"The One That Got Away with Murder," was a good young adult thriller. It kept me engaged and there were some twists and turns. I would buy it in paperback.

Lauren, the new girl in town, finds herself swept up in a sizzling summer romance with Robbie Crestmont just before her senior year of high school begins. When her soccer teammates find out that she is talking with Robbie at a summer party, they quickly warn her to stay away from him. Every girl that has dated a Crestmont boy has turned up dead. Deciding to wait one more weekend before breaking things, Lauren heads to Robbie's lake house for Labor Day weekend. After all, the police never found either of the brothers guilty. But while she's at the lake, Lauren stumbles across a bloody swimsuit top that belonged to one of the murdered girls on the Crestmont's boat. Does this mean the rumors about the Crestmont boys are true? Is she in danger of becoming the next victim?

Throughout the book, Lauren has flashbacks to a fire that badly burned her ex-boyfriend. I kept waiting to learn more about the incident and its relevance. It wasn't until the end that it was really addressed. I felt the author could have done a better job of connecting Robbie and Lauren through their shared experiences of being falsely accused outsiders if more had been revealed about Lauren's past sooner. I also felt Lauren lacked a true motive for wanting to prove Robbie was innocent. I was a little caught off guard by the twist, but the lack of suspense leading up to it made the book boring at times. I also didn't find the characters extremely likable and was not a fan of all the excessive drinking and drug use. Overall, I found this book to be okay and gave it three stars on GoodReads.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion!

A teen escaping from her own dark past finds herself caught in a web of murder and deceit in this new YA thriller...

Lauren and her mom have moved from California to Happy Valley, Pennsylvania (Penn State country) for a fresh start. Lauren got herself into a terrible situation back in California that involved a lot of fire and a lot of guilt, and is just trying to outrun her past to create a new future. But when she starts a no-strings relationship with Robbie Crestmont, a rich and entitled fellow Happy Valley High senior, she ends up with more than she bargained for. Determined to solve the mystery of how both Robbie's and his brother Trevor's girlfriends died, she must get close to people she shouldn't trust -- and risk getting burned herself.

Thoughts: This murder mystery is full of twists, many of which I didn't see coming. The plot is creative and evasive, making for a compulsive read as I searched for answers. I felt for Lauren at times, which is honestly a nice twist for YA books; I often find myself annoyed with YA main characters, but I really liked Lauren as a character and just wanted her to catch a break. And I appreciated how the mystery wasn't really easy to solve, at least in my opinion. There were plenty of red herrings to keep readers guessing without seeming ridiculous or crowding the plot. My only issue deals with Lauren's romantic feelings at the end of the story, which I can't really write about because I don't want to spoil anything. I found this book incredibly readable and it kept me guessing, putting it near the top of the list of YA mysteries I've read recently.

Age appropriateness: As a middle school librarian, I would recommend this for high school and new adults. Some sexual content, drug use by secondary characters, underage smoking and drinking, and some cursing.

**Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.**

This is YA which I don’t typically read but after reading the synopsis, I figured it sounded pretty good. It was an easy ready and not lengthy. I really did enjoy this story. I think the author did a good job with the pace and flow of the story. I couldn’t wait to pick it up again to figure out what really happened and who did what, when, where, and how. It was a nice YA mystery story. I’ll definitely read more works by the author in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley, the Author, and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in advance for an honest review!

The One That Got Away With Murder is an edge-of-your-seat YA thriller featuring a teen with a dark past who has moved into a new town for senior year only to end up embroiled with a pair of brothers with a (dead) body count and despite not knowing who she can trust, is set on finding the truth of what really happened in Happy Valley. I found this to be an accessible, compelling and well-written mystery for fans of Holly Jackson and The Agathas.

This review has been posted to Goodreads and Storygraph. Links provided.

In this debut Young Adult thriller, the wealthy and charming Cresmont brothers, Robbie and Trevor, have been shunned by the residents of Happy Valley as suspects in a series of mysterious deaths involving their ex-girlfriends. As the newcomer at school and hoping for a new beginning, Lauren O’Brian carries her own secrets from a troubled past. However, her budding relationship with Robbie quickly turns perilous as she uncovers disturbing evidence that might link him to the crimes. Caught in a web of deceit within the elite circles of Happy Valley, will Lauren be able navigate a dangerous path to uncover the truth before she too becomes a victim?

After finishing this book, I had to sit with my feelings for a day before I was able to come up with a way to express them and yet, I am still not sure how I really feel about this book. In the end, I landed on 3 stars so I liked it enough, but there were definitely parts of it with which I struggled. For the positives aspects, I found the story very gripping and enticing. It was well written and difficult for me to put down, finishing it in less than 48 hours.

