Member Reviews

This was engaging, I read through it quickly but also I found myself saying "what" a lot. It feels like the plot could be tightened up a bit.

Was this review helpful?

If you're looking for a psychological thriller with a slight hint of "good for her" added, then you've found it. But Whispers of Dead Girls is more than that. We follow Ren Taylor, who is a strong yet flawed protagonist, as she attempts to navigate grief and guilt in her pursuit of resolving her past, seeking justice, and trying to stop history from repeating itself. She is compelling, fierce, and imperfect, which is exactly why I love her.

Our storyline is essentially a "mystery nesting doll" as we watch Ren uncover layer after layer, consistently being met with new secrets to resolve. While there are a few predictable plot points, there are enough surprising moments to keep the story interesting. The pacing does leave something to be desired, as the chapters seem in places like they're being rushed through. If you're a reader who likes your chapters short, though, this may not be an issue for you.

I'm not one to share spoilers, so I can't say much about the things that worked best for me, but I can safely say that if you have a Feminine Rage Reading List ((which I strongly recommend)) this book belongs on it.

((While the viewpoints shared are my own, I want to thank NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Marlee Bush for this complimentary copy.))

Was this review helpful?

Ren is just another person who lived in the shadow of her sister and she wanted an out without really thinking what that meant for her until her sister was killed. Her mutual love that she shared with her sister drove her to be angry and drove a wedge between a lot of people including reality. Once she became a teacher, she met a new version of her , her student.

This had so many reactions out of me that, I just could not put this book down. I was so shocked that Ren chose to do that after what happened to her sister because she never truly healed. The fact that she was seeing her dead sister while she walked through life was a blessing and a curse. She still got to talk to her in some sense but, it was creepy because you only know her old self no the growing up version, ya know? I hated the act the mother and father did not want anything to do with her after her sister died like they didn’t even really want to know what happened that night really, they just assumed and that anger just consumed them forever, just forgetting they have a live daughter completely.

The men in this story are complete idiots and should be ashamed to even called men. They all were a really sorry excuse of everything.

Was this review helpful?

This book had me hooked from the very first page. As someone who loves a good mystery, I was thoroughly impressed by how Marlee wove an intricate tale full of twists, turns, and surprises that kept me guessing every step of the way!
Just when I thought I had things figured out and that I knew who the "bad guy" was, a shocking plot twist completely caught me off guard and oh my gosh it was one I never saw coming. It’s rare for a book to truly stun me, but this one managed it effortlessly.

The atmosphere of the story is hauntingly beautiful, with a spooky, eerie vibe that lingers throughout every chapter.

Was this review helpful?

╭──── 🌿 Whispers of Dead Girls by Marlee Bush
╰ ❝Or maybe there’s always been something chemically imbalanced inside her. Something lying dormant and waiting for the right ingredient to trigger it.❞


╭──── 🌿 A B O U T – T H E – B O O K :
"Whispers of Dead Girls" is an upcoming psychological thriller by Marlee Bush, scheduled for publication on May 27, 2025.
The novel follows Ren Taylor, who returns to her hometown as a biology teacher at her former high school, seeking closure after her sister's tragic murder a decade earlier. Haunted by her sister's memory and the unresolved scandal, Ren becomes suspicious of a charismatic physics teacher, Bryson Lewis, especially after observing his close relationship with a female student reminiscent of her late sister. Determined to prevent history from repeating itself, Ren confronts her past traumas to protect the student.

。☆✼★━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━★✼☆。

╭──── 🌿 O V E R A L L:
╰ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5
This was a hard book to put down. From the first page it pulls you into the mystery and makes you question every character’s motives as they are introduced.

The suspense and story building was fantastic, and the pacing of the story kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The combination of past and present memories was also done well and was not confusing in the least bit.

You think you know where this book is going…. Give it a read, I think you will be surprised.

Was this review helpful?

I actually really liked the current timeline with Alejandra, Tina, and Olivia, but the flashbacks to Margo's time felt kinda unnecessary to me. And I'm sorry to say it, but I hated the ending.

Was this review helpful?

This book was a slow burn for me. I found myself very interested in the parts between Margo and Ren. The Ren and Olivia storyline did not resonate as well with me. I wish we would have had a little more backstory into Ren and Margo.

Overall I do think the plot was interesting and I did want to see how things would end. I would recommend to other readers.

