As an educator, I love to read all things that fictionalize academia. This is How We End Things is the story of a professor who is studying the science behind lying and deception. What could go wrong with this scenario in the psychology department, on a mostly empty campus in the middle of winter during a snowstorm?
This who-dun-it tale was unexpectedly exciting, and edge of your seat! Each student has lies and secrets to hide, and just as I thought I had them figured out, boy, was I wrong!
Thriller and psychology fans will really enjoy this read! 5 stars!!!

Dark academia? Count me in!

At a university in North Carolina, a small group of graduate students is working with Professor Joe Lyons on a research project about the propensity to lie. The conditions of the study sometimes go a little far in provoking a reaction from the subjects, and has in fact just sparked a violent response from one of the participants. The graduate students are all very different from each other in background, circumstances and personality, so some of them do not get along with each other very well. All of them have histories that they have not shared with each other. The arrival of a new team member, with a prickly personality and a directive to provide legal counsel and keep the group on an ethical track, sets everyone's nerves on edge. Shockingly, one of the graduate students is violently murdered in Joe's office after-hours. The local detective, Alana Larson, teams up with Officer Patrick King to solve the murder.

I found this novel a little slow to start, but once it began to pick up the pace I had trouble putting it down. I quite enjoyed the small college town setting and the enclosed little world of university academia, along with the exploration of the students' characters. The partnership of Larson and King was especially enjoyable. I had difficulty wrapping my head around the experiment/study and how it was supposed to examine lying and deceptive behaviour, not that it was critical to the plot, but it bothered me that it didn't make sense to me. The reader is able to anticipate the identity of the murderer, but it takes some time to get to the bottom of the mystery of why. I think I would have preferred a different character to be the murderer. I can't explain why without spoilers, but I think I would have been more satisfied with a different murderer. Ultimately, the novel checks some of the boxes but not all. It is a very solid debut mystery novel however, so thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for the copy to read.

"Joe Lyons led an exclusive group of graduate students with one mission: expand the field of psychology with cutting edge research." Set in a North Carolina University, 5 graduate students (Robert, Elizabeth, Britt, Chris and Scarlet) work closely together for Joe on a research study designed to study deception. On this day, a 6th student, Veronica, was coming to join their team. The others were not especially keen on the idea, even less so once they heard she was not a research student, but had just gotten her JD Degree. specializing in managing liability. Why would they need a lawyer? Being that Joe was the pinnacle of Psychology research. and anyone one his team would have a golden ticket, they kept their thoughts to themselves.

To be on the leading edge meant hard work, and a willingness to take risks and push boundaries. The study itself is a bit morally ambiguous, so they keep things within their small group to keep any unwanted inquiries at bay. But they are all hiding more than their risky testing program, each of them have secrets of their own they they keep hidden. But they won't be able to do that much longer, not since one of them has been murdered. When a killer studies lying for a living, how will the police in this sleepy, now snowbound, town see through the deception?

R.J. Jacobs has written a compelling psychological thriller. Fans of dark side of human nature and psychology will love This is How We End Things.

My thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC of this novel.

A pretty solid mystery that jumps right into the action and doesn't really let up. The perpetrator is fairly obvious about midway through, but there's enough twists and turns to hold the reader's attention throughout. I also enjoyed the college-psych-department setting and the blizzard ramps up the tension. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I sped through This is How We End Things because story had me hooked from the first pages. The academic setting of Dorrance University, where psychology graduate students are doing applied research in the study of lying, felt dark and menacing almost from the start. All of the graduate students, as well as the professor were given layered personalities and backstories. And as the professor says, they are researching lying.

After the murder of one of the graduate students, we begin to piece together what happened that night. With Detective Alana Larson from the local police department and Officer Pat King from Campus police working together, we dig into each of the possible suspects. I will admit that at one point or another I thought everyone was guilty.

This thriller is incredibly well written. Having walked in an academic building alone late at night, it was easy to feel tension radiating through the story. I recommend this one for all thriller lovers.

Academia thriller that is sure to keep you reading until the very end! A little bit of a slow build, but the last 30% of the book had so many twists, it made up for it! If you’re interested in the psychology of people, this book will definitely be for you! Truly enjoyed.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this fast-paced, multi-POV thriller from R.J. Jacobs. I did feel that the killer was an easy spot, but there was enough academic juice to keep this professor happy!

