Jennie Whitmore was a student at White Cross Academy 30 years ago when her friend Hannah disappeared. Now Jennie is a cop they are demolishing the Academy building and a body is found. Hmmm.... maybe Hannah never left.......? Hannah handles the investigation while trying to keep her connection to the victim secret so she can continue on the case. She fears the answers lie with her old group, none of which were very nice to her other than Hannah. The story moves along at a fast pace, although it did slow down a bit in the middle before picking right back up. I like the character of Jennie, and this was a well written and suspenseful read. This was my first, but I would read more from these authors.

Thank you to M. J. Arlidge and Steph Broadribb, #NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I’ve been looking for a book like The Reunion for a while, a murder mystery with a well defined cast of characters, a protagonist who wasn’t “broken” or working in an unofficial capacity but a story which was a highly enjoyable and extremelyu well written police procedural. My recent reads seem to have had a supernatural element or been historical crime and not a everyone enjoys these stories so I’ve been seeking a “new” crime thriller which I can recommend to everyone who asks for a good murder story (something I’m often asked for).

The wonderful thing about The Reunion was that it brought all the best bits of a police investigative thriller into play. Jennie Whitmore is asked to head up the investigation when the body of a young woman is found in the ruins of a local high school. The school was scheduled for demolition and while clearing the site the demolition crew uncovered skeletal remains. Jennie was a former pupil at the school, something of an outsider as she had joined her year group late in her academic career, but it is with sinking certainty that Jennie realises she will know the vicitim.

At age 17 Jennie had planned to leave home with her friend Hannah so they could start new lives in London, Hannah as a model and Jennie as a photographer. The night they were due to leave Jennie arrived to catch the bus to London and her new start – Hannah never appeared and was never seen again. Years later Jennie still rues the disappearance of her friend and can’t help but wonder how her life may have turned out had the pair made the trip they planned. Now, as the investigating officer into what appears to be the murder of her long-missing friend, Jennie has the chance to find some answers.

What I enjoyed most while reading The Reunion was the fact we see events from Jennie’s perspective. The investigation unfolds as she uncovers clues and reveals long-forgotten secrets. However, Jennie remembers how things had been back when Hannah disappeared. The rumours of an inappropriate relationship with a teacher, the strains Hannah may have had with her boyfriend and usual teenage dramas which exist between a group of friends. She remembers it all but she doesn’t appreciate how liitle she actually knew about her friend.

For Jennie the first problem to overcome is knowing her close friendship with Hannah will immediately exclude her from conducting the investigation. So how will she find a way to convince her boss to let her be part of a murder enquiry where (in any normal situation) she could even be considered a suspect? Well that’s a spoiler but it is a factor and Jennie will have to contend with interviewing her school friends who will hold her in varying degrees of affection.

The Renunion offers a great opportunity for the reader to attempt to solve the mystery behind Hannah’s death. You will get the clues and discoveries as Jennie does and I will admit I had several moments of “it must be them” as I was reading only to have new information spill out and face me re-considering my assumptions. The story zips along at a great pace, its well structured into accessible chapters and has that “one more chapter” feel about it too.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with The Reunion – cracking crime fiction and highly recommended.

I am a huge M J Arlidge fan, so when I heard he was writing a series of books in collaboration with other authors, there was never any doubt I’d pick them up. The Reunion, written in collaboration with Broadribb, is the second in the series and if you are looking for a fast-paced, thoroughly entertaining thriller then this is definitely one for the TBR.

DI Jennie Whitmore goes to a school reunion and reconnects with a friendship group she has lost touch with over the years. The following day, with the school building due to be demolished, a body is found - and it turns out to be Jennie’s best friend Hannah. As teenagers Jennie and Hannah had planned to run away together but when Hannah disappeared and was never traced, Jennie always thought she had left without her.

Full of guilt about the resentment she has felt towards Hannah ever since, Jennie is determined to find her killer - but in order to work on the case she must conceal her relationship with Hannah and with the rest of their friendship group who are amongst a fairly long list of suspects, which also includes Hannah’s abusive father and a former teacher Hannah was allegedly in a relationship with.

