A group of friends gets back together when their friend’s body is found. I got sucked in quickly to this book and couldn’t wait to find out what was happening. Good pacing and good character development. I enjoyed it!

This Stays Between Us is a standalone novel written by Sarah Ochs.

Expected release date: July 15, 2025

*Australia setting
*Murderer amongst friends
*Dual timeline

Ten years after a group of six students meet in Australia, one of the students is found dead. From there it’s a guessing game of who is to blame and who you can trust.

At times the story dragged, but overall I enjoyed trying to figure out who was the killer amongst the group. Claire leads the current timeline POV and Phoebe leads the POV timeline from ten years ago.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read and review this title!

Format: NetGalley ebook
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Overall score:⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level:🌶️
Characters: Claire & Phoebe

I loved Sara Ochs first book, so I was so happy to receive this one! I loved this book! The duel times lines, the Australia setting, all the characters and their dynamics. Lots of secrets and suspense in this story. This book is a psychological thriller done right with plenty of twist and turns. I never give 5 stars to thrillers but for this I do.

Wow! This was absolutely amazing! So many unhinged twists and turns! I was surprisingly shocked at each turn of events! I loved the cattiness and all the sexual tension between the group traveling abroad in Australia and I loved reading about the things they did in Sydney and in the Outback. The way Sara wrote the descriptions, I felt as if I was living alongside Ellery, Phoebe, Adrien, Kyan, Claire, Josh, Declan, Tomas and Hari. I felt everything they were feeling. Go into this blind because it is so good!

Sara Ochs delivers a gripping psychological thriller in *This Stays Between Us*, intertwining past and present against the backdrop of the Australian Outback. The novel opens with a group of university friends embarking on what they expect to be a life-changing adventure, only for it to lead to tragedy. A decade later, new evidence draws them back to Australia, forcing them to confront old alliances and buried secrets.

With a dual-timeline structure, the story builds suspense as the complex characters reveal their hidden motives. The vividly rendered setting—from the stunning coastline to the eerie Outback—intensifies the unease, while sharp pacing and unexpected twists keep readers guessing until the end.

For fans of psychological thrillers with morally ambiguous characters, *This Stays Between Us* is a compelling read that lingers long after the final page. Some secrets simply refuse to stay buried.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review; sadly this did not work for me. It’s everything I usually enjoy in thrillers, the band gets back together, adventure, island, etc. My main dislike of this book was the writing and how predicable the characters and the ending felt. It’s not a bad book by any means, it just really did not wow me and had everything in it that usually does. I don’t mind when I predict twists, at all, but there has to be other things about the book I enjoy and there just wasn’t in this one. If you want a quick, popcorn thriller, you will probably find this somewhat enjoyable.

This Stays Between Us by Sara Ochs had me completely hooked from start to finish. I loved how the suspense slowly built as Claire returned to Australia to face the secrets of her past. The tension was so real, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the guilt Claire carried. It kept me guessing with every twist, and by the end, I was on the edge of my seat, wondering how everything would unfold. If you love psychological thrillers with deep secrets and plenty of suspense, this one’s a must-read!

I really enjoy books by Sara Ochs. Her latest, This Stays Between Us was a winner. I definitely recommend it!

A run-of-the-mill thriller.
Characters weren't interesting and Phoebe, the murder victim in this story, was really annoying that it was hard to feel sorry for her, though I did feel terrible for the backstory with her brother.
Claire tries to play detective but literally accuses every single person under the sun and has to have the murderer spell out the crime in the big reveal. Nothing different or interesting about this book that you couldn't get from other thrillers.

I just returned from a lovely 3 week long vacation to Australia and was deeply missing being on vacation. There was no better way to relive my adventure than with this addictive thriller. Sara Ochs has some of the best descriptions of settings that I’ve read. I especially enjoyed this because it took me through many places I just visited. Thankfully, I can safely say no dead bodies for me. The story alternates between 10 years ago and the now and the timelines are seamlessly woven together. It’s fast paced, adventurous, and riveting. Full of secrets, betrayals, tension, and shocking twists. Ochs is an auto read for me and this one did not disappoint!


Thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark | Sourcebooks Landmark for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A group of co-ed university students from all over the world participated in an Adventure Abroad in Australia program a decade ago, but they didn’t all return home. Now they are gathering again in Australia following the news that one of the student’s remains have been discovered. The story is told in both Claire and Phoebe’s points of view – Claire being our narrator in the present and Phoebe as the narrator in the past. Phoebe is also the student who disappeared. Claire was closest to Phoebe, who seemed to rub everyone the wrong way. But Claire was patient and forgiving and saw a softer side to Phoebe.

Emotions ran high during the program, with casual and not-so-casual hook-ups and routine partying and drinking. Relationships were born and were broken and being together again a decade later is as awkward as Claire imagined it would be. But she’s not the only one who has been keeping secrets and who has an agenda for returning to Australia. But will she make it back home again?

Even though the characters may first seem cliché, they have more depth than I expected. Adrian didn’t seem to have any redeeming qualities and I wish she would have been put in her place at some point. There are plenty of twists, especially towards the end, but I think the author took it one twist too far. I was satisfied until that one, which was just too much. There are a plethora of references to ‘what she did’ in Claire’s internal monologues that get a bit repetitive, but overall the story flows well and I loved all the descriptions of Australia, having never been there myself.

I could easily pick up right where I left off each time and I couldn’t wait to reach the end. I would definitely read more by this author and this is a fun book that I recommend.

That LAST chapter twist always gets me! I live for it and This Stays With Us delivered. I couldn't wait to pick up this novel, then I couldn't put it down. The pacing was perfect, the POV's and timelines were synchronized beautifully. I've traveled with groups before and the bond really is forever no matter how much time passes so I understand how tight knot this friend group can be/was even though they "only" spent a month together.
Even if you think you have it figured out, there's more! I also loved that there were some possible ways and dead ends in trying to solving it. It came across as a realistic way to portray trying to figure something out.
I was gasping for air by the end. I would highly recommend.

This Stays Between Us by Sara Ochs is a good beach read and mystery. A small group of university students from around the world come to Australia for short study abroad program over the month of December. It soon becomes clear that many of the students have decided to participate in the program for deep personal reasons.
The book has good character development and suspense. You do have to suspend logic for some scenarios but in my opinion not all mystery novels have to be as close to reality as possible to be a good read. Overall I recommend this light and fun mystery thriller.

This Stays Between Us follows Claire, who returns to Australia, years after her best friend on a summer abroad trip, Phoebe, disappeared during their time there. Now, Phoebe's remains have been discovered, and suspicion swirls among the once tight-knit group of friends from the study abroad trip - who did it?

I really enjoyed this fast-paced, shocking thriller. It kept me guessing until the very last page, literally, and I found the setting to be highly immersive. While I guessed some of the twists, this books packed full of them, so there were plenty I completely missed. The characters were multilayered and often morally ambiguous, which added to the tense nature of the story.

I highly recommend for anyone looking for a quick, atmospheric read with dark twists that explores the nature of friendships - especially female friendships.

I love thrillers based on longtime friends with hidden secrets, but This Stays Between Us really didn't click for me. There were too many characters introduced back-to-back and not enough suspense to pull me in. Also, some of the writing felt repetitive (for example, "smattered" being used twice in a span of about 100 words).

This book transported me on an outback adventure from the very beginning! A "who done it" mystery that takes place in Australia 10 years ago & present tense. A group of friends reuniting to help solve the murder of their friend, but who can you trust? Who isn't whom they appear to be? This thriller kept me interested the whole way through! Thank you for the ARC Netgalley & Sourcebooks Landmark!

Wow, Wow, Wow!
This novel has so many twists and turns with the ' who done it' feel, but also having you know EVERYONE is a suspect! If you liked the movie scream I really think you'll enjoy this. Sara does such a great job pointing you in all directions having you always second guessing yourself! We are following two POV's, Claire and Phoebe, from then and now. Both girls are recounting their time be it past or present for them respectively. As I said before the twists and turns make this mystery so suspenceful! This would also be very fun to annotate if you are into doing so. I need to read more of Sara's works and am wondering if she will be an autobuy for me... Chances are YES!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me this arc from Bantam to read in exchange for an honest review

If you’re at all similar to me then you know there’s just something addictive about a thriller set in the Australian Outback, something about the vivid landmarks, the heat, the possibility of poisonous animals and the back packing travellers, I’d personally love to travel to Australia but the thought of the giant spiders deters me 😂

“This stays between us” divides its attention between two main characters, one from a past timeline who we know is currently deceased, and one in present day who is slowly unwinding the events of the past as its colliding with her present day.

