There is a lot going on in this book, some of it I really liked, but other parts didn’t work for me.

First… this is an engaging domestic suspense that will have you glued to the pages. The characters who were caught in lies and facing moral dilemmas and the impact on those closest to them was fantastic.
But….
This story jumped around LOTS, switching POVs in such a random way I often had to stop and reread to see whose version of events we were seeing. It did keep things interesting and fast-paced, but I almost stopped reading after the first 50 pages, glad to say I kept reading and as I got to know the characters better the jumping around got easier to follow.
And then the ending… this story does a nice job of tidying up all the questions you’ll have and in most cases they were satisfying, except for the big twist, which I did not enjoy or feel prepared for.

So it was a 3⭐️ then a 4⭐️ then a 2.75⭐️ kind of read for me.

A mystery about a teenage girl Diana who is murdered and left naked in a field. Who did it? There’s Brad the gym teacher, Joe who likes chatting up young female cashiers, and the boyfriend, Cameron. The police interview them all, but there is no hard and fast evidence. It’s all very intriguing and there is an interesting twist when Diana also plays a part from the dead! Diana’s friends Riley and Evan try to help solve the case, and are very kind to Diana’s mother. A very good read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 (rounded up!)

I absolutely devoured “What Have You Done” by Shari Lapena in the past 24 hours. This fast paced mystery had me guessing and being led down a number of paths. I loved it!

Diana Brewer was a high school track star in a very small town; going out with a football player, Cameron. She was popular and everyone knew and loved her. When she turned up dead and naked in the local farm field, the lives of the people in the town are turned upside down. Everyone is scared and confused and worried about their safety. They want - no they need - to find out what happened and who among them did this.

This story is told from multiple POV - the perspective changes every few pages, which can be confusing at first (there are a lot of characters) - but the characters are flushed out and different enough that you get to know them. Their personalities are able to shine through their perspectives and I really enjoyed this choice.

A favourite perspective of mine is Diana herself from the beyond (à la Lovely Bones) as she tries to figure out what happened to her while simultaneously comforting her mom and best friends.

The suspected characters are all so creepy and literally any of them could have done it - I was left guessing until the very end who killed Diana.

Thank you so much to net galley and Penguin Random House Canada for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review! It’s always a great pleasure to enjoy and review Canadian authors!

After binge-reading 4 of Shari Lapena's books last year, I was really excited to pick up this one and I was not disappointed at all!

I loved:
- The short, fast-paced chapters that always seemed to end on a cliffhanger kept me hooked!
- ⁠The multiple POVs that would alternate between each chapter. I loved getting to see more of what each suspect was hiding & what their motivations were. I liked that I felt uncomfortable about all the suspects couldn't decide who was most sketch/suspicious!


What I didn’t like as much:
- Diana's POV/the supernatural elements. I don't feel like either of those things were truly necessary/added to the story. They didn't give me additional clues into who the killer was, and I also don't feel like it helped me get to know/understand Diana any better.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a decently paced, multiple POV about a young girl who is found dead and the possible offenders. Was it the boyfriend, her teacher, a stranger, a friend? I enjoyed the pace of this story; it changed perspectives enough to keep me interested and wondering. I did sort out the “whodunnit,” about half way through, and did feel like the answers were wrapped up a little too quickly in the end. I would’ve liked to have had some more finalization with the Brad Turner plot-what happened?!

There is something so intriguing about Shari Lapena’s writing. The whiplash you get from her constantly switching perspective is so fun.

What Have You Done has a lot of characters with a lot of different POVs. The whole story circles around who killed Diana. It was a quick easy read but didn’t stand out to me. Either way she will always be a must read.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

This book was incredible!!! Flew through it in just a few sittings.

It's a whodunnit story that follows a cast of characters when a small town gets rocked after a young girl is found murdered in an open field.

I thought at first the multiple storylines (and there are a lot), would be too confusing and too hard to follow, but that was not the case! The storylines are weaved together so seamlessly, making you unable to put the book down. I practically raced to the end to find out what happened, and the twists were really great.

I am a big fan of Shari Lapena, and this new release is no exception. Highly recommend to fans of mystery and thrillers, or to anyone that needs a good palate cleanse.

What have you Done? is another domestic suspense thriller for Shari lapena that is fantastic! What starts out with a murdered girl found in a farmers field leads into a multi POV narration that adds to the suspense, long list of suspects and a friend with the need to know what happened.

The multi POV very much added to the suspense and led to many twists and turns as information comes out bit by bit from different people. A surprise of me was the addition of a 'ghost' POV from the deceased teenaged girl who is stuck in a limbo with gaps as to what happened. I am not totally sure this was necessary in the book, but for me it didn't take anything away either. The way the book is written has you second guessing who you think the murderer will be and it keeps you turning the pages all night long.

