(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

You don’t have to believe in ghosts for the dead to haunt you.
You don’t have to be a murderer to be guilty.
Within six months of Pen Sheppard starting university, three of her new friends are dead. Only Pen knows the reason why.
College life had seemed like a wonderland of sex, drugs and maybe even love. The perfect place to run away from your past and reinvent yourself. But Pen never can run far enough and when friendships are betrayed, her secrets are revealed. The consequences are deadly.

Unreliable narrators were the big hit for a number of books in recent memory and this one is no different. Despite a few minor flaws, I think this really nailed the intent and atmosphere that the author was going for.

The biggest compliment I can give a novel like this is to praise the atmosphere that the author has created. All the way through the book, I was never quite sure about the guilt or innocence of Pen, and that imbalance all the way through kept me guessing - as a good psychological thriller should.

The characters - for the most part - were well-developed and intriguing. As previously mentioned, Pen was a real strength in this story and getting to know her life - at least, from her perspective - really drew me into the plot.

The portrayal of life on a university campus is realistic enough. First year students totally consumed with the wild life - alcohol, drugs, parties...all added a real sense of place to the story, as well as a level of authenticity to those characters.

Finally, the mystery itself. Layer upon layer of misdirection, deceit, betrayal, and twists and turns keep this story fresh and exciting all the way through. The final revelation is shocking and surprising - I am sure there were people who guessed the ending before they got there, but I was pleased to say that I was hooked and then surprised at the end. And that is a nice treat for someone who reads a lot of crime/mystery novels.

Paul
ARH