- too many characters & too much back and forth; I found so much of this incredibly difficult and confusing to follow
- so many plot holes?? how did the "villain" know everything they knew? who the killer was in 1995, full conversations between other people when they were not there.. etc etc. why did someone in the group originally kill in 1995 over something SO SMALL & INSIGNIFICANT? *******spoiler******* stealing answers to a test?? I also don't believe someone could assume someone's identity so well that 4 people that lived with them for over a year not realize..I get it was years earlier but still. nobody looks that similarly, not to mention voice/mannerisms/etc.
idk just super unbelievable & convoluted with plot holes galore.

This one sounded so promising. A creepy house, 5 roommates who hadn't seen each other in 20 years and a mysterious death. It was interesting how the author introduced the characters by way of an invitation to a weekend away. But the book went downhill from there. It was slow and hard to follow. The characters were all unlikable, underdeveloped and boring. Unfortunately, I can not recommend this book to anyone.

3 Stars

This is a fun, dark, and twisty adventure that hops perspectives and time lines between 1995 and the present. Six college roommates rented a house and one of them died. Fast forward twenty years and the remaining five are all called to a remote mansion for the weekend to determine who was at fault for their roommate's death.

I really enjoyed the time hopping and only getting nuggets of the story. There are lots of gory details and twists and turns to keep you on your toes! It was also entertaining to see that they're as messed up as adults as they were as teenagers. None of them were able to overcome Callum's death and become successful in their pursuits.

I look forward to checking out Lauren Forry's other book!

A special thank you to NetGalley, Skyhorse Publishing, and Lauren Forry for providing me with an ARC.

This is just a fun read which totally lives up to the title. It was exactly what I was hoping for. You don't have to feel bad for these people, they are just rotters. And they get what's coming to them. Hooray!

When you (or your publisher) compares your book to a masterpiece such as Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, you either a) have the guts to do so or b) really think your book is that mystery. I, myself, am a HUGE fan of ATTWN, and after I read it in the description that’s all that was in my mind as I was reading this novel.

They Did Bad Things is a creepy--if not outright scary at times--mystery that brings five adults to face the things they did twenty years prior. This big incident revolves around their university flat and one of their flatmates, Callum, whose death was ruled an accident.

But the characters know otherwise.

As we begin the story, we are introduced to the character’s we’ll see suffer for the next 288 pages. There’s the newly promoted detective Hollis, the ever “people-hating” Lorna, princess Ellie, absolute bastard Olliver, and little miss Maeve. We’re introduced to them through a series of montages of them arriving at the Wolfheather house, which was a really creative way to let us get to know all of them without being confusing.

The characters were all unique in their own ways but the dynamic between them all was subpar. When together, they all seemed to merge into this one swearing, panicking monster and all that fleshed out characterisation that we had just been introduced to disappeared. This made the characters not so enjoyable to read about, and I honestly felt nothing toward them. At least, nothing to make me root for them. In a way I suppose that was the point, considering the book’s name is They Did Bad Things. Either way, the quality of the characters dragged down the quality of the overall book for me, which is why I took away a star.

The plot, however...the plot was absolutely spectacular. Being a mystery, I don’t think I can say much without ruining the book for others, so I’ll try to keep it vague. This is where I saw the most parallels with And Then There Were None. And no, it’s not just because of the whole being-trapped-with-other-people-who-did-bad-things-in-a-house situation, but in the way Forry brings us through the story. In between all the exploration and death and red-herrings is a very well thought out scheme and motive that I hate to admit I didn’t see coming. Least to say I fell for quite a few of those red-herrings...

The writing drags back and forth between present day and twenty years prior with many shifts between POVs. While I didn’t mind the time shifting, I felt the POV changes to be unnecessary, and that the whole novel would’ve been better just written in third person (omniscient or limited, either works). It wasn’t annoying per se, more of a formatting issue that hindered the flow of the text.

Lorry’s conclusion to the novel surpassed most of my mystery expectations. She didn’t just start revealing random information at the very end in order to draw shock factor, but dropped hints throughout the whole novel and at the very end brought them together to make sense. Unlike many other far-fetched mystery endings I’ve read, the ending to They Did Bad Things felt wholly deserved and left me satisfied.

