I should have known this book wasn't going to be for me when I tried to remember what happened in the second book and recall nothing. The first book is still pretty clear in my mind, but the second? Not much there. This book does do a good job of recapping events of the previous books (mainly book 2) throughout the first quarter of the book which did help to bring back memories of the second book.

I think the biggest problem with this book (and series moving forward if there will be more) is the absolutely massive cast of characters that always get added to, not dwindled down. It's hard (if not impossible) to keep track of everyone, their relationships, and their backstories; the Murder Crew needs to be parred down a bit in some way. This leads to the issue being the culprit(s) (I won't say how many are involved) having so little time on page that you either a) don't suspect them because you kind of forget they're there or b) immediately suspecting them because they're casually brought up, but have no real purpose except to be the killer(s).

The plot was rather slow moving with not much happening throughout most of the book except for setting up past events that we didn't know about (to my recollection) to give the culprit(s) their motive for the big finale. Pair this with the fact that each character POV sounds really indiscernible from one another and this book really makes for a fast read, but a rather unmemorable and unnecessary one. I still highly recommend One of Us is Lying, but the rest of the series hasn't lived up to what that book did and the commentary it had in it.

My thanks go out to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte Press for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What an epic conclusion! I loved being back with the Bayview Crew, and I loved how we picked up right where we left off at the end of One of Us is Next.

I loved the POV characters, but I missed Bronwyn and the others. I know it wasn’t their story, but still I expected more.

All in all, I loved the mystery in this one, and how it kept me guessing right up until the gunshot. I feel like everyone got their comeuppance!

I rated this four stars simply because it wasn’t as action-packed as the first two, and the creep factor just wasn’t there for me until those final few chapters when everything really started coming out.

First, thank you, NetGalley and Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book.. I didn't read this series so I had to go back and read from the start and let me tell you. It was a wild ride from start to finish. I was so excited to be back in the Bayview school.

The story had different twists and turns as it went on but some of the plots didn't seem as detailed as the previous. I did like the romance along with the suspense, it had it's cute moments then bam right into the heart racing. The buildup was a little slower pace but all in all this was a good read. Thank you.

The author is absolutely one of the best YA mystery writers out there, but I found this third (and final, I hope) novel set in the Bayview world of One of Us is Lying overencumbered with too many characters and too much old plot to be backfilled. Underneath it all, is a nifty mystery which maybe could have worked better as a standalone.

Characters from the previous two novels narrate the goings on of the summer, two years after the original and ingenious Simon Kelleher death. Now his co-conspirator Jake Riordan, is out on bail pending a re-trial, and an electronic billboard announces “There’s a new game in town.” Actually it’s not even much of a game but, you know, keeping things on theme.

However, for those of us who have forgotten the plots or not read the first two novels, there has to be a lot of re-capping and characters reminding us of what happened - particularly from the much more convoluted One of Us 2. I found the voices of the different narrators virtually indistinguishable and got myself in quite a muddle about who was who.

For me, the author’s most successful mystery outside of One of Us 1 is The Cousins which took a break from school-set murders and had a freshness and originality that most of the other books have lacked. I understand the desire to stick with an already developed set of characters and to twine in a new mystery on top of ones that have gone before, but I really wish the author would take a step back and a break and use her fiendish plotting skills in a new environment.

Thanks to Delacorte and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

**Acknowledgments & Disclaimers**
✨ Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book.
✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

**Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5**
Overall, I had a lot of fun reading *****************One of Us is Next*****************! It’s full of good characters and is a well-thought-out conclusion to an excellent series. I was a big fan of the first two *********One of Us is Lying********* books, and I’m happy to say that I was far from disappointed by this last book in the trilogy.

In ****************One of Us is Back,**************** we join the Bayview Crew the summer after book #2 (*********One of Us is Next*********) with everyone home from college or out of school for the summer. Mysterious signs that keep popping up around town raise concerns for the Crew and get them asking questions about whether Bayview is facing a new threat or maybe worse—their previous enemies are back for revenge. This book is primarily told from the perspectives of Addy, Nate, and Phoebe, who all struggle to face their own demons, as a new mystery unfolds around them.

