Unfortunately this wasn’t for me. The writing style just didn’t gel well with me and I think the dual timelines was a disadvantage for a good plot

HOLY. SHIT.

BEST BOOK I’M GONNA READ ALL YEAR. HANDS DOWN.

Have I lost all composure? Yes, but let me be whimsical. I have never read Tess Sharpe before now, but boy howdy am I going to be looking into her backlist. This book is so great. Dual timelines, multiple perspectives, and quick-witted writing that snags you right from the beginning—what more could you want? Some might be concerned with moments of funky pacing, but it didn’t bother me at all, I was too enraptured. Mel and Chloe are such badass women and the way they interact had me giggling and kicking my feet. This narrative reminded me of Lost and The Wilds and had all the pining of the first season of Heartstopper, except it was two women trying to figure out if it’s worth getting back together again despite all of their demons. There is murder and mystery and secrets and lying, and—look—these women are most certainly not perfect. They are kind of a feral pair, actually, but I think they fit together so well and fit this narrative so well. If I could hold the story in my hands it would be made of red dirt and pine needles and broken nails and blood straight from the heart. I also really love that it centers an established couple (well, before the disappearing act), because so many love stories are about two people finding each other for the first time, not the second.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

When I saw the cover and read the blurb I was immediately captured-the story about Mel and Chloe being bound together by a big secret, falling in love and making sacrifices for each other and one of them suddenly running away and disappearing to protect the other. However, I hate to say it but the story wasn’t as good as it should’ve been.

I really enjoyed the start and the back and forth with the past, but when Mel and Chloe reunited, it really fell off. The scene where they reunited was really good, but when they both started thinking of how much they were in love with each other immediately, it took out the angst.

The story was also a lot of tell and not show. Everything about Mel and Chloe’s big secret love affair in a small town we were told of it but never actually got to know them or what were they like and how they connected. The past chapters never really focused on their bond except the crime they committed. This would not have bothered me as much if we at least got to see them connect over the crime, which again was not show just tell.

We even got to see one of the bad guys’ pov, which frankly added nothing to the story. That time could’ve been used to given us proper flashbacks about Mel and Chloe’s relationship or even the crime they committed instead of just constantly being told how much they loved each other but never actually seeing them in love

The thriller aspect was very predictable and it was quite obvious what would’ve made Chloe run away and why the bad guys were after her. This could’ve still worked if we didn’t find out the truth about Mel and Chloe having a misunderstanding about the dead body. The whole build up was very underwhelming only to find out more disappointing reveals.

However there was one reveal that I did not see coming and it was actually really sweet. That combined with a nice reunion at the end was the only thing I enjoyed. I was really looking forward to this book but I was sorely disappointed.
I wish we got to know the characters a bit more and bond instead of their present romance being rushed.

.

2.5 i really like tess sharpe's books, but this book just didnt do it for me. i enjoyed the beginning, but i had to force myself to continue this after mel found chloe. i also found it really odd when the two of them would have an emotional conversation right in the middle of a dangerous situation. their dialogue was also not realistic at all to be honest.

I haven’t been this enthralled by a book in a while. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t put this down! I read the whole thing in just two days. I love books about queer women, and there truly is not enough adventurous, unhinged, sapphic rep out in the world right now. I so genuinely loved all the characters, including the side characters (and excluding the villains of the novel). I rarely get to read about women who are about my age, so having both Mel and Chloe be 24 was perfect for me. I loved how they were both tough but not “cool girl” tough (aka they passed the “could this character be replaced by a man and have the exact same story” test). The multiple timelines and the twists had me on the edge of my seat. I laughed, I nearly cried, I consumed this in record time. Would highly recommend to anyone in a reading slump!

If you enjoy mysteries and thrillers, this book is for you! Two teens take care of a known drug dealer. Chloe goes on the run and Mel. starts working for a private investigator and tries to find out where Chloe has run off to. What Mel uncovers is beyond what she could imagine. Twists and turns and people trying to kill the Chloe and Mel will have you on the edge of your seat.
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. I can't wait until I can read the next book by Tess Sharpe. Four out of five stars from me as some things could have been better, but still a great book.

First of all, many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for this ARC.

No Body No Crime tells the story of Chloe and Mel, a sweet sixteen party that ends with the death of Tony Dunne, which triggers a series of events that, years later, has Mel as a PI looking for Chloe, the love of her life.