Jennie is an interesting protagonist who must contend with striving to remain professional and uncover the truth whilst at the same time processing revelations that lead her to see her schooldays through a different lens. With plenty of twists and no shortage of red herrings, this is a book that will keep you guessing and keep you turning the pages. A genuinely enjoyable read!

When a body is found in the ruins of a newly demolished school building, police officer Jennie Whitmore is called upon to investigate. But it soon emerges that Jennie not only knew the victim, Hannah, but she had planned to run away to London with her on the day she disappeared. Desperate to solve her friend's murder, Jennie withholds information from her superiors to disguise how well she knew the victim. Her chief suspects are the friends she and Hannah shared in the camera club ,who met in the room where the body is discovered. As the case progresses, Jennie is forced to accept that all or one of them are lying. The premise for the story is good but the pace slacks off after an initial fast start. The pace picks up again at the end but it seems to take a long time to get there.

I am never sure of books by two authors as I wonder how it can be successful. However, I do enjoy MJ Arlidges books so was willing to give it a go and I wouldn't say there was any way to tell. This was another intriguing mystery and while it was slower in parts, there were plenty of twists to keep me engaged.

I really liked this book. It had lots of action and some great suspense. The background history and characters had some interesting depth to them and it kept me interested and engrossed in the story. Overall I give it 4 stars.

4.5 stars. I really loved the spooky feel to this is was the perfect start to kick off my autumn reading. The prologue got you intrigued straight away and the flashes of memory really kept the victim alive in the story. There was a bit in the middle where I felt the story slowed but apart from that the book was brilliant and kept me guessing the whole way through

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of the arc

The Reunion by M.J. Arlidge and Steph Broadribb is an intricately murder mystery where dark secrets from the past crash into present day. A human skull is discovered during the demolition of White Cross Academy which results in DI Jennie Whitmore leading an investigation. Whitmore was a former student of the school and the remains turn out to be a former classmate Hannah Jennings who vanished years ago.

Jennie’s link to the school make the case more personal and more difficult due to knowing the suspects personally. The main suspects are Hannah’s five closest friends, who were members of the photography club and spent a lot of time in the basement where Hannah’s body was found.

Jennie is determined to find out the truth while dealing with her personal links to the suspects. They all seem to have something to hide which makes everyone appear to be guilty.

The Reunion is well plotted and examines the lengths people will go to in order to protect their new lives.

A page turner with an intriguing plot and strong interesting characters making this a very good read.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Orion for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

‘The Reunion’ by M.J. Arlidge and Steph Broadribb is an emotional cold-case police procedural telling the story of detective Jennie who returns to the high school where she spent senior year and where her only close friend Hannah vanished one fateful night for a reunion before the site is demolished. When a body is found, the case closest to hear heart is re-opened and her connection to the witnesses, suspects and victim leaves her determined to finally uncover the truth.

The writing style feels different to M.J. Arlidge’s usual style and takes a more literary feel which I assume is the influence of his collaborator for this novel, Steph Broadribb. The vibes and themes reminded me a lot of Tana French’s ‘Dublin Murders’ series, especially ‘Faithful Place’ - and that’s a high compliment indeed! I appreciated the chapters to get to know each of Hannah’s friendship circle and found Jennie to be a relatable and inspiring character.

I’d recommend this book as a slow burn, atmospheric, multi-layered mystery with less thrills but more heart than Arlidge’s solo works. Overall, giving 3.5 stars and this has definitely made me eager to seek out Broadribb’s other works!

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Orion via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Thank you, Netgalley, M. J. Aldridge and Steph Broadribb, and Orion Publishing for the ebook. This was a great detective mystery that hit close to home for detective Jennie. A wild twisty ride full of lies and deceit. You must read to see if the mystery is solved.

As a massive fan of the author, I have being looking forward to her next collaboration, especially as a new to me author.

