Iris and Alice are unlikely partners in solving a mystery about the disappearance of one of their peers. Set against the backdrop of a fictional Malibu-like town where the absurdly rich and working class live side by side in a very small town atmosphere, most of the focus is on social hierarchy and feeling like no one really understands you.

Unfortunately this book seems to have needed another round or two through the editing process. It often changes tone and veers in and out of Middle Grade, very young YA, and stereotypical late high school YA. It tries to be a lot of things, and so everything seems rough-edged and watered down. The writing feels very artificial, as if the author has not actually talked to anyone the age of their characters in quite a long time. I hate to sound so harsh, but this one really fell flat for me. The premise is a good one, it just needs more editing and maybe some target audience readers for feedback.

OH MY GOSH this book was good. It was well written with a compelling storyline and well developed characters that were believeable. It was a gripping read with twists and a level of unpredictability that kept me guessing the whole through. I also love the front cover.

I initially requested for an arc of the this book because the description of really interested me. It definitely didn’t disappoint, and I think I can even say that it exceeded my expectations!

Although the book was slow/medium paced, it kept me on my toes trying to figure out who to trust throughout. There were many suspenseful moments where I was desperate to find out what happened and who the real murderer was. By the end, it seemed like the murder had been solved, yet there were so many more things to be discovered!

I loved all of the unexpected twists and turns- especially the ending. I never would have guessed!

I also loved how we also got to see Iris and Alice’s friendship becoming stronger as they bonded over solving the mystery. The way that their home lives and backstories were incorporated into the book in a way that made sense to the story, added further depth to the characters and allowed me to get to know them more, even though the main purpose of the story was to solve a mystery.

Overall I would definitely recommend this books to fans of One of us Lying, or to anyone who likes YA murder mysteries in general. I’d definitely love to have a sequel where Iris and Alice solve another mystery!

5/5 ⭐️s

'The Agathas' by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson is a fast paced and thrilling murder mystery. Alice and Iris are an unlikely duo, thrown together by a tutoring arrangement which turns into some canny detective work. When Alice's former best friend Brooke is found dead, her boyfriend, and Alice's ex, is immediately arrested for the crime. However, Alice is convinced there is something corrupt at play, the story following her and Iris as they investigate. I devoured this story, enjoying every new twist and turn.

Glasgow and Lawson keep the narrative pacey and interesting. We also get an insight into the personal lives of Alice and Iris, particularly harrowing being Iris' home life and her experiences of domestic violence. This portrayal serves to add a level of complexity to these characters which sees them moving away from the typical high school stereotypes. Each Alice chapter also begins with a quote from Agatha Christie, a fitting homage to her contribution to the detective genre which has clearly influenced the story so heavily.

Overall, this is a fun read, which balances moments of humour with more serious topics and exciting twists and turns. By the end, the murderer's real identity feels like a forgone conclusion... yet there are still murders and mysteries left to solve! More Alice and Iris books in the future would be most welcome from me. 4 stars,

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Agathas confirming the validity of my continued obsession with YA murder mysteries.

Fantastic story with lots of twists and turns that had me guessing until the very end. Alice and Iris are both great and I really enjoyed the blossoming friendship between these two very different characters. The only thing holding me back from giving 5 stars is that I'd have liked a bit more from Iris's friends but maybe they'll feature more in book 2, they were so sweet and funny!

Thank you NetGalley and Oneworld Publications for providing me with a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fantastic book with a lot of unexpected twists and turns. This is a book that I can see becoming a Netflix series in the future.

This was a fun mystery that paid homage to Agatha Christie and her works, and emulated the same intense, twisty mysteries that make Agatha Christie’s books so addictive. Honestly, main character detective sleuthing with no skill or degree, is my favourite genre of young adult book, so I was very excited to read this.

The beginning of the book was quite slow, partially because it was building tension, but also because there were so many characters in the story. Once all of the characters were introduced the book really picks up and becomes a twisty and intense mystery. At times, the amount of character’s was overwhelming and the constant referral of each other by surname was annoying, as I would occasionally have to go back to see who was speaking, particularly with the side characters.

Originally, Brooke's disappearance isn’t taken seriously, due to another main character and former friend of Brooke’s, running away previously. The lack of support and worry for Brooke then prompts one Agatha Christie super fan, and her not so willing side kick, to try and solve the case and find justice for Brooke. They both have their own motives for helping, which adds another layer of mystery to the story.

The story is told in alternating pov, Alice (the girl who previously ran away and Brooke’s ex best friend) and Iris (Alice’s classmate and tutor) which I really enjoyed about the book. Both characters had clear and distinctive voices, I could tell who I was reading when the pov changed, and it was nice to see how their friendship grew without them really acknowledging it. They also both had their own ways of working and solving the case, which was nice to see when the other character wasn't with them. I didn’t necessarily always agree with Alice and Iris's methods of getting information, but it definitely helped with the foreboding and kept the eeriness of the book.

The book was really high in tension and suspense, which made it easy to read in one sitting, as I just wanted to get answers for every new question the book threw out. The plot was well developed, and kept me guessing for most of the book, but I did feel like the answer was quite obvious. It also felt like the book focused on one suspect for a long portion of the book, before moving onto another. It didn’t feel as fluid as other mystery books I have read previously, but regardless it was still a good and gripping read.

The ending was a nice conclusion, but felt a little rushed. There were a lot of moments during the book that were not fully explained, but were then mentioned in the end, mostly regarding Iris’s situation. The epilogue jokes about them teaming up and solving another case and I would really enjoy that, whether it be a sequel, or something similar to the one of us is lying books.

When high school queen bee Alice ran away last summer, it was headline news in the small town of Castle Cove. So when her former best friend Brooke goes missing on Halloween, investigators and teachers assume that it's a copycat incident and that she'll turn up soon. Alice, however, has her doubts, and together with Iris - high school outcast and Alice's student tutor - decides to look into it herself.

The Agathas will be ideal for fans of Kara Thomas and Karen McManus, with a twisty plot that kept me guessing. The links to Agatha Christie, though, felt tenuous and would have benefited from either being developed further or (given the target audience) could have been dropped completely without impacting on the narrative.

I have read some Agatha Christie but I wouldn't call myself a fan. So I’m sure I missed a lot from this book. I still enjoyed this book for what it was a teenage girl mystery story. CW: for domestic violence but I feel that it’s addressed sensitively. .