I’m a big “character person” in storytelling, and I continue to feel excited about the characters in this series. I loved the development of the three featured narrators (unlike some other similar series of late (**cough, AGGGTM**), the character development in the book felt consistent, which was a relief). I was initially unsure about how MacManus was going to balance all of the characters in this book—with the Bayview Crew now containing 9 members, at the start I found myself wanting more of the other characters that were not featured. However, as the story went on, I came to appreciate that MacManus did not cause unnecessary additional drama for many of our friends who had already reached happier resolutions in their own journeys, and instead centered characters who still had potential for growth or unresolved conflict to overcome in their personal lives and relationships. By the end, I think MacManus does a nice job of weaving everyone into the story, even with such a large cast.

The story was overall well-paced. While I never felt “shocked” by a reveal or turn of events, the timing of the plot points was compelling and satisfying, making it hard to put the book down. Intriguing possibilities about where things were going were provided throughout the book, which kept me asking questions until the very end.

I would recommend this book (and series) to many students in upper-middle and high school, especially those interested in mystery and true crime, but I think it has a broader appeal due to the variety of experiences represented in the characters. While written for a YA audience, I would also recommend it to adults who enjoy mysteries with alternating perspectives and a large cast. I think fans of the series will be pleased with this final installment and it will be a great addition to any library shelf!

📖Review
4🌟🌟🌟🌟
📖Book 69/100
📚One Of Us Is Back
💫Genre: Murder Mystery/Thriller
✍️Karen M. McManus

📝Synopsis 📝
Bayview is a town full of dark secrets, and The Murder Club is back to work together one last time.

💭My Thoughts 💭
Where have I been that I wasn’t aware of this series? This is book 3, and I really enjoyed it…did I read the other 2 before it ? No, but the beginning of this book did such a great job in recapping the previous books. This is a YA Murder Mystery, and it gave me A Good Girls Guide to Murder vibes. So many characters but mainly told from Phoebe’s POV. This thriller kept me turning pages and guessing who dunnit until the end! Many twists and turns that I didn’t expect and that ending was great too! I admit I did get a bit overwhelmed with so many characters, but it had me really taking down notes on everyone as I tried to figure out who was the person behind it all.
✨Thank you @netgalley & @randomhousekids
for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
📌Publication Date:
July 25, 2023
✨✨✨✨
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Thank you to NetGalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. The views in this review are expressly my own.

I read One of Us is Lying in January 2020, and Karen M. McManus instantly rocketed to the top of my must-read everything this author writes list. I was new to YA murder mysteries until OOUIL and I gobbled it up. I ended up re-reading OOUIL and OOUIN in preparation for One of Us is Back.

Then One of us is Next came out.... and I was hooked. I have read everything McManus has written with the exception of her standalone novel Two Can Keep a Secret ( I will remedy this soon).

I will try to keep the rest of this review as spoiler free as possible.

One of Us Is Back was on my to-read list the second it was announced and I squealed in delight when I received the e-arc. I could not wait to get back to Bayview one last time and see what our favorite Murder Club survivor crew was up to.

I counted the chapters before I began reading, only 42?? No Epilogue? Ahhhh!

However, what unfolded in those 42 chapters had twists and hairpin turns that even this McManus super-reader did not expect. I figured someone on the outskirts of Bayview high would come back, but I did not expect the big twist. I also figured Simon would show up in some form, and spoilers aside, he did.

This was a fast-paced, well planned out novel that I really enjoyed. In part two, the twists and turns came so fast at one point it was really difficult to put the book down. It was the perfect full-circle ending that I wasn't aware I needed, but so glad that it came about. I loved the relationships that were strengthened, a small redemption arc and the plain old reliable baddies that were featured in this book.

After trying to digest the entirety of the book, I did wish that there was an epilogue. There was some morally grey issues that I felt should have been wrapped up and could have been done in an epilogue, but perhaps McManus is setting that up for some distant far off return in the future? I also was unsatisfied by the lack of closure with some of the parental characters who were dealt heavy blows and central to the unraveling of the revenge plot for this book.

