This story was excellent. From the first moment the story was engaging. There were times I thought I had the mystery solved, but this story built twists upon twists, seamlessly coming to an epic conclusion.

This was such a great mystery book. I really loved it and how it all came together. Good for all ages really I don’t think anything was too adult. 3 friends set out to prove one of their brothers innocence in a murder of a teacher and they get all Nancy drew and figure out way more. Some really great twists too just when you think you know. It was a very quick and easy read. I read this in 2 sittings.

I got this early from @netgalley for my honest review.
This book releases in April 2025 and I will be getting a physical copy!! :)

I loved all the twists with this. The broken friendships. The angst of having to face the past and accept that it might not have been what you always though. Forgiveness and reforming old bonds. Coming together to fully find the truth and understanding that sometimes the tragedies that happen to us do not have to be the things that define us. This was a fun read!

I didn't like this. There is one thread we are following for the mystery, and when we find out where that thread ACTUALLY leads, we just never hear about it again, even though it's also fully a crime. The whole book is about a boy and his best friend trying to clear the boy's brother's name, but the boy's brother is a total dick and I never got any kind of indication that they were EVER close enough for any of it to matter. I didn't mind the final reveal very much, but overall, it just doesn't stand up against other YA mysteries to me. However, I think adult enjoyment of YA mysteries and teen enjoyment of YA mysteries are very obviously two different things and I don't see why teens wouldn't like the drama attached to this one. Not everything has to be super logical for its reader base!

Grace, Henry, and Ally all grew up on the same block and were forever best friends. Until Graces testimony put Henry’s brother, Jake away for killing their English teacher. Two years later, Jake is out of prison due to a mistrial and Grace is questioning what she saw the night of the murder. When Grace goes to Jake about what she did-or didn’t see that night-Jake’s reaction is troublesome. He doesn’t want Grace to get involved-even if it means she helps prove his innocence. There is definitely more to the story than anyone knows and Grace wants to figure it out. Is it possible to mend things between the original three best friends and also figure out the truth? With Jake’s new trial coming up quick, the friends put themselves in danger-because if Jake isn’t to blame, that means the real killer is out there and definitely doesn’t want the truth to come to light.

This was a very interesting read and kept me engaged throughout. It had plot twists throughout and I would most definitely recommend to friends! Thank you for the advance copy of this book!

I loved this one! I really like Liz Lawson’s books. The YA thrillers are so good, one of my favorite genres. This was a great story and I enjoyed the plot.

Three estranged friends have to work together to figure out who really killed their high school English teacher. Can they leave the past behind them and figure out who the true killer is?

After Grace Topham testified against her boyfriend’s brother and sent him to prison for murder, Henry, and their friend Ally went their separate ways. When Jake gets out on a technicality, it makes Grace, Ally, and Henry wonder who really killed their teacher. They decide to put the past behind them and work together to dig into the time surrounding the murder and they make some discoveries that change everything.

This is a classic case of who done it that will leave you guessing until the very end!

Enjoyable book that kept me guessing throughout. I absolutely did not see the final twist. Highly recommend.

First I want to say thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for letting me read this ARC!

This book was good, a little slow for me at some points personally, but I don't think I am the target audience.

All I could think the entire time reading this book was “I feel like I’ve seen this episode of scooby doo before”. I think if some of the language was changed, this would have been a great read for maybe a 13 year old.

Well-paced, easy to read, and fun mystery with a few twists on the way. The characters were engaging and realistic, and the way the adults wanted the kids to stop made it feel very real (sometimes I wonder what the parents are doing that they let their kids run around, solving murders!). Highly enjoyable.

Liz Lawson's Murder Between Friends is a gripping thriller that delves into the complexities of friendship, guilt, and the blurred lines between truth and lies. Set to release in April 2025, this novel promises to captivate readers with its suspenseful plot and well-developed characters.

The story unfolds in a small town where three childhood friends, Grace, Henry, and Ally, find themselves entangled in a web of secrets and mistrust. Two years ago, a tragic event shattered their bond, leaving them scarred and estranged. Now, as a mistrial threatens to release the convicted killer, Jake, the trio is forced to confront the past and the painful choices they made.

