There is a fine line between a lie and the truth? Here are reasons to read this thriller book:

Psych Experiment - At a college in North Carolina, 6 students are conducting a psych experiment study

Grad Program - hoping to publish some findings in their papers for their PHD

Multiple POV - we follow a series of events which changes everything from many of the grad students POVs as well as a detective who is investigating

Lies - because everyone lies, and some people may kill to hide their secrets

If you are looking for something in dark academia to kick off the fall, this might be one to pick up. The action is so intriguing and I really couldn’t put it down. I did guess the ending pretty early on because it is a “locked door” mystery and there really is only a finite amount of people among the suspects. However, go into it just for the thrill of losing yourself in the story, and you may really like where it’s taking you.

3.5 stars rounded up.

On a college campus bracing for a snow storm, five graduate assistants are in the process of running a psychological study to determine the factors that would lead someone to lie. After a very heated situation with one of their test subjects, one of the graduate students is found murdered. As the storm rolls in and secrets begin to unravel, the local PD find themselves up against a ticking clock and a group of people trained to deceive.

THIS IS HOW WE END THINGS is my first read by R.J. Jacobs and I quite enjoyed it!

The academic setting was superb and the impending storm created such a nice atmosphere. I loved the jumping perspectives and I liked getting to know this cast of characters!

However, the psychology aspect of the story wasn’t fleshed out as much as I wanted it to be (and even felt random at times) and the reveal of the killer had me hoping for more.

Overall, a fun dark academia thriller that I would recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: September 12

1.5 stars

Comparing a book to Riley Sager and If We Were Villains is both a surefire way to get me super hyped when picking up the book and to be massively disappointed when the book is literally nothing like either of those books.

To be fair, there is actually two similarities in that both If We Were Villains and This is How We End Things are set on college campus and feature six students doing controversial things under the supervision of an enigmatic professor. However, while If We Were Villains is a gripping character study that is full of tension, This is How We End Things is a fairly by-the-book murder mystery with far too many perspectives, a setup that is severely underutilized, and characters that are not particularly well-developed or interesting.

The idea of This is How We End Things is definitely interesting enough, which is why I will give it the one star for concept. However, its execution personally just did absolutely nothing for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #SourceBookLandmarks for the ARC #ThisIsHowWeEndThings by RJJacobs. This is a dark psychological thriller of who-done-it with a twisted ending. I was a little lost at times in the book, but it made sense in the ending.

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and R.J. Jacobs for the advanced copy of This is How We End Things in exchange for my honest review.

I'm a big fan of all of Jacobs' books so far and his latest release is no exception. I loved getting POV chapters from so many of the different characters in the book, and I found the psychology aspect of the plot super interesting. I was also never quite sure who to trust and that made the ending very satisfying for me.

Jacobs has definitely cemented himself as an auto-buy author for me! Don't miss This is How We End Things on US bookshelves September 12.

R. J. Jacobs returns following Always the First to Die with his latest thriller, THIS IS HOW WE END THINGS —a gripping, intelligent academia literary thriller of deception and suspense, following a group of graduate students at a prestigious North Carolina college exploring the psychology of lying, leading to MURDER.

Mystery Suspense Meets Clever Dark Academia Whodunit!

While the experiment is based on deception, someone among them is a killer in this locked-room suspense psychological thriller, full of twists and intrigue.

Set in the idyllic town of Forest, North Carolina, in the winter, we meet enigmatic Professor Joe Lyons at a prestigious college.

Five grad students are studying the art and science of lying. They are all hiding secrets. When one of them is discovered dead after an experiment, they are all looking at one another, now trapped by a snowstorm.

We hear from Scarlett, Robert, Chris, Britt, and Elizabeth. They all have their secrets and unique personalities. Joe also hires a new member, Veronica, a lawyer the team does not care for.

They all have been trained to lie, and this will make the investigation even more challenging. The detectives can pick up a trick or two. Detective Larson is tasked to solve and discover the buried secrets of all the liars with King.

Will they kill again? Who is lying, and who is capable of murder? Who is the perpetrator?

Do liars get better over time?

Cleverly written, THIS IS HOW WE END THINGS is a perfect whodunit for those readers who enjoy clever dark campus mysteries. It has a creepy setting and a cast of intriguingly secretive characters. Whom to trust?

Thought-provoking and razor-sharp, Jacobs keeps readers in suspense and guessing with red herrings, wicked mind games, and unexpected twists in this high-stakes, riveting, clever, dark, academic locked-room suspense psychological thriller!

Being a North Carolina native, I loved the references to the towns where I have lived and the claustrophobic winter snowy campus atmospheric setting. Excellent character development, and I enjoyed the psychology of lying—INTRIGUING, a fitting title! I cannot wait to see what comes next.

I had the privilege of reading the e-book and listening to the audiobook narrated by Chelsea Stephens for an engaging performance for all voices. Fans of authors Carol Goodman, Riley Sager, and David Bell will enjoy this one!

