Amy who goes by Therese now is invited to a weekend getaway to explain why she left a party right before a group of teens were killed 20 years ago. A group of people closely connected to the killings are also invited.. The morning after arriving , they can’t find their phones or keys and a storm comes in. What could go wrong? We learn about the various characters and how they connect to the crime and their motivations. I liked the book and how it was laid out and thought it was a bit slow in some parts and I didn’t feel connected to the characters. I do think that it will meet needs of those who like a deserted island or caught in a storm type of thriller.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie meets She Left by Stacie Grey! When I requested to read this book on NetGalley after seeing the description I detected the similarity of the two books and I was right(ish).
Twenty years after the death of her high school friends, Amy is invited to a remote house in the mountains under the guise of being interviewed by a reporter. The others who were invited were also friends, family, or acquainted with the victims in some way. To their surprise there was much more in store for them.

The story kept my attention, although the build up was a bit long, to the end when the truth was revealed. Stacie Grey is a new author to me so I am interested to seeing what else she has to offer.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The storyline was interesting, but it's been told numerous times. A group of potential murder suspects are invited to a house, and they all show up. The characters and their backstories are interesting; everyone is plausible due to their possible motivations, but the idea that they would agree to show up is completely unrealistic.

It is a fun whodunit nonetheless.

SHE LEFT was a wonderful novel that kept me second guessing the situation over and over again. Written so well that the story ends up captivating the reader at every turn. The reality of the situation ensures the reader is able to place themselves into the story itself grasping at "whodunnit" ideas.
The story is about a young girl who leaves a party that turns up deadly after she departs. Years later a group of people from the past are called together to be interviewed about the situation. During this encounter, it becomes apparent that someone is up to no good and the reality of why they are really all there becomes deadly.
The story itself reminded me of a murder mystery guest dinner themed party but more elaborate.
I highly recommend this read to those who enjoy thrillers with a decent paced story filled with different situations within the timeline.

If you are looking for a twisty mystery, this is it! 10 people who are connected by a 20 year old mass murder find themselves locked in a mountain mansion. When they start dying one by one, it's a constant guess on who the bad guy is! I'm pretty sure I suspected all of them at one time or another in the story! It had good suspense, and kept me coming back for more! Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was a great locked room story! I was invested right away and needed to know how characters were connected and what exactly they did. The setting was eerie and the idea of the storm was also intense. I was wondering who was going to go next and what would happen. Therese was a great character and I loved that she was able to solve the crimes. Her character was very well throughout. I also loved the different POVs throughout as it gave some perspective into the other characters. Overall this was a really good read and I’d recommend it!

I was really excited to read this book. After reading the synopsis I felt like the novel could have been a take on the classic And Then There Were None. However, for me it lacked depth and just fell short of a good mystery novel. The characters were boring and very one dimensional. The only thing that wasn’t lacking was the pacing. The first couple chapters of the book started strong but it all went downhill in a mudslide from there. Overall, a little disappointed in this one sadly.

There really is not a reason I disliked this book other than the pacing. It all felt rushed and not at the same time? I just found myself not caring anymore.

I enjoyed “She Left” so much that I wish I could forget all about it and read it again like it was the first time. A Massacre, a lifelong ‘who done it’, convicting twists and turns until the very end.

This talented author has written a page turner. Realistic characters keep the story moving. Intrigue and mystery…secrets and red herrings keep the reader guessing. Thanks Netgalley.

What a ride this was! I love a good whodunnit mystery and this one did not disappoint. The different POV's were well written, the characters were interesting and the twists were good. My reason for the 4 stars is because it did feel like a couple of things were too convenient and a big question was left unanswered but it was a very enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to #netgalley and #poisonedpenpress for the opportunity to read this eARC.

This is a fun, modern day whodunit.

Amy Brewer “escaped” the Memorial Day Massacre in which her group of teenaged friends were brutally murdered. Twenty years later, she receives an invitation from a journalist to discuss the murders. For the first time ever, Amy agrees and finds herself in a remote house in the mountains with relatives and friends of the murder victims. Soon everyone realizes the reason for the gathering is not what it seems, and the guests start dying. To survive, Amy must figure out what secrets have been kept all these years.

This was an entertaining, fast-paced read. I loved that the guests were trapped in a remote location with no way to leave. This made me a bit claustrophobic and made the murders more intense. I thought the author did a fabulous job telling each guest’s theory of who murdered the teenagers throwing guilt in every direction. I was a bit confused at times of which guest was connected to which victim. It was explained but I think there were so many people involved I couldn’t keep them straight. This made me feel a bit disconnected to the characters. A question was brought up in the story about how each guest was singled out to be brought to the gathering and for me this was not answered in some cases.

