A YA mystery that will keep you guessing.
Loved that the story is told from the POV of three former best friends who come together to try to prove that the person convicted of their teachers’s murder two years ago is innocent.
Great job of building tension among the three friends as they struggle to reconcile their past friendships and reveal secrets that will lead them to who they real killer is.
The characters are complex and relatable teens that have personal secrets and emotions that affect how they interact with each other and how they deal with trying to get answers.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review

Content Warning: murder

+ Jake is accused of murdering his teacher but he’s out on a technicality but will be tried again. This time the person who was a witness in the case, his younger brother’s ex best-friend, Grace, thinks maybe what she saw the night of the murder was a mistake. And this time she wants to be sure.

+ Henry (Jake’s brother), Ally, and Grace are ex-friends but now with Jake going through a possible new trial, they decide to work together to make sure they find the right killer. There are a few twists and turns in this book that was interesting but I think it was easy to predict who was the real culprit.

~ For a YA mystery I think it’s perfect for teen readers but for me it was a little bit too light.

Final Thoughts:

This one will appeal to the teen and younger YA readers of mystery and thrillers. This was a quick read but maybe just a little to light for me.

Great book! This was my first book by Liz Lawson and it did not disappoint. I love a murder mystery and this YA book fit was no exception. I loved the twists..the story was a bit slow at times, but I kept chugging along. I would recommend this book to my friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte Press for the ARC.

I had my eyes on the killer pretty quickly, though this is YA so take that into account. It was still fun to see the links between everything unfurl. Ally’s personality rubbed me the wrong way at times though that is how some people (especially teenagers) are. It was overall a fun easy read but nothing revolutionary. I received the ARC so there were spelling and grammar mistakes that hopefully are fixed for final publishing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Author for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

Overall this was a quick read. How do you handle causing a huge disruption in your friend’s family? Being in high school is bad enough but now you saw the brother to the boy you like going to your favorite teachers back yard the night she is killed. Grace has all the struggle of a typical teen and add this on top and wow! All of a sudden a simple mistake in the DA office and that brother is now released and Grace questions everything she thought was real.


Definitely worth a read! Scooby Dooby Fan here and this book gives you ‘meddling kid’ vibes.

The story centers on Jake, who was once convicted of killing his high school teacher and is released due to a technicality. This prompts a trio of sleuths to delve into the case to discover the truth.

The book was a fun read, though some far-fetched elements occasionally disrupted the flow of the narrative. Despite these moments, the overall story was engaging and kept me entertained. "Murder Between Friends" was my first experience with Liz Lawson's writing, and I appreciated her pacing and style. I'm looking forward to exploring more of her work in the future.

Loved the multiple narrator perspectives in this thrill ride of a mystery. Lots of twists and surprises throughout with well developed teen characters. I would recommend this YA book for high school libraries.

Amazing book!! Many twists and turns. Reminded me of Karen McManus and Holly Jackson!
Thank you NetGalley for the early ARC!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3 Stars

Multiple POVs

"Whoever did this must have used several cartons of eggs. In this economy?" I had to add that because it made me laugh

I had high hopes for this one, but it wasn't my favorite. I liked the premise, but to me, it was too far-fetched. They got away with so much and found things the police didn't.

I know that Ally was going through a lot, but her attitude was a little too much. Even towards Henry when all he was doing was trying to help. Lara was ridiculous with the "poor me, and everyone's attention needs to be on me 24/7" attitude.

It's easy to figure out who the killer is early on in the book. We were also left with some unanswered questions.

Thank you to Liz Lawson, Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for this ARC.

FIVE STARS! I loved this book! This was such a fun, young adult read, especially if you are a crime junkie and/or a fan of AGGGTM! The changing POVs created a very dynamic read that was one I did not want to put down. Just when you thought the ultimate twist of an ending was through with you, an added twist is piled on! This was my first read from this author, and I was not disappointed in any way.

A gripping YA thriller full of twists and secrets! This fast-paced mystery follows three estranged friends as they unravel the truth behind their teacher’s murder. With well developed characters, emotional depth, and a plot that kept me guessing until the very end, it’s a must-read for any mystery lover!

This was an intriguing mystery with twists and turns. It kept me guessing until the very end. There was friendship, loyalty, and the difficult choices people made. I would call this a page turner and hard to put down! A psychological thriller that combined a suspenseful mystery with a thoughtful exploration of human relationships.

Thank you for this ARC!

Although it had an interesting plot, I think there were far too many plot contrivances and this book just didn't manage to impress me. The characters felt a little too one-note for my to get invested in them and I never found myself caring for their struggles, despite the three POV characters going through so much. To read my review in further detail, please read my review at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7104841252

I loved loved loved this book! The characters felt real, the story held my attention and I couldn’t wait to figure out what really happened! Liz Lawson keeps writing hit after hit and I am here for it.

Murder Between Friends by Liz Lawson deserves all five stars for its thrilling and captivating storyline. The novel follows three inseparable best friends as they set out to solve the chilling murder of their teacher and prove the innocence of one of their brothers, who has been wrongfully convicted. Determined to uncover the truth where the authorities failed, the trio's journey through deception, mystery, and unyielding friendship is nothing short of riveting.

The twists and turns throughout the story kept me on the edge of my seat, constantly speculating about the identity of the killer. The ending was a jaw-dropping revelation that left me in awe. Lawson masterfully balances the complexities of teenage friendships with the adrenaline of a gripping murder mystery.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the dynamic and clever characters, despite my initial doubts about a story centered around teenagers. There's something incredibly satisfying about seeing young minds outsmart adults and the system. The fast-paced nature of the book made it impossible to put down—I found myself staying up late to uncover each layer of this addictive tale. If you're looking for a mystery that delivers intrigue, emotion, and surprises at every turn, this book is a must-read!

Thank you NetGalley, Liz Lawson and team for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

This was a hard to put down YA thriller! Lots of suspicious characters and plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing which of these suspicious characters are bad news and which one is a cold-blooded killer.

A captivating and enthralling read that will leave you guessing until the very end. A world full of secrets, suspense and teen relationships full of drama. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a super fun mystery thriller! Its quite fast-paced and so easy to fly through. I read it in two sitting and found myself engaged the entire time. There were a couple minor twists I guessed but I didn’t see the big reveal at the end coming and was impressed with how it ended. I really liked the multi POV across the three main characters.

The characters were really good and very distinct - so you knew whose chapter you were reading without checking back to the chapter title. There were aspects I could relate to between Grace and Ally. Both had unique backstories and didn't make them seem bland. I loved the friends group, and the dynamics between their conflict and resolutions. The minor plot romance was cute too.

Thank you for letting me be an ARC for this book! It was a great read. Very suspenseful with twists you don’t see coming. Was definitely a page turner!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The premise is classic but I found it hard to keep track of each character’s point of view. I enjoyed the second half more with some good twists. But the massive amount of typos were distracting.