Holly Jackson again wrote a fantastic new mystery. Rachel Price disappeared 16 years ago and her family, including her 18 year old daughter Bel, is participating in a documentary about the unsolved crime. But then Rachel reappears, although Bel is suspicious about what her mom claimed happened, I loved all the twists and turns that kept me guessing.

5/5

The Reappearance of Rachel Price is a murder mystery following the Price family as a documentary is made about Bel’s mother, Rachel, who went missing sixteen years ago. What no one expects is that she returns from the dead while they are all mourning her memory. And here’s the big question: what really happened to Rachel Price?

The main character is Rachel’s daughter, Annabel Price, who is determined to unearth the mystery of her mother’s sudden return from the dead. She’s prickly, likes to push people away before they can leave, and trusts almost no one.

This is one of those books I’d recommend clearing your schedule before starting because you genuinely won’t be able to put it down!! It’s such a good mystery full of twists, and don’t bother trying to guess the end it’s weirder than you can imagine.

Overall such a fun page turner, and I LOVED ash I hope we get to see more of him!! No one from the original AGGGTM series shows up, but it’s a great standalone anyway. I’d recommend it to fans of AGGGTM, Truly Devious, and The Inheritance Games.

4.5⭐️!
I was lucky to receive an advanced early copy of this! I LOVED a good girls guide to murder so I was super excited to see this.

THIS STORY WAS ADDICTING! I was hooked on needing to know what was going to happen and stayed up way too late to finish this. The first 50 ish pages are setting the scene and characters, so stay patient! It’s a longer book, but I breezed through it in less than two days.

The twists had me gasping! Didn’t expect any of it! Only reason I didn’t give it a full 5 stars is because I felt like the last 30 ish pages were a little unbelievable in the aftermath of it all and how it was wrapped up.

Definitely recommend!!

This was a fantastic YA thriller. It took me on so many unexpected twists & turns and I throughly enjoyed it. It was terrifying too!

Bel knows the story. She was found in the backseat of her mother's car, engine on and heater running. Her mother, Rachel Price, was nowhere to be found. That was 16 years ago.

Bel's father, Charlie, has signed on to help make a documentary about his wife's disappearance. Imagine everyone's surprise when a bedraggled Rachel shows up at her home, emerging from nowhere after so many years. Yes, it's undoubtedly Rachel. But Bel doesn't believe her story. And her reappearance has her entire family on edge.

What really happened all those years ago, and in the intervening period? And as suddenly as Rachel appears, Charlie is gone, only the barest of traces of him remaining. What's going on in the Price family?

As Bel struggles to reconcile her past and her present, who can she trust? There's Ash, the cameraman working on the documentary, helping and filming Bel in her quest for the truth. There's her cousin Carter. But Bel isn't a trusting person. Can she even trust her own memories?

Get ready for a wild ride of mystery, suspense, dysfunction, and just maybe, redemption. There are no angels here, only demons - and it's time to exorcise them for good.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of The Reappearance of Rachel Price. In true Holly Jackson fashion, this book was riveting. I couldn't put it down, and I think I may have liked it even better than A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. Sure, there were a few convenient points and a couple relationships I thought were a tiny bit underdeveloped, but overall, this one was sensational. I won't be able to keep it on the shelf!

A perfect way to finish my reading challenge for the year, well thought, well plotted, and well drawn, with a strong finish to boot.

Jackson continues to live up to her reputation as an author with a masterful ability to build suspense through twists, turns, and a main cast that you find yourself rooting for. Even though these characters are completely fictional, they feel real -- their worries, their hopes... I found myself so eager to follow Rachel Price's story that I stayed up well past my bedtime to finish this. Sure to be another hit with booksellers and librarians everywhere.

"She smiled at Rachel and Rachel smiled back. It looked real, but what if it wasn't real? Bel couldn't be sure, she could only trust the knot in her gut. And it told her what she wanted to hear. Rachel Price might just be lying."

Thoughts:
Holly Jackson is back with yet another mind-boggling, gasping-out-loud, crazy wild ride of a thriller. I often tell customers that A Good Girl's Guide to Murder is my favorite young adult series because Jackson knows how to write a compelling, unpredictable story, and The Reappearance of Rachel Price not only matches that energy, but elevates it. I'm still processing all the twists and turns hours later, and I both gasped and screamed out loud multiple times in the last third of the book. I am shocked and awed by Jackson's mind--her ability to create new plots and scenarios in the mystery genre is a feat that should be studied, especially as a young adult author. I truly believe the only thing that makes Holly Jackson's books YA is the age of the main characters; her complex plots and writing style could easily be shelved in the adult mystery/thriller section.

