Sarah and Amy have been best friends and boarding school roommates since freshman year of high school, and now that it’s their senior year at, Meadowbrook Academy, they can’t wait to experience all of their “lasts” together. Only the week before school starts, Amy walks into Sarah’s bedroom to find her murdered, along with Sarah’s boyfriend. This is a classic “who-dun-it” murder mystery, with more than a few suspects and twists and turns. Told in multiple voices of Amy and Liz, Amy’s new roommate and the editor of the school paper, readers are strung along the detective trail as new evidence comes to light little by little. While I had the murderer pegged pretty early on, it might throw some readers for a loop. Highly recommended for those who love a good murder mystery.

The Meadowbrook Murders by Jessica Goodman is a chilling, page-turning thriller that blends the suspense of a classic whodunit with a sharp commentary on privilege, secrets, and the lengths people will go to protect their own. Set against the backdrop of a New England boarding school, this novel grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go until the very last twist.

The story kicks off with a horrifying tragedy—the brutal murder of Sarah and her boyfriend in their dorm room. Amy, Sarah’s best friend and roommate, is left to face the devastating aftermath as the prime suspect. The first week of senior year, which should have been full of carefree moments and excitement, turns into a nightmare. But as the investigation unfolds, we learn that nothing is as it seems. The layers of deception, manipulation, and lies quickly build a gripping tension that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

What makes *The Meadowbrook Murders* stand out is its dual perspective: Amy, who is entangled in a web of lies, and Liz, an outsider who becomes determined to uncover the truth. Liz is the quintessential underdog, a smart, determined girl with a lot to prove. Her relentless pursuit of justice not only makes her a compelling character but also drives the plot forward in unexpected ways. As Liz digs deeper into the tangled history of Amy, Sarah, and the rest of the school's elite, the story begins to explore some uncomfortable truths about power dynamics, privilege, and the consequences of keeping dangerous secrets.

The author’s writing is sharp and atmospheric, perfectly capturing the eerie setting of the school with its mix of tradition and danger lurking just beneath the surface. The characters are well-crafted, each with their own complexities and motivations. Amy’s guilt and grief are palpable, while Liz’s curiosity and determination make her a character you root for from the start.

For fans of suspenseful, character-driven mysteries with a dash of social commentary, this book is a must-read.

I enjoyed this one even though I knew who it was very early on. I still had fun reading it. The pacing was good and I started to care about some of the characters.

This is kind of your typical boarding school mystery/thriller. You have all the rich kids and then the scholarship and local people. Everyone is competitive, even with their friends. I feel like Amy was a bit obsessed about Sarah's friendship. It felt a bit odd, but other kids felt the same. But Sarah was human and not who everyone thought she was. Ryan was a good guy, but did not so good things. Even Liz and Amy weren't perfect. I always like that part of books. Humans are flawed. Some are just worse than others.

I gave this book 4 1/2 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley for my earc.

Thank you Penguin Group and Netgalley for this e-arc. I love a good YA murder mystery thriller book. The Meadowbrook Murders had all of the things that make for an excellent read- good paced plot line, character development, and just enough tension to make me race through the book. I will definitely be recommending this one for teens at the library.

First off - thank you thank you thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the e-arc! I've read many a YA murder mystery, and most always seem pretty simple, no fleshing out of a plot or characters, no ability to put an unpredictable twist throughout the book. While Goodman is no stranger to writing in this niche genre; and she is one of the better authors to do it, the book still was not anything crazy to write home about. It was good, written well, but I smelled the ending coming a mile away. Nevertheless, it was still an easy read and it was an enjoyable one to breeze through on a break.

I'm always down for a book with murder in the title. This was excatly what I was wanting in a good mystery book. The story follows Amy, who just found her best friend, Sarah, and her boyfriend, Ryan, murdered in their dorm. Who would have thought a murder could happen at a prep school right? Amy gets moved dorms and is now rooming with Liz , the editor of the school paper who wants to make a name for herself. Liz is trying to crack the case and get a good scoop for her article, but Amy just wants to know what happened to her friends. Will they find out or will they both end up as the next school deaths? GAHH such a good plot.
Thank you Penguin Group and NetGalley for letting me read this arc!

4 1/2 Loved this YA mystery. Though no overly twisty and About 3/4 of the way I figured it out, this is a YA story and my teens would love it.
As it alternates between 2 perspectives, it builds suspense well as well as keep the pace going.
First perspectives is Amy, best friend of murder victim Sarah who also shared a dorm suite with Sarah--she heard nothing during the night and lies about her boyfriend being in there and sneaking out. Second perspective is Liz who is the editor of the school newspaper, seemingly never part of the in crowd and avoided by many as they feel she is always writing a story. Amy and Liz are thrown together when Amy cannot return to her dorm room. They both begin to do their own investigating which begins to unearth secrets not only of the victim but of others in their lives. Who could have killed Sarah and her boyfriend while Amy slept?? Amy feels like she doesn't know those who she has surrounded herself with the last few years. And Liz and Amy are certainly not trusting each other or even necessarily working together. But information gleaned keeps pushing them together.
This was enjoyable, gripping page turning mystery.
Thank you to NetGalley

Finished this book in basically one sitting because I just could not stop reading it! I love dark academia, so I was really excited to be approved for this book. It kept me turning the pages. I didn’t figure out the killer until close to the end, so I was happy to be surprised.

Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons Publishers for the ARC. This opinion is entirely my own.

