2.75/5

this book was captivating, and it got me intrigued in the plot. to be honest, i briefly knew what this book was about, but i was also going into it blind.

however, the plot twist was kind of predictable to me, or is it because i've read too many mystery books? the ending was too abrupt in my opinion. there was no proper motive given by the author, and i'm not sure why everything that happened, well, happened. there was closure about lauren's past, which i'm grateful for too. i thought it was very interesting to close with her backstory.

the characters also felt a bit bland to me. the development in the relationship between robbie and lauren wasn't what i expected. i didn't feel any chemistry between them, to say the least.

overall, i think that the plot was really interesting, but it could have done better.

thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc !!

A truly gripping, readable thriller full of drama and surprises. The characters were really good, a true highlight of the book for me. I'd highly recommend this to other readers.

This book was so good!! If I had to pick a book to recommend to anyone that ever asked for a recommendation this would be it. Regardless of genre, this book would probably have something for everyone. I also really didn’t see the ending coming. The author does such a great job of convincing the reader that each new theory is the answer!

I’ll admit I have mixed feelings about this one. To me it reads as more of a telenovela style story where it’s intriguing and drama-filled but you know it’s so unrealistic that all of this could possibly happen. If you’re able to get passed that, it is a super fast-paced read. I ended up reading it in just a couple days. What I liked: the supporting characters. They were interesting and I liked what little growth was shown in them. What I didn’t like: the main protagonist. She was really tough to root for, with her personality and decision-making. Something to be aware of with this one- there is a lot of mentions of casual sex, drug use and alcohol. May be better suited for older YA readers who are mature enough to handle the actions of the characters throughout.

Life has been hard for Lauren. A tragedy causes her to move to another state during her senior year but the reason for her move does not stay a secret for long. Because she falls for someone considered so dangerous that her soccer team mates warn her to stay away. One of the Crestmont brothers. Both of them have lost girlfriends under mysterious circumstances but because of their money and influence they were never fully investigated. Perfect thriller that will leave you constantly guessing who got away with murder.

This was a fast read and I enjoyed every bit of it. I kept me guessing right to the end. I would definitely recommend this boor and I cant wait to read future books by Trish Lundy

A perfectly binge-able YA mystery.

I read this book in just over 24 hours, which isn't my norm. There were imperfections to this story, but it kept me engaged from beginning to end! I genuinely wanted to keep digging each time a new piece of information was revealed. Though I guessed the guilty party's identity in the first third, there were enough twists and turns to keep me questioning everything until the end. There were always more questions that needed to be answered, and I never felt that the mystery plot dragged.

The characters were engaging, despite not always being likable, and their tangled web of connections made them more interesting in the wider context of the narrative. I didn't necessarily find myself rooting for anyone as I read, but in this case, that didn't diminish my enjoyment of the story. This book does have one of my biggest pet peeves that's particularly common in YA mystery/thrillers - teenagers acting like they're 30 and adults also acting like the teenagers are 30 - but that's just my personal tastes. Trish Lundy portrays American teenagers in a vein similar to Jessica Goodman but, in my opinion, does it better.

There are minor critiques that can be leveled against the pacing, the protagonist's voice and development, or even some of the major plot elements. I felt these were all easily brushed aside because I was genuinely intrigued and entertained by the story. My biggest criticism would have to be how rapidly and completely people's opinions and treatment of certain characters shifted after one of the major story beats, which gave me whiplash and was one of the few things that ever pulled me out of the fiction. My biggest petty gripe is the soccer team element of this book. I think it was a great narrative tool and played well into the plot as well as Lauren's characterization, but it's written as though the author is trying *really hard* to convince you they know about soccer, whether they actually do or not. As someone who grew up playing the sport, it was the most annoying element of the book and had me rolling my eyes a lot because it all felt so stilted, especially compared to everything else.

But it's a murder mystery, not a sports novel!

