"The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the "claustrophobic spine-tingler" (People) One by One returns with an unputdownable mystery following a woman on the search for answers a decade after her friend’s murder.

April Clarke-Cliveden was the first person Hannah Jones met at Oxford.

Vivacious, bright, occasionally vicious, and the ultimate It girl, she quickly pulled Hannah into her dazzling orbit. Together, they developed a group of devoted and inseparable friends - Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily - during their first term. By the end of the year, April was dead.

Now, a decade later, Hannah and Will are expecting their first child, and the man convicted of killing April, former Oxford porter John Neville, has died in prison. Relieved to have finally put the past behind her, Hannah’s world is rocked when a young journalist comes knocking and presents new evidence that Neville may have been innocent. As Hannah reconnects with old friends and delves deeper into the mystery of April's death, she realizes that the friends she thought she knew all have something to hide…including a murder.

"The Agatha Christie of our generation" (David Baldacci, #1 New York Times bestselling author) proves once again that she is "as ingenious and indefatigable as the Queen of Crime" (The Washington Post) with this propulsive murder mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat."

The IT beach read of the summer is here!

I love Ruth Ware’s books and this one was no exception. It totally had me guessing until the very end. This story was told from the point of view of present day and the past. Because of that, it made it impossible to put down.

My most anticipated release of the year.. and it was a slow burn. A story about the death of the IT Girl. the one everyone wants to be, everyone wants to be with, and somehow amazingly is amazing at everything. Years later, Hannah is still living with the grief for the loss of her roomate. Finding her dead and the helping to put the killer behind the bars, Hannah keeps reliving the past. Especially when the journalists keep haunding her for interviews, etc. Now, the killer dies in prison, still professing he is innocent. Hannah's doubts about that night keep nagging her. She decides to question all the friends involved to see if she does remember the things the same as everyone else.

Let me say, this is a total character study. We're very much in Hannah's head, seeing and reliving her experience with her roommate April. Seeing the privelege that April lives with, the ease she charms everyone, the men that keep going after her.. Hannah feels like she is in the shadows of her friend. And then going on this amateur sleuth adventure to figure out if the killer is the one she pointed her finger at. It was slow, too slow for me. And the fact that I guessed who the culprit is right off the bat, this made just an OK read for me. I didnt feel the tension or the atmosphere that I loved in the author's previous books.

What I did like was the setting, and I wish I could go visit the campus and surrounding areas. Or drink champagne with April. Cheers to her. Will still read the next book from this author, because the writing is impeccable.

Thank you to the publisher for my review copy.

I'm probably going to be going against the trend here, but I wasn't very impressed with my first novel by Ruth Ware. After watching the highly enthusiastic reactions to her previous book I had expected more of....everything. Since the hyped up blurb said the book was "unputdownable" it was disappointing to find I could easily put the book aside and read three others before picking this one up again. For me the problem was that I was almost 100% sure I had figured the plot out much too early and I lost interest. Sure enough, I was right. I admit that I didn't figure out the "why" but even that proved to be unexceptional.

There isn't anything new in this novel; I've read it all before and often crafted better. I became irritated with the alternating time chapters and especially the gimmick used to let me know when I was back in the present. Ten years isn't very long when it comes to exploring a "past" so something had to be done to differentiate between the time periods. This was pretty much just an average read for me, certainly nothing to get excited about or to make me go on a book buying spree.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books, Gallery/Scout Press for an e-galley of this novel.

This novel did not disappoint! I have always felt that Ruth Ware novels move fairly slowly and I lose interest at times, but this book held me the whole time. I really enjoyed Hannah's story and was hooked from the beginning. I did not see the plot twist coming at all! Highly recommend this novel.

The book felt about 100 pages too long, and there were definitely pages in the foundational chapters that could have been trimmed a bit, but OMG was it worth it for the killer (pun intended) ending! As always, Ware manages to keep you guessing and never really gives any solid clues about the whodunnit. I thought I knew the answer so many times, but even up to the epilogue, she was keeping secrets. I haven't read a bad Ruth Ware book, but this one was especially un-put-down-able!

I have read every single Ruth Ware book and they get better and better. Ruth Ware has an amazing ability to build up tension and suspense until you are on the edge of your seat. I thought I had this figured out and I was so wrong. I will read everything Ruth ware comes out with and I’d love to hear her speak in Person 1 day.

A passable thriller, very readable. I guessed at the killer’s identity but not the how or why of it. Would recommend!

If I had to sum up Ruth Ware's latest work The It Girl in one word, it would be meh.
Truthfully it felt very generic, been there, done that. The characters weren't particularly likeable or intriguing and the pacing was a little slow.
If dark academia, psychological thrillers are something you only reach for occasionally, and Ruth Ware is an author you generally enjoy, you may like this book better than someone for whom this is a go-to genre.
Overall this was just a middle of the road book to me... the kind of book you pick up at an airport kiosk for a long flight maybe, and then don't feel bad for leaving it behind at your destination.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy. The views expressed are entirely my own.