Tess Sharpe is so good at pushing you to turn just one more page. No Body No Crime can be a little confusing at first — it takes a moment to catch the rhythm and understand what’s happening. Just like in Far from You, as you move forward, the story takes shape, and once you’re hooked, it’s impossible to put down. Every chapter ends with a powerful line that won’t let you stop.

The angst — of course there’s angst with Tess. Chloe and Mel love each other so much it hurts. There’s everything: rage, passion, and that fury that’s always present in her books. That’s what always makes me come back and keeps her as one of my favorite authors.

The story itself has everything: crashed planes, guns, bow and arrows? Two (or more) badass women fighting to keep themselves and the people they love alive. It’s a constant in Tess’s characters and something I love about her books. Chloe and Mel clash all the time, but the love is there — you feel it in every line. I must say I even found the villains fun; they felt straight out of an old western novel, which doesn’t take away how realistic they are.

I couldn’t recommend this book more. Tess Sharpe never fails, and it would be a sin to deprive yourself of what she writes.

➥ 5 stars ⋆˚࿔

this was SO good omg. it was my first tess sharpe novel but it definitely won’t be the last!

➥ <u><b>things i liked :</b></u>

- the characters!!!!! literally all of them. they had such interesting backstories, i was so invested
- the multiple povs. i had never read a book that had more than two povs but it worked SO well for no body no crime. that one mystery pov with no name? i was caught off guard for sure but i loved it!!
- the plot twists!!!!! so so so good
- the dual timeline. i know not everyone likes dual timelines but it made me want to keep reading even more!

and there are basically no things i disliked 🧚🏻‍♀️

── .✦ so overall i had a really great time reading this, i recommended it to my friends before i even finished it lol

── .✦ thank you to netgalley for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

"I am who I am because of you! Because I love you!"
"Don't say it like a death sentence."
"Isn't it?"

Me and a cheeky Tess Sharpe book gang...

Don't get me wrong, girls murdering boys for the simple fact that they're arseholes will never not get me to read a book, and even more so if Sharpe's name is attached to it, in concept, it is naturally fun.

It was, however, my mistake for not acknowledging that Tess will always make it her goal to give every character the most tragic, upsetting, terrible backstory known to man: Mel is the victim of childhood domestic abuse and was lowkey groomed into becoming a PI, Chloe had the crushing weight of the Harper name (the literal town is named after her family) to uphold, and the single time she tried to be just and good almost got killed, and that isn't even touching Gigi and Whitney.

All in all I very much adored this story and cannot wait to see what Sharpe comes up with next <3

Thank you Farrar, Straus and Giroux & NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this book- all opinions are my own.

Having loved Tess Sharpe’s other releases, including the amazing 'The Girls I’ve Been', I was immediately drawn to 'No Body, No Crime' (the Taylor Swift reference definitely helped too!). The latter adopts a similar non-linear narrative to 'The Girls I’ve Been'. By shifting between various timelines in 'No Body, No Crime', Sharpe masterfully builds suspense around the two protagonists’ motives, and keeps us guessing about what Mel and Chloe did to end up where they are. Whilst I loved the pace of the novel, I did find myself wishing for a few more chapters dedicated to the earlier development of their relationship (but that may be because I am a romance girly at heart!).

I also occasionally found the non-linear structure and the web of character relationships a bit difficult to follow, despite normally being a huge fan of Sharpe’s narrative style, . There were moments when the connections between the characters, and how long they had known each other, became unclear, prompting me to refer back to earlier chapters to determine how certain characters were connected.

Chloe’s backstory also lacked depth for me. It was almost like there were missing parts to the intricate web Sharpe had created over the various timelines. I loved the resilient and bold nature of her character in the present timeline, however there seemed to be a rapid shift in her characterisation. She seemed to go from a naive, ribbon in her hair wearing 16 year old, to an expert survivalist living out in the woods in the middle of nowhere. I also found the shifts between serious and humorous moments somewhat jarring. The “three Dicks” mentions and the peacock moment felt a little out of place, and I could barely get past the antagonist being referred to as "Big Daddy". I know Chloe was using his nickname in a tongue-in-cheek way, but I cringed every time!

All in all, I did enjoy this book. I love a high-stakes plot and 'No Body, No Crime' certainly has one! The characters were both courageous, resilient women who were wholly suited to one another and had incredible chemistry. Although I would have loved a more indepth exploration of their connection, and a clearer idea on Chloe’s character development throughout the story, I thoroughly enjoyed this and would recommend it to others.

