Really enjoyed this book! Takes you on a ride of suspense and mystery. Page turner! Well put together!

Karen McManus drags readers back into the secret-filled community of Bayview. The original cast from detention are back and now the target of another cryptic stalker.

This was an amazing addition to the One of Us is Lying series. Supposedly the final installment in the series, it was nice to see the Bayview Crew back in action. I love this entire series and couldn’t recommend it enough to friends and family!

Karen M McManus has been an author that immediately jumps to the top of my TBR since I first interacted with One of Us is Dead a few years ago, I usually do her books on audio and after first listening I made my way through her entire blacklist. I can always count on an enjoyable read anytime she has a new book.

One of Us is Back did not disappoint! The twists are twisty, the mystery is not overly predictable, and the pacing kept me engaged the entire time.

4 out of 5 stars – A Satisfying Return to Bayview with High Stakes and Familiar Faces

One of Us is Back marks the gripping conclusion to Karen M. McManus’s One of Us Is Lying trilogy, and it’s everything fans could hope for—twisty, fast-paced, and steeped in the secrets and suspense that made Bayview High a household name in YA thrillers.

This installment reunites us with the original crew—Bronwyn, Nate, Addy, Cooper, and more—as well as familiar faces from One of Us Is Next. There’s a palpable sense of growth in the characters as they face yet another mystery—this time more dangerous and personal than ever. McManus expertly juggles multiple POVs while weaving together a narrative that pays homage to the past books while raising the stakes in a very real, very deadly way.

One of the novel’s biggest strengths is how it manages to blend nostalgia with evolution. Readers who have followed the series will appreciate how the characters’ arcs have matured—Nate’s struggles, Addy’s newfound strength, and the group’s evolving dynamics all feel earned and natural. There’s also a clever meta-narrative about trauma, media, and what it means to be defined by your past.

That said, the complexity of the plot—though undeniably ambitious—can occasionally get overwhelming. With so many characters, callbacks, and secrets colliding, the pacing dips slightly in the middle. Some twists feel a bit more manufactured than others, and newer readers might find it harder to follow without a fresh memory of the earlier books.

Still, McManus delivers a satisfying conclusion with plenty of emotional payoff, heart-pounding tension, and just enough ambiguity to keep us thinking long after the last page. It’s not just a whodunit—it’s a thoughtful look at redemption, identity, and the cost of secrets.

Final Verdict: One of Us is Back is a smart, suspenseful finale that gives long-time fans a compelling, character-driven send-off. It may not reach the perfection of its predecessor, but it’s a worthy and thrilling return to Bayview.

Unfortunately not my favourite from the series. I think the books ended at the right time and this book just felt like an unnecessary addition.
Had lots of twists and turns like the original series but was lacking in the “high stakes” feelings of the other book.

Karen McManus has done it again! This conclusion to the One of Us Is Lying trilogy was everything I hoped it would be. Though it had been quite a while since I read the first two, I was instantly transported back into the story. Though this is a young adult book, I recommend this series to adults who are looking for a fast-paced mystery full of twists.

My teen readers are big fans of McManus, and I will definitely be purchasing for my high school library. Good continuation of series.

This book just went off the rails way too quickly. I get that it's YA, but the complete lack of involvement by the police when someone is clearly drugged and someone else is murdered is just inexcusable.

Also, there are WAYYYYY too many characters. By combining those from the first book with those from the second book left a huge cast that was very hard to keep straight, because there really was nothing distinguishing about them. I also didn't truly remember what happened in the first two, and while this book makes mention of events, it really doesn't do a good job of recapping what happened in the past.

Then there is the side storyline of "six years ago," which explores the relationship between Jake and Simon in the past. This obviously leads to the present, but it just felt awkward to jump to the past. And the connections to the past were never mentioned before? I get this is a sequel and she had to come up with something new but some of this was so huge that perhaps it would have come up before.

Excellent mystery. I loved the premise and the surprises throughout. Great character building and plot development.

This wasn't my favourite Karen McManus book. I struggled following this one. I love the other two books in the series but this one - it was a struggle as there were so many characters. I just had a hard time following it because of how many people were in the story. Thank you for the ARC - I won't post a review on Goodreads so it doesn't hurt the ratings. :)

to be completely honest, i didn't expect very much from this book. it seemed like an unnecessary continuation to this series, and every book mcmanus has released that is not a part of this series has been a letdown. however, i ended up enjoying this way, way more than i expected. i forgot how much i truly love these characters, something i've found missing from all of her other books, and it felt like a nice conclusion to this series.

I was so excited to come back to the Bayview world! The One of Us Is Lying series is one of my gold standards for YA mysteries and I always recommend it to my students, and will recommend other books based on whether they liked (hopefully loved!) it. This trilogy finale hit all the marks and I'm sad to see this group go, but I was very satisfied with how the world wrapped up!

Good story, but it is time to be finished with this group. It wraps some loose ends up, but I was kind of tired of the same characters. Kind of like the scream franchise, how many times can the same group of kids get targeted?! Worth reading once, but then move on.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. The third installment of the One of Us is Lying story brings characters from the other 2 books together to solve another dangerous game player in Bayview. Someone hacked into the a billboard to invite all the players to a new game and that's when things begin. Secrets are dangerous in Bayview, and Simon's legacy lives on.

So fun to be back in Bayview! Appreciated that this closed so many loops from previous books. Admittedly I struggle with so many POVs and keeping track of who is who in each chapter but that’s a me thing. It does create a nice tension within the mystery to flash to someone else’s perspective so I do like the tool in the writing.

I received an advance review copy for free via Netgalley and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Love this series and Karen M. McManus so much! Completed a partnership in collaboration with Get Underlined for this title. ᵕ̈

this was by far my favorite out of the entire trilogy & definitely comforted me after the show got cancelled. so many different character dynamics were explored in this one while also staying true to the original—no character overshadowed another. i did worry that it’ll be weirdly written since there were only 3 point of views, but it worked out great in the end. such a great way to end a story, will absolutely miss the murder gang

I absolutely love Karen McManus, the way she can write a book that leaves you guessing until the last page. After the first two books, I really didn't think there could be an opening for all the characters to return, I'm glad so they did, I really did miss the characters. This book was amazing, exactly what I was hoping for. I could not stop reading it. I practically read it in one sitting I was captivated by the writing and the story.

This newest addition to the series was okay. Feels like McManus is stretching these characters along for too long, like a tv show that should have ended 3 seasons ago (Lost, I’m looking at you lol). Purchase where you have die-hard fans of the series.