Unfortunately though, there were just too many off-putting aspects to the story that prevented me from loving it more. First of all, I had a really hard time liking any of the characters. I wanted to empathize with them, but time and time again they made decisions that were so blatantly bad. Lauren’s decision to literally do nothing when she finds a certain piece of evidence fairly early on had me shaking my head in frustration. Also, I really struggle with books being marketed to “young adults” (meaning 12-18 year olds) that focus so heavily on drinking, doing drugs, and sexual content, and this “Young Adult” book was no exception. Maybe I was just sheltered growing up, but it seems like an entirely different world than what I know the average high schooler at my school experienced. Additionally, it was very off-putting to not have a single adult in this book act responsibly. I was shocked time and time again with the lack of care from the parents for their children. I guess it makes sense why the teenagers made the decisions they did with the way the “role models" were portrayed. Lastly, the ending was just too far-fetched for my liking and left me with more questions than answers. I felt it was very rushed and I personally thought it did not really explain the reasoning behind the first killing, which was the catalyst for everything else that happened in the book. I usually love Young Adult thrillers when teenagers have to figure out a mystery but unfortunately this one just wasn’t one of my favorites.

I really enjoyed this thriller, I think the characters were well written and the twists made it even better every time I thought I knew what was about to happen something else happened. If you like thrillers I think you would enjoy this one!

Man did this book surprise me! I’m not going to lie, the first 20% of the book was slow. I couldn’t get into the plot and I found it difficult to root for the main character. But once the first twist happened I was IN. I kept guessing who the villain was and I was wrong each time. The ending is a huge surprise! This isn’t your usual ya mystery. This was has more!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I haven’t read a YA in awhile but this one was wild. Every time I really throught I knew what was going on Trish Lundy honestly told me try again haha.

🌙 Dark past
🌙 Suspense
🌙 Plot Twist AND TURNS honestly
🌙 Who done it

Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillanusa for allowing me to read this arc.

AVAILABLE TODAY!!

#thriller #netgalley #arc #bookstagram #booktok #kindle #kindlebooks

A twisty and immersive murder mystery - slash - thriller, THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY WITH MURDER is a fantastic debut that will keep readers guessing until the very end. Every character is this book has secrets, particularly Lauren who moved to an entirely new coast after an incident at her old school. Her past has followed her though, and it’s her past that brings her to the Crestmont brothers who also have dark secrets of their own. Both brothers are accused of murdering their girlfriends, but did they really do it? Or will Lauren, who’s growing closer to Robbie, be the next addition to the growing body count?⁣
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I really enjoyed this one! I loved the mystery and the air of guilt and suspicion that follows every character. I thought at several points that I knew where the story was headed and I’m pleased to say I was wrong every time. There are twists and turns aplenty, a bit of romance, and quite a bit of Mean Girl/Yellowjackets vibes that Lauren experiences from her fellow soccer teammates. Everyone on the team has some sort of tie to the Crestmont brothers and their dead girlfriends, and that puts Lauren in a precarious social position. The treatment of Lauren from her team also adds to the pool of suspects, and pretty soon it looks like everyone in the book, except for Lauren, is guilty of something. ⁣
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All told, a fast-paced and exciting story from beginning to end. I really enjoyed this debut from Trish Lundy and I’ll certainly be picking up anything else from this author. Pick this one up if you enjoy:⁣
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⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣➽ Thrillers and murder mysteries ⁣
⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣➽ Secrets and lies aplenty ⁣
⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣➽ Some light romance ⁣
⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣➽ Small towns ⁣
⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣➽ Twists and turns

I could not put this book down!

Lauren just moved to Happy Valley, Pennsylvania to get away from the horrible experience she had during her junior year in California and will be starting her senior year in high school soon. She’s seeing Robbie secretly and uses their time together to escape the guilt of harming her ex-boyfriend in California and disfiguring him permanently. When school starts up, Lauren learns about Robbie’s past and she becomes afraid of him. Robbie and his brother Trevor are both suspected of killing their girlfriends. The more Lauren learns about the murders, the more danger she gets pulled into!

Likes/dislikes: I could not put the book down! It was so interesting and the suspense continued to build as I read the story. Two mysteries, with a third added in, made the book intense.
Mature content: R for on page sex, repeated underage drinking, smoking, and drugs.
Language: R for 105 swears and 53 f-words.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death, mention of murders, arson, and abduction.
Ethnicity: a mix of white, brown and black characters.

Did not see that coming! This was a wonderful debut novel. Very quick paced which kept my attention. I good YA read, just a bit off on the pacing, which is why I knocked off a star. A good mystery, give it a try! Thank you Netgalley, Henry Holt & Co BYR & Macmillan, and the author for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy
4/5 star

Really enjoyed this YA thriller! Such a strong debut novel. It was fast-paced and addictive. The mystery was so well done; it really pulled you in so many different directions in the best way! It also felt very current without being too cringey-teenager (in terms of dialogue and references). Lauren made for a great MC - there was still some untrustworthiness there given her history which made it even more interesting. All of the characters were actually very well developed and I loved seeing different friendships/relationships blossom as the investigation unfolded.

My one critique is how quickly things wrapped up. We finally were getting answers at the end and it felt a bit rushed for me. I genuinely didn’t know who would be the killer for most of the book - the red herrings were so well-done!! But there were just enough hints pointing to the real person that those suspicions started creeping in for me before the reveal. And I thought it was a great choice!! I just wanted maybe a bit more explanation and some more from Lauren’s POV at that point.

