Really enjoyed this YA thriller! Such a strong debut novel. It was fast-paced and addictive. The mystery was so well done; it really pulled you in so many different directions in the best way! It also felt very current without being too cringey-teenager (in terms of dialogue and references). Lauren made for a great MC - there was still some untrustworthiness there given her history which made it even more interesting. All of the characters were actually very well developed and I loved seeing different friendships/relationships blossom as the investigation unfolded.

My one critique is how quickly things wrapped up. We finally were getting answers at the end and it felt a bit rushed for me. I genuinely didn’t know who would be the killer for most of the book - the red herrings were so well-done!! But there were just enough hints pointing to the real person that those suspicions started creeping in for me before the reveal. And I thought it was a great choice!! I just wanted maybe a bit more explanation and some more from Lauren’s POV at that point.

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan for my ARC!

First I want to say thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this ARC.

Multiple times during this book, I thought I had it figured out and boy was I wrong! When the second narrator popped in, I got immediate chills. As the stakes for Lauren and Robbie increased, I became more and more invested. A truly shocking and unexpected ending.

I thought The One that Got Away with Murder started out great! The plot and characters were intriguing! The ending left me with something to be desired though. It just didnt wow me, the why wasnt there for me. I wanted to know more.

I did love the format of the book -- shorter chapters. It was a quick read and didn't drag.
Overall I enjoyed The One that Got Away with Murder and will definitely read more by Trish Lundy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Childrens Publishing Group for an ARC of this novel!

“Every girl the Crestmonts date winds up dead”
This book was… meh. I just couldn’t connect with the characters and the story wasn’t anything memorable and I got so bored.
The way the book was written definitely made me wanna keep reading because Lauren’s (fmc) past kept being mentioned without really giving answers until the end and I was too curious to dnf this (and I would’ve). There were lots of twist and turn and creepy mysteries.

“I will never forget the sounds of Clint’s screams. I’ve never heard him sound like that. I’ve never heard a human being sound like that. I will never forget that sound”

Lauren was a very fun mc to read about. She’s so sassy and isn’t scared to insult people when necessary. I love that Lauren is solving a mystery while we, the readers, are uncovering hers (and I loved the little investigation gang that was formed 😆)

I love the sabatoge hehe. It added more to the story.
Mara’s speech made me tear up and her character development was so good.
The characters are honestly very confusing. I could never remember who was who, but maybe that was my fault 😅

Honestly I guessed the ending and all the theories mentioned in the book, I had. And the ending kinda underwhelming…

Overall this was an ok book. The ending was kinda underwhelming, but the build up was investing. I’m probably gonna forget about it but it was a fun read.

The quick cut: A girl with a secret to hide moves to a new town and finds herself in the middle of a town mystery involving two rich brothers with girlfriends who have died in questionable circumstances.

A real review:
Thank you to Henry Holt & Co for providing the arc for an honest review.

It's not a mystery that the richer you are, the easier it is to buy your way out of trouble. So if someone died and their significant other was rich, would you suspect them? This is the case when Lauren moves to Happy Valley.

Lauren and her mom are moving from California to the East Coast for a fresh start that they both need. Lauren left her former home less than liked after an unfortunate event and her mom is just hoping they can get through her senior year with no drama. That possibility is taken away when it turns out her hookup partner is none other than Robby Crestmont: local rich boy whose girlfriend drowned under mysterious circumstances. His brother Trevor also had a girlfriend die suspiciously. Did they kill their girlfriends? Or is something else going on?

This thriller is definitely a slower buildup than most, but the journey there is really fun. The author creates a very tangled mess for Lauren to get herself caught in and that takes time to make well. Unfortunately, the end reveal happens too fast and a day after finishing, it still makes no sense.

Lauren suffered a tragedy and found herself unfairly blamed for what occurred at her old school. I can't imagine the pain of going from popular soccer star to local pariah. She leaves in the hopes of a better future for her and some happiness for her mom. It's fascinating how her good intentions go wrong and put her in the middle.

This story is very much about relationships, one that takes a minor role in the book is the one between Lauren and her mom. I won't say too much so I don't spoil anything but I found their relationship journey the most fun to read. They go from on the same page to not and their journey back to a good space takes a few unpredictable turns.

Robby also plays the romantic interest and while he makes a good partner for Lauren, I also found him sort of boring. Other than being cast as the town killer, he doesn't stand out. He needed more development to feel like a real person.

A fun thriller with a disappointing ending.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5

This was decent. The story was good and honestly I had a lot of suspects running through my mind before the big reveal (which caught me a tiny bit off guard).

I thought Lauren and Robbie were cute, too.

It just moved a little slow for me. Also, it was resolved sooo quickly. And this is kind of a me thing, I hate when a book has a ton of pop culture references in it.

Overall, a decent read that anyone who like ya mysteries would like.

Three teens end up dead over the course of 2 years in this YA thriller. Robbie and Trevor's girlfriends die tragically, and most people at school suspect the privileged brothers are to blame.. until Trevor dies, presumably by suicide. This is a fairly fast-paced whodunit, and I didn't see the twist coming.

Highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan for the advance reader copy of this book.

The One that Got Away with Murder kept me on my toes the entire time! The mystery was so well crafted, with so many red herrings! I am completely impressed by this YA thriller. The teen characters were just angsty enough, but not to the point of annoying. All of the major players had a stake in the game; something to prove or something to lose with the reveal of whodunit.

Because I don't read a lot of YA, my only critique might just be part of the YA world. Some of the dialogue felt a tad bit unnatural and robotic.

I thought the use of the gossip Instagram account was so relevant to today's society with social media and the way it can be abused by teens (well, really it's abused by people of all ages). It really demonstrated the harsh realities of social media misuse and how it truly can have damaging affects.

This was such a solid book and one I will definitely recommend to those who enjoy this genre!

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Trish Lundy for providing a digital ARC of this novel through NetGalley!

I wanted to give 3.5 starts.
This was a great YA read. I was fully engulfed in the characters and consistently trying to figure out the twist! I was super frustrated with Lauren at some points and wanted to shake her to stop her from making bad decisions. It definitely brought me back to my high school experience as a senior on a Varsity team. The ending made me happy and I really appreciated the closure that happened in multiple ways.

I don't think you'll be disappointed to read Lauren's story and I think you will enjoy the mystery!

Publication Date 4/16/24
#netgalley #theonethatgotawaywithmurder

The One That Got Away With Murder by Trish Lundy

Thank you to @netgalley, @macmillianusa, and @trishlundy for the opportunity to read this #advancedreadercopy in exchange for my #honestbookreview. This YA thriller will be out April 16 so preorder now!

This kept me on the edge of my seat! This is one of those books where you keep thinking you’ve got it all figured out and nope, no you don’t! It has the feel of Pretty Little Liars meets A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder in the best way. We have some deeply flawed but still lovable characters and great character growth on top of an alluring, mysterious storyline. I highly recommend this for someone looking for a complex, well-rounded thriller!

TWs: dr*gging, alcohol and drug ab*se, b*llying, st*lking, more

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ - 4.5/5

"The One Who Got Away With Murder" captivated me from start to finish with its intriguing plot and suspenseful twists. As the story unfolds, we follow a high school girl trying to escape her past, only to find herself entangled in a web of secrets and danger.

The dynamic between the characters, especially the romance, kept me on the edge of my seat. It reminded me of the thrill I got from watching Pretty Little Liars, with its constant guessing games and unexpected revelations.

What impressed me most was the author's ability to keep me guessing until the very end. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't figure out the culprit, and I love when a book keeps me guessing like that.

Overall, this was just a fun time that kept me entertained and guessing until the final page. If you're a fan of suspenseful mysteries with a touch of romance, this book is definitely worth picking up.

This was a quick and easy to binge YA thriller. I would say as far as YA goes, this leans toward the more mature and dark content wise. Check trigger warnings.

Lauren and her mom move to a new town after Lauren survived a fire that left her outcasted and traumatized. But what role did Lauren play in this fire that caused her whole community to shun her? Lauren’s mom is navigating single parent life and is in a happy long distance relationship, so sees this as an opportunity for a fresh start for her and her daughter.

Lauren quickly connects with Robbie Crestwood. He and his brother Trevor are rich, privileged, and both have girlfriends who died of suspicious causes. Lauren’s teammates warn her to stay away, but when Lauren goes away with Robbie for one last weekend before she ends it, she uncovers incriminating evidence and can’t let it go.

This book is pretty fast paced and kept me turning the pages quickly. I would say the pacing was a bit uneven, things move along more slowly for a bit and then at the end things unfold almost a smidge too quickly. There are a lot of twists and suspicious characters that will keep you guessing. And while the ending was not terribly hard to predict, I found it satisfying nonetheless. So many thrillers take you down wildly unrealistic paths and this one was refreshing in its simplicity. The characters were immature and made many questionable life choices, but being high school students this made sense! Some of their activities and habits felt a little more mature than I envision for teens, but maybe I’m just too detached from the age group at this point? (Say it isn’t so!)

Overall a strong debut novel by this author! I would pick up future work from her!

Thank you @netgalley, Henry Holt & Co BYR & Macmillan, and the author for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy.

Total Rating: 3.75 stars
Method: Kindle / electronic copy

From the first chapter of this book, I was immediately pulled in and immersed in this world. No one, not even our lead character, is completely reliable. Each character does different things throughout the book that cause you to doubt them and their motivations, leading to me being completely on the edge of my seat and staying up way too late at night trying to read just one more chapter to see where the mystery was going. I loved every second of this, honestly.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of the good girls guide to murder series, though I wouldn't go in expecting a carbon copy (that would be boring anyway, wouldn't it?). I mean more in the sense of a good mystery that constantly twists and turns throughout the story so that you never 100% know who the guilty party is, or what's going to come next.

