Interesting premise for a book. A group of graduate students are involved in a psychology experiment that ends up in murder. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into this book. Too many details that didn’t pertain to the story

A dark and dreary atmosphere surrounds the university at the end of a long cold winter while five psychology graduate students and their professor Dr. Joe Lyons conduct a study experiment in lying and deception on a number of diverse students who aren't privy to the subject matter at hand. Shortly after this the study begins an unprecedented volatile reaction from one of the subjects fuels another student's violent response bringing about a sudden unexpected halt to the experiment but before the experiment can be called off an extremely brutal murder occurs without rhyme or reason which has the detective working the case stumped. Just when the police believe they've found their main suspect another murder occurs that completely baffle them and they are at a loss on who could be responsible and now everyone will become a suspect since there are many clues floating around although no hard evidence readily available.

An enjoyable an entertaining mystery thriller filled with several suspects, red herrings and inexplicable murders. The author R.J. Jacobs did a fine job of keeping my interest with colorful and interesting characters while trying to figure out the "Who Done It" puzzle and why? Especially, why were the murders so violent and gruesome? Could one of Dr. Lyon's small study really be a cold blooded killer? If so, the experiment should have been about murderers and their victims instead of simple deception. Recommended for any reader who enjoys locked room mysteries or a good mystery in general.

I want to thank the publisher "Sourcebooks Landmark" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this digital copy and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given this book a rating of 3 PUZZLING 🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for my gifted eARC

This is a fast paced thriller written in multiple POV and so much fun

A group of graduate students are working on a rather controversial psychology experiment. The experiment of lying and deceit. To achieve results, their method emotionally stresses the subject and they assess how they respond to the sudden change

One day their experiment goes awry, causing the professor, Dr. Lyons, to pull back from the project. Little does the team know, that within 24 hours two lives will be lost and the killer is closer than they all think

Dr. Lyons, Scarlett, Britt, Veronica, Robert, Elizabeth, and Chris all have secrets ranging from petty theft to jail time. But are they capable of murder?

It has been so long that I’ve read a book that was this well written to have the reader think every single person was a suspect. I continuously changed my mind each chapter and was still surprised at the end!

If you enjoy dark academia thrillers with multiple POV, I definitely recommend you pick this one up!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book! It was a thrilling read, and I enjoyed the setting very much. I think everything about this book was enjoyable. It was enjoyable in its storyline, its tropes, and its characteristics. I do believe there could have been more innovation in the plot to make it stand out as different from similar works in the genre, but as I said, the book was enjoyable.

There was a lot of promise here. Maybe it's been a while since I was a psych major, but so much was troublesome just from that lens. The whole thing was an obvious ploy. I don't want to get too much into spoilers. It was really obvious who was going to die and who was being set up to be the killer. For a thriller, there was no thrill. I knew where this was going every time I started a chapter. It was just finishing it. I was disappointed. It could have been good.

was so excited to read this novel as it is dark academia, locked room mystery and a lot of psychology. I love the idea of looking at the psychology behind someone’s actions. The prologue grabs you right away, but the story is a slow burn, picking up pace as you continue to read.

There were a lot of character POV’s. After the first 3 chapters, I had to stop and go back and write down who each person was and there role in the book. Once I did that, it made the book flow so much better. I had a pretty good feeling about who the killer might be around the 40% mark, but it didn’t take away from the story as I felt I could have been wrong.

This! This is what I look for in tight tension, closed in spaces. Tastefully done!!!

There’s a brutal murder in the science department of a campus and the suspects are the students. Six students are studying the psychology of lying and testing it amongst themselves. They each have their own secrets, they wish to keep hidden, but not all secrets are easy to keep.

This is a who-done-it, locked in a school, murder mystery. It’s tight with tension and fast paced. Though some things were predictable, I enjoyed the story.

This book will definitely grab your attention and keep reading. I really recommend it if the premise is your type of story.

Thank you to Source books and Netgalley for my gifted copy.

