This is How We End Things was such a quick and atmospheric read. I really loved the premise of this book that gave off all the dark academia vibes. I loved the campus setting, the psychology insights incorporated throughout the book and how it was partly set during a snowstorm which added to the intensity of the story. There were a lot of characters introduced at the beginning of the book but I was able to learn them pretty quickly, especially as we got multiple perspectives which kept things interesting. Everyone was a suspect and had their own secrets which kept me on my toes and wanting to keep reading. I liked how the topics of lies and deception were weaved in the story which left me second guessing a lot of things and I didn't really predict much which made for a fun ride! There weren't many chapters in this book which made them pretty long which I personally don't love, but this one still worked for me because of the timely POV shifts that made it less daunting.

Overall, I enjoyed this one and rated it 3.5 to 4 stars! If you are looking for a campus setting thriller that centers on a group of psychology students written in multiple perspectives where everyone is hiding their secrets, check out This Is How We End Things!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the eARC.

I am really finding that dark academic is a vibe for me. This book was no different. While it may have been a bit predictable, that did not take away my enjoyment of the story. Certainly think this will be one many are interested in reading.

Graduate students in the Hull University psychology department in North Carolina are working on a research project involving dishonesty. When one of them is killed and then their professor, a female detective with a troubled past becomes involved in the case along with campus security.

The premise of this book was good. However, I was able to guess the killer quite early in the story. The characters had their own personalities and hidden agendas which added interest but lacked cohesiveness.

If you enjoy academic mysteries and have a hard time guessing who-dun-it, you might want to give this a try.

This Is How We End Things by R. J. Jacobs

Joe Lyons is a rock star. As the head of psychology at Dorrance University, he’s internationally renowned for his cutting edge research, even if his methods are perhaps less than acceptable to many contemporary ethics boards:

QUOTE
Layer by layer, the details of [his] experiment had been revealed to her: A study on dishonesty that necessitated deceiving the subjects. It was the daring kind of experiment that modern Institutional Review Boards never green-lighted anymore because of its potential for causing psychological harm. But it was also precisely the kind of study that had made Joe Lyons prominent in the field.

No one took risks in research like he did.

Not for forty years.
END QUOTE

Joe’s latest experiment is on the subject of disinformation, a topic he’s passionate about. He (not wrongly) believes that learning how and why people engage in the dissemination and acceptance of fake news could change the face of modern society. After all, previous celebrated experiments on prisoners and fascism helped change the public conversation, if not outright policy, regarding incarceration and government. His work on disinformation could have a similar impact. What does it matter if a few individual feelings get hurt in the process?

Since Joe isn’t a complete monster, he’s decided to add another key member to his small team. Veronica Haskins has no background in research but did recently graduate with a law degree. Her specialty is in managing liability, and her initial recommendations immediately make her unpopular with her new colleagues. Robert Barlowe, their de facto leader and Joe’s right hand man, is happy enough to go along with whatever makes Joe happy, as is Elizabeth Colton, the beautiful grad student who’s grown suspiciously close with Joe. Prickly, hyper-focused Britt Martinez, on the other hand, has no qualms about showing her disdain for the newcomer and the limitations she’s placing on their research. Athletic rich kid Chris Collins is also antagonistic.

That pretty much leaves it to the last member of the team, Scarlett Simmons, to smooth things over. This is a task that comes naturally to her, even if she has her own private misgivings about how things are going:

QUOTE
Robert’s comment echoed in her mind. The moral compass, was that really her role? And if so, where were the moral compasses of the other team members? She hadn’t thought of the teams’ deception as more than harmless mischief, but had she lost her directionality? Was there more danger in the experiment than she dared to face? Scarlett had idealized the team early on: the close-knit planning sessions, endless drip coffees, and stacks of papers were exactly as she’d pictured them when she’d applied. University life in general suited her, strolling manicured paths between storied lecture halls and world-class laboratories, while guitar notes from students drifted in the wind, felt invigorating enough to justify the worrisome debt she’d taken on, the bills she struggled to pay, and the unvarying meals of noodles she and her daughter consumed.
END QUOTE

Scarlett needs their work to succeed, needs the career boost that authoring papers with Joe will bring her. Getting her name out there will bring her both job security and the money she needs to take care of her young daughter. But when violence erupts at the very first session Veronica oversees, even Scarlett has to wonder if Joe’s methods have finally gone too far. And that’s even before murder strikes down a member of their tightly-knit group.

With the snowstorm of the century descending on their small North Carolina town, Police Detective Alana Larson has to figure out who might want members of Joe’s research team dead, even as the body count rises and troubling facts about each researcher come to the surface. All of them have something to hide, but would any of them kill to protect their secrets? They’d certainly lie, a specialty Joe trained them in for conducting their research. Will Detective Larson be able to separate fact from very well put-together fictions as she races to stop a diabolical killer from striking again?