Synopsis:
Bel Price has lived her entire life in the shadow of her mother's disappearance. When Bel was barely two years old, her mother disappeared, leaving infant Bel alone in Rachel's abandoned car, the only witness to a crime with no answer. Did Rachel die? What she kidnapped? Did she run away? Only Bel knows the truth, yet her memory won't tell her. Years later, at eighteen, Bel's father has agreed to a documentary called The Disappearance of Rachel Price, which will delve into the years of conspiracy theories and true crime podcasts, as well as include interviews from Rachel's family and reenactments with grown up Bel. While apprehensive and more than a little annoyed at the invasive British film crew, Bel plays along for her dad; Charlie Price was wrongfully imprisoned for Rachel's "murder," and while he was eventually cleared, the documentary is a good way to reemphasize his innocence. Plus, they need the money.

Yet after a couple weeks of filming, who appears at the Price's doorstep but Rachel herself, haggard and dirty, wearing the same clothes she disappeared in, claiming that she was locked in a basement for sixteen years and was finally freed. What should be a miracle is only suspicious to Bel. Her father––who should be elated––is suddenly on guard and staying late at work; her aunt and uncle are hamming it up for the camera, but are fighting behind everyone's back; her dementia- and stroke-addled grandpa can't recognize anyone, let alone his long-lost daughter-in-law; her cousin Carter has welcomed Rachel with open arms despite not being born before Rachel disappeared; and Rachel herself can't seem to stick to one version of her story.

Desperate to uncover the truth and protect her family, Bel enlists Ash, the assistant camera operator, to help her investigate Rachel's story. But as Bel gets closer to the truth, the situation becomes more dangerous, with resurfacing stalkers, locked doors, and a web of lies she can't seem to find her way out of.

Is the reappearance of Rachel Price––Bel's long-lost mother––truly a blessing? Or are the Prices adding another misfortune to their long list of curses?

Overall:
I was on the edge of my seat for the entirety of this novel. Holly Jackson drew me in for the long game when it came to Pip and her guide to murder; the whole trilogy was wonderful, but each mystery was building up to the final payout in As Good As Dead that left every reader screaming. This time, Jackson hooks you from the start. Unlike Pip, Bel is not immediately likable or relatable, and unlike Ravi, Ash is not a leading man. Instead, Jackson focuses on the family nuances, throwing in details about interpersonal dynamics that seem excessive in one chapter, only to come back pages later with a gasp of delight and horror.

I pride myself on being able to predict at least one aspect of every mystery I read, but I truly had no idea what was coming as I entered the third act of The Reappearance of Rachel Price. I felt the need to grip someone's hand for moral support, gnawing on my lower lip as my eyes darted through the pages. Jackson's writing is stupendous--never too wordy, but never lacking detail. I especially enjoyed the character arc of Bel. I loved growing with Bel as she investigated her mother, but I appreciated even more so that Jackson didn't require the reader to like Bel as a person, even by the end of the book. I found Bel to be a wonderful narrator, but not terribly likable, which added to her believability and overall emotional impact. Perhaps the only thing I found myself wanting more of in this novel was interactions with Ash, yet I completely understand and agree with Jackson's preference to use his character sparingly.

This is not a rewrite or facsimile of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. The Reappearance of Rachel Price is dark, twisty, and absolutely the kind of thriller true crime lovers are looking for. I cannot wait to reread this brilliant novel when it is published in April, and I'm excited to start recommending it to everyone I know!

The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson, April 2, 2024, Delacorte Press.

(also can we have a moment for the cover????? She's STUNNINGGGGGGGGG)

This is my first Holly Jackson book and I absolutely loved it. Great for YA readers but also anyone who loves thrillers. Engaging story and very fast paced with lots of twists and turns.

Bel's mother disappeared when she was 2 years old, found on the side of the road in a car, but no Mom anywhere. Fast forward 16 years, and Rachel Price's disappearance is one the most talked about crime cases in America. No evidence was found that she was abducted, but nothing ever indicated she left voluntarily. Bel's family has agreed to appear in a documentary about the case in order to pay for her grandpa's home health care. After filming one day, Rachel appears at the house, claiming she'd been freed from the basement she was held captive in. The media and her father are overjoyed, but Bel has her suspicions. Rachel's story doesn't add up, and why does it seem like she's hiding something. This book was a phenomenal ride, and I read it in one sitting. Teens who love true crime or even just a good thriller will eat this up. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest opinon.