They Did Bad Things by Lauren By Lauren A Forry is a contemporary mystery thriller about six college kids who all partake in activities that dramatically alter the course of their lives – one fatality!

In keeping with writers of this genre like Ruth Ware and Lisa Jewell, Forry crafts a plot where perception is everything, especially when paired with the context of time and the phase of one’s life. Readers will appreciate how the very things that were earth shattering in college may not be viewed as such as a more seasoned adult. Hindsight is 20:20 but that can’t change the past for the residents at 215 Caldwell. But, will it be enough to thwart what has already been set in motion for their reunion at Wolfheather House 20 years later?

The premise of the book is intriguing where 6 roomies with seemingly little in common harbour secrets, lies and half-truths leading to the mysterious death of one of their own, a cover-up and an ensuing game of cat and mouse to catch the killer at long last. They Did Bad Things makes for a thrilling adventure. With shifts in narration and perspective taking, readers will have to keep up or risk missing essential pieces to the plot and letting the killer slip away in plain sight! They Did Bad Things speeds to its end with twists, turns and realisations that bring the book together. Thrill seekers will enjoy this summer mystery in June 2020! 4 frat parties out of 5.

Thank you to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for the electronic ARC in trade for an honest review.

This was a fun, Agatha Christie-type mystery that kept me entertained and eager to find out who the culprit was.

In 1995, a group of 6 college students live together, and only 5 leave alive. Years later, the 5 are each separately invited to a getaway at a beautiful bed and breakfast, only to realize they’ve been invited together...and they might not leave alive.

3.5 stars rounded up. The characters are mostly unlikeable, but the mystery, deaths, and backstory create an interesting premise. I love when people find secret passageways and hidden rooms, and this book did not disappoint in those scenarios. All in all, a fun and intriguing book that kept me entertained...and sometimes that’s all I need.

Thank you to Lauren A. Forty, Arcade Crimewise, and NetGalley for an ARC.

I really enjoy thrillers and mysteries. They Did Bad Things was like reading a modern-day Clue (in fact, Clue is even referenced in the book). The characters were quite loathsome and not very relatable, but this actually added depth to the plot. There was quite a twist in the story, but unfortunately, that's part of what I think also had a hand in undoing this story (for me). While the twist was interesting, it was pretty out there. I also kept questioning, why wait 20 years? For 20 years to go by, the characters were pretty much the same as they had always been. I would've loved to see more of a growth in them and not have them all unravel so quickly. There was a ton of detail to the characters and the plot itself, but there was always something lacking in the background.

They Did Bad Things switches between the past and present and also between the different narrators. The present is being narrated by someone unknown. I do wish there was more detail about what led to Callum's death (I wish there would've been narrations from Callum as well that also told his side and not just as the other's saw him). I sometimes felt as if Callum wasn't a super important character, even though he was the MOST important character. As detailed as the plot was, I was also left questioning other things. They Did Bad Things wasn't a bad book, just didn't feel as tidy at the end as it could've. As far as holding my interest, I did want to know more and it did keep me reading. They Did Bad Things is a decent thriller/mystery.

In 1995, there were 6 students that inhabited 215 Caldwell Street. They were all good friends on the outside, but just months later, one of them would be found dead and the other 5 would hide the horrible truth; one of them was a murderer. 20 years later, those five people are brought back together, under false pretenses, to confront the terrible secret they've all kept hidden. Confess your crime or be killed. Who brought them all back? With suspicions (and bodies) mounting, the tension reaches an all time high. They Did Bad Things uncovers the lengths of depravity that people will go through to keep their secrets buried, even if it leads to murder.

Thank you to NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for this ARC.

I absolutely love good psychological thriller's and this novel was atmospheric, creepy with a lot of dark secrets. The characters was a mess, they weren't likable but that was also the good part of the book 😉
I'm always happy when I don't quite figure out the twist!
Quick read so i recommend it definitely.

Thank you NetGalley.

I’m not a fan of taglines on books. I’ve found that whenever a title has a tagline, I won’t love the book. I didn’t check with this one before I downloaded it and I wish I would have. I only started reading thrillers last year, but what I’ve come to expect is an edge of your seat, “must keep flipping pages to see what happens” feeling. Especially when “thriller” is the tagline. It was a chore turning pages because the pacing and storyline were slow.

