Member Reviews
What would you do if your English teacher was murdered and your brother was convicted of killing her? That is what Henry has to figure out. Two years ago his brother was convicted of the crime but now he is free, of course, he is still guilty in the eyes of well everyone. With the help of his best friends Ally, and Grace, Henry sets out to prove once and for all that his brother is innocent. But, solving a crime isn't as easy as they imagined. Friendships will be tested, and past secrets will come to the surface, and threats will be made as they dig for the truth.
This novel was a fun read. Told from three points of view (Ally, Henry, and Grace) you get the opportunity to connect with all three main characters. Each character has their own personal motivations and reasons for trying to find the truth and sometimes those conflict with their friends. This novel is perfect for late middle or high school students who love a good mystery. It's real who-did-it. It also addresses a lot of real-life issues like grief, problems with friends, and struggling to please everyone around you. I highly recommend this novel and will be adding it to both my personal and classroom library collections.
Disclaimer: While I received a free advanced readers copy of this novel, the thoughts and opinions in it are my own.
Liz Lawson, known for co-writing The Agathas series, delivers a gripping solo effort with this fast-paced crime thriller set against a backdrop of small-town politics, drugs, and high school drama. The story keeps readers guessing until the very last pages with well-executed twists that are impossible to see coming. I thoroughly enjoyed it! It was as captivating and intriguing as The Agathas, and I highly recommend it to YA thriller enthusiasts.
While it might seem far-fetched for a group of teens to outsmart law enforcement, the book provides a plausible explanation for how the justice system can sometimes fail and how the truth can be distorted through different viewpoints. I found the amateur detective work of Ally, Grace, and Henry compelling, as each of them has a personal stake in uncovering the truth behind their English teacher’s murder. Grace, who testified that she saw Jake, Henry’s older brother, entering the teacher’s house on the day of the crime, lost her friendships with both Henry and Ally as a result. Henry sided with Jake, while Ally refused to believe Jake was capable of such a heinous act.
When Jake is released after serving two years in prison due to a corrupt judge and prosecutor’s secret relationship, Grace starts to question what she really saw. Did she misinterpret the events of that night? She remembers seeing someone wearing Jake's jacket, but she never actually saw his face. As doubt creeps in, Grace wonders if she should risk changing her testimony, even if it means potentially facing charges for obstructing justice.
Grace soon discovers that Ally and Henry have been conducting their own secret investigation. Although Ally still harbors resentment toward Grace for the fallout from her testimony and for not supporting her after her father’s death, Henry is more forgiving and agrees to let Grace join their efforts. Together, they search for the truth, but as they dig deeper, they uncover secrets that could endanger powerful people, putting the trio in more danger than they ever anticipated.
In addition to the teacher’s murder, Ally is determined to find out what really happened to her father. Will they uncover the answers they seek, even if the truth turns out to be more painful than expected?
Overall, while Ally’s stubbornness occasionally made her a frustrating character, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book. I’m rounding up my 4.5-star rating to a full 5 stars for this compelling young detective mystery.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
I enjoyed Liz Lawson’s the Agathas series & I was excited about reading this YA mystery. Aside from the language, I don’t have a lot of complaints about this story. I thought it was going to be too predictable; but the ending really surprised me!
Hey, hey, my favorites 🥰😁
#annieethebookiee is back with a #bookreview
The book she is reviewing is: Murder Between Friends
🄰🅄🅃🄷🄾🅁 :
🖊️ @lzlwsn
Ⓟⓤⓑ 📅: 4.22.25 ✨Will you be adding to your TBR? ✨
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💧💧💧/🆃🅴🅰🆁🆈 🅴🆈🅴🅳
⭐⭐⭐⭐/🆁🅰🆃🅸🅽🅶
🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶/ 🅢🅤🅢🅟🅔🅝🅢🅔
🚨 ⓢⓟⓞⓘⓛⓔⓡⓢ 👇🏾 🚨
【P】【a】【c】【e】👇🏾
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The book,cover had me at hello 👋🏾
R♥E♥V♥I♥E♥W♥
This book had me drawn in from the first page. Ally, Henry, and Grace were on the hunt to figure out who killed their teacher 👀 after Grace said she saw her BF Henry's brother go over to her teacher's backyard the night she died...
PLOT TWIST 🫣 WOAH 😳 I BET YA didn't see that coming... Neither did I 😬
While the teens were going around doing their investigation, Grace realized she had the wrong person sent to jail... NOW the possible k*ller is still out there...
The way I thought I had it, but once I stopped just picking people it all made sense.. exactly who the person was..
The motive and everything... This book was good! It was a tad slow in some areas but it picked up immediately and had your attention again.
I don't want to spill anymore 🍵... So make sure you grab your copy when this 📚 becomes available... You don't want to miss this read.
This book exceeded my expectations in every way! Going in, I had never heard of the author, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but she completely captivated me from start to finish. The intricately woven mystery was well thought out, filled with unexpected twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very last pages. Just when I thought I had it figured out, the plot took a surprising turn that I no one was expecting.
I particularly enjoyed the side story of Henry and Grace, but I found myself deeply connected to Ally, sympathizing with her more than anyone else. The genuine glimpse into a high schooler's perspective resonated with me, even if it made me feel a bit nostalgic. The only downside was the portrayal of the police, whose incompetence stood out throughout the story.
Overall, this was a very satisfying read, and I highly recommend it. I can't wait to explore more from this author!
