Lisa Lutz is a delightful and difficult writer. Her novels challenge whether you switch allegiance from one character to another each time new details are revealed. How you interpret their intentions and their actions. Whether you like or despise them, often on the same page. Yet, not really understanding them completely, as if we ever could. Love, loyalty, trust and friendship struggle against lies, betrayal and jealousy in this two timeline intriguing story of Luna and Owen, friends from college and both now married to other people in the second timeline. And two, possibly three murders hanging over them in these timelines. Dysfunctional families producing dysfunctional offspring in every direction, yes, everyone here is terribly flawed but I would be friends with Luna. Which says more of me than of Luna.

Men and women can't be friends- or at least that's what some people think. Luna and Owen have been best friends since college. There's something about them that's weird - they were never lovers- but there's something there - a secret.

The Accomplice is a pulse pounding thriller about two best friend - Luna and Owen - who are best friends who have secrets with each other - and from each other - and there's something else going on....but you (the reader) can't quite figure it out.....until you do.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

In 2002, Owen Mann and Luna Grey become close platonic friends while freshman at Markham University, a small liberal-arts college. Owen is a handsome charmer and Luna is down-to-earth, reserved and fears that one day, her deep, dark secret will be revealed. In 2019, Owen and his wife Irene and Luna and her husband Sam live close to one another in New York’s Hudson Valley. One day while out for a run, Luna stumbles across the body of Owen’s wife Irene, shot to death in the local cemetery. The police bring Owen and Luna in for questioning as their long history as best friends unfolds. Tragic events in their past make them both persons of interest.

The Accomplice is an enjoyable domestic thriller which provides two mysteries that need to be figured out as well as discovering what Luna is hiding. I enjoyed that Owen and Luna were two loving, loyal friends. No sexual tension, just a truly close friendship. The wide cast of characters are all pretty quirky. Author Lisa Lutz has created a well-written, original story that held my interest as I anxiously awaited its conclusion. Not a hold-your-breathe thriller but a clever one.

This story was a middle of the road read for me. I needed to finish it, and enjoyed the easy writing style, but not a lot happens. When the action does pick up and the reveals start happening (and there’s a decent amount) they aren’t all that exciting. I guess they are appropriate for the story and not at all as outlandish as I’ve come to expect. Luna and Owen are the predominant characters but there are quite a few side characters that can be a challenge to keep track of, not a highly likable bunch.

I would recommend this to those that like a real character driven story. It is not really a thriller/suspenseful read even though there’s a lot of dark themes. I would try more by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for a copy in exchange for a review.

Luna Grey and Owen Mann have been close friends, best friends, since shortly after meeting one another in the fall of 2002 in the Intro to Ethics seminar at Markham University, a small liberal arts college in the Hudson Valley. They are so inseparable (platonically so) that one is rarely seen or mentioned without the other. No one and nothing is more important to each of them than their "other half", not family, and, moving forward into 2019, not even spouses.

When Owen's wife (and Luna's friend) Irene confides something to Luna, Luna's alliance is to Owen, and she tells Owen what was said. The next morning, Luna finds Irene's body when she goes out running. Irene has been shot dead. This isn't the first time someone in their circle has died under questionable circumstances. Two mysteries seventeen years apart. Do they know each other as well as they think they do??

Lisa Lutz has put together a compelling mystery (ok, double mystery), but the main story line here is the friendship between Luna and Owen. I can hear the Dateline announcer in my head "Something just didn't seem right about their relationship, but what?". Readers will have no trouble with the back and forth between the past and the now as more is disclosed about the two, what strained their relationship and what held it together.

This is a solid, satisfying read.

My thanks to Ballantine who granted me access to an ARC of this novel via NetGalley. Publication is set for 1/25/22. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

Lisa Lutz's books never disappoint! The Accomplice is a murder mystery, but more than that, it is a story about a friendship that has endured through misunderstandings, betrayals and life changes.

Luna and Owen are unlikely friends. Luna is prickly. She doesn't let people into her world, and thinks she has a good reason for doing so. There's a huge secret she's keeping about her past, and she's made a huge mistake before in trusting others. Owen is open, friendly, and uncomplicated. If anything, he shares his "love" a little too freely - he's not the most faithful romantic partner.

Luna and Owen meet in college and become close friends. Their sophomore year, a tragedy occurs - a young woman dies, and everyone thinks Owen had something to do with it. Even after the police rule it an accident, Owen can't stay at Markham College because of the intense hatred some students have of him.

Years later, Luna and Owen's wife, Irene, are having coffee together when Irene tells Luna that Owen is cheating on her. Luna and Irene are close, but both of them know her loyalty still lies with Owen. Luna confronts Owen, who doesn't deny it. But when Irene is found murdered, Luna starts to think that one dead woman could be bad luck but two might indicate some sort of responsibility...