As a self-proclaimed And Then There Were None fan, I can safely say that They Did Bad Things rightly deserves that comparison. While I still find myself longing for the characterisation of characters such as Vera Claythorne and Justice Wargrave, the plot is just too good to pass out on.

If you’re a fan of mysteries, thrillers, and very cleverly thought out schemes, They Did Bad Things is worth a shot.

TW: Mentions of rape, lots of violence, somewhat vivid descriptions of blood.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

(2.5 stars)
Pros:
- the characters were all unlikable (besides Hollis, who we didn't see much of) which made the story more interesting to read about. I got engaged because I was frustrated with their choices/behavior, which added a layer to the reading experience.
- the atmosphere of the story was perfect. I liked the classic clue-like set up of "who done it" with the constant rainstorm, mysterious thuds/footsteps, and mystery of why they've been brought together.

Cons:
- I wish that there had been more clues to who was responsible. It felt completely out of left field to have this supposed twin sister, who was never brought up before as a character, be the instigator for the whole event. To have the perpetrator not even included as an option felt cheap, and kinda like I was cheated out of being able to try and solve through the puzzle of their situation on my own.
--- Also, if she knew it was a murder cover-up, I don't understand why she didn't just report them to the police. I don't see her motivation for straight-up killing five people.
- I wish that we were informed about why Callum was dead earlier in the book. The duel mysteries felt too dragged out, and I was confused about motivations more than I was intrigued by what was happening. I wanted to understand why they were in this hotel in the first place so I could start trying to puzzle through who brought them all together
- The reveal for the reason why Callum was murdered didn't make sense. I know it was explained why the characters thought it (with stealing exam answers) was worth it, but I didn't see that reflected in their actions throughout the story and had a hard time buying that it was something worth murdering over. I honestly believed that his death was instead going to be linked to the Oliver/Ellie situation, which was brought up near the end. But maybe that was supposed to be the point. All this death over something so trivial

Overall it was an interesting read that I flew through. I just ultimately wish the structure of reveals was different (i.e. find out about Callum's death sooner so we weren't so completely in the dark the whole time) and that the perpetrator wasn't so out of left field/unguessable. I wanted more hints and at least an introduction throughout the story.

First I want to say Thank you to Netgalley and Skyhorse publishing for sending me an e arc for my honest review.

I really really liked this book, the mystery and the twist were amazing. I did like all the characters and of course at the same time I didn't like the characters which honestly that is how it's supposed to be you shouldn't really like these characters in the book. I loved the first few pages of the book it really makes you think. I loved the title and the cover of this book as well!

There was some things that I didn't like, I didnt like how fast it did switch between times and I did get the women in the book confused at times.

Will I read anything else from this author of course I will. Thank you again netgalley and publisher and also the author for giving me the chance to read this.

Rating: 2.5

This book started off good, but I stopped caring at around 70% through it. All of the characters were terrible people (because that's the point) but a couple of them were tolerable. The problem was that the ones who were the most tolerable, got the least amount of time in the book. It switches perspectives and time a lot. Mostly from the events leading up to Callum's death to 20 years later. I stopped caring about Callum very quickly. The author just continues to tell you how much of a good person he is and how terrible everyone else is. I need more than that to care about his death, it just felt too detached to me.

This book had such potential. All my favorite tropes and it was just okay.

Six college students live together in a run down house and there is a death at the end of the year before they all move out. Fast forward twenty five years and they all are invited to a B and B in Inverness. None of them know the others were invited, so when they each arrive they are surprised by the others being there. Murder ensues and they all start dropping like flies.

I actually found this to be a page turner. I didn’t figure out who did it until the end. I like the B and B setting. I just really hated the characters. I can get behind unlikable characters if they have some depth. These people were so flat and nobody really changed over the twenty five years. They all acted like they did at university.

I can only give it three stars for that very reason. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

Six college roommates are having their last party of the year when the next morning one of them is found dead. Twenty years later unbeknownst to them they will all be reunited for a weekend at Wolfheather Manor a beautiful forested Inn on an isolated isle in Scotland where the only way in or off the island is by a ferry boat . The former housemates are quite shocked to see one another and they are all questioning how they were invited and why are they here now seeing that none of them had kept in touch after graduation. Three women and two men who all share secrets from their last time together and it is very obvious that one roommate could never have attended this unsettling reunion so why have they all been gathered together and who is their host who seems to know so much about all of them. Before the night is over one of them will be missing and they will find all their tires have been slashed on their vehicles also without any cell phone service and the land line seems to have been cut, all while a heavy snow storm has started and the ferry is a couple miles away but the next ride would be over twenty-four hours wait when they suddenly realize they have to get off the isle.