Grace, Henry, and Ally have been inseparable since childhood, growing up on the same block. However, everything changed when Grace's testimony led to Henry's brother, Jake, being imprisoned for the murder of their English teacher. Two years later, Ally and Henry harbor deep resentment towards Grace, while Grace begins questioning her testimony’s accuracy. In this captivating YA mystery, the three friends are forced to confront their fractured friendship and complex family dynamics when a technical error leads to Jake's release from jail. As they reunite, they are determined to uncover the truth about the teacher's murder and Jake's involvement. With its fast-paced narrative and numerous unexpected twists, this story keeps readers on the edge. Thanks to NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Liz Lawson for this ARC!
Well hello there YA murder mystery, you were a delightful read. This gave off some A Good Girls Guide to Murder vibes with all the investigating and...well, stubbornness of one our leads, Ally. I loved her desire to prove Jake's innocence the whole time.
The dynamic between Henry, Ally and Grace was believable. I enjoyed their youthful faults and the growth that came from them.
A lot ended up going on between these pages... but still, I kept up and I really enjoyed how everything ended up.
As a fan of YA mysteries—probably influenced by my love for Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew growing up—Murder Between Friends was exactly what I needed. This book grabbed me from the start and kept me turning the pages; I honestly couldn’t put it down. The plot was full of fun twists and surprises, and just when I thought I had it all figured out, the ending completely took me by surprise! I loved every minute of it and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.
This book is definitely a YA feel but if you enjoy a faced pace thriller that will have you hooked down let it being YA stop you.
What if two years after you sent someone to prison you question if you made the right decision? What do you do?
This story follows three different points of view with many other characters coming into play. It’s a book that will hook you in the first few pages and keep you reading to find out more.
Definitely recommend! I knew "whodunit" the second they were introduced in the story, however, there was definitely a twist i didn't see coming! Very entertaining. The only reason for it not being 5 stars is because all of the POVs got confusing.
Liz Lawson crafts a quick mystery with multiple players and plots that weave together nicely. When your best friend’s brother is accused and sentenced for murder, would you stick around? Ally is curious and hard core. She will stop at nothing to help find out the truth. Grace, the traitorous friend, just wants to put her kind at ease that she did the right thing. Henry, just wants his brother back. Together, the three set out to prove Jake’s innocence, all the while uncovering other sinister secrets.
Oh, how I love a plot twist. This was a great little thriller with plenty going on. I was feeling unsatisfied by what looked like the outcome was going to be because I called it way early on, but then we’re hit with that reveal and I was like, well, damn, never mind! I did not see that one coming.
Another book I would like to give a 3.5 to! When did YA authors start writing only books that are 350+pages? High schoolers who are not avid readers aren’t going to stick around that long, even if it is good! This book ha da great premise but it was toooooo long and the final reveal was clear from almost the first 20 pages. If you liked Good Girls Guide to Murder you will like this one. Three friends, well two now that Grace helped put Henry’s brother in jail, come together to keep Jake from going to jail after he is released on a technicality. As they dig deeper and deeper they learn that their small town and the people in it are not what they seem.
What a great ending!!! I loved this book. There was always something keeping me on my toes, and it was a great story line! I would love to read more by Liz Lawson!
I loved this one as it has all the elements I enjoy in a thriller: murder, suspense, mistaken identity, romance, and intrigue! Jake is getting out of prison after serving only 13 months of his 25-year sentence for murder as it's discovered the prosecutor was having an affair with the judge. Beloved teacher, Ms. Applebaum was discovered in the freezer in her own home and Jake's hair and notebook were found at the scene. Neighbor Grace--also a student in her class, saw the killer enter the backyard that night. And that's just the beginning...! Things unravel quickly as rumors abound, social media blows up, and accusations fly. But it's not until the bitter end that we know what really transpired!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
Loved this YA thriller! It was so hard to put it down. A local teacher was murdered and one of her students was as arrested and convicted. Her student is released due to a scandal. But the students brother and his best friend don’t believe he is guilty. They decide to find out the truth. I do love when teens outwit everyone. This was very good and I did not see the last twist coming.
I LOVED The Agatha's duology and was really looking forward to Murder Between Friends. I felt it was poorly written with terrible characterization.
If you’re accepting of reading the classic mystery trope of a group of teenagers work together to solve a crime, this one is worth the read. I found it to be very suspenseful and the author did a nice job making you question all the characters and their motives. There was also a nice layer of subplot throughout which not only added to the mystery but really helped with character development. The book is divided up into the three friends perspectives, which I wasn’t sure of at first but I warmed to quickly. It did help to be able to see into the brain of each of the three of the friends and get to know them a little better. The one thing that bothered me a little was I was correct with my “whodunnit” guess, which I figured out early on. However, that may not be the case for a YA audience, who I feel would definitely enjoy this one. There was one twist at the very end though that I did NOT see coming, which I appreciated. A solid choice if you want a quick read mystery.
"Murder Between Friends" is a teen/YA mystery novel by Liz Lawson. The book starts out with Jake, the brother of Henry (one of the main characters) being released from prison on a technicality, after he was convicted of murdering one of their teachers. Henry, Ally, and Grace used to be friends, but after Grace's eyewitness testimony helped convict Jake, their friend group is broken. When Jake is released, Grace starts to wonder how sure she was about what she saw. The trio reluctantly bands together to find out the truth behind what happened to their teacher. A fun mystery with suprises that will keep you guessing, this is a recommended purchase where YA mysteries are popular.
I have enjoyed previous stories by the author and this one didn’t disappoint. I couldn’t put it down. I had fun figuring out what was going on with the main character. The twist was well done. I highly recommend this ya mystery.