A police procedural but with historical involvement of the lead detective. How will she keep secretes buried but unearth the actual killer

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I really liked this book. I felt like there was so much character development and I liked how the plot progressed throughout the story. I did take away one star because the ending disappointed me a little bit, but overall it was super good. I would definitely recommend this to any thriller reader.

Jennie is one of the lead detectives at her home town police force, old feelings are dredged up when a body is discovered underneath the old school that was set to be demolished. She has to hide her connections to stay on as lead of the case, but she’s too close and her emotions get the best of her quite a bit.

This fast paced mystery thriller was riveting, and I really enjoyed how it played out. The characters were dynamic and intriguing, and this was well worth the read.

I love both M.J. Arlidge's and Steph Broadribb's books so it's a booklover's dream to see these two authors collaborate to create a bone-chilling thriller. As if the thought of a school reunion isn't horrifying enough, the partygoers are about to sober up pretty quickly when a body is found buried within the school.

Jennie is hoping her old friend Hannah will turn up to the school reunion so she can finally understand why Hannah didn't turn up the night they planned to run away to London. The explanation is hiding beneath her feet and it's the worst one that Jennie could have imagined: Hannah was murdered on that fateful night.

This murder is personal so Jennie is determined to lead the case despite her conflict of interest, which she hides from her boss. As she plays down her relationship with Hannah and starts investigating Hannah's last known movements, she starts to wonder whether they were even friends at all.

The writing is seamless and if there weren't two names on the cover, you would never guess that it had two authors. The plot twists and turns like a slithering snake and just when you think you have it all worked out, the truth slithers out of your grasp again.

Gripping, chilling and twisty, The Reunion is a brilliant thriller that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat from start to finish. I would definitely recommend it but be prepared to be unable to put it down once you pick it up.

This book was decent. It's not something I found myself constantly thinking about or reaching for but once I was actively reading it I was entertained.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Reunion by M J Arlidge & Steph Broadribb in return for my honest review.
I’m a big fan of M J Arlidge so had high hopes for this collaboration and I wasn’t disappointed this is a cleverly written thriller with twists and turns to keep you reading I highly recommend reading.

After the mysterious disappearance of her best friend, Jennie struggled for several years. Now established as a police officer and still based in the same town, Jennie is shocked when the body of her friend is found, 30 years later. Now tasked with finding the killer, Jennie has questions for her old friends as well as the family of the girl.
I like Arlidge's writing and there is an influence here which is good. The story is twisty enough and I liked some of the characters. It's better than many in the genre.

What a good book! It started off as just a gathering of former classmates and teachers but quickly turned into a big investigation that brought in way too many familiar faces for Jennie Whitmore. Very well written with string character development.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

The Reunion by M. J. Arlidge and Steph Broadribb is a gripping thriller that masterfully blends past secrets with present-day intrigue. This novel is a compelling exploration of friendship, betrayal, and the long shadows cast by unresolved mysteries.

The story begins with the demolition of White Cross Academy, a place steeped in memories for its former students and teachers. As the final charges are laid to blow up the building, a human skull is discovered.

DI Jennie Whitmore, a former student of the academy, is assigned to the case, marking her first major murder investigation. The remains are identified as Hannah, a popular young woman who went missing during her school days years ago.

As Jennie delves into the investigation, she is drawn back into the lives of Hannah’s five closest friends, who used the basement as their photography club’s base. Each of these friends harbor secrets, and Jennie must navigate a web of lies and deceit to uncover the truth. The past and present are analyzed, revealing the complexities of teenage friendships and dark secrets.

Jennie Whitmore is a compelling protagonist, whose personal connection to the case adds depth and tension to the narrative. Her determination to solve the mystery of Hannah’s disappearance is driven by a mix of professional duty and personal guilt. The supporting characters, including Hannah’s former friends, are well-developed, and the interplay between these characters adds layers of complexity to the story, making it a rich and engaging read.