First, I want to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review.

4.5☆

This was amazing. I read this in a single day and had such a good time with it. It was incredibly entertaining and, just in general, a fun read.
The characters in this are incredibly loveable and are a big part of the humor of this book. I found myself enjoying following them through the story and couldn't wait to discover what they would do next.
The romance was perfect. It fit well with the plot of the book and developed with an amazing natural feel to it, which definitely catched me and had me invested with it every step of the way. Mel and Chloe are perfect for one another!

I think the book would have benefitted from being a little longer. Some parts of it felt rushed, and I found myself wishing that the author would have spent more time on some of the scenes. Especially the parts where they were out in the wild, running for their lives, just fighting for survival were really lacking in length for me and could have done well with a bit more detail. Not only was that part so much fun, but it went by too quickly to feel realistic.
Personally, I thought the story was a little predictable and therefore didn't have any shocking plottwists. They also got away with everything too easily.

To sum it up, I would say this book is perfect if you just want to have a great time. The characters are amazing and make you laugh. It had a sapphic romance to root for and a lot of action that keeps you hooked and entertained in an unserious-action-movie type of way.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Tess Sharpe’s newest novel!

If you have read any of Tess Sharpe’s previous books, you know you’re about to get a novel with some badass female charecters. No Body No Crime was no exception! While the main leads were both survivors and had their own set of amazing skills, even some of the side characters proved to be astounding. (Slight spoilers: I really enjoyed the big reveal at the end with a certain head of the household)

I enjoyed this book a lot, the cover really spoke to me too, and read it in one sitting. I was however shocked how short it felt. While it was not incomplete, no missing plot lines, it just felt that it all happened so fast I felt perhaps there could have been more? Maybe I’m being a romantic or greedy but would have loved a chapter one what happned that night on June 10th, or even how the girls starting sneaking around as teenagers, who broke first? Again these are just little things I will just headcannon but if you enjoy a story filled with banter and quirky bad guys being terrified of a 20 something year old badass queer girl, this book may be for you!!

Tess Sharpe is so good at plot twists! I loved reading an action-heavy book that centers women. When I got to the halfway point I was locked in and just flew through it! I will say that the first half was less engaging and that the writing style could have been a bit more descriptive and less direct. There was also one loose thread I would have liked to see wrapped up or explained at the end. I'd recommend this for anyone looking for a gripping crime thriller!

Tess Sharpe never misses! She has a real talent for combining a dark, twist-filled plot with incredibly lovable characters. There is so much to yearn for in this book! Mel and Chloe compliment each other so well, but they each have a rich story outside of each other, too. I also enjoyed the villains in this book, as they added some comedic relief. Despite all the murder happening, there were laugh out loud moments.

No Body No Crime jumps through time and points of view, but while still having a clear focus on the central story. Sometimes multiple viewpoints can make me feel impatient to get back to a preferred character, but that was not the case here. Each character had different pieces of the mystery, so getting to see each of them was great.

I also have to give a shout out to friendship and found family, which shine through this book! This was a five star read for me!

3.5 stars

“That’s the funny thing about murder; it can bond you like nothing else”

Thank you so much for providing me with an e-ARC

Tess Sharpe is one of my absolute favourite authors, so I was very excited to be able to read this book early but I’m not going to lie I was a little disappointed. It didn’t really live up to the expectations I had after reading the girl in question. But that’s not to say It wasn’t a good book, because it was. The 3.5 star rating simply means I felt there was something missing. I felt that the concept was very good, but it fell a little flat.

I loved the characters and the relationship between them. I also really loved how unserious the book was, it was really funny, and I love that in an otherwise serious book. It was written well; I loved the non-linear storyline I’ve come to expect from Tess Sharpe. My only issue was the plot. It just fell a little flat to me. It felt like all the issues could have just been resolved with a conversation 6 years ago and everything was blown out of proportion. I also would have loved some more scenes of Chloe and Mel as teenagers and that relationship dynamic as well as some more backstory. By the end of the novel, I didn’t feel like I knew the characters well enough, I would have liked more backstory and more of their personality to be demonstrated. I loved the characters, but I just wanted more.

It was very easy to read and fast paced which I really enjoyed, there were some slow moments at the beginning and middle but that occurs in most books. Overall, I did think it was an enjoyable read and I'm very thankful I was able to read it.

