This is billed as the second in a series but, as the author himself explains at the end of the book, it is designed to be easily read as a stand alone. In fact, the same explanation also goes on to detail the links and crossovers between all his books. As a reader I love this stuff. I predominately read series book but I do love it when an author includes familiar stuff in subsequent stand alones, be it characters or settings. Just brings me closer to the book in question and, and this is key, makes me smile knowingly...
Anyway, that's all by the by... In this book we are reconnected with forensic reconstructionist (yep, that's a thing) Rory Moore and her partner, psychologist Lane Phillips - two great characters that I first met in Some Choose Darkness. (Sorry, another aside - I said in my review for that book that I wanted more from these characters so... yay!)
In this book they are called on to investigate a closed case. Two students got brutally murdered in a house on campus, a suspect caught, convicted and, after trying to kill himself, jailed (hospitalised); case closed. Even a spate of suicides by three of the other students involved in the main incident have been glossed over as coincidence. But there's one cop who can't let it lie. There's also interest from a couple of media people. Things get real when Lane is injured in an explosion and it becomes evident that there is so much more to what happened than people are willing to say. But without evidence they have nothing. Rory and Lane have to dig deep to make any sense of it all but, when they do make a breakthrough, they are both shocked and scared by what they find...
We follow the action in the present as Rory and Lane start their investigations, with flashbacks from the past in the days leading up to the main incident. In the past we learn about the six students involved in what happened, the background of what was really going on. Again in the present we follow the two survivors as they try and survive the fallout. Oh and if that wasn't enough, we also have excerpts from a journal peppered in along the way. These threads weave around and about themselves until they eventually pull together to deliver the full and final shocking truth.
As with most series books we get to know the main characters a little bit better than in standalones and here we learn more about Rory's past and her present day fixation with her porcelain doll restoration. I found this background to be informative, speaking to characterisation rather than distracting.
It's quite a busy book with a lot of characters. Some known, others notsomuch. There's also quite a bit of obfuscation with certain characters, some of which I did find a bit too contrived and not quite as professionally done as I would have liked. A minor niggle but I feel worth mentioning. You really do have to have your wits about you with a full cast and all that flitting about in time but, when all was said and done and the ending came into sight, it did all come together to my satisfaction and I was rewarded for the amount of confusing things I had to hold onto during the journey.
All in all, a great addition to an already impressive back catalogue. Roll on next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

While this is a very good book and I was glad to have Rory and Lane back, there are a lot of characters to keep track of and the story was very slow, by the time I got to the conclusion I was beyond ready for it.

The Suicide House features characters from other novels by the author, but it’s written as a standalone mystery. This was my first Donlea, so I didn’t get all the connections and yet I didn’t feel like I was missing anything. I guess I’m more curious now about some storylines that are alluded to. The plot is solid. There was a brutal murder during an initiation ceremony at a boarding school. The murderer was quickly found but jumped in front of a train before facing justice. Shortly afterwards, the survivors are killing themselves by recreating the circumstances and jumping in front of that same train. Profilers Rory and Lane know that there’s something weird going on and start investigating. There are bloggers, shrinks, mental hospitals and someone who’s clearly up to no good. The story flows well and kept my interest even after I had figured out whodunit. The characters are likable and I especially enjoyed the creepy undertones.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/ Kensington Books!

This is a favorite author of mine, Charlie Donlea, and I’m slowly making my way through all of his books. This one follows the same characters as “Some Choose Darkness” – Rory and Lane. They are both crime experts and a couple. While it’s been a while since I read “Some Choose Darkness” there were plenty of explanatory pieces to bring me up to speed (maybe a bit much!) and refresh my memory. I really like the character of Rory and I wish we got more background and details to flesh out her character in this one.

This story is set at a prestigious prep high school in Indiana, modeled after similar schools on the east coast. One interesting point is that no one is ever kicked out of this school. Everyone sees a counselor and issues are dealt with by the school. There are problems at Westmont though as a year ago two students were murdered, and now other students have returned to the scene to kill themselves. What on earth is going on?

There’s a fascinating first portion of the story with a true crime podcast built in and I really liked this piece and I was wishing for more of this storyline! Rory and Lane dig into the school and rumors of a secret society. The story features flashbacks to the summer one year ago when the tragic events took place. I’m used to a much longer gap between storylines! Can the duo get to the bottom of things before there’s another tragedy?

