I picked this one up because I read the first. I did like this one slightly more, but it still was a little bit of a let down. 

These books remind me of CW shows and Fear Street books, you get a quick scare or creep and then the day is okay. I know that can work for YA, but I have read newer YA mysteries that are more intense and even made me feel like I am reading an adult book. This series does not read this way. You can tell it is YA, and it just kind of does ruin the book because it could have gone deeper with the sisters and their powers had it been more adult. 

Overall, not bad books. Just not really my thing since it reminded me of so many books I read a decade ago. 

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When I requested this book, I didn't know that it was the 2nd book in a series that had been released before, under a different name. Dying to Be Her by Gregg Olsen starts out with a bang. I was quickly drawn into what was happening and the mystery behind the brutal murder of a foreign exchange student. I felt like I was supposed to already know things about certain characters so much of the book felt a bit off balance but that is on me for not realizing another book came first. I still had enough information though to understand the book and enjoy it as a stand alone. The "powers" the twins have took away from the plot for me and I lost some of the interest in the story. Again, this could have been from not having all the information about the book before I started. I think YA thriller lovers will enjoy this book.

I enjoyed this second book more than the first. 
Interesting but unlikeable characters, same horrible murders and mystery around everyone and everything. 
There are many things/moments that I enjoyed reading but there are so many twists or scenes or even side characters that I haven't liked at all and those slowed down my hype.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy

I liked this one just a bit more than the first. Even though it's book 2, this one could easily stand alone  - although I did like knowing the previous experiences to tie some of the hints and end stuff up. The twins are interesting characters and their abilities, as they discover them, as well as the clues to the mystery are well done and I did find myself wanting to know how it all ended.
The little twist at the end was great, tying everything together.

Just fab! This author consistently delivers! Jaw droppingly brilliant. I started reading this and I had to set everything else aside until I finished. This book was addictive and extraordinary. Great writing, brilliant plot. Couldn't put it down. A must read for everyone.

First, I want to thank Gregg Olsen, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

Gregg Olsen is back with his sequel to Beneath Her Skin with Dying to Be Her. Now, if you have not read Beneath Her Skin I highly suggest you do. Reason being you will get a better feel for the backstory and the characters. Both books are must read as Gregg Olsen has an incredible way with words. 

Gregg dedicates this book to Jamie Morris. She is the girl who opened the creaky door of an abandoned house in the dark woods. 

If you did read Beneath Her Skin you will be reunited with the Ryan twins, Brianna, Colton, etc. 

Right from the start Brianna rubbed me the wrong way! She seemed like a spoiled little princess. She only thought of herself and not others. 

My heart went out to Olivia who had the world at her fingertips! Exchange student coming from England to America to live the American Dream and make something of herself. Sadly, her journey to America was cut short. 

The 911 operator’s phone calls and what she has to deal with on her shift I found interesting. 

Being a huge fan of Full House and Fuller House I cracked up that the Ryan twins dressed up as the Olsen twins from that show. I would have loved to seen a picture of those two at the Halloween festivities. 

The complete police report was very interesting to read. 

The bond between Hailey and Taylor was really special even beyond being twins. It was quite fascinating. 

In Gregg’s author notes he mentions that some of this story is absolutely true. 

I wholeheartedly agree with him about trust and when it is broken. 

Gregg's climatic scene is incredibly shocking and intense! Never would Imagine the book ending this way!

This is book 2 of the empty coffin series.

Just like book 1 it's a YA Mystery with the twins investigating a English exchange student murder.

This was fast paced, easy to read mystery with unusual supernatural things happening.

I read book 1 and book 2 in one day because I just had to read on to see what happened in the next.

This is the second book in the Empty Coffin series featuring Hayley and Taylor Ryan set in the community of Port Gamble, Washington.  It can easily be read as a stand alone but the back story is enriched by having read the first book.  Each story in the series has at it's core, a true life crime, this one was inspired by the Amanda Knox story.  Gregg Olsen is well known for his true crime books and has brought those talents to the young adult mystery genre.

