i was hooked from the very first page and i love when the story unfolds right before your very eyes even with all the frustrating maddening situations, this was such a well written debut novel!!!

This is a new author I’m adding to my autobuy shelf!! Absolutely loved the book! The twist was slightly predictable but you can only have so many ways to end a murder novel!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Realistically, I would rate this a 4.5. I thoroughly enjoyed the way it was written. Every chapter left me wanting to read more. Lauren was easily one of the best female protagonists/teenage girl main characters out there. Not only was she easy to root for, but despite her messed-up past, I never once harbored any ill will toward her. She seemed pretty realistic for a teenage girl, and even without her dark past, she wasn't annoying or un-interesting.

The portrayal of teenagers in this was mostly spot-on. All the references were accurate, at least to the modern day, and I actually understood the majority of those references as a teen myself. Finally, a book where teenagers actually feel like real-life teenagers.

The only reason why I rated this 4 stars instead of 5 is simply because of the culprit. The big reveal. I honestly suspected the culprit for a while. I was torn between them and someone else, but I wasn't all that surprised when I was right.

Maybe if their motive was explained better, then I'd rate this higher. I didn't really understand what their motive was, other than them being a creep. Aside from that, this book was nearly perfect.

Omgoodness. What a ride! Everytime I thought I had it figured out, another twist came along. I never even considered who the real killer was. That was an unexpected twist. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy to review.

I really enjoyed Trish’s writing style. The book was so easy to read. The first half of the book I was pulled in and was trying to pin the murderer. By the end I felt like most of the plot was too repetitive. I feel like we heard she was haunted by something that happened back in California a few too many times before we found out the truth.

The characters seem to be wayyy too mature for seniors in high school! Trips away to the lake with their boyfriends? Pregnancy scares? Smoking cigarettes like they aren’t $10 a pack. Maybe I’m just becoming an “old lady”😵‍💫

“Plenty of people do coke” Umm am I that old? Am I that naive that high school students are doing coke that frequently??!

I needed more character development. Robbie felt bland. I wanted more suspense from him

The author did a great job of adding suspense without making it too creepy for YA audience.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an ARC copy.

Oh this book was fantastic. I was sad at times but really gripping and I was excited to see how it ended. I was totally surprised by the ending. I didn't expect the whodunnit to be WHOdunnit! I highly recommend this book!

This was the perfect book to read during spooky season! I love a good YA thriller - and this one delivered! There were so many suspects in this book, so it felt like a true "whodunnit" with an element of suspense and danger. I was fully convinced I knew who it was the whole time - and only to be shocked during the pivotal reveal scene. And I love an amateur sleuth who is determined to figure out what is going on in their world.

The book was fast-paced, realistic, and not too over the top. And all I can say, is I'm glad I didn't go to a high school like this.

Not one of my favorites. I did not like the flawed main character. Lauren needs a fresh start when she moves across country with her mother but is far into the book until we discover why. Lots of sex, alcohol use and teenage drama. Lauren discovers who the real killer is but there is no real foundation for her to establish his status as a killer. Things tie up in the end a bit too neatly. Pass on this one. I received this as an arc from NetGalley and am under no pressure for a positive review.

I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would! Reason why I was skeptical? I was in for the twists and turns, so excited to read a book like this, but wasn't too keen on all the teen characters even though I knew it was YA-focused. But put all that aside because it was such a fun thrilling read. Definitely think of Gossip-Girl-style drama with a soccer team, but still dealing with a rich family. You come to care about the main character, Lauren, or even the brothers-in-question, Robbie and Trevor. You even come to care for the side characters at some points. The chapters are short and direct, and it kept me on my toes, wanting to know more of what would happen. Finally a quick read book with such a roller coaster ride.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

As English is not my first language, I was worried that I wouldn't understand the plot twists in this novel and, above all, that I wouldn't know who the killer was.
But I was pleasantly surprised to discover a captivating, spellbinding and gripping narrative! If you like thrillers, I highly recommend this novel!

I could NOT put this book done! If it wasn’t for being a mom of 3 I would have 100% read this in a single day! It was so good. When I initially saw it on NetGalley I wasn’t sure if I was going to apply for it but I am so glad I did! I LOVED it!


