3.5 stars

Whispers of Dead Girls follows Ren, who returns to her hometown ten years after a tragic incident left her sister dead. She comes back to teach at the same high school that holds reminders of her sister and what took place when they were young girls, the trauma of which she still carries with her.

The mystery kicks off when Ren meets the physics teacher Bryson Lewis, who is loved by teachers and students alike, yet Ren can't bring herself to trust him - not when he reminds her of a certain man she knew when she was in high school. Yet it wasn't the mystery that interested me as much as it was Ren's character. Her POV was an interesting one. We know from the onset that something terrible happened when she was young but we aren't completely privy to the details until much later. Yet this event looms over her and colors her thoughts, which we see when she interacts with Bryson. We wonder if she's right to feel the way she does, or if she's projecting onto him. Ren is an unreliable narrator and that was what kept me invested in the story - that and trying to learn what happened in the past. As for the actual mystery, I felt that the big reveal kind of went against what the book was trying to say and made it a more typical thriller, but the end saved it for me. Overall, this was a well written book with a complex character that made it worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the arc!

This is a new author for me and I am so happy I found her! Whispers of Dead Girls was such a thrilling book to read. I loved Ren from the start of the book. She was relatable as a main character and I loved how she was trying to overcome her grief, while helping others at the same time. The author did an amazing job of making me second guess if some of the things the other characters were doing was indeed as Ren thought, or if she was totally off the mark. Kept me guessing!!! I flew through this book, it just kept me wanting to know more. Honestly, I could totally do with a sequel or more info on what happens further to Ren and her life. I'm really glad I picked this one up. I highly recommend this as a thrilling read for anyone.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc. This book was really good. Ren is back in her old high school as a teacher after ten years, she keeps seeing her sister who was murdered as a teenager everywhere.

When I saw that the author of When she was me had a new book out, I was so psyched. I really loved that book. This one, while not quite living up to her debut, was good. A little predictable but still left me guessing about stuff. It was all well done and I highly recommend.

Nearly thirty and right back in the same town and teaching at the same high school, Ren Taylor comes head to head with the trauma of her sisters untimely death. When she observes another young girl ABC an all-too open teacher, she knows history is doomed to repeat itself. Not on her watch. Ren refuses to stand by and let another young life be cut short.

The book promised me a haunting ride through a small town dripping with secrets, and I’ll give it this: it delivered on the eerie vibes. Ren’s paranoia is palpable, and I found myself nodding along as she spiraled, because who hasn’t had a moment of thinking the shadows are out to get them? The small-town setting, where everyone knows your tragedy and still brings it up at the grocery store, felt all too real.

But here’s where the wheels wobble. The pacing is like a car with a shaky transmission… sometimes it cruises, sometimes it stalls. I was invested in Ren’s quest to protect a student from the charming-but-suspicious physics teacher, but the plot took detours that left me tapping my foot. There’s a lot of brooding and reminiscing, which I get, trauma’s messy, but it felt like Ren was stuck in a loop of “woe is me”

The supporting cast didn’t quite stick with me; they flitted in and out like guests at a party I wasn’t cool enough to join. I wanted more meat on their bones, something to make me care beyond Ren’s orbit.

And the ending… THE ENDING. Without spoiling it, let’s just say it’s like when your GPS says “you’ve arrived” but you’re staring at a barren field instead of the garage sale you were promised. It tied up some threads, but left others dangling in a way that felt less intentional and more “oops, out of pages.” I flipped back, wondering if I’d missed something.

So, three stars. Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it.

With twists that only Marlee Bush can deliver, Whispers of Dead Girls is a must read for thriller lovers. When She Was Me by Marlee Bush was a jaw dropping debut, and this second book is as impressive as the first. Bush is now an auto-buy author for me.

"Life is the only thing more painful than death."

Whispers of Dead Girls progresses through the eyes of Ren, a potentially unreliable narrator. Ren is a teacher that is dealing with a haunted past and seeing history repeat itself. However, no one believes her. Ren is incredibly complicated and dangerous. The story keeps the reader guessing right until the very end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was dark and fascinating. Propulsive. I love a book about women who get revenge, women who are haunted by guilt, women who are horrible monsters and flawed humans. I just love dark stories about complex women. I thought the high school elements of the book were well-done and so accurate to the mindset of girls that age, as someone who was once a girl that age and who works with girls that age now. The casual cruelty of high schoolers, the predatory men, the men who sweep things under the rug, they all felt very real to me. This wasn't a perfect book. I wish there were more diversity (women of color, queer people) represented in this, but for what it was, I loved it.

Ren has moved back to her hometown after being gone ten years. She is there to teach at her old high school. Back to the memories of her older sister, Margo, who died right after graduating from the same high school. Back to the ridicule and stares because she knows she is the reason her sister died.