Thank you to Marlee Bush, Poisoned Pen Press, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Whispers of Dead Girls was a slow burn for me but I absolutely the story and could not put it down. Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I'll be honest: last year I read this author's debut novel and I wasn't impressed. And because I'm (nearly) always up for giving authors a second chance, I requested Bush's new novel to try her again.
And it didn't work so well for me, again. Once again, I liked the plot, the cast of characters in general, the mystery itself, but I do not clique with the writing. And that's personal.
I'm sure other readers will enjoy the writing and, consequently, the book as a whole.
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with a free copy of this book.

Was this review helpful?

3.5⭐️

i really enjoyed the premise of this story and how early it hit the ground running. it felt fast paced but in a good and addictive way, i ended up finishing it in one sitting lmao

ren didn’t feel like a reliable narrator, and it left me constantly questioning who and what i was meant to believe, which added to the tension i was feeling
i also really liked how her sister was incorporated into the story, it may even be my favourite part

the reason it didn’t reach 4⭐️+ territory for me is because the BIG reveal felt a little too convenient in a way? it was a shock yes, but when it was explained i felt a bit exhausted after how long that chapter was, and at times i was getting lost because it felt so extensive

lastly, i noticed when people were talking about a certain character at times they would reference them as jondra? idk if this is a typo or what cos it would be randomly between sentences of the character’s other name, and it came out of nowhere so it kept confusing me

all in all it was a fun read and one i would recommend to people if they need a thriller to get lost in for a moment

thank you to poisoned pen press and netgalley for the arc 💌

Was this review helpful?

This was a great change to most of the thrillers I have read in the past. It had turns that I was not expecting! Without giving any spoilers, the ending you will either love or hate. I did leave me with the feeling of "ugh". But it is a more realistic thriller, in my opinion. I know many readers that will LOVE the ending. It will be fun to see everyone else's feeling. The author did an amazing job at keeping the reader invested and intrigued in what would happen next.

Was this review helpful?

This one was such a slow burn for me, that I found myself putting it down and becoming distracted. It was over the top in places . I wanted to love it but I just ended up liking it.

Was this review helpful?

First thriller of the new year and it didn’t disappoint! This book starts off by Ren, the FMC, returns to her hometown to teach in the school where both her and her sister attended. After 10 years she thought she’d be able to handle being back in town where her sister was immortalized after her untimely death. She was wrong, the death of her sister still haunts her at every turn. She meets the physics teacher, Bryson, and everyone is charmed by the handsome teacher. But there is something about him that makes her wary. Then she begins to see a pattern of things from her past!

I really liked this book and thought it had a lot of the good thriller elements.
-Short chapters
-Ren’s sister appears as a ghost acting as a moral compass
-Misdirecting the reader about who done it

I found this book to easily capture my attention and keep me hooked until the very end!

Overall, a really solid thriller and definitely plan to read more by Marlee Bush!

Was this review helpful?

A lot of twist and turns, such a great read, i definitely recommend this to friends and family, could not put the book down! I will be reading more from this author

Was this review helpful?

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book. I really enjoyed reading this and couldn’t put it down! Just when I thought I’d figured everything out, there was a twist. I’d love to read more from this author.

Was this review helpful?

Oh my goodness! This was such a good book. Ren Taylor had a sister, Margo, who died in a boating accident. Ren was there when she died and she blamed herself. The truth of the matter was, Ren was in love with her teacher, Mr. Henry, and so was Margo. One night, Margo snuck out of the house to go and meet with Mr. Henry, and Ren followed her out. Mr. Henry was outside waiting and Margo convinced Ren to go with them. They went down to the lake and got into a boat. Ren thought Mr. Henry had the same feelings for her that she had for him, only to find out that he really had feelings for Margo. So they went out on the boat. Ren was trying to convince Margo that her relationship was wrong. They got into a fight and Margo 's foot slipped and she fell into the water. Ren tried to save her by jumping into the lake but she never found Margo's body. It eventually washed up to shore. Ren spent all of the years following blaming herself.

Many years later, she showed up at her old school, Benton High, to teach biology. Across from her classroom was the very attractive teacher, Bryson Lewis. When Ren sees Olivia Green running from Bryson's classroom in tears she follows her. She asked her what's wrong, and at first Olivia doesn't want to tell her. But she finally tells her that she was talking to Mr. Lewis about a boyfriend she's having a problem with. That's a different story from what Bryson had told Ren. He had told her that Olivia had problems at home. Ren immediately thinks there's something going on between the two of them. Eventually Olivia tells her of of her infatuation with Bryson. Ren is immediately taken back to her days with Mr. Henry. She wants to save Olivia.