Lawson masterfully weaves a narrative that kept me guessing until the very end. The author's skillful pacing and intricate plot twists maintain a constant sense of suspense, leaving me eager to uncover the truth. The characters are complex and multifaceted, each harboring their own secrets and motivations. Grace, torn between guilt and a desire for redemption, is a particularly compelling figure. Her internal struggle to reconcile her past actions with her present beliefs adds depth to the story.

While the novel's strengths lie in its suspenseful plot and well-developed characters, there are moments where the pacing feels slightly uneven. Some subplots, particularly those involving secondary characters, could have been further developed to enrich the overall narrative. Nonetheless, Murder Between Friends is a captivating read that will appeal to fans of psychological thrillers and domestic suspense.

Murder Between Friends is a must-read for those who enjoy intricate plots, complex characters, and a healthy dose of suspense.

Thank you to Random House Children's, NetGalley, and Liz Lawson for this advance reader copy!

I have read another book by this author so I am already predisposed to like it. Which I did.
This author is constantly weaving a tale that is complicated, exciting, confusing, and unexpected. The story grabs you from the first page and keeps you hooked till the end.
A couple of times, I did have to stop reading because I got scared and didn't want to read it alone and at night. But for the most part, I couldn't put it down.
Enjoy!

When it comes to murder documentaries or those Saturday night mysteries, I am a sucker. They draw me in and I can’t get enough. The weirder, the better. Throw in a love triangle and I am all set. This book gave off those vibes and that was all I needed. So sit back, relax, get that cozy blanket, and a glass of wine. The mystery has begun to unravel!

A beloved teacher was murdered in her own home. The teen next door was charged with the crime. The pieces fit so perfectly. Or do they?

This was an engaging mystery with a predictable ending. The concept of teens becoming amateur sleuths was entertaining, and I found myself enjoying it as the story unfolded. However, once we got closer to uncovering the truths, I began to lose interest. The answers were obvious from the start, and I wasn't surprised at all, which was the most disappointing part of the book. The author kept introducing quirky twists in an attempt to mislead the reader, but that quickly became tiresome. I still found myself enjoying the rest of the book.

Murder Between Friends was a fun and decent mystery with lots of twists. While parts were a little over the top, the rest of the read was entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author for this amazing ARC. This book follows three teenagers as they try to figure out who really killed their teacher, since they do not believe that the killer behind bars is actually the killer. I loved the different points of view, loved the characters, loved the storyline. Definitely a must-read when this book releases.

The last twist had both my jaw dropping but also made complete sense when you thought about it. This is I believe more of a young adult book, and it kept me hooked from start to finish. I couldn’t wait to keep picking it up and reading it.

Highly recommend!

This book was one of those murder mysteries that require you to suspend your disbelief an absurd amount. I was willing to suspend it for the majority of the book, despite the fact that it tried too hard to be mysterious and twisty, but the double twist at the end didn’t surprise me so much as it annoyed me. I felt that it was too far-fetched, even for a book of this genre. The unbelievability of it really interfered with my ability to enjoy the book.

I feel this book was a super slow burn. It didn’t really take off until the end but that was a plot twist I didn’t see coming.

Thank you both NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the arc exchange for my honest review :)

Being new to Liz Lawson I was nervous at first having never read any of her books so I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I'm always looking for new reads, as well as authors and I do not regret choosing this one! It was so well written, not to mention a fast read getting into the plot and finding out who did it. I had trouble putting it down, as soon as I started reading it I just had to know what was going to happen. I truly enjoyed reading about the characters and how they went about trying to solve the mystery of the murder. The twists and turns, including the ending, will have you on the edge of your seat in suspense!

So if you like fast-paced, murder mystery and thriller reads I highly recommend this book you won't regret it.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC for an honest review.

I was intrigued from the very beginning; Jake was released from prison after serving 18 months of his 25-year sentence for murder but his friends didn't believe he did it, so they set out to prove his innocence.
I'm not gonna lie, I thought I had this one pegged from about midway as to who the killer was, not until the very end was I surprised that I was on the right track but totally wrong. Liz Lawson really got me with this thriller and it had everything I loved, suspense, twists, mistaken identity, and the truth coming to front. I am excited to check out her other work.

I love this style of writing. Each chapter is a different character on a specific date. It flows naturally and was easy to follow. And if you are like me, and need to go back and check details, they are easy to find. I also enjoyed the juvenile decisions made. Kids doing kid things, makes it more relatable. This was a fast and enjoyable read. Will be adding other Liz Lawson books to by TBR list!