Stay tuned for my #AuthorElevatorSeries Interview, Elevator Ride with RJ on pub date— where we go behind the book & the author! (My blog)

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for an ARC and HighBridge Audio for an ALC via Netgalley for my honest opinion.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Sept 12, 2023
Sept 2023 Must-Read Books

Thank you for an advance copy of this thriller. It is set at a college university, where Professor Joe Lyons is doing research on the psychology of lying. With his research students they set off to explore what makes a person a liar until one ends up dead and the mystery begins. I loved the setting and the premise of exploring the psychology of lying. The plot was fairly obvious though to me and I figured out the culpirt fairly early. The chapters were also really long, but overall I enjoyed this academia based thriller/mystery.

Thank you NetGaley and Sourcebooks Landmark for th ARC! This is How We End Things by R.J. Jacobs follows six PhD students and their professor. When the book opens, the group is gaining a new member, Veronica, with a background in law, she'll be monitoring their study and seeing if their are any legal roadblocks to their research. Things get out of hand when one of the test subjects starts to get violent and puts the who test at risk. Tempers flare within the group and when one of them is disovered murdered, secrets begin to reveal themselves one by one. Who had reason to kill? Who can be trusted? This is How We End Things is a fun psyhologial crime novel with an academic setting, perfect for fans of dark academia with a focus on law enforcement based whodunnits.

Be sure to gather drinks and snacks before you sit down for this bingeable read. I tore through this at breakneck speed. It hooked me right from the beginning and the twists and turns did not let up. It is told through multiple points of view. There are a number of characters, but I had no issue following and keeping track of each. I loved the detailed descriptions of the storm racing in. Adding to the adrenalin to gather as much information before it hit. Leads to a locked room type of situation in this small college town.

There are a group of students and a professor diving deep into the psychology of lying. They trick people into doing experiments for them. Telling them they are in danger of getting kicked out of school. While they are in the experiment, they receive another call to tell them it was a mistake, they are in good standing. Either way it has their mind racing and are desperate to find a way out of this mess. When one such experiment sets off one of the students it is like a domino effect that leads to death. How can you really tell who is telling the truth and who is lying, when essentially, they are lying experts. Will the police find the truth?

I love a good academic setting, and this was it. The buildup and the suspense were spot on. The killer is not who you think it is. I was second guessing myself the entire way through. The clue is in the title! Thank you to R.J. Jacobs and Sourcebooks Landmark for this all-encompassing read.

Dark academia meets locked door mystery in R J Jacobs latest novel - This Is How We End Things.

Dr Joe Lyons and his graduate students are conducting an experiment for extra credit - and you too can be a part of it, just don’t trust anything they tell you. Like Milgram and Zimbardo before them, they’re pushing the envelope of psychological research (and of ethics as well), as they discover what drives you to lie. But when people start turning up dead on campus, and everyone has something to hide, Detective Larson will have to sift through the evidence quickly and find the killer before the blizzard of the century locks them all down, killer on the loose.

I absolutely loved this one! I’ve read all of R J Jacobs works and I think this may be my favorite to date. As someone with a psychology degree, the experiment aspect was so fun to read (and as a former research assistant, the absolute bonkers ethics behind it was such a fun element too!) I really enjoyed the subtle references to landmark psych studies and a mention of Rear Window - just fun elements in the plot.

I read this one in under a day - the story takes place over half a week, and even though it’s only 11 chapters, the plot moves quickly while balancing enough details to keep you well informed but only informed enough until the next plot reveal. The multiple POVs within the chapter help set the fast pace knowledge drop as well - and when the action heats up, keeps you on your toes. I truly loved this one - easily a five star read for me. I can’t wait to see what R J Jacobs has in store for us next.

This book reminded me of "If We Were Villians" by M. L. Rio, but with psychology students instead of actors.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for letting me read this one early. This one publishes September 12.

I really couldn't get into this one. When the whole premise of the book is everyone is unreliable it kind of doesn't feel worth it.

This is How We End Things by R.J. Jacobs is a highly recommended locked room mystery.

A disparate group of graduate students at Dorrance University in Forest, North Carolina are conducting experiments on the psychology of lying and deception. Their methods are questionable, which is clear when their current test goes awry. However, it becomes deadly when, as the grad students are working at night in the psychology department building on the campus which is closed for a break, one of them is subsequently found murdered in the office of the chair of the psychology department, Joe Lyons, the next morning.

As a major snow storm rolls in, Detective Alana Larson is assigned to the case. The group of suspects is obvious. The key is to figure out who did it among a group of suspects who are experts in the science of deception.

This was an interesting closed-room mystery and following the investigation into the group of suspects is entertaining. The pacing is even and which keep the action moving. The tension rises incrementally as it is apparent that the danger is still present.

All of the characters are depicted as unique, realistic individuals and it is easy to keep in mind each of them as the investigation is underway and action unfolds through their different points-of-view. The culprit was rather easy to figure out, but the enjoyment is in the hunt and the deep-dive into the characters.