Overall another solid four-star book. Unputdownable and it still has me thinking about it days later. Thank you again NetGalley for the e-arc and Karen McManus for returning to Bayview!

Karen McManus did it again! This was such a great book with our familiar characters learning more about them in this plagues town of secrets and revenge. It took a little to get into it, but once it was rolling I couldn’t put it down. I definitely would recommend this series, it is such a fun quick and suspenseful series!

Thank you Penguin Teen Canada for an eARC from netgalley to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

CWs: addiction (off-page, historical), death, death of a parent, affair, attempted murder/assault, kidnapping, stalking, violence

Wow! I think this might be my favourite of the trilogy because McManus didn’t pull any punches and instead let this story go to some crazy places that still managed to work together and make sense.
The writing style was really easy to follow, and I enjoyed guessing at motives and secrets as things were revealed. The book is told from 3 different first-person POVs: Addy, Nate, and Phoebe. I liked each of the characters, and I thought the author did a great job of fleshing them out. Each one has their own individual issues that somehow manage to be connected to the bigger issue of a new game being started in Bayview. I really liked the supporting cast of characters being so present, and I enjoyed the family dynamic that came from this friend group.
The plot at times felt like it was taking a detour to things that weren’t important, but McManus always managed to link things back up and connect them. I liked the little moments of “normal” interspersed with the moments of trying to figure out kidnappers and motives and connections.
This was a pretty fast-paced and exciting thriller with lots of twists. The characters are awesome, and the writing style is relatable and easy to read. I devoured this one in a couple of sittings.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for ARC, in exchange for honest review*
Mysterious, Thrilling.
I shouldn’t be surprised by now, considering that I have read most of Karen M.McManus since discovering her a few years ago. One Of Us Is Lying was the first of her books that I have read, and I loved reading about the Bayview Crew. When I came across One Of Us Is Back on Netgalley, I couldn’t help but request an early copy
of the book. I was happy when I got approved and received an electronic ARC of the
book, I couldn’t wait to get started and came back to Bayview. Like the other books in the series in the book, I couldn’t help but fall in love with this book, although the first book will always remain my favorite out of the three. I loved that One Of Us Is Back included the characters from the first and the second book, how they came together.

I enjoyed that this book focused mainly on Phoebe, Addy and Nate, with other characters featured. Out of three of them, Phoebe was my favorite one, a more interesting POV to read from, in my opinion anyways. I did feel that this book started slower than the others had, and it took a few chapters to get into the story. However, once the book picked up, I couldn't put the book down, I wanted to see what would happen next, and how it would end. There was so much happening, just when you thought it was a good stopping point, the most unexpected twist had you reading late into the night.

Now let’s talk about the cover. I love the covers of her books, it has a very mysterious look. Even if you never read any of Karen’s books, just the cover will have you picking up a copy. I’m so glad that I got a chance to read an early edition of this book, and I would highly recommend this book to any mystery/ thriller fans. Be prepared for a thrilling ride!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing an eARC of the book!

The Bayview Crew is back together, but instead of enjoying a summer after everything that has happened, a new threat has emerged. A giant billboard in the town’s center is hacked, with one message: “Time for a new game, Bayview.” Told in alternating chapters from mostly Addy, Nate, Phoebe, readers are ready for another twisty summer.

As the third and final installment in the One of Us is Lying series, I think that fans will enjoy it. However, I believe that this story really lagged due to the number of characters that were involved (and necessary). It also requires a lot of memory of the first two books—so readers may either have to re-read or brush up on the events. Overall, it has a lot of twists and turns, and delves briefly into the problems of the U.S. Justice System. Honestly, this reminds me a little of the last book in the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (though less violent!)

The 𝙾𝚗𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚄𝚜 𝙸𝚜 𝙻𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 series comes to an end with a satisfying finale in its third book 𝙾𝚗𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚄𝚜 𝙸𝚜 𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚔!