Not only does the murder of her sister weigh heave on her, but she feels that history is repeating itself when she finds out about the murder of a girl in a neighboring town, but there was another recently abducted and still missing. She becomes fearful of a fellow teacher that brings back memories of her teacher, in the same school, that was a little too friendly to her.

Whispers of Dead Girls is full of twists and turns, ghosts, accusations, guilt, and mystery that I could not put it down. I read a digital copy on my kindle and phone so I didn't miss a minute. I easily give Ren and Margo five stars!

I was given the opportunity to read this book by the publisher and NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 I whispers of dead girls was an intriguing read. I enjoyed this book. I loved all twist and turns. I didn’t see ending coming, nice change of pace for a thriller

Wow! I could not put this book down. When Ren returns to her hometown where she is known for her sister’s murder, she notices a string of other young girls that start to go missing. Ren thinks she owes it to her sister to find out what is happening to ensure justice is served. This book has so many twists and turns any right when you think you have it figured out, I promise that you that you don’t! Highly recommend!

Atmospheric. Chilling. Haunting. Twisty.

Author Marlee Bush (favorite author) returns following her smashing debut, When She Was Me (2024), with her gripping sophomore thriller, WHISPERS OF DEAD GIRLS. An engrossing Southern small-town rural mystery featuring a woman confronting her complex past and dark secrets to protect a student after her sister's death.

Set in a place where teens and women are vulnerable, and men are dangerous. The finger of suspicion points at them all with a driving force and overpowering need for revenge and justice as payback for their traumas.

Don't miss this riveting, twisty psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, guessing until the end!

"When girls die, when they can't speak their truths anymore, all we have left are their whispers. "

About...

Ren Taylor returns to her hometown as a biology teacher at her former high school. Challenging to face everyone (including her parents) after the death of her beautiful older sister, Margo's tragic murder years earlier when they were in high school.

Haunted by her ghost, she still sees and speaks with her—haunted by her memory. She needs closure.

Soon after joining the staff, Ren becomes suspicious of a charismatic physics teacher, Bryson Lewis. All the students are in love with him, and she observes him and the close relationship with a female student. This makes her uncomfortable, reminiscent of her late sister and her own experience. Could she have saved her before it had gone too far? Choices and consequences that change the trajectory of your life and others.

She is determined to prevent history from repeating itself and keep this web of secrets from spiraling out of control. There are more girls. How do they link?

See knows all too well about keeping secrets. She still blames herself for her sister's death. She must save the girls from their secrets before it's too late. Something tells her she is running out of time.

My thoughts...

Marlee Bush has created rich, multilayered characters who lead us into a darkly immersive exploration of loss and the search for truth and justice, while brilliantly capturing the atmosphere of this small town.

WHISPERS OF DEAD GIRLS has all the dark vibes, psychologically rich, dark, gritty, chilling, multi-layered, and complex as the author cleverly gives us the background and unravels all the secrets, lies, and betrayals as the past meets the present for an explosive finale.

An absorbing character study and a perfect choice for readers who want to sink into a well-developed and executed psychological thriller. A dark and twisty story of what happened to one young Georgia teen girl, with a bright future. And the sister left behind with ghosts and secrets who refuse to let her rest.

There are many twists, turns, surprises, suspense, mystery, and tension. INTENSE! When you get to around 70% hang on and buckle up, with fast-paced suspense and wilder than any roller coaster ride to the end.

Richly textured and beautifully written with lyrical prose. The author superbly builds tension, and the plot twists will keep your head spinning (mind-bending). Deliciously twisty and eerie, intricately layered, and instantly compelling.

An emotionally charged exploration of guilt, secrets, grief, revenge, JUSTICE, obsession, and redemption. From teenage secrets, sibling rivalry, first love, pain, loss, rejection, betrayal, trust, lies, and the need for acceptance. Nature vs. Nurture.

"The thing about justice? Sometimes when you take it into your hands, it becomes something else entirely. Sometimes justice crumbles to dust and you're left sweeping up the ashes. I've stopped hunting monsters. Not because I want to, but because sometimes when you hunt monsters, you actually find them."

An unputdownable thrill-ride mystery with fully developed characters, making you question every character's motives. Often, the monsters are directly in front of us. Ideal for book clubs and further discussions.

The writing is stunning, and I highlighted many quotes. The novel crosses many genres, blending coming-of-age, YA, murder, family drama, crime, psychological, and domestic thriller. Caution: do not start reading until you have plenty of time. It is unputdownable. An author to watch!

"I think of secrets. How they take root in us and grow, curving around our bodies, blocking us— the real us—from the view of others. Until, to those who see us, we become someone else entirely."

Interview...

Stay tuned for my upcoming #AuthorElevatorSeries Q&A ride with Marlee, where we will go behind the scenes of the book and up close and personally with this super- talented author. Pub Day 5/27.

Recs...