Overall, I really enjoyed my read of The One That Got Away With Murder - it was the perfect start to my spooky season reads! I highly recommend this to fans of YA mystery, particularly those who enjoy titles by Jessica Goodman, Karen M. McManus, or Holly Jackson. I was thoroughly impressed by this debut, and I look forward to seeing more from this talented new voice in the genre!

Thank you to the author, Trish Lundy, to Macmillan, and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Lauren has a past that she’s trying to get away from. She’s trying to leave it all behind her and start fresh. She and her mom move across the country and try to have a new start, but neither of them are prepared for the past they’ve just moved into.

Two teen girls murdered in their new town. Those teen girls were dating members of the same family. Everyone in the town is desperate for answers about the girls’ deaths.

Although Lauren moved away for a fresh start, she finds herself in the middle of the chaos once again. All she wants is to play soccer and lay low until college, but she ends up in the middle of the drama surrounding the girls’ murders.

I had my suspicions about who did it, but boy, was I wrong! Trish Lundy pointed at multiple possible suspects, but I wasn’t expecting who actually did it!

Loved this book! A solid 4.5 stars! It was page turning, engaging, suspenseful, thrilling and who doesn’t love a good murder (or 3) mysteries?!

Lauren is new to town, but it’s her senior year, who moves to a completely different state their senior year?! She has a past. One that makes you wonder. Lauren is a huge asset to the soccer team but when the soccer team finds out who she’s been involved with, they shun her as an outcast.

Robbie and Trevor Crestmont are brothers, popular, good looking and they have a rich daddy! With money comes problems. When both of their girlfriends wind up dead, the small town gets to talking.

Things start heating up when a 3rd person winds up dead, Lauren is going to gain the trust of her teammates and town by getting to the bottom of it!

The One That Got Away with Murder by Trish Lundy is truly an amazing read. I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this book. It was refreshing to escape the realm of cheesy, predictable thrillers that lack substance. Lundy's work delivered everything I could have hoped for and more.

Lauren just wants a fresh start from her dark past. Her and her mom leave CA for PA after a devistating accident leaves Lauren shunned by everyone in their hometown. This is her senior year and she just wants to blend in. She is ready to graduate and move far away, where no one knows her. The summer before her senior ywar starts a no strings attached relationship with Robbie. But Robbie and his brother Trevor have dark pasta of their own. Both brothers have one major thing in common: both their girlfriends are dead. Can this truly be a coincidence of bad luck? Or are the brothers responsible for these deaths? Lauren finds evidence that may prove the guilt of Robbie. Now she is thrown into a whirlwind and dangerous game of finding the truth.


What I enjoyed:
- this was such a well written and thought out YA thriller. I was intrigued from the beginning and needed to uncover the truth along side Lauren.
- Fast paced and it really sucks you in. Another book I was able to read in one day. I kept finding time to sneak off and read more
- LGBTQI+ representation
- This was a multilayered story full of so many twists. I thought I figured it all out but was completely wrong

Wow, color me impressed by this YA thriller! Usually YA thrillers can be hit or miss. This was definitely a hit. I really enjoyed the story and uncovering the truth. I also loved the fall setting and thought it was a perfect spooky read. We have a lot of morally gray characters but you can't help root for them. 4 stars out of 5! Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

thank you to net galley and the publishers for giving me the arc of the book!!!!! i throughly enjoyed it and could not put it downnn

the books revolves around lauren robbie and trevor solving the murders of robbie and trevor’s ex girlfriends. there are many twists and turns that i did not see coming. however, some of the twists didn’t really make all the much sense— and the mother daughter relationship between lauren and her mother was very annoying.

overall, i enjoyed this book, as it was a quick suspenseful read. definitely worth checking out, despite a few flaws.

This book was soooo good. The blurb says “For fans of Holly Jackson and Karen McManus” and as a Holly Jackson fan I can definitely confirm that blurb is so true. This book is filled with so many twists and turns with slight romance. I had so many ideas of who it was and the ending absolutely shocked me.

A mysterious read! The One That Got Away with Murder is a compelling murder/mystery of who murdered a young girl from Laura's new school. Laura is the new girl who just moved to town. The town seems quiet and friendly, but as Laura gets to know the town and the kids, she soon realizes her new quiet town is not so quiet. She finds herself in the middle of a murder that she is desperate to solve.