The "Bayview Four" have morphed into the "Bayview Crew" and everyone is trying to enjoy the summer, but that quickly comes to an end when the dangerous person who is (technically) responsible for Bayview's notoriety makes an untimely return at the same moment one of the crew disappears. Suddenly, the billboard in town that promises its "time for a new game, bayview" no longer seems like a silly prank 🫢

I'll be honest...I only promised to read the whole trilogy if I got approved for this ARC. YA mystery/suspense isn't typically my go-to genre but I've been trying to switch it up. Reading all 3 was a fun time; I ended up liking them and even got a little attached to the characters! I enjoyed watching them grow, learn from their mistakes, and forge meaningful connections/relationships (I'm a huge Natewyn/Bronnate fan ❤️). The themes of secrets/lies, honesty, trust, and forgiveness also made for some takeaways that I think any reader could apply to their every day lives.

While book 1 is still my favorite out of the 3, this finale did a great job of tying the story up in an unexpected and entertaining way that still had a bit of a wow factor. Those of you loyal to the trilogy will be satisfied with the ending. For any 𝙾𝙾𝚄𝙸𝙻 virgins, if your thing is YA mystery where the teens are better than the adults at foiling murderous plots & figuring out whodunit, this book/trilogy is for you LOL.
Shoutout to the Bayview Crew!

I do have to give Simon Kelleher an honorable mention because even though he was not a nice person before his unfortunate death in 𝙾𝙾𝚄𝙸𝙻, by book 3 you can't deny that he was one smart cookie 😉🍪

Rating: 4/5

Thank you to Karen M. McManus and Delacorte Press for providing me with this e-ARC via NetGalley.

*All opinions in this review are 100% my own*

I really enjoyed reading this series even thought I had issues with it. The second book was by far my favorite. I really love the main characters and all of their interactions with each other. However, that is also one of my issues. There are sooo many characters in this story that it was so hard to keep track of them. There is even a “Contacts” list at the beginning of the story that I had to refer back to several times….however, there were 3 times that I had to refer to it and the characters weren’t in the list. It was really hard at times to keep track of everyone. Overall, I did enjoy the story and the series was entertaining overall.

When I got back into reading more than casually, I started with this series. I had no idea it was YA, but it doesn't matter because this was a fun, suspenseful mystery series that felt approachable even in my thirties. I will say I did struggle a bit with the amount of characters and had to keep going back and referencing who was with who and what happened between whoever. The ending is fresh and not predictable and the storyline is realistic. This was a great wrap-up to this series, and I am looking forward to seeing what Karen does next!
Thank you Netgalley and Delacorte for a free copy of this ebook in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for this digital ARC of One of Us is Back, the third installment in the One of Us is Lying series.

Book #3 was by far my favorite - it had the most action, but it also had the best mix of characters. I LOVED having Nate and Bronwyn back in the mix, as well as Cooper and Addy! This book did an excellent job of tying up all the loose ends, bringing the story full circle, and creating a perfect mix of drama, murder, and romance.

I've said it once, and I'll say it again - this series is for the girlies who love Pretty Little Liars, don't want their mysteries too scary, and are here for alllll the HS drama, secrets, and lies. I can't wait to have this series in my classroom library!

Honestly. Thank you for the ARC. I definitely enjoyed it however, I feel like this book should have been the direct sequel. Still an amazing book.

I have loved all three of the books in this series. Thanks to net galley for an arc, because after the second one I couldn't wait for the third to be published. More of the same characters with more changes and a few new ones try to solve the mystery of who is threatening and killing teens in Bayview. An unexpected surprise ending. Young Adults will love this and adults will also like this. Will definitely buy this for my high school library.

Ramona Thompson

DNF at 29%. Overly convoluted/borderline preposterous. Way too sensitive of content for young adult audiences. Disappointing return to the original story.

Back to Bayview! And this time the groups from book 1 and 2 are combined to form the Bayview Crew!

I loved this book probably most out of the series. We get POVs from characters from both previous books. We also get some back story a duo I wasn’t expecting to hear more about.

Definitely kept me guessing until the end. I loved it.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

Whew Bayview is back! I didn't think a third book could make this series any better. However, this end was pretty dang good. I always like when an author does a trilogy (or multiples) and can tie it all in. I like all the connections and how everything got concluded. Well done ending for a well done trilogy.