Pretty decent read. Mysterious and suspenseful for young adult readers.

Received a free audio copy from NetGalley.

Lucy is having an interesting spring break. Her mom, a private detective, has been summoned to her (new to Lucy!) extremely small hometown in Tennessee, only to find the person who summoned her dead. The adventure that ensues includes intrigue, murder, a mysterious rich family, and ... there's this girl. Namely, Audrey, whose past is also tangled in this town, rich family, and the amusement park where the body was found. This book is a quick read and entertaining from beginning to end.

I listened to the audiobook and the narration was good. The main character Lucy is all set to spend Spring Break with her dad when her mom just needs to make one stop to help an old friend before she goes. But when they get there, they find him dead. Oh, and that friend? He was actually her mom's stand-in father after her parents died. However, Lucy's mom is an famous investigator and now she's bound to help discover what happened. Luckily, Lucy finds a friend in Audrey, and they both have their reasons for wanting to get some answers. This fast-paced young adult mystery was an enjoyable read. I think students would really enjoy it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the audioARC to preview.

Better Left Buried is about two teen girls, Audrey and Lucy, who are investigating a town of secrets and a recent murder while Lucy's mom, a PI, investigates and suspects Audrey's mom of the murder. This had some of the classic elements of a good mystery -- alternating points of view, which helped build the suspense and intrigue, a creepy setting (an abandoned amusement park and a mansion with secret tunnels), and layers of secrets with lots of quality suspects. I enjoyed the mystery of who killed Pierce but ultimately a lot of the story felt like I knew what was going to happen and being told to feel scared rather than actually feeling that way. I think what felt the most real to me was the budding relationship between Lucy and Audrey and that went a long way for me in the story. As they got closer to the truth they also got closer to each other. These characters also felt nuanced in a way that none of the other characters did. I was hoping for more dimension to most of them as a lot of them felt typecast. I think a lot of our mystery-horror fans will enjoy this one but unfortunately it left me wanting more.

This was fine. A fun murder mystery with interesting characters at its helm. My only issue was that the mystery was ... not much of one. The suspects are very few with little twists.

This is one of the best murder mystery pieces I have read in awhile!
I stumbled upon this audiobook because I am a fan of YA mixed with mystery and horror, but I didn't get too much of horror out of it. This book did not disappoint in any way though. Traveling out to Haeter Lake, Tennessee with her P.I. mom Katie, Lucy Preston thinks they are stopping through for another one of her mother's consultations, but ends up as a murder mystery with a bloody past surrounding a rich family's legacy. Caught in the middle of a murder investigation, it is up to Lucy and Audrey to solve the mystery behind the murder of two people and uncover the secrets of Haeter Lake's powerful rich family. The girls also find out more about both of their families past and connections with the Anselm family, but must hurry before times runs out.

This book reminds me of a tamer version of Knives Out in a small town setting and I absolutely loved it! Every chapter was something new and interesting as each puzzle piece fell into place. The book was also told through the perspectives of both girls as they worked through their own issues trying to solve this mystery and find the murder. The only thing I was disappointed about was two things that were not answered: why they killed the librarian and where the hell was Blake Anselm. I figured the librarian was killed because he was going to tell the truth about what happened to Lucy's grandparents a long time ago, but they didn't outright say it when everyone was confessing everything. I also was curious if Blake escaping is supposed to be a cliffhanger for another book to come out. I figured the author would have brought her back at the very end as one last hoorah to attack Lucy, Audrey, Katie and Langley, and then be sent to rot in jail with the rest of her family. It's a shame what happened to the kid Augustus, but maybe the author figured it was better to not create one more murderer and be left to survive. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

#BetterLeftBuried #NetGalley

Better Left Burried is an engaging mystery about the secrets some families keep and the dangers of learning the truth.

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting an engaging LGBTQ romance with a suspenseful mystery.

I think the parents were a little too permissive, so I am not sure that it was realistic, but it was a fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an audio ARC. Receiving the book did not impact my review in any way.

This was so messy and chaotic and I caught myself making a face multiple times while listening. It was so far-fetched and unbelievable and I was constantly so annoyed at the literal CHILDREN that kept meddling in actual police business.

I think this was a fascinating book. Mary E. Roach did a good job with the story. This was a YA LGBTQ+ Thriller/Mystery. I think it was well written, and the flow was pretty good. I think the narrator did an excellent job at bringing more depth to the story. The characters were well written, and the story line was plotted well. I can't wait to read more from this author. I recommend this to the YA thriller readers.

Thank you Net Galley ARC, Disney Audio book, and Mary E., Roach

Lucy Preston is driving with her mom to spend spring break at her dad's, but they get sidetracked when Lucy's mom is asked to help a family friend. Her mom Katy is a private detective and planned to meet an old friend at an abandoned amusement park, but instead they find his dead body. Lucy doesn't know anything about her mom and spends the book trying to puzzle together her past with the help of Audrey, a local girl who was at the amusement park when her and her mom found the dead guy. The town is holding a lot of secrets! I didn't really like the book. A case of poor communication and distrust between mother and daughter.

Better Left Buried is a YA mystery thriller. The narration for this audiobook was fantastic! The story was enjoyable, but the plot became a little difficult to follow at times. Hand this to readers who enjoy a tangled mystery.

Better Left Buried by Roach was a nice YA mystery. I didn't totally connect with the characters. I found the dad dying thing a bit confusing....I'm not really sure who was at fault for his death at the end of the book. The narrator did a great job.