Trish Lundy puts readers in the investigator side of the story. Even though Laura is in high school, she is also trying to piece together who killed one of the young girls that had went to her new school. The author pulls the readers in with the descriptive explanation of the trails the murderer has left behind all the way to the end. One can't help but feel a connection to A Good Girl's Guide to Murder when diving into this captivating mystery. This is a must read for murder/mystery fans!

This book had me hooked from the start! First of all the thig that made me want to read this book was the mention of Happy Valley, being a fan of Penn State. I didn't actually realize the book was based in State College but after I realized it i was even more excited to keep reading. Something about being able to relate to places mentioned in a book makes it that much more enjoyable.
The plot of this book really grabbed me from the start and kept me hooked wanting to find out who the killer was. The author did a fantastic job of keeping you interested with just enough details that you had to keep reading to find out more. I really enjoyed the characters of this book as well.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and will be recommending it to my friends who love a good thriller.

Lauren is an ex-party girl soccer player with a mostly-absent mother, trauma that makes her experience difficult to trust, and a bad case of tunnel vision. Robbie is a moody outcast and the presumed murderer of his ex-girlfriend, Vic. Conveniently, Robbie's brother, Trevor, is *also* the presumed murderer of *his* ex-girlfriend, Jess. When more students in their high school start turning up dead, it's left to this unassuming group of teenagers to solve the murders (between all the drugs and drinking, of course) and prove the boys' innocence. Maybe the book would've been more compelling to me if Lauren's traumatic experience had been revealed before the last few chapters of the book and could understand her decision making earlier on, but I found her to be an extremely frustrating lens from which to view this story. I'm also left wondering where the adults in this story are, and why Lauren's mother is so wholeheartedly absorbed with her new boyfriend that she doesn't notice her only child sleeping with a suspected murderer and drinking tons of alcohol.
Overall, the story was entertaining, if not frustrating at times, and I enjoyed this quick read.

I'd like to thank Netgalley & Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the ARC of this book! Cannot believe this is Trish Lundy's debut novel! This was SO GOOD. I guess you could call it YA, but it was so beautifully written and WAY better than most thriller "who did it" books out there, adult or YA. I genuinely spent 80% of the book trying to figure out the killer! (I did end up guessing correctly, but that was a lucky shot, not that the book was too predictable or anything.) She so beautifully intertwined so many characters, clues, plot points, and suspense notes. It was such a quick read and I couldn't put it down until the very last page. She wrapped up the entire story really well and there was no cliff hanger which I really appreciate in a thriller. If you're a fan of Holly Jackson you'll really like this one! Well done. It takes A LOT for a thriller to get over a 2 - 3 star rating from me, but this one was perfect.

The One That Got Away with Murder is a book with a kill-count that keeps you guessing. The overall mystery of the book included who killed the Cresmont brother's two girlfriends, and was it the brothers who did it. I enjoyed this book for it's mystery, it's sweet yet-complex characters, and the twist within it's pages. The only thing I had a hard time believing in the book was the main characters complex family dynamic and then the POV of the killer towards the end. I don't believe this POV was necessary and it threw me off trying to read it. It felt like the author was trying to figure out how to explain the motive and couldn't do it without having the killer explain it themself.

Overall, despite that, I did enjoy this book and was curious who the killer was to the very end since I did fall for one of the herrings. I would read from this author again!

What would you do if you moved across the country to get away from your old life when you had a horrific accident involving fire? When Lauren moves to her hopefully new life, and starts hooking up with Robbie. Her new life isn’t going to be as smoothly as she think. Will it get better? Or will it all spiral out of control?

It’s definitely not easy to put down. This book was so amazing! Thank you for letting me be an arc reader.

Really enjoyed this one and had a fun time reading it! Definitely an easy read with every chapter leaving me wanting more. Instantly hooked from the beginning and a great debut novel for Trish Lundy!