I think anyone who loves a murder mystery will like this book.

★ ★ ★ ★ //5

She Left
by: Stacie Grey

THOUGHTS:

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to read an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

One of my top 10 reads for the season! I loved this book. This surpurb thriller had me on the edge of my seat the entire ride, the twists and turns and mystery kept me anxiously turning pages wondering what was going to happen. I sat down on a cold weekend curled up with a hot beverage and devoured this in a sitting. I only wished the characters were a little more developed BUT aside from that little aspect I enjoyed this read and will absolutely watch out for more books by Stacie because her writing style is right up my alley. I will recommend this to my bookish friends as well!!!

3.6
Good times were had here, but the ice thin premise that got everyone to the secluded location where everything unsurprisingly went wrong left a weird pall over the rest of what could have been a fun little mystery.

A spectacular locked room mystery that you are sure to love! I simply cannot believe this is Stacie Grey's first novel.

She Left features ten people that have been invited to a media event to discuss the violent death of a group of friends over 20 years ago.

Therese is the only one who survived and she is unsure whether she should attend, but she will do anything to assist with solving what happened and finding out why. She joins 9 others in a winter lodge that is quite remote and without internet access. As you might guess, there are many different personalities and fingers are pointed left and right when one of the attending dies mysteriously.

This title is incredibly reminiscent of Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None." I think it was a very successful mystery with a satisfying conclusion. I'd recommend it to any mystery fan.

20 years after Amy (now known as Therese) survived the killings of five of her friends, she has returned to her hometown, hoping for answers. She has always had a shadow hanging over her head. She was at a party with her friends, and when she got angry, she left early. There has always been speculation about whether or not she was just lucky or involved in the horrific crimes. A reporter has enticed her back to her old hometown, promising an expose that might answer some of her lingering questions.
But this get together is not what it seems. Someone knows more about that night than they are willing to admit. Their host is absent and when all the guests wake up the next morning, all of their car keys and phones have disappeared. A ferocious storm means they are all trapped here, and it becomes apparent that one of them is a killer. Who is connected to the 20-year-old crime and can Therese figure it out before her luck runs out.
I enjoyed trying to figure out which guest was guilty, and why that person did what they did all those years ago. The only thing that didn’t really work for me was the character of Therese. I should’ve felt sympathy for what she had gone through all those years ago, but somehow, I just couldn’t connect with her.
The resolution did make sense though, and the identity of the killer was not my final guess.Alas, I was wrong yet again!
3.5 stars.

3.5 stars

A very intriguing novel, which starts strong with a lot of power behind it. Unfortunately, the ending is more of a tell you what happened situation. I felt it didn’t really allow the reader to form any kind of conclusion, instead having a character figure everything out and explain it to the reader.

A group of people are meeting at a location at the behest of a journalist who is writing about a terrible bombing of a bunch of teenagers years ago, with all individuals having a connection to the victims.

Therese was there that night at a party that would be her friends’ last but left shortly before the explosion happened and she is determined to find out what this journalist knows.

This all starts off so good. I was fully locked in and the pace is quickly set, heightening the experience. It is towards the end of the book that I felt it lost some of the momentum it worked so hard for, and while this what wholly enjoyable, I wanted more from that ending.

"𝑷𝒐𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈," 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅. "𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏'𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒊𝒕."

Amy Brewer, who now goes by Therese, is invited to a weekend getaway to explain why she left a party right before a group of teens were massacred twenty years before. When she arrives, she encounters two curious things: first, a group of people with close connections to the massacre are also present, and the host is curiously missing. After reading a note from the host explaining the absence, the group decides to dig in to dinner and spend the evening in their rooms. Upon waking the next morning, no one can find their car keys or cell phones. It soon becomes clear that they were all invited under false pretenses and that someone in the isolated house is a murderer. Worse, a storm is raging outside that will ensure all of the occupants will remain inside. Will Therese, now an FBI agent, use her training to uncover who the killer is?

This book had everything I love, especially the locked room setting, but I just didn't enjoy it the way I thought I would. None of the characters were particularly fleshed out enough for me to connect with any of them. The prologue was the strongest part of the book, and it immediately captured my attention. I believe if the story were told in dual timelines I would have enjoyed it more and would have connected with who the people were back then instead of just who they are now.

It was a solid read, and many lovers of locked room thrillers will surely enjoy this one. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the early read. SHE LEFT will publish May 14, 2024.

I do believe this is a debut novel and as such ... I think the author did a really good job! The cast of characters, the setting, the plot ... nicely done. I look forward to seeing what this author comes up with next.

Thank you #netgalley and #poisonedpenpress for the eARC.