It was interesting to see a popular meme included as dialogue between characters and a viral story written into a character's development. Sort of a hat-tip to authors finding words and events around them to write into their novels.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Sourcebooks via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, X, Edelweiss, and Amazon.

I do love a campus thriller and that’s exactly what you get when you read this book. It’s a pretty fast read, but I was disappointed that I figured out the killer early in the book. The author tried to throw in all me red herrings but they didn’t really work for me.
Atmosphere was good and a little creepy. Lots of unlivable characters and some likable ones. All around fine just not stellar.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest opinion. 3⭐️

This story takes place at Hull Hall of Dorrance University's Psychology Department where a group of six graduate students are running an experiment that focuses on the study of dishonesty and the psychology of lying led by the famous professor Joe Lyons.
One day one of the six members is found dead at the professor's office and anyone one of them could be the killer? However, coz they are well trained on the art of deception founding out who did is going to be a lot harder than anyone's expected.
As you could see the story has nice ring to it right? It is but unfortunately for me it fell flat and I DNF it. My reason were the chapters were super long coz the novel is only 11 chapter so u can imagine and I didn't like the characters and I couldn't feel them . The writing style also bored and confused me and they were more than 7 characters POVs so it was a lot.
However, don't let my opinion stops from picking it up what I didn't like might your best book yet.
Thank you to @negalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC of #ThisHowWeEndThings in exchange for my honest review.

Xoxo💋

A thriller centred around academics studying deceit and a murder mystery - I HAD to read this book!
The book is set on campus, there is an epic snowstorm and it’s deserted when the novel hits its crescendo so the setting gets 5 stars easily!
The group we focus on are all potentially hiding things and it’s hard to know who to trust.
There are psychological reports dotted throughout the novel for a change of pace, which I felt were well researched, this adds to the profile of the sociopath murderer we as readers are trying to identify.
The book keeps you guessing as to who done it and the pace is fast so you end up not being able to put the book down. This is exactly what you want from a thriller.
The ethics of the researchers are questionable. I would say that the characters themselves are not very likeable, this could be intentional and maybe if I reread now knowing who is the sociopath I may look at them differently.
Overall a good thriller that I think will be popular.
3.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an E-ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

This is How We End Things is a book about deception. Joe Lyons is leading a psychological study where his team members must deceive other students to believing they are about to be expelled unless they get extra credit and pass their psychology class. Joe has trained his team well in the art of deception. However, one of his team mates ends up getting killed in the psychology building and the rest of his group are the prime suspects. How do you find the killer when the suspects are masters at lying?
I really liked the concept of this book, especially since I was a psychology major myself. I enjoyed going to other students’ psych experiments and hosting one myself. It brought back a lot of memories and made me nostalgic.
My biggest complaint would be that I didn’t feel like the characters had enough development. I didn’t feel connected to them, so I did not care what happened to any of them. The characters all just felt a bit surface level. It is especially true for who the killer was. I wish I got to know him/her better to understand why he or she committed the crimes that he/she did.
This book had a lot of tension and a lot of action-packed scenes. The ending of this book was so intense. I felt like I was watching a movie.
I would recommend this book to people who like books that take place at a school, that focuses on the criminal mind/psychology, and has a tight-knit group of suspects.
Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book. This Is How We End Things is the perfect combination of everything I look for in a thriller.

Dark academia and locked in vibes made this one so fun and twisty.

Graduate students are doing experiments on unsuspecting students about lying. 😳 When one of them ends up dead in the professors office during a rare March snowstorm, they are all stuck on campus and most likely they are stuck with the killer!

Loved this one as each character has plenty of secrets to keep also!

This is my first book by this author but it def won’t be my last! Loved it and am so grateful for my early copy. What a great read!

Okay, so this one was all over the place. It read like a sequel, and I was really confused by all of the sidequests and murder-lites, if you will, distracting the reader with alternate plot lines that felt important at first, but never really resonated with anything dire. I am still really thankful to Highbridge Audio, R.J. Jacobs, Netgalley, and Sourcebooks for granting me advanced audio and digital access before this twisty thriller hits shelves on September 12, 2023.

This was a quick but underwhelming read, which is a shame, as I was had hoped the dark academia mystery premise would be up my alley. I struggle with ensemble cast stories with multiple POVs, and that narration style doesn't serve the story. Switching between characters so quickly in such a short book means that none of them feel particularly fleshed out. Each character's section gives just enough clues and red herrings to keep the plot moving, but then fleshes out weird points of their backstory instead of teasing out the dynamics of the group. I'd hoped for deeper characterization, given the story's focus on a group of social psychology students studying deception.

If I'd remembered the seemingly disconnected transcript excerpt at the beginning of the book, that would've quickly resolved the whodunit of the story, which was not at all satisfying. The book felt a little too packed with plot twists to serve the pacing of the story. Meh.