I had a few gasp-worthy moments when a twist was revealed, and I did not see the ending at all! There’s a tense conclusion and a lot of pieces to figure out along the way. Overall, I enjoyed this one and looking forward to more from this author. While this wasn’t my favorite read of his, it still was a good distraction! I do recommend reading “Some Choose Darkness” if you want to start this series.

Creepy journal descriptions, a gruesome murder, and a hit true crime podcast...what more could you ask for? When an unspeakable crime takes place at Westmont Prep School it draws the attention of true crime lovers from all over. A popular podcast host heads to Westmont Prep School to find out what really happened on June 21st and what is happening to all the students who are committing suicide( who also happened to be at the house the night the murder took place). Dark secrets tried to get buried Westmont Prep School, but they will usually come back to haunt you.

I really enjoyed this book. I was hooked from the beginning. This is the first book I've read by Charlie Donlea and can not wait to read more. There was a lot of good twists, characters all had a purpose, and there was some definite creep factors. Overall, I could not find a lot wrong with this book. A few predictable surprised, but it did not ruin it for me!

Rory and Lane are back!
But, maybe they shouldn’t be...🤔

I was ALL IN, when this book began!

Intrigued by the mysterious journal entries being read aloud by “somebody” to ????

Enjoying the podcasts hosted by the famous Mack Carter.

Loving the moxy of Ryder Hillier, a “true crime column” writer and blogger, who has more knowledge of the Westmont Prep Murders and Suicides than Mack Carter does, but lacks his name recognition.

I wanted to know what 13:3:5 meant!!

And, to see if Mack and Ryder would compete or cooperate, to solve the mysteries surrounding “The Suicide House”.

And, just as things were getting good, Mack and Ryder, become a sub plot as the focus shifts to Rory and Lane.

The pace slowed considerably as we are reintroduced to these characters (from book one, “Some Choose Darkness”.)

The author’s note at the conclusion of the book shares that Charlie Donlea, wants each of his books to be able to be read as a standalone and that he will often have characters from past books make an appearance in a new one.

I am all for cameos, but feel that I would have preferred learning what happened at the “Suicide House” through the eyes of Mack and Ryder.

Rory and Lane making a cameo appearance to share their expertise, would have been welcomed, but would not have required these characters to be “fleshed out” for a second time.

I hope that Charlie Donlea moves in a new direction with his next novel, and that it is not a Rory/Lane book 3...and I say that with lots of love and admiration for the author’s work! ❤️

I would like to thank Kensington Publishing for the digital ARC provided through Netgalley in exchange for a candid review!

You can pick up a copy of this on July, 28, 2020!,

I discovered Author Charlie Donlea last year when I read Some Choose Darkness, and I loved it! So when I saw he was coming out with a new book this year I knew it was one I had to read.
I find that stories about prep schools all start to run together if you read enough of them. Not this one. I was on the edge of my seat while reading this page turner. The book automatically pulls you in by starting off Chapter 1 with Journal Entry. You quickly figure out that the journal belongs to someone who got away with murder when they were younger.
Every so often the chapters take us back to Westmont Prep- Summer of 2019 and then bring us back to the investigation in August 2020. So we get a peek into how the survivors from that night are doing, and we get to go along with the investigation past and present. There is one element to the investigation I couldn't figure out until the end. It's a nice little twist.
There are quite a few players and it did take a moment to figure out whose who, but that didn't slow me down. Each character played an important part no matter how short lived. However you know that if a character died early, they were on to something!
This was such a wild ride, and I loved every minute of it. I would have liked the podcast to have played a bigger part, but it was kind of the jumpstart needed to look more into what happened that night at the abandoned boarding house. I felt the main characters were well developed and so intriguing.
If you enjoy reading Charlie Donlea's books, then don't miss out on this one when it's released July 28, 2020. I can't wait to see what this author comes up with next!

This was a crazy book to read and I loved every minute of it. Synopsis , two students are found murdered and there teacher is charged with the crime. Suddenly all the students who were present commit suicide! And that’s all I’m going to tell you!

This book was everything I wanted and more! Thank you so much to Kensington Books and Charlie Donlea for this fantastic ARC. The premise was truly captivating and I had no idea where it was going. It’s based around an elite prep school (which is my absolute favorite setting) and a haunting game called Man in the Mirror.

When two students are found brutally murdered their teacher is charged with the crime. A year later, the other students who were present are committing suicide one by one and no one knows why. A podcast starts reporting on the case and many interesting characters get involved.

Thoughts: This book grabbed my attention right from the beginning and I didn’t lose interest for a second. The premise was so unique and was full of all the things I loved- the boarding school setting, a mystery podcast, and suspicious murder. I had no idea where this story was going and was completely caught up in the mystery. The idea of the Man in the Mirror game was truly horrifying and the whispers of the supernatural gave me chills.

