open.

The Agatha’s is a promising novel about the lengths friends will go for each other, alive or dead. But it falls short on what it promised to do.

While the premise of the novel is great, the writing didn’t catch my attention. Unfortunately, it felt like the author(s) failed to fully research police investigations and media stories. Those dialogue scenes felt cringe worthy at best and just unnecessary in a lot of respects. It also felt like some of the side events were unnecessary and unresolved.

I appreciated the subtle Christie nods and the good twist and turns of this one, but sadly let down overall.

When Alice’s ex-best friend Brooke goes missing and her ex-boyfriend (and Brooke’s new boyfriend) is arrested for it, Alice and her tutor Iris set out on a mission to find who is really responsible.

I really enjoyed this book. Alice & Iris were such lovable characters and their growing relationship was really fun to read.

I thought the story line was wonderful! It kept me guessing and the twists were great!

I would definitely recommend this one to anyone who enjoys YA mystery & suspense. If you enjoyed the Good Girls Guide To Murder or the Truly Devious series you will love this book!

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and statements are my own.

Iris and Alice are two of my new favorite characters of all time. I knew I loved Kathleen Glasgow, her three previous books - Girl in Pieces, How to Make Friends With the Dark and You’d Be Home Now were all consumed by me within a couple of day so I knew that I would love at least half of this book as I’ve never read any of Liz Lawson’s other work, but I was hooked from the very first page of The Agatha’s.

Iris and Alice, two girls from completely different worlds in a high school where sticking with your own group is key, are paired together by the school counselor after Alice runs away over the summer, disappearing without a word, only to return five days later like nothing had happened at all. Fast forward to Halloween, when Alice’s ex best friend., Brooke Donovan (who is dating Alice’s ex-boyfriend, Steve Anderson), goes missing and a few days later the young girls body is discovered and they believe her boyfriend murdered her, but Alice and Iris aren’t quite convinced he’s the culprit, and Alice, an Agatha Christie buff, persuades Alice into helping - especially since there’s a $50,000 reward at stake.

I am completely obsessed with this book. Kathleen Glasgow is one of my favorite authors, and to get this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher Random House Childrens was an incredible honor. This one was such a fun read, just a couple of teenage detectives trying to solve a murder mystery to keep their friend from going to prison for a crime he didn’t commit, and finding a beautiful friendship along the way. This book didn’t have a slow point for me, it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time and the plot twists that were throwing me off completely only excited me more to go along with every flick of the pages. The conclusion was something I never expected, but it was so good and the motive was exactly what you’re looking for in a story like this - completely insane and uncharacteristic for that particular character. I thought the growth of the characters throughout the book was a beautiful thing to watch grow so organically, nothing ever felt forced. And the way this book looks at people who have money and those who don’t in times of crime and investigations was really interesting, and needs to be addressed in more YA books. I loved this, barely wanted to put it down and I just fell in love with the main characters.

Please look up trigger warnings before picking this one up!

I 100% enjoyed this one and could not put it down. I loved the character development. To me Iris and Alice make this story - their friendship is what it is about. This is my first book I have read by Kathleen Glasgow but I own other books by her and I can’t wait to read them now!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children’s for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟💫 4.5/5 stars

The Agathas is the teen thriller I needed after finishing the Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and Truly Devious series. The Agathas follows Alice and Iris as they use the knowledge gleaned from Agatha Christie novels to solve the murder of popular girl, Brooke Donovan. Alice is a former high school it girl who has been shunned due to her mysterious disappearance and reappearance the previous summer. Iris is tasked with tutoring her and the two become unexpected friends. When Alice’s former best friend Brooke is murdered, Iris and Alice team up to become the Poirot of their small town.

This was so so good. I absolutely loved all of the Agatha Christie references and the small town setting of Castle Cove. Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson have created a whole world that I hope they revisit for many books. Iris and Alice are hilarious Veronica Mars/Nancy Drews and their friendship is the heart of the book. This one had me glued to the page and I bet it would be even better on audio. Highly recommend this one to fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and Truly Devious. I demand at least two sequels.

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Full review to be posted closer to release date.

Alice, one of the “Mains” popular clique returns to school from house arrest after losing all her friends, when her best friend starts dating her ex. Iris, one of the “Zoners” is tasked with tutoring Alice, and has her own secrets to bear.

On top of the typical high school drama, throw in a murdered (ex) friend and a wild investigation ensues, with Alice and Iris teaming up to solve the case.

My love for Veronica Mars has no bounds, so a girl detective story is a plot I tend to enjoy.

Many twists and turns, that I never could pin down the suspect until the climax unfolded. Nicely done.