A young woman is stabbed to death at a Halloween party.  As the investigation continues, the young woman's friends seem to be indifferent to her death while ignoring this small town's censure of their behavior.  The Ryan twins, Hayley and Taylor, have seen clues that lead them to believe the young woman was murdered but they have no idea why.  They will investigate, counting on the help of their group of friends and find more than they bargained for.  A second story runs along this one, it feeds into the twins' backstory of having some paranormal abilities.  When the current teenagers of Port Gamble were young, they were all involved in a school bus crash that left several children dead and many more injured.  This story will run through the series, keeping us guessing and insuring we pick up the next book.  I really liked the first book and the second one is just as good.

Thanks Netgalley for a copy Dying to be her by Gregg Olsen .
Perhaps Olsen should stay away from young adult , it just didn't feel like a young person was talking threw the whole story off for me. Still think Gregg Olsen is a great author especially his true crime.

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

Ok so here it goes. I read the first in the series “Beneath Her Skin” and mostly did not enjoy it. But I had requested this book the same day from NetGalley so I decided to read it. And what I learned. Beneath Her Skin was originally released by the name Envy in 2015 and this book was originally named Betrayal released the same year. I have read a number of books by Olsen and maybe this feels so young (like a YA) because he was growing in his writing.

This book was better than the first but I really feel like it was written for a younger audience. One that does not have the mature pallet for true suspense or even paranormal. While the twins are adults they seem like older Nancy Drew characters (that should tell you how old I am). 

I am not sure if there is more in the series but I will not be picking it up. This is not up to the par that I have read from other Olsen novels. 

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Well written with good character development but very predictable to me. Twins are on the run from a killer. And they have psychic instincts. And a special connection to their mom. I just couldn’t get into it.   I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is the second book in the Empty Coffin series.   We return to Port Gamble, Washington where another tragedy has occurred.  An exchange student named Olivia Grant has been found dead at the home of classmate Brianna Connors, apparently some kind of prank gone terrible wrong.   Once again Taylor and Hayley Ryan are on the case because they have been receiving messages from the dead for years and they know this theory just doesn't add up.   There is a killer still out there and they are doing everything they can to find out who it is before it's too late.

I'm hoping with this newly edited series a third book will be announced! 
Olivia, an exchange student from London, is brutally murdered in Brianna's bed. During Brianna's amazing Halloween party.  
Brianna does yoga in the hallway after giving her statement.  Her boyfriend, Drew, watched TV while Brianna determined Olivia was dead. Not the classic responses.  
Hayley and Taylor attempt to use their gifts,  hoping Olivia will send them a clue. What they are the events leading up to the tragic bus accident killing their friends.  
Which mystery is most important to solve? 
Great suspense.  I love these characters. The transitions are enjoyable, helps move the story forward.

While I wasn’t in love with the first book in this series, <i>Dying to Be Her</i> had my full attention. Olsen writes murder and crime well (as they are his background). 

Once again, the small island of Port Gamble wakes up to news that another teenager is dead. Exchange student Olivia was brutally stabbed in a bedroom during a Halloween party the whole gang attended. And everyone’s a suspect, right?

Meanwhile, the Ryan twins are trying to get a better sense of their past and what exactly happened during the ill-fated bus crash that killed everyone but them (and 2 others). And what exactly happened at the prison where her mom lived near the grounds? 

Hay-Tay take a deep dive into this info and I was all in. The side plots are good but I want more!! Can’t wait for the next installment.

This book was previously released as Betrayal (Empty Coffin #2), . It read well as a standalone, Fast paced, easy, fun thriller that I read in one night. If you are looking for one to just chill with for the evening and figure out whodunit. Gregg Olsen can always be counted on for a quick, good time story.

I read this book before when it was named "Betrayal (Empty Coffin #2), but didn't realize it was the same book that had been rebranded.  This is the 2nd in a series but can read as a standalone.  This being said, I enjoyed the book both times.  This is a young adult book that features high school students based in the tiny town of Port Gamble, WA.  I know this area well, which added to my enjoyment on the book.  The story starts with the murder of exchange student Olivia, and the rest of the book is spent trying to figure out what happened.  There are a few primary characters, namely identical twins Taylor and Hayley, their friend Beth, and "frenemies" who may or may not be involved, including Starla, Brianna, and Drew. 