The dark academia vibes are just right in This Is How We End Things, as six grad students and their charismatic advisor find themselves locked in a nightmare that’s at least partially of their own making. No one is who they seem, and only the plucky outsider detective can get to the bottom of their web of secrets and manipulation to save the lives of the innocent. While I figured out whodunnit fairly early on, the plot twists were revealed with aplomb, with the last third of the book especially a page-turning thrill ride. R J Jacobs’ background in psychology is put to terrific use here in his fourth and latest novel of suspense.

4.5 overall!

I love a dark academia thriller and this definitely hit the mark! This book had me hooked from the start and I couldn’t stop reading it until I was finished. I loved all the multiple POV’s from all the characters so you can get inside their mind and makes you question literally everything. I was guessing the entire time on who the killer was and with everyone lying about something, it definitely had me on my toes trying to figure it out.

Overall, I highly recommend this thriller to anyone who loves dark academia and psychological thrillers. If you liked In My Dreams I Hold a Knife or If We Were Villains, I would recommend picking this one up!

“𝑳𝒊𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏’𝒕 𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒏, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚’𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚’𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒕.”

R.J. Jacobs has become an autoread author for me; I know I can count on entertaining page turners that have a nuanced psychological perspective.

As a practicing psychologist, Jacobs’ writing is always fascinating because he offers an authentic viewpoint; with this book’s focus on a group of Psychology students, his genuine knowledge is at the forefront. This is a cross between an academic suspense novel, with amping tension, and a police procedural; in ways the first few chapters reminded me of a Murder, She Wrote episode where we meet a suspicious group of characters who distrust each other, with a murder that happens early on, and a sympathetic investigator. There are multiple perspectives within a chapter, but they are clearly labeled; I loved that you got to know a little bit about each grad student and the main detective. There is a great wink to Jacobs’ previous novel Always the First to Die, likening their situation to a cheesy Rick Plummer horror movie; it’s always SO much fun when an author creates a related world within standalone novels. There seemed to be some fun winks to a modern locked room type mystery too, with a small university town that is virtually emptied for winter break, as a giant snow storm looms. The well paced plotting, that had me hooked from the first page. Although I guessed the murderer by the 75% mark, I was racing to see it unfold. In a story about deception, I definitely felt deceived by a couple of the characters (the murderer included)!

This Is How We End Things is story of truth, ethics, duplicity, and trauma. It is another great addition to Jacobs’ body of work and would make an awesome movie. Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for my gifted copy!

This Is How We End Things is a psychological thriller centering around a group of social psychologists on a small college campus. When one of their own is murdered, everyone is a suspect. Told from multiple POV against the backdrop of an approaching blizzard, this is a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

I really enjoyed the main characters of the books, and having everyone's perspectives. Jacobs nailed split POV by making sure each character had a distinct personality and voice when telling their side of things. As always with mysteries, it is fun to follow along and try to put together the pieces of the puzzle and see if you can guess correctly. That was doable here if one pays very close attention. This book is one that will stay with you after its finished as you analyze all the various angles. I also enjoyed the pacing of the story. It was fast, but with some natural lulls to allow events to unfold organically. I love how everything was laid out and fell together so beautifully at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all views expressed are my own.

A prestigious graduate program at a school in small town North Carolina as a brutal winter storm bears down and the unthinkable happens, murder. This story centers around a graduate psychology program that is focused on running experiments to try to study the effects of deception. They set up some traumatizing experiments that they carry out on undergraduates when the experiment goes wrong and a subject becomes agitated. The team deals with the student and events escalate from there.
I enjoyed the interactions between the characters and the part thriller, part mystery, and part police procedural that is this book. My only issue with it was that there are many characters for the type of story that it is, but this is a minor thing and if you can read it quickly, it will flow well.
I highly recommend.
#ThisIsHowWeEndThings #Netgalley #SourcebookLandmark

This is How We End Things by RJ Jacobs is an excellent psychological thriller about a group of graduates students who are studying deception. After one student is discovered dead, the rest are tested on how well they can keep their secrets. Thank you netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this awesome book.

In my opinion, this book fell short of my expectations. Although I typically enjoy dark academia novels, this one failed to captivate me. The characters lacked authenticity, which made it difficult for me to establish a connection or develop any fondness towards them. It was peculiar that numerous individuals enrolled in the same program had secrets. Additionally, the characters didn't undergo much development throughout the storyline. Moreover, I wasn't convinced by the romantic subplots. Despite being intrigued by the premise of the book, it didn't live up to my expectations, and I considered it a disappointment. Nonetheless, I have an affinity for the author's writing style.

If mind games and deception intrigue you, then read this book!

Joe Lyons is a psychology professor at a prestigious university in North Carolina. He is conducting a study/research experiment involving misinformation and what propels people to be dishonest. His methods involve questionable ethics and the deception of his subjects.