I had high hopes for this story. Everything was perfectly in place, the atmospheric setting, the mystery, the alluring feeling of the book "And Then There Was One". Unfortunately for me this books didn't live up to my expectations. All the characters were unlikable so I didn't care about what happened to any of them and the ending was a surprise but too disconnected for my taste. It wasn't a bad book but certainly not a memorable one for me although I'm sure this book will appeal to many other readers.

I want to thank the publisher "Sky Horse Publishing" for the opportunity to read this ARC and any opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given this book a rating of 2 1/2 Disappointing ✴✴⭐ Stars!!

I was drawn to request this book based on the title alone. It reminded me of the tagline for Bloodline on Netflix - We aren't bad people, we just did a bad thing. Then the description reeled me in with a group of people who were in their freshman year of university the same year I was. Throw in a murder mystery and I was sold. However, the story didn't deliver for me. The time hopping was clunky and confusing at times. I usually enjoy stories with alternating timelines, but this one jumped too suddenly and all over the place. I didn't connect with the characters, which some of them don't make it to the end of the book so that was all right. The ending didn't land for me, but I don't want to spoil the story for anyone so I won't spell out why. I will say I do not like it when authors do not give all the information or characters from the start or at least they don't spring something out at the end. This instance it was hinted at throughout the book, but still felt too convenient.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really couldn’t get into this book. Very few twists, I felt like it was repetitive in the story telling, also very dull. I couldn’t really get involved with the characters. They all felt the same to me. The ending really didn’t give me the wow factor I was hoping for. I did like the clue feeling of the book. But other than that I couldn’t get invested and the ending was not as satisfying as I thought it would be

I tried a few times to really get sucked into this read, but it never did. The characters I thought was very flat, one dimensional. There was a few twists along the way, and while I was interested I was never on the edge of my seat. I put this book down a few times and revisited it a few days later thinking I just wasn’t in the mindset to be fully engrossed, but it did not hook me once I picked it back up.

This started very strong for me. The introduction narrative asking to think about which type of person you are really drew me in.

The book is a twisty back and forth game of who really set this all up. Who killed Callum all those years ago, and who is setting the, all up now to get the truth out. Lots of twists and turns, I had no idea who was going to ultimately be responsible, even though they all carried some responsibility with them.

The book was told in numerous perspectives of all 5 roommates, and a narrative with flash backs to their time together at university. There was also time line flash backs (12 hours ago, etc.) which sometimes was a lot to keep track of.

Overall 3.5 stars for a twisty ride with way more gore than I imagined it would be.

Someone killed Callum in 1995. Who did it? Well, his five other housemates all disavowed any knowledge at the time and moved on with their lives. Now, 25 years later, they've all been lured, with different offers to each, to Wolfheather, a creepy mansion on Doon, a Scottish island. You can guess what's going to happen in broad terms- the remaining five will find themselves at each others throats and at least a few of them will end up dead. If there's an issue with this novel that might remind you of others, it's that it shifts around in time- a lot. It's told from the POV of each of the characters and one unnamed person, which works well in this situation. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Don't get too fond of anyone one character!

Six university students move in together for a house share at the start of the school year, but months later, one is found dead on the living room sofa following a party. The police rule the death accidental, but the five remaining housemates know what happened that night, and move on with their lives, keeping this secret.

Twenty years later, they are lured to Wolfheather House under various pretenses, for a weekend away at a secluded mansion. As they are cut off from the outside world and escape, they are murdered one-by-one and forced to confront their past and determine who has brought them together for revenge.

Liked:
- The plot had a Clue-meets-And Then There Were None-feel to it, but got a little nutty towards the end.
- I loved the setting of Wolfheather House and could imagine this crumbling old building tucked away on a Scottish isle.
- The story had a bit of a slow burn that I was fine with, but if you're looking for a quick page-turner, I don't think this will be for you.