Lauren is all but trying to run away from her past and of course falls into a situation ship with Robbie who has his own past he’s dealing with. Like, did he really murder is girlfriend!

The way the description read I 100% thought this was going to be her finding out and proving the guy she started a fling with killed his girlfriend. The classic untouchable rich boy story but boy was I wrong and I have never been so glad to be wrong!! There were so many twist and turns and I was FOR SURE I had it figured out. And although Mark was giving me a weird vibe I kept dismissing it and wasn’t sure how he tied into all of it. But it was so good!

If I had to pick a negative about it (and maybe why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5), I wish we would have learned the real story of what happened with Lauren in California earlier.

But overall a fantastic book and one I will definitely be recommending!

Thank you for this ARC! I really enjoyed this book and very happy for Trish on her debut novel!

This book had me hooked since the first page. I loved all of the twists and turns this book took you on. I like to be surprised with thrillers and the twists that they have and this book delivered. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time while reading trying to figure who the killer was and I loved that it kept you guessing.

This is a fantastic debut novel and I recommend everyone should read this! It was really well written and you feel for the characters.

This debut novel is truly exceptional and provided a thoroughly enjoyable reading experience.

The gripping narrative compelled me to keep turning the pages, resulting in my swift consumption of the book in just a matter of days. I found the depth of the protagonist, Lauren, particularly commendable; it was a breath of fresh air to witness a multifaceted young character navigating her traumatic past seamlessly intertwined with the present-day storyline.

Trish Lundy, the author, skillfully maintained my engagement by gradually revealing details and crafting a cast of characters who were relatable, distinct, and unforgettable.

The evolving relationship between Lauren and Robbie captivated me, unfolding in unexpected and engaging ways.

Furthermore, I was completely caught off guard by the unforeseen twist in the plot. During the novel's climax, my heart was racing, and I found myself reeling, attempting to recollect any potential hints that could have led to that moment. I was genuinely impressed by the author's execution.

This fast-paced debut novel kept me on the edge of my seat all the way through.
And the ending?! I had my theories on who the killer was, but I did NOT see that twist coming at all. Great read. Will be coming back for more from this author

Even after reading this book, I can't decide how I feel about it. This book isn’t bad. it just also doesn’t stand out in any way. It feels just like every other YA mystery I have ever read (the standard: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and One of Us is Lying) because all of the tropes in this book are in those books. and the reason why it works in those books but not this one is because you just never connect with the characters like you do in the other two books (more below).

First, the good. This book’s saving grace was the plot itself. In general, I wasn't ever bored by the book and I always wanted to keep reading. There were a lot of red herrings and plot twists throughout the book that kept me on my toes. Although I think red herrings are just cheap ways to continue the plot, they did keep me interested in the book. There were also many different working parts to this mystery so it kept me interested in the plot. Something was always happening so I was curious to see how everything would end up tying together. like i said, most of it was red herrings so a lot didn’t tie together, but whatever i was entertained.

This is my big issue with most ya books that I read now. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and One of Us is Lying both have a lot of significance in my life and they are the gold standard of murder mysteries in my heart. So whenever I read a new YA mystery, I subconsciously compare it to those two books. and whenever i see the same tropes repeated (ie a school social media gossip page that is anonymous, or scare tactics by phone or texts) it just doesn’t feel original. This book feels like the author just took every single YA mystery trope and stuffed it into the book. Which isn’t necessarily bad if you can do it well or in an original way, but I don't think the author was able to do this.


Another major issue I had with this book is the characters. they felt so bland the entire book. A major red flag for me is if I finish the book and forget the characters’ names within 2 days. That just shows me that I didn't connect with the characters at all. First off, I just didn’t really like lauren. I really dislike when authors continually reference a character’s “dark past” (which, in my opinion, wasn’t actually that dark in this book) without telling the reader what it is till the very end of the book. I know that it is a way to keep the reader engaged and guessing, but it just doesn’t make logical sense to me. If we, the reader, are in the perspective of Lauren's mind, why is Lauren's mind keeping this a secret from herself. idk if that makes sense. Also Lauren was just really annoying sometimes and acted stupidly multiple times, which Pip and Bronwyn would never do.