This is a dark (very dark at times) story, but it also has humor, love and tenderness that make it a truly enjoyable book to read. There are a lot of twists in this story that keep you turning the pages. I loved inhabiting Luna and Owen's world and deciding what I would have done in certain situations.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

According to Urban Dictionary, the term “ride or die” used as a verb means “you are willing to do anything for someone you love or someone you really appreciate in your life” or used as a noun, it’s “the person who you stand by in any problem and vice versa.”

This term perfectly encapsulates Luna and Owen, who’ve been strictly platonic BFF’s since their college days. They’ve spent years keeping each other’s secrets, running interference if someone is bothering the other, lying if necessary - even to each other, if they think it will help, and generally having each other’s backs whatever the scenario. It’s the ultimate stew of loving support and complete co-dependency.

Still friends and now neighbors long after their student days, they find themselves being questioned when Owen’s wife is murdered. The only problem is, they’ve been under a cloud of suspicion before while students at Markham University, when a female acquaintance of theirs mysteriously died, not to mention the trouble caused by Luna’s dark and secret past she was trying to keep hidden.

Is there a connection between these events? Why do Luna and Owen seem to attract death and drama like moths to a flame? They both have secrets, so … do they really know each other? Just how far will they go to protect the other?

I loved this book, and despite their mutual dysfunction and unlikable moments, I loved Luna and Owen! Lutz did a great job keeping me guessing at how all the pieces fit together through past and present chapters, and every character was well-written and interesting, so I always felt invested in the outcome. The resolution was satisfying, though I was just a tiny bit disappointed with the lack of a clear conclusion for Luna’s relational situation at the end. Nonetheless, I could live with it and be happy.

An outstanding first read for 2022 and a new-to-me author to watch!

★★★★ ½ (rounded to 5)

Thanks to Random House Publishing - Ballantine, Netgalley and author Lisa Lutz for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. It’s due for publication on January 25, 2022.

This was a straight out suspense al the way with friends Luna and Owen involved in two deaths separated over a decade and Owen being a suspect both the times. So we essentially get to read two mysteries involving same set of people. There is another backdrop for Luna which was interesting that kept me thinking how it will play out in their current life. The plot was interesting but the main characters were not really likeable. It was fast-paced with all the twists and subplots. It starts off slow but the major action is in the last quarter of the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a must read story. The author is masterful in the creation of the plot and characters. Luna and Owen are best friends for reasons that most people around them cannot understand. The psychology of their friendship is a mismatch of the rich boy and the poor girl with no friends. From the day they meet they form a bond that becomes stronger than family and even spouses. The story is told from the point of view of the present and the past as well os various character voices. This makes for a very interesting take on the details of what is going on and how each person views it. It is quite a page turner and will hold several surprises before you get to the end. It is a wonderful story.

This is the book that got me reading again after a long period when nothing caught my attention. I had previously read two other books by Lisa Lutz (The Passenger and The Swallows) and plots were distinctive and different. The same can be said about The Accomplice.

FIRST SENTENCE: "Owen Mann first noticed Luna Grey in an Intro to Ethics seminar."

THE STORY: Owen and Luna were inseparable in college and years later remain best friends, closer to each other than to their spouses. But there are secrets that could destroy them and their friends. Two deaths cloud the friendship and the story alternates between Owen and Luna's earlier lives and the present, revealing secrets that have caused misunderstandings and pain.

WHAT I THOUGHT: Well plotted, written, with interesting, if not likeable, characters, this a unique read. It has a lot to say about relationships and whether we can be sure of those we think we know best. The ending is most satisfactory.

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

DISCLAIMER: Thank you to NetGalley / Ballentine Books and the author for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me hooked absolutely from the beginning. I loved the two main characters and learning about them and the relationship between them. I loved this authors writing style. It was rather addicting and I couldn't wait to read more.

Wowwwww, what a read! I think it was a bit slow at first but then it really started to pick up and you could not put it down! Excellent characters and writing.

Lisa Lutz creates a tense, dramatic atmosphere in her latest, The Accomplice.

Owen and Luna are synonymous; where there is one, there is another. Meeting in college, the two grow close and care more about each other than their significant others or spouses. Being suspects in not one but two murder investigations nearly a decade apart, Owen and Luna's lives seem inextricable from one another. But both have been keeping secrets. Small secrets build and build until neither one seems to know anything about the other. So when the second murder within their inner circle occurs, will the two stand by each other?

Lisa Lutz magnificently creates a thrilling, toxic environment. The relationship between Owen and Luna is enticing, and trying to figure out who the murderers are between the two cases is difficult. The Accomplice creates an immediate desire to understand the closeness of these two friends.