Hannah begins her first year at Oxford with a roommate who is her total opposite. April is the "it" girl that knows everyone and has everything. April brings Hannah on her adventures and opens her eyes to the fun of life. Then the worst happens and Hannah finds April dead in their room. One person is convicted but, after a reporter comes to her with questions, Hannah feels like the police missed something.

This is only the second Ruth Ware book I have read, but I enjoy her writing tremendously. The plot kept me on the edge of my seat and had me continually guessing "who dun it" until the very end. There was a point that I felt like I was losing focus and just wanted to know what was going to happen, but then the pace picked up again. I was convinced I knew what was going to happen and then she shocked me. If you are a fan of mystery/suspense, this is for you!

I love Ruth Ware books. The beginning on this one seemed a bit slow but once it got going, there were so many twists and turns. Highly recommended.

This was a good read!!! The gripping story, the mystery, the huge pool of suspects! The possibilities we're endless. I spent the majority of the book thinking I knew who did it until the plot twist in the end that took my by complete surprise! I did think it was a bit longer than it needed to be and my copy had a few grammar errors. Some inserted words that weren't supposed to be there. Also, it being written in British English made it a bit harder to understand some of the slang at times. But all in all, a great triller!!

Whew! After the last book I read by Ruth Ware, The Woman in Cabin 10, I was afraid my admiration of her was over. This book, The It Girl, has definitely brought me back into the Ware fan club. Tightly woven, likable as well as unlikable characters, on-point backdrop and intense climactic events all made for a top level reading experience. Exactly how I want to kick off my summer of thrillers. With a before/after time travel trope in place, the reader is given access to all of the information. If I were one who tries to "figure out" the plot (which I am not) all the information is given to you. Everything is there... which is really fun to realize as you turn the final digital page... thank you Gallery/Scout Press/ Netgalley for the ARC of this. I now highly anticipate Ruth's (we're on a first name basis after so many books) next novel!

I read The It Girl, by Ruth Ware, on a flight recently. Thanks to @gallerybooks for my gifted copy!

I’ve read a few great thrillers recently, so my expectations were high for this book. However, The It Girl ultimately fell short. It had such great potential (reminding me of In My Dream I Hold a Knife with the elite college setting and close group of friends), but it was very predictable, and didn’t hold my attention well on this flight.

A bit longer than needed but a good thriller. The quest for the truth on who murdered the campus it girl has the stereotypes of college life. Ware is a master at the twist and she doesn't disappoint in this narrative. Some hokey moments, but there is an explanation that suits the storyline in most cases. Easy to sympathize with the main character and sleuth. A good beach read with a little drag in places.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

An academic thriller that will engross you in no time!

The book is based at Oxford University where you will follow Hannah, her new friend April and their close knit group of friends, Will, Hugh, Ryan and Emily. April is the life of the party, the “it girl” and Hannah quickly finds herself in her orbit. The party comes to an end when April is found dead. Fast forward to ten years later and Hannah still lives with the horror of April’s death. She is married to Will and they are expecting their first child when the convicted killer, former Oxford porter John Neville, dies in prison. After meeting with a journalist April begins questioning if the porter was the actual killer and if not is it someone close to her.

While the book is plot driven the character development was excellent. If you are looking for a solid thriller, The It Girl, is it! This well written, gripping novel is perfect for your summer reading list (available 7/12/22).

Thank you to @netgalley and @scoutpressbooks for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hannah and April, who are complete opposites, become fast friends after learning they will be sharing a suite at Oxford. They quickly become friends with Emily, Hugh, Ryan and Will, as they spend most of their nights partying together. By the end of their first year, April-the It Girl-will be found murdered and Hannah will the one to put a possibly innocent man behind bars.
The chapters alternate between the ‘before’ and ‘after’ and are both told from Hannah’s perspective. I loved the how the Oxford setting added a bit more creepiness to the overall mystery and how the author was able to make me suspicious of every character at some point. This was long-more than 400 pages-but it read quickly and I thought the ending was good, yet not surprising. Releases July 12, 2022.

Unfortunately, I have been unable to get into Ware's recent books. This one definitely intrigued me as I am always a fan of the academic setting and the non linear timeline. But I only made it to about 35% before calling it quits. I just could not stick with it and had no drive to pick it up.

Ruth Ware the Queen of psychological thrillers does it again with another can't put down "who dunit" book. Although this book was very good, it did seem to be a little too long and dragged on in some chapters - but otherwise another great book.

I’ll be honest… Ruth Ware is hit or miss for me but this one hit home! It’s officially my new favorite from her and I’m so pleased with how her storytelling has grown. The plot has many elements I love: the untimely death of an “it” girl, dark academia, lovers brought together by tragedy, and of course a convicted killer who just maybe wasn’t guilty after all. Told during two timelines, the story covers the events leading up the murder of Hannah’s roommate as well as Hannah’s quest to uncover the truth ten years later. The pace never lagged as there were plenty of clues to unpack along the way. I was pleased to discover that my suspicions were ultimately very wrong. I won’t be forgetting this one and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for quick and mysterious summer read. A huge thank you to Gallery/Scout Press and NetGalley for providing me with an e-galley!