Didn't Like:
- I had a VERY hard time keeping the female characters straight - this could just be my brain right now, but for some reason I struggled with who was who and who did what.
- The time jumps were frequent and sometimes jarring.
- The ending was a bit outlandish, but I am always willing to overlook this in the presence of amazing storytelling.

Three stars - liked, didn't love.

'You're not afraid of doing bad things. You're afraid of getting punished for doing them.'

And so begins They Did Bad Things: A Thriller, a diabolical story of gory revenge. Upon finishing this novel at four this morning, I had initially planned to give it 2 stars...but then I decided I liked the epilogue enough to add half a star. It felt a bit like the game of Clue.

So, here's the thing...this story is beyond clunky. The timeline bounces around so much, and so illogically, it's hard to stay involved. The characters are all vile. And if I'm being completely honest, the "twist" at the end felt like a cheap shot. I definitely didn't figure it out, although I thought I had...but the reason is because it's one of those left field endings which leave you questioning whether or not you missed something at the beginning. Let me ease your fears. You didn't.

And when I finally found out the why behind the group's action (why they were brought to this Wolfheather House to begin with), I was like, "Seriously? You've got to be joking. All this destruction...because of THIS?" Definitely have to suspend belief a bit.

To end on a positive note, I will say that the title and book cover are absolutely epic...love both.

2.5 stars

Available for purchase June 2nd.

**Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars rounded up to a 3.

I couldn't resist snapping this up on NetGalley based on its appeal to readers of Agatha Christie'S And Then There Were None which was my first read of that great writer. Lauren A. Forry certainly captures the atmosphere of a Christie novel, but I didn't feel that I was very invested in the storyline. Although I must point out that the ending was fantastic and that I didn't really care if the characters were unlikeable, it was the transitions between chapters and a mysterious diary that didn't really work for me. Perhaps that was because I was reading it on my Kindle app and it would be more friendly in book format, I am not really sure. That aside, the twists and turns of the story did at least keep me curious.



Goodreads review published 26/05/20
Expected Publication Date 02/06/20

*3 stars ⭐⭐⭐

It all starts in 1995. Six college students move into a house. By the end of term, one is dead. It was just an a accident..... right? *dundundun*

This book is being compared to Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None", which I love, so I was super excited to read it!

1) Murder house on a lonely island? Check
2) A group of people with a secret that could destroy them? Check
3) A killer among them? Check, check, and check!

I really enjoyed the journal entries from the killer at the beginning of the chapters. I love when books have those extra touches. I was glued to the pages for hours. I needed to know what happened next!

I like that it is split into multiple POV's. It was a little difficult for me to keep everyone straight as to who was who. For some reason, it was harder during the flashbacks. I really had to think of who that person was when they were brought up.

Obviously, this is murder island, so it was a little bloody. One scene in particular was more graphic than the others. I am somewhat sensitive to things like that, but it wasn't bad enough to where I felt sick and had to skip over it.

I had guesses to who I thought the killer was. Nope. Completely wrong. I even picked an outlandish character who was only mentioned in passing, thinking I was being clever! Towards the end you're saying "Oh! It's that person" "Oh! Cahoots!" "Oh! Completely wrong, never would have guessed!" I would have liked for the final reveal to have been more dramatic....but I'm not sure how it could have been more dramatic than it was? Maybe I just wanted more shock around the reveal?

Overall, I enjoyed this book. If you like twist, and whodunit stories, you will definitely like this one!


*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley, Lauren A. Forty, and Arcade Crimewise for the ARC.

In 1995, a student is found dead in his university houseshare. 20 years later, the remaining housemates are invited to an isolated hotel under false premises, seemingly to force the killer to confess.

I was really intrigued by the premise of this book and its Agatha Christie/Clue vibes but I ended up disappointed as the story played out.

Things I liked:

- The plot! This is fundamentally a good story and I kept reading because I wanted to find out who killed Callum.

Things I disliked:

- The pacing was a bit 'off' and the book felt like it oscillated between action and dull filler. When Callum's killer is finally revealed it was almost anti-climatic and glossed over.

- The characters, oh god the characters. There was potentially one likeable character in this entire book. I'm sure the author didn't intend for her characters to be likeable, but they lacked depth and relatability and it made sticking with the book hard.

Overall: a promising thriller that fails to deliver.