Ren had learned that Bryson had transferred to that school mid-year because of rumors about his inappropriate behavior with students at his previous school. There were two girls, Alejandra and Tina, who turned up dead. And the rumors were about his behavior toward these two girls. When Alejandra's body was found, her shoes were missing. And her shoes eventually turned up in a back room at Benton High. This evidence tied Bryson to Alejandra's murder. And it was assumed that he killed Tina too since she was the other girl that he'd been accused of being inappropriate with. He was put on leave and was eventually arrested for the murders. In the meantime, Ren had gotten really close to Olivia. As stated earlier, her plan was to save Olivia from this teacher.

One night, Ren went to a bar alone where she met a man named Casey. They eventually ended up in his hotel room. While they were there, his wife called. They had been making out, But Ren got upset when she realized he was married. She was able to sneak his phone and text his wife his location. She was infuriated with him and left in a huff. He followed her out and tried to keep her from getting into her car but she was able to get in. She took off in a hurry and ended up running him over. He died. Because she was the last person who saw him, a detective came to her apartment to talk to her about his death. Of course Ren didn't admit to anything. She told the detective that when she found out he was married she left. After the situation with Mr. Henry, Ren had it in for married men who cheated on their wives. It turns out, she would go to bars and seduce married men and then find a way to get rid of them. And she often contacted the wives.

Olivia had told Ren that she and Alejandra had been close friends, so the day she went to visit Alejandra's parents, her mother told her that she could go into Alejandra's room and take anything she wanted. She knew of a hiding place Alejandra had and she went there and found her diary and took it. When she saw Ren, she had her reed several entries Alejandra had made about Bryson. Ren felt that Olivia should give the diary to Alejandra's mother so the truth could come out. And come out it did. And then something horrible happened. Bryson turned up dead. Tina's brother was arrested for the murder.

But all wasn't as it seemed. The way the author shaped this story was genius. I never saw it coming. This is exactly the kind of tale. I enjoy reading. The kind with twist endings. The characters were so very well crafted And the saga float easily. This was one of those books I couldn't put down. I would love to read more by this author. I gave it five stars.

Was this review helpful?

This book is infuriating and so, so heavy. Also very down with the "we support womens rights, and their wrongs."

I may have that phrase wrong lol but either way.

I saw someone mention this as "A Good Girls Guide to Murder" but in the teachers POV and i could not agree MORE.

I do wish so far (65%) that there may have been a few extra flashbacks, just to make sense a little more what transpired to get the mc to this point. But that could JUST be a me thing.

66% wow WHAT. I honestly didnt even think this would be mentioned again.... but she got me lol

Wtf with that ending. I truly dodnt see it coming until i hit about 80%. So good! Really enjoyed this.

Was this review helpful?

"What if the silence of these men, their absence from the world, is a lot more peaceful than the quiet they cause?"

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced copy of this book. I've now had the opportunity to arc read for all of Marlee Bush's novels.

Another great read from Marlee!

A decade after the death of her sister, Ren returns to her hometown to teach at the local high school. There's just one problem — the seemingly too charismatic male physics teacher who reminds Ren of a teacher of her past, one connected to her sister's death. When girls from the teacher's former school start turning up dead, Ren feels a sense of duty to step in.

Pacing was great, I was zooming toward the end and inhaled the last half of the book in one sitting just needing to know what happened to Margo and how this was going to come to an end. I felt every emotion throughout and physically reacted multiple times, all culminating in a twist I didn't even consider and sending me on a wild ride.

Enjoyed greatly, highly recommend!

Was this review helpful?

I struggled with this one. So sometimes I was really invested and other times I just wanted it to be over. The twist was pretty good. Probably needs a SA warning but I guess the plot kind of implied that. An interesting thriller that might make you feel crazy.

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this ARC. This will be out in May of 2025

Was this review helpful?

Ren has a lot going on after her sister’s death. She returns to her old school as a biology teacher. She wants to save others. But can she, really? A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder with a teacher’s POV. The twist at the end is a shock. Page turner!

Was this review helpful?