Despite the multitude of characters, the story is easy to follow and it's kind of fun to read about teenage cattiness throughout the book.  The mystery around Olivia's murder is a good one and I didn't figure out who it was until later in the book (despite having read the story before!).  There are also references to another mystery around a bus crash that happened when these characters were all young children.  

Some of the constant reminders about Hayley and Taylor's "twinness" got a little tiresome as the book went on, as well as the descriptions of what Beth was like being told to us rather than shown to us through her actions.  These are small nits, though, as the story itself moved along pretty quickly and there was a good deal of action.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and if there is another book in this series, I will read it.  I don't read a whole lot of YA but this definitely held my interest, and the familiar location was definitely a selling point.  I'd recommend this to those who enjoy mysteries, whether YA or not!  Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Gregg Olsen for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Dying to be Her is the second book in Gregg Olsen’s Young Adult series, Empty Coffin. The original books were published in 2012 and have been re-edited with new names.

Olivia Grant has come to Port Gamble, WA, as an exchange student from the UK. When the book opens, Olivia is attending a Halloween party at Brianna Connor’s house. Brianna has the honor of being a member of the richest family in Port Gamble, and her house is a showplace. Unfortunately, the party ends with murder instead of candy. Shortly after, the party is over. Briana discovers someone has stabbed her new BFF to death on her bedroom floor.

Hayley and Taylor Ryan, 16-year-old twins, are introduced to the reader in the first book, Beneath Her Skin. Both girls have mysterious powers and the ability to sense when someone is in trouble, including themselves. They also get visions and jumbled letters that once unscrambled help them solve crimes.

Gregg Olsen has the uncanny ability to create well-rounded and fascinating characters who jump off the page. One example would be Brianna Connor. When we first meet Brianna, she is making out with her boyfriend in front of her house, which is being combed over by cops and detectives after Brianna found Olivia’s body. She is even more annoyed that the police will not clean up the room after they remove the body and that she must stay at a hotel until the house is no longer a crime scene.

Another interesting character in this book is Beth Lee, BFF to the twins and Olivia Grant’s host in Port Gamble. Beth had a fight with Olivia before she left for the party and also becomes a suspect in the murder. She is an outcast at Kingston High and one of the least likely to commit a murder. I loved that the Author brought out a vulnerable side to Beth in this book, which was not obvious in the first book.

There are some side stories in this book that feel a little out of place and maybe don’t get the reader’s full attention as they should. The mystery of the bus accident could be an entire book of itself. This is touched on in the first book and then solved in this book. Though I felt the resolution was confusing and should have been explained a bit better. There were clear holes that were left unwritten and unexplored. One example would be the death of Savannah Osteen, the linguistics professor they introduce us to in the first book.

Gregg Olsen knows how to weave a tale with just a bit of truth to it. His knack of engaging the reader with interesting stories and well-developed characters is truly a gift. As a genuine fan of his books, I hope he continues this series so we can hear more from the teens of Port Gamble.

An engaging supernatural thriller taking place in a college town, with young sleuths trying to solve a mystery. A solid read!

The second in the Port Gamble series featuring the twins Haley and Taylor Ryan and their unusual abilities. This time, an exchange student from England is murdered and the girls get to work. To discover the killer, the twins will have to confront a family member with a secret past of betrayal. Well written supernatural tale with enjoyable characters, that captures the world of teenagers and their lives. A pleasing sequel and psychological thriller, that is an entertaining read with a three-and-a-half-star rating. With thanks to NetGalley and the author for a preview copy for review purposes.

It’s Halloween in the small town of Port Gamble, and a group of teens have gathered for a party.  Beer is poured and laughs are shared, and after the last beer is drunk a body of one of their classmates is found brutally murdered upstairs.  The victim, exchange student Olivia, got more than she bargained for when she signed up as an exchange student in the Port Gamble Community.

Neighbor and twins Hayley and Taylor know that there is more to this story, and put their supernatural abilities to the test.  But they soon get more than they bargained for as they start to uncover a secret of a family member.  In the meantime, a couple of suspects have fled, all of which leads to a good story.  

This is the second book that I’ve read in Gregg Olsen’s series.  I would start with Beneath Her Skin first, since the second book builds on the second.  Both made for a good read!