Shari Lapena is one of my most favorite writers and this book was an instant attention grabber. I did not want to put this book down!

Thank you to Shari Lapena, NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada/Doubleday Canada for the ARC of this fabulous read.

This novel started out with a bang: a naked teenage girl is found in a farmers field, her face being eaten by vultures. The multi POV narration really amped up the suspense, the reader following the victim’s boyfriend, best friends, family, and teachers, as the investigation happens, all the time wondering who really committed the crime. I really could not put this one down…

This would have been a five star thriller for me if it wasn’t for the “ghost” POV of the victim; Initially I was really put off by this because I really hate when thrillers add a supernatural aspect but since Diana’s narration is such a small portion of the novel, I was able to look past it. Still, couldn’t help but I wish that Lapena found a way to infuse Diana’s thoughts leading up to her death in a different way (I would have much preferred a dual time line with flash backs); while it wasn’t my personal taste, I have to give Lapena props for trying something different and out of her comfort zone.

I really loved how well crafted the plot was; despite guessing the murderer, I still couldn’t figure out what actually happened and there were many times where I was waffling between who the killer was, which is exactly how I like my thrillers.

I am a staunch Shari Lapena fan - I have read all of her books a few times each and recommend her often. I was so pleased to receive this galley (huge thanks to the Doubleday and Penguin Random House). For the first time in a long time I feel so so on Lapena book and it breaks my heart. I really respect her trying something new, taking a darker turn and experimenting with form in her newest book What Have You Done, but unfortunately it feels like a first try. Diana Brewer is loved by everyone that meets her, including those that wish her harm. When she is found lying dead in a farmer’s field, the small town of Fairhill is thrown into chaos and fear. Who could ever hurt Diana? The more we learn about her, the more people we discover could have wanted her dead.

Unlike Shari’s previous work, this is her first novel where the murder victim is a young girl, killed in a violent and strange way. The tone of this book is darker, however, it doesn’t go quite hard enough in the dark direction (all the suspects feel a bit flat) or in the commentary direction (the takes on patriarchy and violence against women are fairly bland). The twists are engaging and surprising, but the non-traditional form elements draw us away from the narrative rather than to it. I didn't really believe this story. Did I still enjoy my reading experience? Absolutely - as always with Lapena’s work, I read in 24 hours, desperately racing to the end. I still had a good time, but Lapena’s previous work has been so strong, it’s hard for this newest book to stand up to her backlist.

What have you done Shari Lapena? You have messed with my mind and forced me to stay up until 3am trying to finish your fabulous book. What Have You Done is Shari Lapena’s newest book to be released this summer. It is by far her most explosive, darkest, twistiest, hair raising book and I absolutely loved it. From the first page to the last my mind was going a million miles a minute.

17 year old Diana was murdered and left for dead in the middle of a farmers field! The town is shocked and devastated and gossip abounds as to who the perpetrator could be. And trust me there are several. Just when I thought I figured out who the killer was Ms. Lapena dropped a bomb and added another potential suspect.

I loved the small town vibes. Where everyone knows everyone. A safe town where nothing bad happens and people leave their doors unlocked. But in the blink of an eye the towns sense of security vanished.

There are multiple characters and different pov. From both the living and the dead 😱 👻.
The only issue I had was my old brain had a hard time trying to remember who all the characters were. So to stay on track I wrote their names down on paper with a short blurb as to who they are.

Once again this Masterful storyteller keeps the reader on the edge of their seat wanting for more. If you are a fan of spine tingling fast-paced thrillers then I highly recommend you read this book.

Thank you so much Penguin Random House Canada, Netgalley and Shari Lapena for my eARC of What Have You Done? In exchange for my honest review.

Pub Date: July 30th, 2024
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was one of my MOST Anticipated Summer reads, I was SO excited to get it and it was as expected. PURE FIRE. This was such a twisted book, full of clever deception and scandal. I devoured this book and feel a huge book hangover . ALL the stars!

Unfortunately, this didn't do it for me. It has all the aspects of a great Lapena book, but it didn't come together for me. I'm not sure if the formatting of it contributed to my disappointment, but it definitely did not help. The two main issues for me were the ghost perspective, I didn't like it all. It was completely unnecessary. The twist, that I was waiting for, came out of no where and there was no build up to it.

They say Vermont has no shortage of haunted happenings, ghostly apparitions, and spine-tingling tales to share with visitors. Knowing this, there’s no doubt in my mind that Shari Lapena’s Vermont setting adds to her tale steeped in mystery and intrigue.