I liked that the story switched between a few different perspectives. One of them was a psychopathic child, another a strong willed main character that I wanted to learn more about. I will be reading other books by Charlie Donlea for sure, and completely loved this one. 5-fantastic stars!

I have to be honest and say it took me a while to get into this book as there was just to much back and forth and stories within the story.

With that being said, if you love a good whodunit murder mystery, than you will enjoy this book as there is lots of cray-cray, murder, abuse, lying, suicides or were they? Some things were believable, some not so much, but the cast of characters are great.

#Rory #Lane #NetGalley #NotasGoodasFirstOne

So I didn't know that this was the 2nd book in a series until I reached the author's note, but Donlea explains there that each book is a standalone, they just have some tidbits and character carry-over. Well, I enjoyed The Suicide House so much that I definitely intend to go back and read Some Choose Darkness, the first book with Lane and Rory. Speaking of them, the profiler (Lane) and forensic reconstructionist (Rory) are drawn to Peppermill, Indiana to try and find out what happened the previous summer. A little over a year ago, 2 students were slaughtered on a boarding school campus, the culprit one of the teachers. Since then, several of the key players that night have returned to commit suicide. There's a wildly popular podcast about the whole endeavor, and that's how Lane and Rory get involved, along with a reporter/true crime blogger named Ryder Hillier. There are so many layers to this story. We have flashbacks to the night of the murders, flashbacks to a long time ago, and then the parts set in the present, where we peel away events to reveal the truth. I was not able to predict what actually happened and I was very engrossed the whole time.
4.25 stars

I was provided a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion
Thank you to Kensington and Netgalley

The Suicide House by Charlie Donlea Reviewed on June 5, 2020 4++ Stars

This is my 4th [author: Charlie Donlea] novel and I am a fan!
Last July, I read "Some Choose Darkness" ~ Rory Moore/Lane Phillips Book #1 and in my 5 star review I said I looked forward to the next adventure with these two.
I got my wish with this novel.

An elite group (a Journalist, a Forensic Reconstructionist, and a profiler) are brought to Indiana to the elite boarding school Westmont Preparatory High School referred to as in a podcast as “The Suicide House". These experts are there to piece together a tale of murder, suicide, and a secret society.
The students are drawn to an abandoned boarding house on the edge of the campus. They have a yearly game called “The Man in Mirror”. However something goes wrong and two students are killed in a grisly manner. Although authorities believe they have the murderer, the students who took part in the game who survived the killing a year ago are now commenting suicide.

Rory Moore is a Forensic Reconstructionist who uses her autistic abilities to see what others cannot see and Lane Phillips is a psychologist who analyses serial killers.
I am a big psychological thriller fan and know to suspect EVERYONE. Nope didn’t see this coming.
I certainly am going to read the next Donlea novel as I love his novels and want to read more about these two!!

Additionally I enjoyed the Author’s Note (I always like to read what the author was thinking in writing a novel. The author’s notes always gives inside information). . In this Charlie Donlea mentions that Gus Morelli the crafty and wise detective was in an earlier novel. “Don’t Believe it” which I read and gave 5 stars.

Want to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for this early release granted to me in exchange for an honest professional review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 28, 2020

*received free copy from netgalley for honest review* I really cant make up my mind on this book, on the one hand im so annoyed with the (super stereotypical) autistic cop troupe being shoved so obviously in my face, like parts of this book worded it well but a few times I was just like ehhh that's kinda super rude....but the story itself was really good and I did like the characters even if I didn't care for how she talked about herself (which I will add is better than other books ive read like this were the rude comments are made by others about the character usually when theyre right but they talk about them like theyre not, I don't remember that happening in this book.

didn't get to read the first book in this series but when I read the authors note I really want to look into the other books as well, they sound interesting and im interested to learn more about the other characters as well!

My thoughts
trigger warning: suicide as well as depression
Would i recommend it? Yes
Would i read more of this series? Yes
Would i read more by this author? Yes
For a second book in a series this is way better than the first one, in this one we get to seem more
of Rory working on the dolls and it goes into more detail of what kindle of brushes and the stuff
she uses.Plus we see more of Lane as well and see more of what his job deals with .Another thing i liked about this one is how the author bright them more to life as well as the other characters. While there are more twist and turns and what seems a lot more going on in the background some how the author pulled it all together so that that the story line worked.I do have to say the story is told in different timelines and at times can be somewhat confusing but once again the author makes it work. It also makes you question yourself about the deaths of the students. Because the entire time i was reading it i kept asking myself was it suicide or was they killed because of something they did or might have seen.So if you read the first one then you need to check this one out just because of how bit more dark and twisted it is. With that said i want to thank NetGalley for letting me read and review it

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advanced copy of The Suicide House by Charlie Donlea!