The attraction between Owen and Luna is never fully explained. A small detail that leaves the reader feeling that their enduring relationship has nothing to stand on. Owen somehow charms his way through Luna's coldness, which results in a peculiar, somewhat toxic, relationship. During their college years, a fellow student dies who is linked to Owen. Much later, after the two have married their respective partners, one of the spouses is found dead.

Both murder investigations work themselves out, flashing forward and back in respective chapters. Simultaneously, some chapters establish Owen and Luna's lives together. Like spending Christmas together and uncovering family secrets on both sides. As the story progresses and more is revealed about Owen and Luna as characters, they become difficult to care about. They prove to be selfish, shallow, and lacking drive or desire.

In the end, the mysteries prove to be interesting but not sinister, making The Accomplice a story with a little something to be desired. But, with that being said, it's an intriguing story with a good mystery.

The Accomplice has everything we've come to expect from a Lisa Lutz novel. Two imperfect characters -- Owen Mann and Luna Grey -- who become inseparable best friends in college. Seemingly different in every possible way, they share the Lutz quality of complete acceptance of each other's idiosyncrasies (which makes the book hilarious), as well as the odd characteristic of being connected to murder. The novel effectively moves back and forth between the past and the present as the reader tries to figure out who killed Owen's college girlfriend Scarlet and his wife Irene. Who is telling the truth, and who exactly is the accomplice? This is a quick, entertaining read with clever pacing and character development. 4.5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lisa Lutz is one of my favorite authors, so I was excited to read her latest, The Accomplice. I'd describe it as a slow-burn suspense rather than a thriller.

The story is about two people who meet in college and are best friends forevermore. They are Luna Grey and Owen Mann. Luna is a bit of a loner and has a long-hidden secret that holds her back from making many close friends. Owen is charismatic, outgoing, and perpetually falling in and out of love. Unlike When Harry Met Sally though, Owen and Luna are clear from the start that they will always be best friends but never romantic partners.

The novel flips back and forth from when Luna and Owen meet in college in 2005 and 2019 when they are living in the same neighborhood, both married to other partners, and Owen's wife is found dead. Luna was also friends with Owen's wife, Irene, and on the day of the death, they had plans to jog together. It's in the woods where they planned to run that Luna finds Irene's body. Naturally, both Luna and Owen are prime suspects in Irene's murder.

The suspense of The Accomplice revolves around Luna's secretive past, the death of one of Owen's girlfriends in college, and the death of Irene. What I liked best about this book is the unusual best-friend relationship between Luna and Owen and the fact that I was surprised by the reveals in the ending. I love when I can't figure out the whodunnit of a suspense novel. Like all of Lutz's novels, The Accomplice is well-written, and the characters are well-developed. I didn't actually like either Luna or Owen, but not so much that it detracted from the story.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Accomplice is scheduled for release on January 25, 2022.

Luna and Owen met in college and became best friends. When Owen's wife is murdered, lots of secrets come to the surface. Even though they have been best friends for years, how well can you really know someone? It was a really good thriller with lots of turns. I enjoyed the past and present storylines. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

Lutz is one of the great authors of crime literature publishing right now. Her books are always out of the box and delight and intrigue the reader. Two thumbs up!

Besties + murder suspects is always a good time. I liked this one a lot. I haven't loved Lutz's more recent work (the first Spellman book was the best) but this put her back on my "to read": list. It wasn't too heavy, it was fun having a friendship be at the middle of the book instead of a couple or family or child.

Luna and Owen have been best friends since the moment they met in college, developing a bond that the pair prioritize over any other relationship, even their marriages. When they are young and a suspicious death at the college rocks their world, Luna and Owen close ranks to protect each other’s secrets. Years later, when Owen’s wife is killed while jogging, they naturally fall into the same pattern. But Luna starts to wonder… is Owen capable of murder?

Told over two timelines (college and present day), “The Accomplice” will grab you from the very start and keep you turning the pages. Luna and Owen aren’t really likeable (truth be told, none of the characters are), but the writing is compelling and I stayed up way too late to finish this one. Each chapter ends on a mini cliffhanger that makes it hard to put down.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

I read The Swallows and like most of the reader community did not love what I read as much as her prior novel The Passenger. Due to my love for this novel, when I saw that Lisa Lutz’s had penned a new novel, The Accomplice, I had to give it a chance. Boy did she not disappoint. While the characters were well developed, I would hardly say they were likeable. Where this novel grabbed me is that it was action packed from the very start and Lisa’s ability to leave each chapter on a cliffhanger gets her readers to keep turning the pages. The ending was not what I expected and really wrapped this book as an enjoyable read for me. I look forward to what Lisa comes up with next.