Dark Academia, featuring psychology sign me up! I really enjoyed this one, with the experiments they were running and trying to understand the characters that are running the department. Everyone has secrets and lies they are trying to keep hidden and I loved that. We get all of multiple POV and little hints at the end of chapters that just make you want to turn the pages faster to figure it all out. I wasn't able to guess who the murder was until close to the very end and I loved that!

Real Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars

This book is fine, and that’s the issue. It’s…fine. It’s a good read. It’s interesting enough.

But from its generic cover to underwhelming prose (this book is categorized as literary fiction and I couldn’t disagree with that assessment more) to trite predictability, This Is How We End Things is just another average psychological thriller with lofty aspirations.

I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy the book, because I did, but only in certain places and in certain aspects because this book suffers from hefty unevenness. To be brief about it: In my opinion, this book only gets interesting when it talks about the psychological aspects of the plot. Whenever we get to the characters on a personal level, though? The whole thing wilts. Maybe that just betrays my love of social psychology, abnormal psychology, and sociology, because the whole reason I wanted to read this book is because I’m fascinated by the art of deception. Maybe I’m biased because I wanted way more psychology and way less interpersonal drama. Who knows? All I know is today this book was just another average psychological thriller that gets some extra brownies points for keeping my attention and being a little more interesting than the others.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Crime Fiction/Dark Academia/Murder Thriller/Psychological Fiction/Psychological Thriller/Suspense Thriller

This is How We End Things by R.J. Jacobs is another well written thriller by an extremely talented author. This is a creepy compelling thriller that will keep you guessing from start to finish. Mr. Jacobs descriptions are spot on. If you have ever been alone somewhere during a major snowstorm, especially on a college campus, you will understand. A group of grad students and their professor find how eerie and mysterious it can be. Mr. Jacobs characters are well developed and believable. The story is told from multiple point of views to keep you turning the pages quickly. A story dealing with lies, deception, murder, mystery and many dark and twisted secrets with all kinds of creepiness mixed in. It is very mysterious and thought provoking and I loved it!!! Kudos to you Mr. Jacobs, this is the perfect book for this time of the year.

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and R.J. Jacobs for this captivating story to read and review.
#netgalley. #sourcebookslandmark. #rjjacobs
#thisishowweendthings. #arc. #psychologicalthriller. #

Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me a digital ARC of the new novel by RJ Jacobs - 4.5 stars rounded up!

Five graduate students are working under Professor Joe Lyons, conducting experiments into the science behind lying. When one of the students is found dead, everyone's secrets start to come out. Is one of them capable of committing murder?

This one hit all the marks for me - I love a dark academia thriller, a locked-room type mystery where everyone is suspect, and add in a once-in-a-century NC snowstorm for good measure! In fact, I could have had more insight into the study of lying, because I thought that was so intriguing. Why do we lie? Can you tell if someone is lying to you? Should these type experiments even be done? This book kept me glued to the pages and I didn't have a clue about the culprit. Don't miss this one!

Special thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for the ARC of this book.

Publication day September 12th 2023 people!

I enjoyed this book because because it's about studying the psychology of deception and lying.

This book is an academic thriller and 5 students studying deception and possibly the science behind it. One of the students ends up dead and the other 4 are suspects and studying all manners of deception, they have become great liars themselves.

I gave this book a 3.4 or almost a 4. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries, but without a plot twist that is thrilling or crazy. It was an enjoyable who-dun-it read.

Happy pub day to this book!

What a ride this took me on! I’ve always been curious about different scientific studies and what it takes to be a part of them; from sign ups I saw in college to hearing of a family friend’s sleep study, there are so many things we can gain more insight into through studies.

This tale is that of a group learning about the science of lying and, what makes for the best kind of book deception? A murder mystery!

Told through multiple perspectives, you’re taken on a journey though the psyches and interactions that build in a winter storm. There were a handful of characters from all sides, within the study to the detectives on the case, that helped to give many sides to the story, but I did have a few questions at the end.

The chapters themselves came off as long, but due to the change in perspectives breaking up the chapters, it does flow quickly.