Another fantastic one from Tess Sharpe! I love the way she intertwines not only characters POVs, but also multiple timelines. You're always kept engaged and on the edge of your seat, and yet never feel lost or confused by the jumps. While I wasn't surprised by any of the twists, that did not pull any enjoyment away from the reading experience because I was so enraptured by the characters and their motivations.

[3.75] This was a wild! ride!

Something I love about Tess Sharpe's books is her ability to play with the order in which she tells a story. Going from two hours after a plane crash, to eight years before it during a party, to two hours prior to said plane crash, to the point of view of side character. It can be quite confusing but a quite fascinating way to tell a story that shocks the reader.

I found myself a little confused at times, but I think I was just not able to keep some things straight (like the 3 characters all named Richard) and you simply must keep things straight when reading a book that does so many jumps in time.

My favorite part was the descriptions of yearning between Chloe and Mel, whose feelings for each other span eight years of time. We can totally see how much these two deeply care for each other!

I found the mystery aspect interesting, but the resolution fell short for me. I expected something a little more grandiose, I suppose. I will continue to pick up any book Tess Sharpe writes, however.

received an arc from netgalley, thanks!

tess sharpe does murderous girls so well and i really, truly love that that for her. also the way she does multiple timelines has me going crazy in the best way possible. i have been hooked on her books since <i>the girls i've been</i> and i can't see that changing any time soon. i finished this on my lunch break at work today and have been bereft ever since.

mel and chloe are both absolutely brilliant, and the surrounding cast is just as great. the way the story is slowly revealed had me unable to put this down. there is nothing that i would like more than to be able to read this for the first time again.

i don't have any, like, well-thought out commentary because my thoughts the whole time were "oh my god!!!!" and "obviously, why not, stabbing and shooting people is fun and cool." so no thoughts, just crazy, and i love that for me.

10 out of 10, you should read this too.

Once again, I must admit to the crime of judging a book by its cover. I couldn't help it, this cover is so beautiful that I just had to know if the contents of the book lived up to the suspense and action that the cover promises. I can now happily say that this book delivers everything the cover promises and so much more. Once again, Tess Sharpe takes readers through a story full of twists and turns that will have them on the edge of their seats until the very end.

On the night of Chloe Harper's 16th birthday, she and Mel Tillman murder a boy and bury his body where no one will ever find it. When Chloe disappears two years later, Mel is left devastated and questioning why she left. It isn't until six years after Chloe's disappearance when Mel, now a private investigator, is tasked with bringing Chloe home that she learns Chloe has been on the run, and now they're both in danger. Mel and Chloe must work together to stay alive while being hunted by the people who have spent the last six years looking for Chloe.

No Body No Crime was wildly entertaining. The book starts of with a bang (actually, it's more of a crash) and does not stop from there. It was action packed and full of twists woven into the story. I honestly didn't expect this book to be as funny as it was and I appreciated every bit of humor that was brought by the characters, it absolutely made them seem more full of life and real.

Mel and Chloe were really interesting characters to follow. Their relationships with the people in their lives and with each other were complicated by the secret they shared and complicated further by the secrets they didn't share. In spite of their wildly different backgrounds, they cared for each other deeply, even after the years they spent apart. Both characters are badass and clever and have to use their skills to get out of daunting situations and keep each other alive. I was invested in them as I was reading and excited to see how they would get out of the situations they found themselves in.

The story is told through a dual timeline narrative that jumps back and forth between things that have happened in the eight years since Chloe and Mel murdered Toby and present day events and this is something I think worked really well for No Body No Crime. Typically I find stories told this way to be a bit frustrating, because there will be build up to a confrontation of an action sequence and they will just switch to another timeline rather than following through on the build up. Rather than taking me out of the story, it felt like the chapters that occurred in the past built upon what was happening in the present day storyline. A question would be answered in the past that made what was happening make more sense, or the past timelines would build relationships and made me understand a little bit more about why the characters were interacting in the ways they were.

One thing that did confuse me a bit was the relationships between all of the Richards. There were a couple lines that stated different relationships between them than what had previously been established which at times made how they were all related a little difficult to understand. Given I had an uncorrected copy of the book, I believe this will likely be fixed by the time the novel comes out.

Overall, I really enjoyed No Body No Crime and cannot wait until it is released so I can buy a copy of my own and make all of my friends read it. 4.25 stars.

Thank you to the publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and to NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.