The teenagers in the sleepy little town of Fairhill, VT are not unlike any other small-town USA teenagers; they’d be lost without wifi and their cell phones, love telling ghost stories in the town’s cemeteries on dark, foggy nights, play with an Ouija board under the cover of secrecy, they have a little more freedom than their counterparts in big cities and they grow up knowing everything about those they live among. They also keep secrets, experience the best and worst of the country’s teaching professionals, believe in vindication, live with scandal, and they hitch their futures on what colleges they’ll get accepted into once Fall comes.

You are going to get all the above in this story. There’s also going to be a murder.

I think what sets this story apart from others, is Lapena’s addition of the restless spirit point of view. The murder victim’s spirit lingers in despair on the page, hoping that someone will find the killer soon and bring them to justice.

I read in disbelief at the inaction of the adults in this story. They seemed content to let things be and to gloss over accusations. At first, the unique POV unnerved me and then I realized that it gave the story weight. Readers will be forced to hear from someone (representative of all women/girls) whose voice has been silenced.

Don’t let the slow-moving pace cause agitation. Most fires smolder before an explosive ending. Lapena won’t let you down.

I was gifted this copy by Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Full review will be posted on goodreads, storygraph, and instagram then linked here shortly!

This was a very fast paced thriller that kept me turning the pages so quickly! I loved the small town setting and all of the different POVs. There's also one very very interesting POV that I don't want to share in case someone thinks it's bad to say but I loved the inclusion of that! I haven't seen it too much!

I love Shari Lapena and this one fit the bill!

Shari Lapena has done it again and continues to solidify why she is one of my fave thriller authors 👏🏼 Short chapters along with her impeccable writing make this book hard to put down. I was invested from the very first page and it kept me constantly guessing until the end. EVERYONE is a suspect and really, they are all just terrible people!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this eARC!

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read What Have you Done By Shari Lapena.

I love Shari Lapenas writing and this one was no exception. Shari has the ability to haul you into a story with interesting characters and an intriguing plot. However, What Have You Done, while I did enjoy it, it was probably my least favorite Shari Lapena book that I have read so far. I figured out the killer very early on in the book and some of the other characters stories really frustrated me.

Although it wasn't my favorite book, the story was a page turner and there were so many suspects it would make your head spin (in a good way!). I wish I hadn't figured out the twist so early because it made me enjoy the book a little less. With that said, Shari is a phenomenal writer and I will always pick up one of her books.

If you enjoy your standard whodunnit you will enjoy this book. I enjoyed all the different points of view of the characters and there was one very interesting one!


3.5 stars

3.5 ⭐️
I always love Shari Lapena books and this one did not disappoint. It had me hooked from the beginning with different POVs throughout the story as well as several people looking suspicious! I always enjoy a small town murder and this one had a small ghost appearance.
It did kind of make the murderer obvious, but overall it was a good quick read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada, and Shari Lapena for allowing me the opportunity to read and review What Have You Done.

After reading multiple Shari Lapena books, I was very excited to read this one. However, I’m disappointed by this book. There was too many characters to keep track of, the book bounced around from person to person and it was challenging to keep up with the multiple POVs. On one page, the author would mention three different characters and their story lines. I knew immediately who the killer was, which made the rest of the book boring in my opinion. This book seemed rushed and lacked the Shari charm. There was a lot of “he/she said” instead of other ways to inform readers that someone had ‘said’ something.

Not sure if it was just me, but formatting on my kindle was an absolute nightmare. The font changed colours and sizes, the spacing was all over, the paragraphs started and ended abruptly and words were cut off randomly. Reading it through NetGalley wasn’t any better, every other page was white.

Chapters were short and characters were likeable but there wasn’t a whole lot of character development. There was too many characters to form any kind of connection and relatability. Some more character development on the killer would have made the book better. The book could have been many pages shorter. There was several times the book could have ended and it kept going, providing no real impact to the story.

All in all, I will read more from her but this was definitely not a favourite or her best work.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

What have you done? is another compulsive read by Shari Lapena. In a quiet little country town where everyone knows their neighbors and don't always remember to lock their doors, the body of a young teenaged girl is found murdered. There are many suspects, any of whom are possible killers.

I loved the multitude of characters and pov's for this story, it kept everything up in the air until the very end. I had my suspicions about the one who actually did it, but kept telling myself this person is a red herring. I didn't like the abrupt ending, and the ghost angle was a bit meh, but I read this at a neck breaking pace so it's safe to say that I really enjoyed this one. There is also some discussions to be had about a sensitive subject concerning a teacher and student and how it was handled poorly.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.