A small, exclusive team of graduate students are part of a study on dishonesty, hoping to expand the field of Psychology. A session goes horribly wrong, causing the professor leading the experiments to pause the entire study. This is only the beginning of the problems impacting the group as several key players are murdered and puzzling details surface about a past patient of the professors. A snowstorm is bearing down on the college town, interfering with the investigation and leaving everyone snowbound with a murderer in their midst.

From a psychological thriller perspective, this story worked well. The plot was intriguing and action packed, with measured revelations about past secrets and frequently shifting suspicions. The snowstorm added a nicely claustrophobic, race-the-clock feel to events. I did guess whodunit midway thru, but the question of motive remained a mystery until the end.

The police procedural aspect didn't work quite as well for me. Detective Larson had me cringing a few times with her overly emotional responses and questionable reasoning. This didn't totally keep me from enjoying the story, but it did throw me off at times.

Overall, This Is How We End Things is an entertaining, plot driven mystery with some unexpected twists and turns and a great dark academia, isolated setting. For readers looking for a fast paced, escapist thriller, get ready to settle in for a fun few hours.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me a copy to read and review.

“Dark academia? So hot right now.” This was fantastic. It kept me on the edge of my seat from the beginning. I was anxious the entire time, and often contemplating the dark underbelly of the study of psychology. I highly recommend this one.

A psychological thriller involving murder and dark academia? Count me in! This book hooked me from the start! So many lies, lots of manipulation and some psychological aspects made this hard to put down. I would’ve liked some more background about the psychology aspect, but this was so addictive and a great thriller nonetheless!

A dark academia locked room thriller in the PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT of a university, and the action takes place during a snowstorm? Yes, please! I was eagerly anticipating this new read from R.J. Jacobs, and it did not disappoint!

Professor Joe Lyons and his graduate students are conducting some morally ambiguous experiments on the science of lying, but when an experiment goes wrong and a volunteer becomes violent, police are called in. The student had a knife in his backpack, and his backpack made it into the research room.

During a late night of work at the office, one of the grad students is murdered. Everyone involved in the study is a suspect. Ironically, when the police realize all of their suspects are masters of deception and all of them have secrets they're anxious to hide, finding the suspect proves taxing.

I was initially worried about the number of characters to keep straight, but with expertly crafted personalities, each one soon stood out. Layered with tension and unease, this book was everything I had hoped for since I read the synopsis. Lovers of psychology, dark academia, locked room settings, and tense thrillers will love this one! Thank you to NetGalley and SourceBooks Landmark for the early read. This title will publish September 12, 2023.

What a great read! This book follows Scarlett and the rest of her group as they navigate murder, betrayal and psychology experiments. I truly enjoyed all the twists and turns, and highly recommend it if you’re looking for a fast read!

A group of doctoral students of psychology are the most likely candidates in the death of one of their members. As the story unwinds each is found to have a suspicious background as lies are told but no evidence is found to implicate anyone. A convenient snow storm keeps the group confined to the small college town while information is slowly gathered that will implicate one of the group. The story limped along for more than the first half but picked up pace and interest toward a mostly sastisfying end. Review based on digital copy.

I couldn't get into this book. I didn't feel any empathy for the characters and I didn't feel any suspense or tension. Nothing much seemed to happen until the very end. Perhaps there were too many characters, but I just didn't really get a clear picture of each individual.

I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I tore through this dark academia whodunnit and was on the edge of my seat at the end yelling things like “OH GOD” and “NOOOOO!!!” When I get loud, that’s when you know it’s good. And this was so good.

The pacing was just right, and the characters were expertly layered and nuanced. The atmosphere was dark and foreboding with so much deception and suspense. I kept thinking I had it figured out only to change my mind again and again. This one kept me on my toes.

I loved the way the mystery unfolded and definitely recommend this one for a fast, enjoyable mystery thriller read.

My thanks to @bookmarked and @netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book before its publication date.

I enjoyed this book once i got past a complex intro. The action packed story suspensefully carried me to a ripping conclusion

I could not work out who the culprit was and as I am sure was intended my short list contained almost everyone I had met in the story but maybe not the actual person until near the end

"This is How We End Things" by R.J Jacobs is a chilling psychological thriller that lovers of crime and dark academia must read!