If you’re in the mood for a rousing suspense thriller from a practicing psychologist, this is the one for you! I know I’ll be picking up more of this author’s work in the future to see what other tales be weaves.

Thank you so much to the author, R.J. Jacobs, Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the eARC copy of This Is How We End Things in exchange for my review!

4.5/5 stars (rounded up to 5 on here)

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Campus is empty, a winter storm is blowing in, and someone is lurking in the shadows, waiting for their chance to kill again.
*
I will forever be an R. J. Jacobs stan! His writing always pulls me in right away and doesn’t let me go the entire time! This is a dark academia thriller that also has some psychological thriller aspects to it as well! I love the psychology aspect of the novel and how it ties into the storyline. Not only are following the characters who are in graduate school and conducting experiments but the readers also follows storylines of deception, friendship, and morality. Jacobs did a great job of tying everything together and keeping the reader engaged and wanting to know more. I also loved the setting and how the characters are racing against the impending storm that is about to hit the city. Overall, one I would definitely recommend if you are wanting a book to keep you on your toes!

*Warning Spoilers Ahead*

5 grad students are conducting an experiment to get insight into lying under the supervision of their professor. Yet all of them have secrets of their own. After one test goes awry, one of them is found dead and lies become enigmatic.

Perhaps it was the inclusion of a seemingly random prologue that immediately had me suspicious. I’m not the type that can sit back and enjoy a journey. I need to know how to expect to get to the destination, who is driving and how long we are staying. There is one character’s inclusion which is not quite like the others. The story is told from multiple perspectives, including the team and detective. As for team members we don’t learn a whole lot about unless it pertains to their interactions with other main characters. Except for one character whose perspective gets secondary supporting characters who aren’t directly involved. RED FLAG. I want a mystery to give me whiplash from the events I didn’t see coming and since I was able to predict everything as the story went along it left me wanting more.

I also figured the psychology aspect would take more of a prominent role in the story but it was more about a murder mystery and we don’t really delve much into what initially drew me to read the story.

It definitely wasn’t for me but I’m sure there are many who will enjoy this.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for providing an advanced reading copy through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the book drew me in but once I started reading it, I just couldn’t get into it at all.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

This book had a great premise but didn’t deliver on my expectations. The writing was a bit odd and difficult to understand at times. I found myself rereading sentences a couple times because of this. I was hoping for more psychology driven plot elements and descriptions but felt like we got too many red herrings instead. It was boring at times and none of the characters felt likable or fully fleshed out.

Unfortunately this was not for me and I had to DNF @ 33%. I tried to get into it but was struggling with not liking any of the characters.

✨this was just a fine read! I didn’t love or hate it, and I feel myself leaning that way more and more these days…

✨I went into this read expecting dark academia vibes with a group of students under an experienced mentor and I guess this books did deliver, but my expectations were more skewed. instead of if we were villains, this reads more like in my dreams i hold a knife. the characters are more aged up, they each have pasts that no one else knows about, and this was extremely easy to read! super accessible language and formatting!

✨overall, I just wasn’t satisfied with the twist! as soon as the character was introduced it became obvious to me it would be them and sometimes I like guessing the twist, but for this it made the rest of the book fall a bit flat.

✨if you’re new to thrillers and want a more aged-up cast of characters, then this one is for you!

✨thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is How We End Things
Author R.J. Jacobs
Publishing day!

Thank you @bookmarked and @netgalley, for my e- arc!

This one was right up my alley! Dark academia, the psychology of lies and deception, a suspenseful whodunit, some interesting medical diagnoses - all during a raging winter storm in North Carolina!

Professor Joe Lyons is leading five graduate students through an experimental study of the science of lying. In turn, he is teaching them all how to be quite deceptive and cover up plenty of secrets of their own.

A local detective gets involved in the study when one of the students ends up dead. Who could be capable of murder among them? Although I knew pretty soon into the story who was the murderer, the understanding of the why was fascinating and a little eerie. The winter storm is raging, and the killer in on the loose!

Fast- paced and suspenseful, This is How We End Things is a perfect atmospheric thriller to add to your spooky season tbr today!