I looked at some other reviews because I wanted to see if this book was as hard for others as it was for me. Many people liked this book, so it will be hit or miss for some readers. Overall, it fell flat and just wasn’t for me.

Most psychological thrillers I read get under my skin, but they aren't truly scary. They Did Bad Things? It had me very, very creeped out.

The book opens on a rainy night in the middle of nowhere, and only goes downhill from there. (For the characters, at least. The reader fares considerably better.) Throw in a dilapidated mansion, a few buried secrets, and a hankering for vengeance, and you have one very gripping story.

Between the changing perspectives and the flashbacks, it took me a little bit to get into the story. Once it grabbed me, however, I couldn't put it down. Perhaps my favorite aspect (which, again, didn't bode well for the characters), was that Lauren A. Forry wasn't playing games. She threw in a lot of plot twists and the type of turns typically saved for the last few pages. The kinds of plot points that make you wonder how things could possibly get worse. And yet, they kept getting worse.

If you want to be sucked into an ominous story filled with WTF moments, pick up this book. You might get a serious case of the chills, but you won't regret it.

THEY DID BAD THINGS is truly an excellent suspense thriller. Comprised of flashbacks, multi-character POVs, and (select) journal pages, this novel will keep readers guessing until the very end.

Forry's eclectic mix of believable, uniquely-flawed characters--combined with a richly ominous setting--grabs hold from the beginning and doesn't let up. For fans of the thriller genre, this one isn't to be missed.

In 1995, six college roommates move into 215 Caldwell Street. They do not always get along but they do find time for holding parties and sometimes being there if life gets rough. After holding an end of term goodbye party, one of the roommates ends up dead and the secrets surrounding his death are locked tight in the minds of the other five roommates. And none of them are talking and move about their lives as nothing happened.

Now 20 years later, the five remaining roommates converge at a secluded mansion under pretenses that fit their current situations in life. Shocked that they are all at the same mansion, they become suspicious as to why they are all here as they have not spoken to each other since the death of the sixth roommate. Things take a dramatic turn when the roommates find the exact same furniture and the exact same room set up from the living room of the old university house. It is in the living room that they all realize someone else knows their secret from 20 years ago, someone wants to make the truth be told not matter the consequences.

Playing off Agatha Christie’s Then There Were None, each roommate is given the chance to tell the truth or face death. The only two questions remain- Who killed the sixth roommate and Who will survive their stay at Wolfheather House?

I enjoyed this book for the character building as the author did a fabulous job at describing each roommate and their inner demons. I thought the beginning was a little slow in laying down the plot, but it quickly became a faster pace as the story continues. Lauren Forry can throw in the plot twists right when you think the story is about to become a dead end. The only thing that makes this book hard to read is the different diary pages that are placed through out the story are not labeled or started on a different page making it feel as it is a page from a different book.

Thank you to Net Galley, Skyhorse Publishing and Arcade Crimewise for the chance to read this ARC

They Did Bad Things by Lauren Forry is a devilish take on a closed room mystery. 20 years ago 6 people shared a house during college. After an end of the year celebration, one of the housemates ends up dead. His death is ruled an accident by the police so the 5 remaining members of the house move on with their lives. Unfortunately, someone is watching and think this group of people are more involved in the death than they let on.

Now, 20 years later each member of the house is coaxed by various means to a secluded, decrepit mansion known as Wolfheather House. Each person arrives at the mansion to discover that they were led there under false pretenses. The housemates realize they are stuck in the house, with no means to get away and no cellphone or wi-fi signal. The group is forced to examine each others’ motives and role in their roommate’s death. The person orchestrating their gathering has offered them one way out of the house, confess or die. That’s it.

This novel was creepy, atmospheric, and surprising. Dark secrets are almost always a part of closed room mysteries, but this group…WHOA they ALL have lots secrets? I did not connect with the characters because they weren’t likable. That didn’t change my opinion of the book. I am always happy when I don’t quite figure out the twist! They Did Bad Things is fast paced, pretty dark, and filled with vengeance.
It is a fairly quick read and worth it! I rated this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars!

Thank you @Netgalley and Skyhorse Publishing for an advanced copy for my review.

This book goes on sale June 2, 2020!

i didn't like this book at all, found it tedious, boring, made myself finish it to take care of my responsibility to review but felt like i wasted my time reading it. what was the point

Many thanks to Netgalley, Skyhorse Publishing, and Arcade Crimewise for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book, but I’m afraid it’s not quite my cup of tea. The premise is interesting (the opening is impressive), and the action scenes got your adrenaline pumping in a good way! However, I think there was just too much going on and the story got drowned, unfortunately.