Although able to be read as a stand-alone, this is also the sequel to Some Choose Darkness, which first introduces the two main characters featured within.

These two books have been my first introduction to Donlea’s writing and I have to admit they’ve got me hooked!

The Suicide House follows main characters Rory Moore; a forensic reconstructionist and Lane Phillips; a forensic psychologist/criminal profiler as they set out to investigate the mysterious deaths taking place around a prestigious prep school.

This book, like its predecessor, is highly suspenseful and riveting. It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time and constantly kept me guessing. Just when I thought I knew what was going on, something new would come into play and I’d be completely thrown and clueless again. It was so satisfying once all the clues started to connect and everything was finally revealed.

I also love that the main character Rory is not your typical protagonist. She’s got her imperfections, such as being on the spectrum and suffering from social anxiety, which make her a more believable and relatable character. I also loved reading about her relationship with her partner Lane and how they interact with one another.

This book had so much going on, with multiple timelines and POVs that, rather than distract or confuse from the plot, just added more layers and intrigue into the story and made this a much more enjoyable read!

Overall I really loved this book and I can’t wait to read more of Charlie Donlea’s writing!

4.5 stars!

A thrilling continuation of the series!

Rory Moore is a forensic reconstructionalist who suffers from extreme social anxiety. She has a proven track record of cracking unsolved police case files and finds herself entangled in helping her psychologist partner, Lane Phillips, on a chilling and mysterious prep school double murder. The two travel to the prestigious Westmont Preparatory High School to investigate and immerse themselves in the year old murder case of two students.

I’ve read and loved every single book Charlie Donlea has created and this was no exception. I jumped right back into these characters lives and felt myself grow even more attached to them. The thick, foreboding atmosphere of the elite boarding school grounds had me engrossed from start to finish. There is something about boarding school settings that always appeals to me. This was a fast paced thrilling mystery that had my mind flip flopping over who was guilty. The chillingly gruesome murders kept me on edge and curiously intrigued throughout. With the timelines being only one year apart, I found myself confused a few times at the start but as I worked deeper into the storyline, the flow became much easier to follow.

If you haven’t read a Charlie Donlea book, you need to drop everything and pick one up! I suggesting picking up book 1 in this series before reading this as it will give you a better understanding of the characters’ backstories and personalities. All of his other novels are standalones, however, he brilliantly incorporates his well-loved characters within more than one book which I love.

Thank you to NetGalley for my review copy!

A prep school full of secrets, a haunting year old double murder and a rash of suicides among those who survived.

What the what is going on??

Naturally a podcast is developed to answer this burning question. When Rory, an expert at reconstructing cold cases, gets involved suddenly there are more questions than answers.

I like stories that happen at elite schools and this one was held my interest from start to finish.

Thank you to Charlie Donlea, Kensington and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book rocks!!

I was immediately drawn in to the story about a gruesome murder with a group of teenagers,, this was a who done it type of book that keeps you guessing. I’m very impressed with how the author had multiple different stories going at once and was able to combined them all into one. This is a fast pace thriller you will love reading..
this was the first book by this author and I’m excited to read the other books who’s characters intertwined into this novel!!

this is a very smart book, intriguing and different from many others. i have been a fan of his work for years and he continues to surprise me. multiple viewpoints, multiple timelines and interesting complicated characters. my only bone to pick was why a mark and a mack and why a rhyder when we already had a rory, made it esp the mark and mack more confusing than need be. but this is a minor point.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington books for the Advanced Release Copy of Suicide House in exchange for my review. I also won a print copy of this book from Bookish First.

I do have to admit that I was concerned going into this book because it was number two in a series, and I had not read number #1. As it turns out though, it didn't affect my reading of the book.

From the publisher "Inside the walls of Indiana's elite Westmont Preparatory High School, expectations run high and rules are strictly enforced. But in the woods beyond the manicured campus and playing fields sits an abandoned boarding house that is infamous among Westmont's students as a late-night hangout. Here, only one rule applies: don't let your candle go out--unless you want the Man in the Mirror to find you. . . ."

The sheer number of characters made it difficult to follow at times since the story was told from multiple point of views. The ending was honestly pretty ingenious!