I absolutely loved One of Us is Lying, the first book by Karen McManus. I remember reading the entire novel on a flight when the book first came out. If you haven’t read it, do so right now! It’s a great book and I was guessing until the end and I liked how it all played out. Sometimes you read a mystery or suspense and the ending falls flat, don’t you hate that?

I don’t read a ton of YA fiction but I will read something that’s a thriller, a page-turner that keeps me up late at night. Recently I read Sadie by Courtney Summers and in the past, I enjoyed Thirteen Reasons Why and The Fault in Our Stars.

When we wrote The Blondes of Bel Air, my co-author and I immediately knew the story had to be a YA with two spoiled teenagers at the center of a murder. If you have read a suspenseful YA that I must read, let me know!

About Two Can Keep A Secret:

Echo Ridge is small-town America. Ellery’s never been there, but she’s heard all about it. Her aunt went missing there at age seventeen. And only five years ago, a homecoming queen put the town on the map when she was killed. Now Ellery has to move there to live with a grandmother she barely knows.

The town is picture-perfect, but it’s hiding secrets. And before school even begins for Ellery, someone’s declared open season on homecoming, promising to make it as dangerous as it was five years ago. Then, almost as if to prove it, another girl goes missing.

Ellery knows all about secrets. Her mother has them; her grandmother does too. And the longer she’s in Echo Ridge, the clearer it becomes that everyone there is hiding something. The thing is, secrets are dangerous–and most people aren’t good at keeping them. Which is why in Echo Ridge, it’s safest to keep your secrets to yourself.

I am very excited to start this book. I expect some plot twists and a story that will probably keep me reading straight into the wee hours of the morning.

This was a ride from start to finish. Mot quite as good as her first novel but still a thrill. 4 stars!

I absolutely loved this book. As a fan of One Of Us Is Lying, I was dying to get my hands on McManus' next novel and this one did not disappoint. The pages flew when I was able to sit down and read this one. I was dying to know the history of Echo Ridge and who the murderer was. It kept me guessing until the end and I did not figure it out, just like in One of Us Is Lying. I highly recommend this book if you like mystery and suspense with some teen angst thrown in for fun.

The author did not disappoint with this story. I really enjoyed the setting and found it quite amusing, the author definitely has a sense of humor. I liked the characters and found them to be well developed and was quite happy to see Ellery wasn't any could at solving crimes, that would have been too much. Good plot twists and suspense. I will definitely read any future books she writes.

The book was enjoyable and provides a decent variety of characters that many teens should be able to connect to. It is decently paced and holds the reader's attention. No real negatives, but nothing that puts it far ahead of the pack of other similar books within the genre.

I loved One of Us Is Lying -- so I couldn't wait to read this. Although I liked it very much, it did not quite measure up to my expectations, mainly because of the meandering plot and less than ideal character development. I'm a high school librarian, and I know I will recommend this mystery -- it is very good, but One of Us is Lying is a very hard act to follow. All in all, however, a big thumbs up.

McManus's sophomore novel is just as much fun as One of Us Is Lying. Twins Ellery and Ezra move to Echo Falls, Vermont while their mother, Sadie, is in rehab. The idyllic small town holds many secrets, such as what happened to Sadie's twin sister almost 20 years ago and who killed the homecoming queen five years ago? These questions come bubbling to the surface when yet another teen girl goes missing. Ellery, a true crime lover, can't resist investigating these crimes on her own. Are they all connected or is this just a weird coincidence? This book is more of a slow burn than her first novel with so many twists and red herrings that I did not see the end coming. The last line of the book is truly devastating. DO NOT READ THE LAST PAGE before you start!

I think teenagers will definitely enjoy this murder mystery. I was able to guess who the assailant was, but I am assuming that is because I am older and wiser. :) Teens will be swept away by the saga that unfolds in this small town. I also appreciated the diversity of the characters. I will be purchasing.

Karen M. McManus has once again written an addictive and suspenseful thriller, with characters you can root for and a mystery you can really sink your teeth into. The two main perspectives are from Ellery and a boy named Malcolm, an outcast whose brother was suspected but never charged with killing his girlfriend Lacey. They both have unique voices and felt very real, and I liked seeing the various puzzle pieces that they provided as the story went on. There were a number of mysteries to solve in this book, from murders to disappearances to smaller, quieter questions of family ties and secrets. For the most part I was kept guessing, which I like to see when it comes to my thrillers and mysteries. I also felt that McManus did a good job of not only juggling a lot of plots and characters, but also giving the attention that each different part needed without feeling overdone or overblown. And yes, I was pretty much tearing through by the end as the stakes were raised and questions started to be answered. It all felt very TWIN PEAKS, which is a huge positive in my book.