First, we have to give kudos to the author for taking an ambitious gamble: they chose to write (almost) all very unlikeable characters, deliberately to serve the plot. It can sometimes work, but more often than not, it makes readers lose interest. Alas, considering some other reviews that mentioned the same thing, I think that’s what happened here. I was determined to stick with the story to the end, for the purpose of the review, but I felt less and less invested as the book went on. When some twists were revealed, I felt indifferent, like I just wanted things to get moving. It couldn’t hold my attention.

There was also a lot of explanation in the background, extra story lines going on at the same time, lots of interweaving threads. These kinds of devices can serve a good purpose, but I think the author just used too many of them. It gets distracting and disorienting, not to mention boring. Partway through the story, I started skimming ahead to the faster-paced material. It seemed like everything eventually muddled together. I suppose if you’re someone who prefers things to progress at a slow pace, and likes a lot of small anecdotes spread throughout a book, you may like this story. However, this wasn’t my style, as much as I enjoyed some aspects of the action.

I thought this was a entertaining read, but there was something missing that I can't put my finger on. I liked the locked room style story where the characters get picked off one by one, but the characters were one dimensional & unpleasant. I liked the flashbacks, but I had the same issues with the characters.

Review for 'They did bad things' by Lauren A. Forry

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Skyhorse Publishing

This book is available to preorder for release on June 2nd

This is the first book that I have read by this author. I would be happy to read more of her work.

THE book is well written and flows quite smoothly for the majority. It is written from the perspectives of the 5 housemates in both past and present. It also has a narrator, as such, who describes what happened in the past. I found this worked well as it meant you got to see more of what is going on.

I was sucked straight into the book and found it easy to read until I hit about 70% which is when I thought it became a bit over complicated.

THE plot was fast paced and filled with murder, secrets, crime, mysteries, suspense, action, friendships and enemies. I did not expect the ending so a big well done as I hate it when I work out the plot at the beginning of a crime novel.

THE characters were quite realistic and strong but I didn't really 'click' with any apart from a bit with Callum and Hollis, not sure why really but these 2 seemed to be more interesting for me.

Until I hit about 70% I was going to rate the book 5/5 (I love it) but unfortunately due to the complications, which ended up losing the storyline for me, it lost a star.

I would recommend this book to fans of thrillers, suspense, action, fast paced and quick reads, crime, murder and mystery.

288 pages

£20.81 to purchase in hardcover on Amazon. I think this is an absurd price for any book regardless of how much I enjoyed it (sorry)

Rated 4/5 ( I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Co.uk and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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I liked this! I found it to be a fast paced story with a few twists. The story came together nicely at the end. It reminded me a bit of Clue.

Unfortunately, this wasn't for me. I liked the premise but I found it hard to get into. Twenty years ago, six rommmates had a part and only five survived it. They are lured to a remote house under mysterious pretenses, but hey- free trip, right? The characters were unlikable and I found their finger pointing tedious. For me, this one never got to that point where I'm like OMG I have to know what happened. There were some well placed twists, but the characters and their immaturity (despite being in their 40s) wore thing. Thanks to the publisher for my copy!

This took me a little while to get into it but once I did, I was hooked! If you are a mystery/ thriller fan, check this one out! The reason for 3/5 stars is because it did take me reading almost half to officially be super invested. Thank you so much to Lauren A. Forry, Skyhorse Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for my honest review!

This wasn’t a firm favourite for me. I had high hopes after reading the description. But sadly it didn’t deliver. It was bland. Slow paced and easy to put down

Six students moved into 215 Caldwell Street, but only 5 survived the semester. 20 years later, the remaining 5 are brought together again to finally face their roles in all of this. Guilt and suspicion overwhelm them as everything unravels.
The reader hears this story from multiple points of view, and flashbacks to life at 215 Caldwell are carefully woven in.

I wasn't able to finish this book. I couldn't get immersed in the story.
However, I enjoyed the plot and the storyline. Sadly, it wasn't for me.
Thank you Netgalley for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book literally kept me up all night. This book will have you on the edge of your seat. From the start. I could not put it down. If you like dark psychological thrillers this books for you!!! Meet the next Gillian Flynn!!! I can’t wait to see what Lauren Forry comes up with next.