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan for my ARC!

First I want to say thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this ARC.

Multiple times during this book, I thought I had it figured out and boy was I wrong! When the second narrator popped in, I got immediate chills. As the stakes for Lauren and Robbie increased, I became more and more invested. A truly shocking and unexpected ending.

I thought The One that Got Away with Murder started out great! The plot and characters were intriguing! The ending left me with something to be desired though. It just didnt wow me, the why wasnt there for me. I wanted to know more.

I did love the format of the book -- shorter chapters. It was a quick read and didn't drag.
Overall I enjoyed The One that Got Away with Murder and will definitely read more by Trish Lundy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Childrens Publishing Group for an ARC of this novel!

“Every girl the Crestmonts date winds up dead”
This book was… meh. I just couldn’t connect with the characters and the story wasn’t anything memorable and I got so bored.
The way the book was written definitely made me wanna keep reading because Lauren’s (fmc) past kept being mentioned without really giving answers until the end and I was too curious to dnf this (and I would’ve). There were lots of twist and turn and creepy mysteries.

“I will never forget the sounds of Clint’s screams. I’ve never heard him sound like that. I’ve never heard a human being sound like that. I will never forget that sound”

Lauren was a very fun mc to read about. She’s so sassy and isn’t scared to insult people when necessary. I love that Lauren is solving a mystery while we, the readers, are uncovering hers (and I loved the little investigation gang that was formed 😆)

I love the sabatoge hehe. It added more to the story.
Mara’s speech made me tear up and her character development was so good.
The characters are honestly very confusing. I could never remember who was who, but maybe that was my fault 😅

Honestly I guessed the ending and all the theories mentioned in the book, I had. And the ending kinda underwhelming…

Overall this was an ok book. The ending was kinda underwhelming, but the build up was investing. I’m probably gonna forget about it but it was a fun read.

The quick cut: A girl with a secret to hide moves to a new town and finds herself in the middle of a town mystery involving two rich brothers with girlfriends who have died in questionable circumstances.

A real review:
Thank you to Henry Holt & Co for providing the arc for an honest review.

It's not a mystery that the richer you are, the easier it is to buy your way out of trouble. So if someone died and their significant other was rich, would you suspect them? This is the case when Lauren moves to Happy Valley.

Lauren and her mom are moving from California to the East Coast for a fresh start that they both need. Lauren left her former home less than liked after an unfortunate event and her mom is just hoping they can get through her senior year with no drama. That possibility is taken away when it turns out her hookup partner is none other than Robby Crestmont: local rich boy whose girlfriend drowned under mysterious circumstances. His brother Trevor also had a girlfriend die suspiciously. Did they kill their girlfriends? Or is something else going on?

This thriller is definitely a slower buildup than most, but the journey there is really fun. The author creates a very tangled mess for Lauren to get herself caught in and that takes time to make well. Unfortunately, the end reveal happens too fast and a day after finishing, it still makes no sense.

Lauren suffered a tragedy and found herself unfairly blamed for what occurred at her old school. I can't imagine the pain of going from popular soccer star to local pariah. She leaves in the hopes of a better future for her and some happiness for her mom. It's fascinating how her good intentions go wrong and put her in the middle.

This story is very much about relationships, one that takes a minor role in the book is the one between Lauren and her mom. I won't say too much so I don't spoil anything but I found their relationship journey the most fun to read. They go from on the same page to not and their journey back to a good space takes a few unpredictable turns.

Robby also plays the romantic interest and while he makes a good partner for Lauren, I also found him sort of boring. Other than being cast as the town killer, he doesn't stand out. He needed more development to feel like a real person.

A fun thriller with a disappointing ending.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5

This was decent. The story was good and honestly I had a lot of suspects running through my mind before the big reveal (which caught me a tiny bit off guard).

I thought Lauren and Robbie were cute, too.

It just moved a little slow for me. Also, it was resolved sooo quickly. And this is kind of a me thing, I hate when a book has a ton of pop culture references in it.

Overall, a decent read that anyone who like ya mysteries would like.

Three teens end up dead over the course of 2 years in this YA thriller. Robbie and Trevor's girlfriends die tragically, and most people at school suspect the privileged brothers are to blame.. until Trevor dies, presumably by suicide. This is a fairly fast-paced whodunit, and I didn't see the twist coming.

Highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan for the advance reader copy of this book.

The One that Got Away with Murder kept me on my toes the entire time! The mystery was so well crafted, with so many red herrings! I am completely impressed by this YA thriller. The teen characters were just angsty enough, but not to the point of annoying. All of the major players had a stake in the game; something to prove or something to lose with the reveal of whodunit.

Because I don't read a lot of YA, my only critique might just be part of the YA world. Some of the dialogue felt a tad bit unnatural and robotic.

I thought the use of the gossip Instagram account was so relevant to today's society with social media and the way it can be abused by teens (well, really it's abused by people of all ages). It really demonstrated the harsh realities of social media misuse and how it truly can have damaging affects.

This was such a solid book and one I will definitely recommend to those who enjoy this genre!