He has a research team of graduate students helping him with this study. All have brilliant minds, yet all have their own secrets and hidden agendas. One of these students, Elizabeth Colton, is also his lover... When Elizabeth is found stabbed to death in his office, the lives of all of them are impacted.

A police detective named Alana Larson is tasked with the murder investigation. Alana is single and devoted to her work. Of all the characters, she was the only one who I liked. The research team were not particularly likeable (with the possible exception of Scarlett).

Another of the team is found murdered in the same way. Officer Larson's investigation ramps up... then a winter storm complicates her case.

I like a 'locked room' style mystery that has the characters isolated from the everyday world. This time the setting added greatly to the atmosphere. The deserted university had an air of kenopsia that gave the reader goosebumps. Each of the characters were experts at the art of deception so you didn't know who to believe. Every one of them had something in their past that they were hiding.

The novel exemplifies how dishonesty can lead to anger. After all... who enjoys being lied to? Subterfuge and manipulation can make your blood boil.

I was surprised by 'whodunit', and that was a plus for me.

The author's background expertise in the field of psychology is evident in his writing. "This Is How We End Things" is an engrossing read for fans of psychological thrillers.

This is a murder mystery where everyone is a suspect. Almost all of the characters are unlikable but intriguing. It's fast paced and a quick read. I was able to figure out the who but not the why. This is a good book for anyone that enjoys a who-done-it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC!

I will admit I am not a huge fan of Academia Thrillers. BUT! I could not stop reading this book and I really enjoyed it. It hooked me in right from the first chapter and kept me reading to learn all the secrets and the lies!

4 Stars and I really recommend adding this book to your fall TBR lists! It is just the perfect amount of dark for spooky season!

I love dark academia and this one sounded right up my street. It was enjoyable, but I think I was wanting a little more from it.

An interesting, albeit slow start, I wanted to know more but I wasn’t dying to pick it back up. As the story progressed I was drawn in more and wanted to get answers. The dark academia meets psychological thriller works so well, written around the psychology students in the academic setting - all the vibes!

Multiple POV’s took me a minute to get into and see who was who. But gave so much to the mysterious, ‘whodunnit’ feels to it all.

Exciting and enjoyable read, just lacking a little something for me.

A very suspenseful read that showcases psychology graduate students conducting an experiment about lying. But it turns out, one of the five students is holding on to a huge secret, and everyone else is in danger.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this novel.

I love a good psychology centered thriller, and this definitely delivered. A much different take on dark academia that was very refreshing. There are a lot of characters to follow and keep straight, and a lot of hidden details that are important. Really necessary to pay close attention! Overall I think the story was really well rounded and concise, I would strongly recommend the read. I decided to give it 4 stars instead of 5 because it wasn’t the most shocking ending to me, but it’s 100% worth the read.

The story follows a group of psychology students as one of them ends up dead, followed by the professor. Who is responsible? While they all have secrets from their past, which one of them is a psychopath?

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC!

In North Carolina, five graduate students are conducting a study on lying. Not so ironically, each one of them enters the study, already mistrusting the other.

Then the unthinkable happens and one of them is murdered. The obvious killer points to a subject of their study who recently blew up. However, upon further investigation, other motives (and suspects) come to light. But when you’re surrounded by masters in the art of lying, how do you know who to trust?

For whatever reason, I had a hard time getting into this book. The initial snafu felt a bit little a red herring, meant to throw the reader off course, arguably unnecessarily. Instead, it served as cause of confusion, and suffered from a lack of cohesion.

I stuck around to find out whodunnit, but I can’t lie, I didn’t find that I cared all that much. Many people are loving this book though, so if a murky murder mystery set in an academia backdrop is your jam, you might consider checking this out for yourself.

This Is How We End Things by R.J. Jacobs is publishing tomorrow! This is so worth picking up. The action starts immediately and never slows down. Dark academia and a whodunit mixed with a haunting atmosphere creates the perfect spooky season/cold weather read. Jacobs creates characters that feel real and while I guessed the culprit, it was a fun journey.

If you're a liar, the grad students of Hull Hall will find out. Just don't trust them in the process...

Dark academia isn't always my favorite genre, but R.J. Jacobs wowed me with This is How We End Things. It's twisty and fast-paced, but at the same time realistic. I thought I had it figured out, due to the multiple red herrings carefully dropped throughout the book, but I was still completely surprised and blown away by the ending.

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

Chelsea Stephens did a fantastic job with the narration of this book! It was clear and concise and always easy to understand from who voices which character was speaking. I really found the story interesting with the majority of the characters being in graduate school and studying psychology. The mystery aspect really had me stumped early on as the culprit seemed completely obvious but went an entirely different way from the one I was expecting! If you enjoy psychological thrillers be sure to give this one a try!