TWO CAN KEEP A SECRET is a great YA thriller, and honestly anyone who likes a good thriller ought to check it out no matter if they are a teenager or not. Karen M. McManus is one of the best in the genre.

When Ellery and Ezra's mother Sadie suffers a mental breakdown, they are forced to live with a grandmother they barely know in the infamous town known as "Murderland". Young girls keep turning up dead in Echo Ridge and when Ellery comes to town, she becomes the focus of a new threat. In a town where everyone has secrets and everyone is a suspect, Ellery races against the clock to unravel this mystery before she becomes the killer's next target.

This book has layer upon layer of suspense and intrigue and a plot developed so intricately that by the time the mystery is unraveled, you're looking for the killer to the right but you ultimately get blindsided from the left. This is an enthralling psychological thriller with compelling characters and a "whodunit" you will never see coming.

I think I am rarely read any YA Thriller/Mystery as it is not really my main favourite, however, Karen M. McManus has strike again! Last year, I read a book by her which One Of Us Is Lying and I really really enjoy that book so much and now, Two Can Keep A Secret? Boy, this book is absolutely amazing and I enjoy reading it.

To keep it simple as I do not want to spoil it much as this book will be released out on January 8th, 2019 which is in a few days still I just want to keep it secret and you will be surprised how amazing this book is. So, the story follows with Ellery and her twin has to move to her mother's town and live with their grandmother. It was a town name Echo Ridge which is full of secrets and mystery and Ellery who love anything in regards to crime fiction also the mystery of her mother's twin sister who went missing - she wants to dig and solve the mystery. Suddenly, another thing happened - her schoolmate went missing - and she is not going to sit still.

Two Can Keep A Secret has held me strong and turn on the curiosity that keeps me guessing, however, all my guessing was wrong. Well, you can't help to suspect every people in that town. That being said, this book is definitely a page-turner - you can not put the book down as it hits your curiosity - you want to know, you just need to know what happened next and why and who did it. For me, it didn't create any suspenseful events for me but just as I mentioned, you just want the secret to being out and about - it needed to be solved. The characters are all great and I, especially like Ellery and her twin brother also Mia and Malcolm. Karen M. McManus's writing is fantastic with the gripping story plot that will turn on your curiosity.

Overall, it was the best YA Thriller read that I really do enjoy my time reading it. Hence, you should pick this book once it releases on January 8th, 2019.

Last Christmas, I read One Of Us Is Lying and I really enjoyed it, so I was very excited about getting an ARC of this book and thus being able to spend another Christmas reading one of Karen M. McManus's novels.

Just like Karen's first book, Two Can Keep a Secret was a very quick read and I really enjoyed it. I'm still absolutely in love with her writing style because she just has a way of drawing you in and glueing you to the book. But while Two Can Keep a Secret was another very gripping novel by her, I have to say that it just wasn't as suspenseful as One Of Us Is Lying was. That book just left me guessing a little more and almost till the very end, I didn't really know how everything would be wrapped up. This time around, it was definitely a little easier to guess what had happened.

However, one thing I really loved about this book was the cast of characters even though I wish that Ezra and Mia had gotten a little bit more screen time. Also, I sometimes mention great first sentences in my reviews of books but this Two Can Keep a Secret had an amazing last sentence instead!

So all in all, Two Can Keep a Secret is definitely a 2019 release you should check out. It's a great mystery novel with a gripping plot that one can easily read in one sitting and I definitely don't regret that I preordered a final copy of this several months ago.

What I love about mysteries and thrillers, is how clever they have to be. Think about it. With science fiction or fantasy, you're mostly reading with an open head and heart. There's a level of disbelief sometimes, but you suspend it to get swept away to new places. But with mysteries, you question everything from the beginning. You're trying to be a detective, to see holes, uncover secrets, and trust no one. So the fact that I was surprised by many of the twists in Two Can Keep a Secret is a great sign of a mystery.

But what really made me appreciate Two Can Keep a Secret are the little touches. I adored how the theme of family was multiplied, refracted, and reflected. Whether it be in sets of twins, or siblings, or even families that were growing. Family was such a strong motivation and connection in the book. Everything from the reason Ellery and Ezra are in Echo Ridge, all the way to their mother's secrets.