This is a good choice if you’re wanting to read a dark academia, murder mystery that reads more on the true crime side. If you enjoyed A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder, I think you will enjoy The Meadowbrook Murders as well!

The character development was nice and I liked how the friendship blossomed between Liz and Amy. It was nice to see them realize they were in this situation together, whether they liked each other or not.

The culprit wasn’t easily guessable, and I enjoyed that when clues led you to suspicion of a character, and you think you’ve found the murderer out, it twists again leaving you unsure.

I think the pacing was good, the mystery unfolded well and I was interested to find out more each chapter. I also liked that the chapters were short so it didn’t feel like each POV was dragging on.

I liked this story well enough and I will definitely read other work by Jessica Goodman!

i’m not really a big fan of ya thriller books so this was quit the surprise for me, i still feel like it could’ve been better but still very enjoyable!

How well do you know your best friend? This story follows the murders of Sarah and Ryan at the Meadowbrook Academy. Amy, Sarah’s roommate and best friend was home at the time but heard nothing. What if she wasn’t alone? What if the murder was in the dorm? I loved this book and the rotating chapters between Amy and Liz. Liz is a student reporter is who determined to find the truth no matter who she takes down. Overall it’s fast paced, fun, who did it book.

I absolutely loved this book! I was hooked from the first page. The story takes place at a boarding school with many twists and turns throughout to find the killer of Sarah and her boyfriend.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

I always enjoy Jessica Goodman’s YA thrillers, but this one has been my first four star read. I love the boarding school setting and the slasher style murder mystery. To be honest, the murder scene isn’t graphically written, which makes it all the more scary in your head. You start to imagine what probably happened in that dorm room, bringing to mind murder scenes from the movie Scream. There are a lot of characters involved, and it seems they all could be suspects along the way. Great pick for the Halloween season!

Thanks to Jessica Goodman, GP Putnam’s Sons/Penguin Group and NetGalley for the arc!

I've loved all of Jessica Goodman's books, so was very excited to get my hands on her new one early! The Meadowbrook Murders did not let me down. I love a boarding school drama, so I flew through this is a couple of days. Two popular seniors are murdered in a dorm room, and everyone around them becomes suspects. Lots of secrets, flashbacks, and multiple POVs really let each character's voice shine, and I couldn't put it down until I knew what had happened. Liz annoyed me through much of the book, but I really loved Amy (despite some of her terrible decisions). I guessed the twist towards the very end of the book, but the author absolutely kept me guessing and made me suspicious of everyone! Ultimately, I would definitely recommend this book when it comes out, and I can't wait to see what the author does next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This is my 1st dark acadamia novel and a new to me author. I'm not sure how I feel about it. It longer to complete this book than I would have liked, I kept forgetting to pick it up and would read something else. Could be because I figured it out early on and didn't want to be proved right. Overall, it was a quick read, once I remembered that I was reading it. Not sure if that means it was boring or if I was just interested in other books more. I will read something else from the author, because this could have been a "me" issue.

After two popular seniors are murdered everyone is on edge with a killer in their midst. There are many assumptions within and outside the school community. Liz tries to take advantage of this opportunity as the school’s newspaper editor Meanwhile Amy, the best friend of the murdered girl, is trying to hold it together while those close to her are suspect

I enjoyed the alternating voices of the two protagonists. One was basically an outsider with no real friends while the other was with the popular crowd. Both had problems within their family. Amy didn’t trust anyone involved in news reporting due to her own personal family history. Liz was trying to write a news worthy story in order to procure a scholarship. Both had to ultimately join forces to catch a killer.

Overall, this was a good short YA thriller, but I would have liked a little more character and emotional depth.

I really enjoyed this dark, twitsty murder mystery that takes place at Meadowbrook Academy, a boarding school. It was told from two points of view - Amy, who finds her best friend and her boyfriend murdered in their shared room, and Liz, the newspaper editor. I really enjoyed the two perspectives, as Amy is trying to figure out what happened for herself and Liz is investigating in order to write about it. It's fast paced, gripping and while a little predictable, still a fun enjoyable read.

I enjoyed this book! I love books that are set in a boarding school setting, and this checked all the boxes-rich kids, a murder, everyone acting shady. I

I enjoyed the main character, and appreciated that they didn't dumb her down like so many author's do with high school students. I also liked the mysetery, and the fact that there were so many suspects to go through to try to find the killer.

The beginning immediately grabs your interest and thrusts you into the bloody murders of 2 boarding school seniors. The remainder takes you through the twists and turns of all their complicated relationships. The suspense of what happened leaves an eerie feeling throughout the entire fast paced story. We just don't know who may be next or who is responsible for the grizzly murders, leaving no one feeling safe.

Thank you to the publisher for the free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Jessica Goodman is a go-to read for me and The Meadowbrook Murders didn’t disappoint. I love a boarding school setting and the small-town secrets piled on top the brutal murder of two privileged students was a perfect mixture. I enjoyed the two POVs of one popular, athletic student and the outcast student journalist and the way they were forced together throughout the book. One star removed because Amy (one victim’s best friend and roommate) did herself no favors keeping secrets and tampering with evidence at certain points. And I know that highschool girls can be evil, but some of these “friends” were super nasty in their mourning. Overall, The Meadowbrook Murders isn’t revolutionary. It’s an entertaining page-turner with popular tropes and I liked it better than The Legacies but probably about the same as all her others. A tried-and-true YA book that fans off Goodman and first-timers will definitely enjoy.