The start was exciting, I had to know what happened next for Jennie, I felt so much for as she waited for Hannah and then coming to the realisation 30 years later. I also really liked getting to know the ‘friends’ from back in the day.

Jennie was such an interesting character to follow, especially as she was so torn in doing the right thing work wise. The twists will keep you guessing till the end, so add this to your TBR.

A good read about finding the remains of a young girl in the basement when a school is being demolished. Jennie is an old pupil of the school and it looks like the find is remains of her best friend. She wants to keep.quiet about it, though, because she wants to lead the investigation herself.
Well paced, the book is told over 2 timelines, the schooldays of a group of friends and the present-day investigation. Jennie is an experienced detective and has her own methods of working. She is a lonely and determined character and that is well portrayed in the book. There are plenty of twists and turns in the plot and I will be thinking about Jennie's situation for a while now tgat I have finished.
All in all a good read, thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

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 think the cover of this book was fantastic and very drawing. If I saw this cover in a store I would be drawn to it.

I enjoyed this book. I really liked that more than 1 person was intertwined in this story. A whole group of friends who are involved in the mystery and have a tie to the character in the center of it all is interesting. As the reader it raises the stakes, you are looking at every character wondering about their role in the mystery and if they are involved.

I did feel like the story was very slow. I think I have read many thrillers and mysteries that were similar in some way. That can also be a great thing because it feeds the desire we have for a genre we love already.

Enjoyable fast paced whodunit, not quite sure the tag line suits the story. Interesting premise of the old school reunion washing up secrets and lies. Not sure the building would still have electricity if it was being pulled down, minor fact you can overlook. Thank you netgalley for the advance copy

Having enjoyed the work of M J Arlidge in the Helen Grace series I was uncertain about trying out some other writing by him. Added to this was the uncertainty of the co-writer, a name I was unfamiliar with. So, was all the worry necessary - no. The book is pacy, exciting and full of turns you don't expect. A successful collaboration and I was encouraged to seek out the writing of Steph Broadribb - that's all I need a bigger TBR pile. Great premise skillfully handled - sure to be in best book of the year lists.

The novel is a straightforward and engaging "whodunit," where the tension builds as Jennie navigates both personal and professional challenges to uncover the truth.
Although this is quite a short book it does not skimp on pace or content.
I finished reading The Reunion in just a few days. It’s a fast-moving, engaging thriller that’s hard to put down. If you're in the mood for an entertaining and suspenseful read, this one is definitely worth picking up.
Thanks NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for my ARC copy.

This is a great crime thriller.
Jennie attends a school reunion, much against her better judgement as she didn't enjoy her time there.
Shortly after, she is called to the school when a body is found in the basement. As soon as she sees some of the belongings, she knows exactly who it is - her best friend Hannah who went missing 30 years ago.
Jennie is determined to find the killer and tries to remain impassive whilst investigating the case, but at times it's very hard.
This is a fast paced thriller that I really enjoyed.
Thanks to Orion Books for the opportunity to read this book.

If you want a thriller you can’t put down, read this book each time I thought I had figured out what had happened I found out I was wrong and the same pattern continued to follow. Follow DCI Jennie Whitmore as she tries to uncover the truth in to her best friends disappearance and everything that happened 30 years previous.
It’s. 4 star for me 🌟🌟🌟🌟

30 years ago Hannah disappeared without any trace, leaving a group of friends behind with many questions. Now, the truth will be discovered, and secrets will be unveiled. Was the group of friends as close as they thought it was ?
Although quite some characters are involved in the story, it's easy to follow the story and see how parts are being revealed, both for the story of Hannah, as the personal story of Jennie. It's nice to see how not only the mystery is being solved but also Jennie comes to terms with herself and the past.
Maybe the book might not be a 'typical' fairly rough Arlidge book, like the Helen Grace series, but that doesn't matter, most importantly is the fact that I really enjoyed the book !
This could be as well a stand alone novel, or the beginning of a new series.
Thanks for the opportunity to preread, will certainly recommend it to friends !!