Posted to goodreads: Ellery loves mysteries. She has been fascinated with them ever since she learned of her aunt's disappearance decades ago. However, Ellery never expected to be part of a murder mystery but when she and her twin brother, Ezra, are forced to move to their mother's small Vermont hometown of Echo Ridge Ellery learns more about mysteries than she ever wanted. Now, Ellery is in the middle of a disappearance of a local teen girl that may be tied to the five-year-old murder of the town's homecoming queen. Ellery along with the help of cute local Malcolm must unravel the mysteries to save herself and solve the mystery of the murder of two teen girls in a small town.

This book surprised me. I wasn't a fan of McManus's first novel "One of Us is Lying" but I was completely sucked in by "Two Can Keep a Secret". The characters and the plot unroll much as expected however the mystery is solid and will keep you guessing until the last page.

Tl; dr: Two Can Keep A Secret is a well plotted YA mystery that will definitely keep you reading and guessing all the way to the end, although every character but the two leads suffers from a lack of real depth, and the "romance" doesn't quite gel.

Two Can Keep A Secret is ostensibly about Ellery and Ezra, fraternal twins who are sent to live with their grandmother in Echo Falls, Vermont, where their mother's twin sister, Sarah, vanished over twenty years ago.

Really, the book is about Ellery, true crime aficionado, and Malcom, whose brother, Declan, was suspected but never charged, in the murder of his girlfriend, Lacey, more recently.

As soon as Ellery gets to Echo Falls, also home to the (now name changed) amusement park, Murderland, the bodies start piling up.

But who is doing all the killing, and why have Ellery, along with queen bees Katrin and Brooke, been targeted? And is it a coincidence that Declan is back in the area? Can Ellery and Malcom find out how all these murders are connected and who the killer is?

That's a lot of stuff and a lot of plot, but Karen McManus keeps the threads tight and the plot tighter, ingeniously using Ellery's "knowledge" to have her and Malcom convinced they have it all figured out--only they don't. Watching Ellery be convinced she knows what's going on, and finding out she doesn't, was the real fun for me in this--it was, I thought, a great way to keep the plot humming while also pointing out an all too common theme in YA thrillers where the heroine (and reader) always figures out who the murderer is wayyyyy before the truth comes out.

So the thriller/murder plot is a solid five stars, but the rest of the book suffers from a lack of characterization. Ezra is so nice and good and...that's all he is. Ditto for Malcom's best and only friend, Mia, who exists only to be a sidekick and move the plot along. It's frustrating, because Ezra and Mia both seem interesting, but they, along with Declan and every other character, are just there. I would have loved it if they'd had more presence, especially Ezra, who is basically reduced to a walk on role by the time all is said and done.

I also felt that the romance aspect of the book was wedged in. It wants to be important, but just feels like "it's YA, so here's some romance!" box ticked.

I did like the ending, because it leaves the reader with almost as many questions as there are answers--especially for Ellery.

Definitely a solid thriller, and I did liike that Ellery knows so much about murders and why they happen--only she doesn't. But except for that, (which, to be fair, is a lot and is definitely good) the remaining plots and all of the characters except for Ellery and Malcom, are very wispy.

After their mother is sent to rehab, Ellery and her twin brother move to their mother’s hometown with their grandmother. They soon learn the town of Echo Ridge is full of secrets. With everyone in town keeping secrets are they connected in some way? While the first chapter introduces Ellery and her brother Ezra, the other person of the "two" is Malcolm, the brother of the murder of a girl five years before. They discover secrets all over the place, some more connected than others. Unearthing those connections is part of the fun of this thriller. How secrets and the effect on family relationships is this book's central theme. This leads to moments that are mostly chilling but also a few tender ones. Elery, Malcolm, and the other teens are not super sleuths, just a bunch of ordinary teens caught up in circumstances not of their own making. The characterization of everyone besides the leads could be better but Echo Ridge's mysteries are so compelling enough to keep reading to discover what happens next.

Ellery and Ezra, fraternal twins, have always had to count on each other and take care of their drug-addicted mom. However, after their mother goes to jail for driving her car into a business, the twins are shipped off to their maternal grandmother’s. Ellery can finally see where her mother grew up and she can put her crime-solving skills to the test, while she looks into her mother’s sister’s disappearance and the murder of another homecoming queen, Lacey, who was killed more recently. Things take a more deadly turn when the twins first arrive in Echo Ridge another dead body. What else would you expect from a town whose biggest attraction is a horror theme park. Even with all of the true crime happening around these town newbies, Ellery and Ezra quickly make friends…and enemies. Ellery is drawn to the younger brother of one of the main murder suspects for Lacey’s death. The past begins haunting the present generation as suspects from previous murders begin coming back in town and the potential killer begins posting threats around town. How does anyone stay alive in this town?