WHISPERS OF DEAD GIRLS is for fans of the author and those who enjoy works by Mary Kubica, Wendy Walker, Megan Miranda, Julia Heaberlin, Kate Alice Marshall, Heather Gudenkauf, Megan Abbott, and Charlie Donlea.

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press, Sourcebooks, and NetGalley for a gifted digital and paperback advanced review copy, for my honest thoughts.

@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: May 27, 2025
2025 Must-Read Books
AuthorElevatorSeries May QA

Whispers of Dead Girls pulled me in from page one, and I couldn’t put it down. Marlee Bush creates a tense, eerie story that blends past trauma with present danger, keeping you guessing the whole way through.

Ren is a great main character—haunted by her sister’s murder and determined to stop history from repeating itself. As she watches Bryson Lewis, a teacher who seems too charming to be trusted, the suspense builds fast. The more she digs, the more unsettling things get, and I was on edge the entire time.

And that twist? I never saw it coming. Just when I thought I had it figured out, Bush completely shocked me. The ending left me speechless in the best way.

If you love dark thrillers with buried secrets and unpredictable endings, Whispers of Dead Girls is a must-read!

I really enjoyed this book it was dark and twisted and I couldn't put it down. I will definitely be looking for more from the author

My first by Marlee Bush but definitely not my last.
Story was suspenseful and had me guessing, dead sure, then questioning myself.

3.5 ⭐️ | Whispers of Dead Girls was a very intriguing read! It created an eerie vibe that worked very well with the supernatural element in this story. The story follows Ren, a teacher that returns to her old high school after accepting a teaching position. It has been 10 years since she left, and her hometown holds an awful past that is still very much living rent free in her head. When she suspects a fellow teacher, Bryson, of having an inappropriate relationship with a student, she has to intervene as this hits a little too close to home for her to do nothing. As she secretly investigates Bryson, past and present secrets are revealed.

Overall, a solid read & perfect for fans of slow-burn suspenseful stories, with a touch of the supernatural. Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was 4.5 stars for me!

Ren returns to her hometown after accepting a teaching job at her old high school. She hadn't returned since college because she was the girl everyone talked about after her sister died-and they all believed Ren was to blame. Margo, Ren's sister, a perpetual 17 year old, constantly shows up as Ren's conscience, a side effect of the guilt she feels over her sister's death. It's not quite a haunting, but her character is pivotal to the story. Not long after the school year starts, Ren becomes suspicious of the male teacher across the hall. She is certain that he is mixed up with his students in an inappropriate way, something she knows far too much about after her high school experience. She has her own demons to deal with, while also trying to save the girls she believes are victims in present time.

This author! I LOVED her debut book and this book also didn't disappoint. She is a master at weaving multiple plot lines together with so much mystery, without giving away what is really happening. Through most of this book, readers know something happened when Ren was a student at the high school she is working at, but not fully telling us. Plus, something else happened in her past and something is happening with her in the present, but we get just enough details to keep guessing! I love this feature of the story (and her debut book too!) so that the twist is unexpected and not what I expected. Actually, twists, plural!

If you like fast-paced stories with twists and turns, you will love this book! I'm actually bummed that I read this a few months before it came out because now I'll have that much longer to wait for her next book. Marlee Bush has now made it to my short list of authors that I will read without even needing to read the summary.

What a breathtaking read! This book took me through a roller coaster of emotions. The main character, Ren, had a quick wit but a troubled soul. Ren is a woman who returns to her hometown to face her difficult past, when history seems to start repeating itself. Ren cannot let this happen again on her watch and embarks on a difficult journey to find a way to right her wrongs.

In the beginning, I found it a little hard to follow with the daydreams/flashbacks but that became much easier to navigate as the book progressed and looking back, I see the need for them to help tell this poignant story of a woman and the trauma she and her family endured in her youth.

This was a quick read that was captivating from the start. I did not want to put it down! I usually can figure out the antagonist in a book pretty early on but this book had me thinking I had it down only to find that there were some unpredictable twists that kept me guessing until the end!

Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Marlee Bush delivers an eerie, spine-tingling thriller with Whispers of Dead Girls, a novel that masterfully blends mystery, suspense, from the very first page,

What sets Whispers of Dead Girls apart is its ability to balance psychological depth with a heart-pounding plot. Every chapter delivers new surprises, making it impossible to put down.

A chilling, hard to put down read that lingers in your mind long after the final.

Wow.

This book had me guessing from the start, I didn’t expect any of the twists. ren was a lovable character.. the grieving sister, the vigilante and the protector.. the writing style was great It really made you feel how she was feeling.

I’d of liked to know more about mr Henry like what happened to him after being released, did he try to get in contact but I feel like if he did that would have been mentioned.

I’d of also liked a small POV from Bryson but I’m not sure where that would have fit in without ruining the flow of the book

Overall a great book, can’t wait to read more from this author

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.