A group of graduate students work together at a prestigious university to undergo a study on the psychology of lying. On a late night at the department where each graduate student is working away in their office, one of them is murdered. Suddenly, they're all suspects. When the only lead the police have to go on are people who are adept at lying and have secrets they're all trying to bury, finding a culprit (or culprits) is nearly impossible.

This book is riddled with tension, anxiety-inducing moments, mind games, deception, and a whole lot of dark secrets that keep the book moving at a fast pace. It's impossible to know who the murderer of the group is and the multiple points of view changes work well to obscure the truth from the readers. Everyone seems like a liable suspect and the secrets they're all hiding emphasize the fact that they all know how to lie and deceive very well. The last third of the book was particularly full of heart-racing, adrenaline-inducing action. The desperation to reach the final conclusion makes the ending feel like it's flying by. This is definitely a book that's hard to put down after it's been picked up.

It would've been an interesting angle to focus more on the psychology of lying and to learn more about why people lie and techniques that can be applied to catch someone in a lie. This story definitely touches on these aspects in neat and clever ways, but a more in-depth study of lying would've heightened the dark academia undertones and the knowledge barrier between the reader and the characters. Yet, the elements of psychology weaved throughout the storyline and the mysteries behind the murders hold enough weight to keep a high level of interest.

Lovers of crime, psychology, and dark academia will easily be sucked into the web of lies and manipulation this story is centred around as they try to piece the jagged puzzle pieces together long before the lead detective. "This is How We End Things" by R.J Jacobs is expected to be published on September 12th, 2023. Make sure to add it to your reading lists and give it a read when it's finally published!

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for providing me with a free copy of the e-arc and the opportunity to share my honest opinion in this review.

I want to preface this by saying I read ALOT of who done it's. Sometimes that can be my downfall because it makes it easier to figure out who the killer is. This book was no exception to that. But I can't tell if it was because of an easy layup or because I just know the formula.
The writing style was different. And I'm not sure if that is a good or bad different. The flipping between characters wasn't distracting like it can sometimes be. But it didn't seem necessary. The story could have been told between two characters (Larson and Scarlett) and the same point would have been made. Britt and Chris' characters needed a little more development for the part they play. And Veronic and Tom served zero purpose. Other than to be red herrings.
Even though I read the book in like 2 days, it fell flat for me. The killers' motives were bland and the whole psych experiment part didn't even really fit into the plot of the story. It felt like a rush to get to the middle of the tale left a lot of holes wide open and needing to be filled. But instead, were just glossed over.
Author is talented- but the story just felt flat and rushed.

This is how we end things- The setting is a prestigious university in North Carolina, the campus virtually deserted due to a scheduled break. Five graduate students, under the leadership of a radical psychology professor, have been conducting experiments with students to determine what motivates individuals to lie. When two people are brutally murdered within twenty-four hours, the chief of Campus Security and a detective on the local police force must solve the cases under the stress of a major impending winter storm. Of course, all the remaining members of the group are considered persons of interest/suspects.
This cover and synopsis suggested the contents were to feature a darkly academic thriller but this wasn't quite what was delivered. Whilst the actual bones of the story were endlessly interesting and the murder mystery an intriguing one to solve, I anticipated the focus to remain more on the studies of the students and the psychology skills that were being taught there.
A dark academia murder mystery that explores the psychology of deception, and will keep readers guessing at every turn.
A bit of a slow burner at the start but pace starts to pick up about halfway through. Although it also becomes quite evident who the culprit it about three quarters of the way through the book so the last part is just waiting to see how the pieces fall into place. The way the author wrapped up the book came completely out of left field in a way that seemed like it was to be a “gotcha” than a well-thought out mystery with clues along the way. It felt like the twists were added just for twists’ sake. The last pages of the book are the actual characters’ telling us exactly how the crime happened. It was just a badly executed thriller that felt like it needed more time being developed.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

This was a cool and twisty story, although not entirely what I expected it to be. From the billing, I thought that psychology and psychological manipulation would play a larger role in the overall story arc. Instead it felt more like a setup to a pretty standard mystery/thriller. It was enjoyable and easy to read, although the ending felt a little forced and hurried, considering the way things rolled out. Still I enjoyed it and I would read the author again.