While the summary sounds overdramatic, the book was well-done. The characters and plot were compelling. I liked this book even more than McManus’s first novel. I didn’t have the plot figured out early, because I was so invested in what was going on in the present. I buckled myself in and went along for the ride.

5 “never guessed who did it” stars


First of all I want to thank Random House Children/PRH Global to give me this opportunity to read this advanced reading copy of Two Can Keep a Secret.


Karen McManus confirmed her title of queen of YA murder/mystery!

I rarely do read mysteries but I happened to have read an ARC of One of Us is Lying in April 2017 and I was blown away. Karen McManus had my rapt attention right from the start of the story and had me finish the book readwalking to work.


When I knew she would release "Two Can Keep a Secret" I was overjoyed to get the opportunity to review it in advance!

Would it be as good as the first one?

When you hit it big with your first book it can put tremendous pressure on the author for the second book so would Karen deliver?

Yes, she did!


It all began with the twins Ellery and Ezra going to live with their grandmother in the small town of Echo Ridge as their mom is being forced to attend rehab.

It is a dark and rainy night when they land and going to Echo Ridge they discover a dead man on the street victim of a hit and run.

You already are into the story: night, pelting rain, abrupt stop of the car and the discovery of a corpse.

Who did it? Why was this beloved science teacher killed? Is it fortuitous or premeditated?

Next question: is this linked to the disappearance of the twin’s aunt twenty years ago as it is hinted in the book summary?

If so how?


Soon enough there will be more threats happening at Echo Ridge with bloody messages and broken dolls, targeting the future homecoming queens. As another homecoming queen Lacey was murdered five years ago. If your dream is to be crowned prom queen you'd better not live in Echo Ridge or risk a bloody death.

The story centers around a few key protagonists and we have it told from a dual POV.

The first one is from Ellery.

Ellery is passionate about true crime stories. Imagine a teenage Miss Marple trying to solve the mysteries: that of her aunt’s disappearance twenty years ago, Lacey’s murder five years ago and the serial killer leaving bloody threats everywhere.

Who is guilty?

Was it Declan, Lacey’s boyfriend like every evidence pointed to years ago? He is back in town so maybe he would fit?

Was it Officer Rodrigez? Always clumsy and seeming troubled when Ellery meets him.

Was it ….


The second POV is Malcolm’s.

He is Declan’s younger brother and living with her mom and his rich stepdad’s family.

Discreet, handsome and …wondering why his brother is back in town. Five year after the death of Lacey and just when strange events take place and threatening messages appear.


Round and round we go. Karen McManus once again aligns her clues like a game of chess. Leaving hints here and there to keep the ball rolling. Every hypothesis seems plausible until we hit a loose end.

Talk about a goose chase!

I loved how my brain at to work extra hard to guess the murderer and till a very long time I was so far off the mark! Granted I am no crime specialist but it still seems that Mrs McManus has the knack to hide her game and keep us guessing all along!


Mystery to solve aside, the characters are easy to connect with and provided with enough background info they feel real and relatable. Ellery was a typical teenager who is obsessed with solving mysteries while struggling with bad parent’s problems and going for the cute nerd.

Malcolm played his part of a little brooding, a little shy love interest with the added bonus of trying to help solve the mystery. He was not so close from his brother and was never certain that he was not involved one way or another in the dramatic events. Handy when you want to keep the reader on his toe!


Everything ran smoothly like a well oiled machine and I could not find many faults in this gripping YA murder story.

I simply had a fantastic time!


Recommend it? Oh yes! I already know that I am in for the next book of Karen McManus!

4 1/2 stars. One of Us is Lying was a huge hit in my high school's library last year. I was really excited when I learned that Karen McManus was writing another mystery, but I wasn't sure if it would be as good as her first. In my opinion, Two Can Keep a Secret is just as good as the first book. The setting is perfect with an unsolved murder in a scary theme park set in a small town rife with secrets. There are a lot of plot twists and every time I thought I knew who was behind the murders, there was new information that changed things. There are multiple suspects and lots of clues and red herrings, but it all works. The ending is a stunner and I can hardly wait to start sharing this book with students!

I wish i could say that i had this one all figured out but i didn’t! Fast pasted, good characters, and a great mystery. I flew through this one and enjoyed every word!