The Reunion explores themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the impact of past actions on the present. Arlidge and Broadribb’s writing is taut and suspenseful, with a keen eye for detail that brings the setting and characters to life. The dual timeline structure is handled deftly, allowing for a gradual unveiling of secrets.

M. J. Arlidge and Steph Broadribb have crafted a thriller that is emotionally resonant and intellectually stimulating. The Reunion is a testament to their ability to weave intricate plots and create memorable characters.

This novel is a must-read for fans of the genre, offering a perfect blend of suspense, mystery, and psychological depth.

Highly recommended for those who enjoy thrillers with complex characters and a plot that keeps you guessing.

I loved this pairing's previous novel together so was very keen to read this now and I'm so happy to say that it absolutely lived up to all of my expectations(very high) expectations! This novel follows Jennie, a detective, who is still wondering about her old school friend Hannah who disappeared 30 years ago. The timelines converge when a body is found on the old school property. We then follow the police investigation and see Jennie's thoughts and memories as she interviews people who were once her friends but now are potential suspects. I really enjoyed following Jennie and I loved that there were a lot of suspects so the reader is kept guessing all the way through. I did have my suspicions and I was partially right but I could never have guessed how it all would turn out! This was such a thrilling mystery and I highly recommend it!

I did enjoy this book for the first 100 pages, then my interest dipped as Jennie’s actions and thought processes continued. I did enjoy that it was a small town mystery

This was a tense, thrilling read with an unbelievably shocking climax. Jennie's attitude towards school reunions is something similar to my own so that caught my interest early on. But this is a reunion unlike any I've been invited to, thankfully. Jennie has to face the fact that everything she thought she knew about her school days and former friends was false. And that her best friend who she thought abandoned her may actually have been murdered. I've read quite a few M.J Arlidge books in the past but Steph Broadribb is new to me, I'll be watching out for her name in the future.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book

1994, Jennie waits for her best friend to arrive so they can escape their unhappy homes and make a fresh start in London. But Hannah never shows up at the station as planned, and actually disappears completely. Present day, Jennie is a police detective and is called to her former school when a body is unearthed in the basement. Has Hannah been found at last...?
The Reunion is a police procedural and murder mystery with a very powerful emotional thread.
Jennie is haunted by her lost friend and finally she has the chance to investigate and find out the truth. She is reunited with childhood friends but they are now suspects in the murder case and she has to maintain a profesional distance. I enjoyed the police interviews and the way the secrets gradually get revealed as the case progresses. The police characters felt authentic and I thought they acted realistically in the investigation process.
Jennie faces huge emotional upheaval as she discovers secrets about Hannah that make her question just how well she really knew her. Jennie's career is at risk due to her personal connection with the victim which she is trying to downplay. This puts her at odds with her colleagues and superiors which adds an extra dimension to the plot and her character.
I LOVED this book! Great plot, characters and twists. Jennie is a great lead character. Her emotional involvement in the case means that she is totally focussed on finding the killer. I suspected everyone as their lies and alibis are revealed so I was kept guessing until the end. The tension and dark atmosphere of the book are maintained well while the style of writing is easy to read and engaging.
The Reunion is a gripping murder mystery with a fab lead female detective.

A fabulous start to my autumn reads! It was creepy, atmospheric... I loved the foreboding feel of the darkroom, it all added to the creepy tension of the book.
I particularly loved the twists and turns, I never could be quite sure about what I thought may have happened. It was a real slow burner, revealing just enough to keep you guessing and interested. A cracking thriller!

Oh this one is very good.

It's set in the town of Whitecross, somewhere in the English Chiltern Hills. I think I know where the real Whitecross is - that isn't of course its actual name - and the authors bring to life the character of this district, protected for its natural beauty and riddled with twee little villages, but also full of new housing estates and also surpsingly deprived town centres where depressed youth find an escape in the time honoured ways: drink, drugs and sex.