Robbie Cresmont was such a boring character as well. He was flat and you learn absolutely nothing about him throughout the book. I could not tell you a single defining character trait of this man.

the ending didn’t hit like i wanted it to unfortunately. I could see it coming from a mile away. again, it’s because the ending wasn’t any different than the other ya mysteries i have read. The first time I read an ending similar to this, it shocked me and hit so different, but after reading this same ending so many times, it no longer hits the same.

I know that I've been kind of bashing the book, but I do want to re-emphasize that I didn't hate it. Although I didn’t connect with the characters, they didn’t piss me off too much. and the plot was interesting and kept me engaged. So although I personally didn’t like it, if you are newer to the mystery genre, I would recommend giving this book a read as it will introduce you to a lot of the basic tropes of YA novels.

This book was a fun one & I'm always a sucker for a fun title. This book followed a classic YA mystery/thriller plot but with some very interesting twists and turns. We have Lauren O'Brian, the new girl in town with a secret who moves across the country right before starting a senior year. And then we have the love interest- Robbie Crestmont, one of two Crestmonts each with their own bad reputation surrounding the mysterious deaths of their girlfriends.

This story pretty much immediately captures your attention. It's been marketed for fans of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, and the author knows their audience well because the pacing and suspense of this book really has a similar flow to AGGGTM. I've read a few different YA mystery/thrillers that claimed to be a good read alike and fell short, but this one definitely has similar vibes AND can stand on its own! I was genuinely stumped about who the killer might be for quite awhile, even though I had my theories. The author leaves the perfect amount of breadcrumbs behind in the story without over-saturating the plot. I will say my favorite parts about this book are the side characters (especially John I liked what he added to the story) and the twists at the end. There's great closure & a satisfying ending. The author also switches POVs at the very end briefly which usually annoys me TO NO END but it was done SO incredibly well- it was worth it & added to the story for sure.

The only thing that keeps this book from 5 stars for me was some of the pacing at the end of the story. During a big climactic part, I felt like it was a bit rushed. I even had to flip back a few pages and re-read to make sure I didn't accidentally skip a page.

All in all, this is a solid 4 star read for me and I will definitely be looking out for more books from this author in the future!

As always, thank you to Net Galley and MCPG for this ARC.
This one was not a home run for me, but once I adjust my perspective to the fact this is a YA work and I remember I am old and probably out of touch with the youth (LOL) I see that this will likely be enjoyable to a younger reader.
I find it a bit questionable from the get-go that Lauren agrees to go on a trip with a guy suspected of murdering his ex-girlfriend after what I can only assume was a several weeks-long acquaintances with benefits relationship (mark that down for a conversation to have with my daughter one day related to good judgment). I am a mom. I am not young. I have a daughter. But I also once was 17 and there is no way that was happening. I digress.
However, I think that Lundy did a great job of keeping the reader engaged with interesting characters and developing twists + secrets. I found this to be a quick and easy read which is for me 100% a great thing. I was surprised by the ending, and I think that 17 year-old Sarah would have absolutely devoured this book.
Publish date: April 16, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4 out of 5

Oh my goodness, wow. Just wow. This book actually really surprised me. I picked it because the title and the cover intrigued me, even though the YA genre made me hesitate a bit; it’s become harder as I’ve grown into adulthood to enjoy YA book. But this one is a *slam credit card on table* must read. The twists, the realism, and the relatability to the characters as well as the growth so many of them go through is astounding. Go buy this book now.

The book “The One That Got Away With Murder” is a chilling tale that reminds us to be careful with who we trust. I loved the book for its realism around the topic of teen hood and the everyday struggles of modern life, let alone the struggles with figuring out a murder. One of the things I didn’t love about the book was how fast paced it was. The story showed a little less backstory in the beginning and it made it harder to understand the main character. Speaking of the characters, they all were very in-depth and I found it easy to empathize with them through their struggles. The mystery piece in this book was well pieced together, I just wish that at the end of the book where everything is coming together that there was a bit more description on why the killer did what they did. In all , it was an amazing read and I would recommend it to anyone who plans to stay up all night trying to figure out the truth in this book like I did.
4.5/5

A quick suspenseful read that you kept you guessing and held interest. Twists and turns thinking you might have it figured out but nope something else comes along.