Present day Claire finds herself having to return to Australia many years after studying abroad. The original purpose for the trip is a school reunion which quickly dissolves into a police investigation after Phoebes remains are found.

Although it seems to inform you of what happened at the beginning of the book we soon learn that the narrator is in fact unreliable leaving a few twists in store for the reader.

If you want to get a jump start on your summer reads and feel some sunshine whilst it’s cold out then this is a great book to ease you into a warmer climate.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and Sara Ochs for the earc!

Publish date: July 15th 2025

My sincere thanks to NetGalley, Sara Ochs and The Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

As much as I hate writing negative reviews, I probably hate writing lukewarm ones even more. But sadly that would be exactly the case here. “This Stays Between Us” captured me at first thanks to the presence of one of my favourite tropes: reunion of school friends. In this case, a group of students from all around the world is spending a month in Australia. It should be mostly party time for them, but soon they are confronted with a tragedy, and another one is already lurking in the shadows. On the last day of the course a student named Phoebe goes missing... and years later a body is found. The former friends are reunited in Australia, but almost every one of them is protecting a secret, especially Claire, Phoebe's roommate.
The sad thing about this book – and my main complaint, hence the lukewarm review – is its painful predictability. I was able to guess correctly not only major twists, but also everything in between, how people will react to something, what will they say and so on. It was tiresome, disappointing, not to mention boring. And boredom is not something I like to associate with thrillers. Plus Claire, the protagonist, was infuriatingly dumb and gullible. Surely not a heroine for a reader to identify with.
Overall it's an OK book, that's all – no more, no less.

#ThisStaysBetweenUs #NetGalley

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Sara Ochs delivers an atmospheric and suspenseful thriller with “This Stays Between Us,” a gripping story of secrets and the deadly consequences of a past that won’t stay buried. Set against the hauntingly vivid backdrop of the Australian Outback, the book brings together two timelines—Claire’s present-day search for the truth and Phoebe’s past experiences leading up to her death—slowly unraveling a mystery packed with tension and unexpected twists.

The book follows Claire, one of several former study abroad students who return to Australia after the remains of their long-missing friend, Phoebe, are discovered. From the start, Claire admits to playing a role in Phoebe’s death, making her an unreliable narrator whose perspective keeps the reader questioning what really happened that fateful night. But as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that Claire wasn’t the only one with secrets. Each member of the group is a potential suspect, and as more people start to die, the stakes skyrocket. Was someone seeking revenge, or was the past being buried—literally?

Ochs skillfully balances the dual timelines, using Phoebe’s flashbacks to provide crucial insights into the toxic relationships, betrayals, and personal struggles that shaped the group’s dynamic. Phoebe, dealing with deep-seated trauma, emerges as one of the most complex characters, while Claire, though sometimes overshadowed by the others, has hidden depths that are fully revealed in a mind-blowing epilogue, which some people may or may not like. Clever clues and red herrings are scattered throughout, keeping you engaged and second-guessing every character’s motives.

The Australian setting plays a key role in the book’s immersive atmosphere. Ochs’s detailed descriptions of the Outback add to the sense of isolation and foreboding, making the environment feel as dangerous as the characters themselves. The pacing is well-crafted, with slow-burning suspense that escalates into a fast-paced, high-stakes conclusion.

While the book’s core mystery is compelling, its themes of friendship and trauma add emotional weight to the story. Every character has something to hide, and as secrets come to light, the true nature of their relationships is exposed. The final twists, especially in the epilogue, will leave you reeling, making for a truly satisfying—and chilling—ending.

Perfect for fans of locked-room mysteries and psychological thrillers, “This Stays Between Us” is an addictive, atmospheric read that keeps you guessing until the very last page. Highly recommended for anyone who loves dark secrets, unreliable narrators, and thrillers packed with tension and shocking reveals.