This is Jennie Whitmore's world. Jennie never left Whitecross: her dreams of doing so shattered when her beloved friend Hannah vanished as they were on the cusp of escape. Instead, Jennie has hung around, and decades later she is a DI in the same town. Interesting - did she simply lose heart and never leave? Or, unconsciously, did she hang around, choosing a career that might one day give her an opportunity to find out what happened to Hannah? If so, she is still shocked when that possibility crystallises. This occurs suspiciously soon after her unwise experiment of joining in a school reunion. (Personally, I stay away from such things). Has the reunion jolted something among the little group of "friends"? Or was the clock already ticking?

The resulting investigation will see Jeannie throwing away beliefs she's held for three decades, taking uncharacteristic risks, and running into danger. I found it absolutely gripping how she justified, and undertook, an investigation she absolutely shouldn't be part of (her closest friend!) and the effect that doing so has on her relationships with her colleagues (she hardly has any friends). The impact of what is discovered, and Hannah's way of opening it up, will shatter the little group who see themselves as Hannah's mates from all those years ago, bring secrets into the open, and change Whitecross for ever.

It will also change Hannah's life. This is not a story - at least I don't think it is - that can kick off a series of small-town mysteries. I can't see Hannah returning to this dark Midsommer any time soon. Too mush will have changed. I did though find myself desperately hoping that things would turn out well for her in the end, I don't recall a recent main character I've so wished would come through unscathed - though this seems increasingly unlikely as the story proceeds...

Arlidge and Broadribb are at the top of their game (their games?) in this collaboration, a book that demands to be read in a single sitting if you can possibly manage that.

The Reunion is a captivating collaboration between two fantastic authors, that ensures the pages almost turn themselves. All of the angst, rivalries, friendships and emotions of teenage school years are brought back to the surface, with the discovery of the remains of DI Jennie Whitmore's missing school friend, and make for an entertaining read.

In 1994 Jennie was all set to run away to London with her best friend Hannah, but she didn't turn up & Jennie has always wondered why. Now she is a detective & has little to do with that time, but the old Academy building where they met is about to be demolished & there is a reunion to witness it. Jennie meets up with the other people who hung out together in the Darkroom where the photography club met. Just before the demolition a workman appears & says they have found a body under the concrete in the boiler room. In her police capacity Jennie goes to see & the necklace around the victim's neck is Hannah's! Now she knows why she never turned up, Jennie is determined to find out who put Hannah there, even if she has to act against her professional code & claim she has no real connection to the victim.

This was a good read although I did struggle with Jennie's lack of professional standards. Overall I enjoyed it. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

My first time reading anything by M J Arlidge and Steph Broadribb. Definitely recommend reading “The Reunion”. Read in two sittings, was hooked from beginning to end. Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for letting me read this advanced copy. Cannot wait for more titles from these two *****

I read everything M.J. Arlidge writes so when I saw this book on Netgalley I knew I had to request it. And, as you can see, I got it! I received a copy from Orion Publishing Group via Netgalley.

This Orion Publishing Group has something new: a collaboration with M.J. Arlidge and five different authors! I already read another one of these, The Wrong Child, as well, and I'm absolutely thrilled by this project.

Jennie Whitmore, a detective, arrives at her school reunion, but she regrets it right away. The people there were never nice to her, except for Hannah. Until she disappeared. With the reunion also comes a sort of closure, the demolition of the old school building. But then, remains are found. Now, Jennie has an investigation on her hands. Can she solve this case before the murderer also silences her?

As expected, I absolutely enjoyed this book. It had the perfect pace, great characters and a brilliant storyline. I loved the tension between her personal struggles and her work ethics. This was apparent throughout the entire story and that was also what made it such a strong story. I can't wait what the other collaborations bring!

5/5 ⭐️

This one started and ended well, but was very slow in the middle. It took agile to find something that grabbed my attention. I did enjoy that there were several red herrings and I wasn’t able to figure out what happened until Jennie learned the truth.