You're probably wondering after this glowing review why it didn't end up five stars and that would be the ending. It just felt like it was a bit too rushed. Once everything is revealed it feels like the story takes off and almost races to the finish line. And there were a few things I wanted to be more explained and to spend more time settling into before saying goodbye to these characters.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I thought this was well crafted, with unique twists and although it took me a little bit to get into it, it was a great read! One to add to your list.

This book is pretty addicting, once I pick it up it’s really hard to put it down and it kept me up until dawn. I couldn’t stop cause I need to know the identity of the culprit and the big reveal really surprised me at the end.

I really enjoy my time following the main character – Lauren and her friends as they tries to discover the truth about the murder mystery happening in Happy Valley.
Lauren has a dark past she didn’t want anyone to know in the first place which made her struggle at first, but once they started to trust her the investigation is pretty interesting to follow.

For a debut novel, this is a pretty good written story and I would’ve liked it more if Lauren’s background story was told something that happened in the past instead of telling what happened piece by piece throughout the story, which sometimes pull me out of the main story – the murder mystery in Happy Valley.

Other than that, I was able to enjoy this YA thriller that comes with a satisfying ending and one culprit that I didn’t see coming at all.
I would keep an eye out for the next book by this author in the future!

Thank you to Turn the Page Tour, Netgalley, author and publisher for giving me an e-ARC of the book and for having me on this book tour. I’m leaving this review voluntarily!

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: alcohol, drug use, fire injury, suicide, smoking, sexual content, eating disorder, murder

This dark and suspenseful mystery takes place in the quaint yet eerie setting of Happy Valley, where Lauren and her mother have relocated to help escape from her troubled past. As they settle into their new life, Lauren forms begins a relationship with Robbie Crestmont, unaware of his dark family's history. As each secret is revealed, Lauren finds herself struggling to know who is telling the truth and who is lying.

Throughout the book, there are reoccurring themes of trauma, resilience, and the complexities of human nature. While the narrative tackles heavy subject matter, it does so with a sense of empathy and healing. That being said, it's essential to note that the novel confronts challenging themes, and readers should approach it with caution. I would encourage any reader to view the content warnings from the author before reading. In the end, this book is a compelling YA psychological thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

Thank you to Trish Lundy, NetGalley, and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group Publishing for an advanced eBook in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
High school senior Lauren moves to a new town to escape some drama that happened at her previous school. When she gets involved with Robbie, she quickly finds out that his previous girlfriend died…and so did the previous girlfriend of Robbie’s brother, Trevor. Needless to say their family has its’ own drama that Lauren quickly finds herself involved in. This book is a debut for the author and is in the ‘YA’ genre. I can definitely see my daughters enjoying this book and the twists and turns that come along with the storyline.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC. #booksbyashleynicole

Thank you so much to Macmillan for the advance copy of this book!

What a stellar debut for Trish Lundy!

This book had everything you could want in a YA Thriller. There was a smidge of romance, complicated friendship and of course death.
There were a lot of characters in this which did find the beginning hard to keep track of but as you go on in the book it came easier to track.

Lauren herself has her own secrets which we got tidbits about throughout the book until the reveal happens. I felt bad for her at times as she made this big change from moving across the country, her mom is in this new relationship and is just trying to survive being a teenager. As a new student in the school, somehow Lauren gets wrapped up in trying to figure out the mystery of who killed a student at her school. And it all came back to a boy she met and started hooking up with because the rumor has it that, "Every girl the Crestmonts date winds up dead."

Majority of the characters were unreliable so that made the journey of the story very fun. I thought the pacing of the book was pretty good and kept moving. I don't want to give away all that happens in this book but I will say I was not completely surprised by the revelations at the end and I wish I could say why it didn't surprise me but what fun would that be!

I do recommend giving this one a read! It was an addicting story & I'm looking forward to reading the author's future work.

PS - As a Pennsylvanian who lives around 3 hours away from Penn State, I absolutely love that this took place in Happy Valley!

The One That Got Away With Murder by Trish Lundy is quite the story. In trying to escape her destruction past, Lauren walks right into a similarly destructive present!
What I loved about this thriller is that I really didn’t know who it was until we all knew who it was!
This book comes out in April, but I got the chance to read it early thanks to @netgalley
#ilovetoread #yaliterature #advancedreaderscopy

I enjoyed this YA Murder Mystery!!

I was engaged from the start of the book; I like that they made us wait until the end to know why Lauren started the fire that changed her life and she had to move from California to Pennsylvania.

I thought I had figured out who killed Jess, Vic, and Trevor but they got me there.

There were so many twists and turns that kept me guessing and pointing fingers at everyone.

I honestly didn’t expect that ending I didn’t see that coming. I suspected the murderer right as it was revealed.

I was happy that Lauren got her second chance after all!

Overall, it was an excellent book and a fast-paced read.

"My second chance gave me everything I thought I never deserved. Including the person right in front of me"

"It was you all along."

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for this ARC!!