this was such an incredible book! i am so thankful to netgalley for letting me read it early. it was just a pure delight and i think everyone should read this one!!!

I teach middle school and I often read a book before I put it on the shelf for my students to be safe. This one was excellent! It captivates and pulls you in from the start and I cant wait to share this with my students. I like to think they are a spooky bunch so anything I can find to encourage more reading, I definitely get them!

I enjoyed this book. Liz attends Morton Academy and looks forward to the college experience. After a head injury, she begins suffering excruciating headaches. The school has a not so secret Secret Society of Jewel and Bone. Add in deaths and you have a gripping mystery. Cole is the new guy and is interested in Liz. He wants to help her solve the mysteries but circumstances make sleuthing difficult. This is a great story and well written. Well done.

I was so disappointed by this book, I had so much hope for the plot, but it just felt so flat and lacked depth.

Thank you so much for this opportunity!


“ A high-school slasher with a lethal twist, perfect for fans of Holly Jackson!”

I saw this and said say less. And I’m so glad i gave it a shot, it was mind blowing. Obsessed!

Thank you for the ARC, I had high hopes for this book but it fell a bit flat for me in terms of prose and plot and I wasn't able to connect much with this

I cannot provide a rating for this book. Unfortunately it wasn’t my thing and I was not able to get into this book. I had to abandon it and DNF at 28%.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I’m a little mad at myself for not seeing the end coming, but holy cow I’m so glad I didn’t. Genuinely one of the best thrillers I’ve read in a while.

I was originally drawn to this book because it’s described as a high school slasher.
I’m a huge slasher movie fan, so I was instantly curious!
Many commented that this was a good book for anyone who loves Holly Jackson’s work.

The book takes place in Morton Academy, which is a school for high achievers.

Everyone at the school wants to be head girl… no matter what it takes… even if it’s murder.

Several students band together to investigate the motive behind these murders.

This book is a combination of murder mystery, slasher, and thriller.

This was a fun, fast-paced YA thriller that I would put in my classroom library and recommend for students that like A Good Girl's Guide to Murder.

This was the first book I have read by Cynthia Murphy and it won't be the last. This is a fast-paced, action-packed YA mystery and psychological thriller that is perfect for those seeking a gripping page-turner with a twisty ending. I would recommend this if your looking for a good YA thriller. I can't wait to read more of her books.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press for the ARC! A book where a series of murders targets the best and brightest in Morton Academy - a school known for it’s high-achievers. This is the definition of a gothic-style academia, which I always enjoy. Murphy had me guessing who the murderer was up until the end.

I love a nice gothic style academia novel. As head girl after head girl is dead, when will the killings stop? Who is behind it? This novel kept me reading start to finish in a day!

I really enjoyed this book, well thought out characters, a nice mystery, kept me glued to my kindle!

I started out really enjoying this book. The characters felt real to me, and the description of the school for whiz kids was interesting and unique, kind of a Harry Potter vibe without the magical powers. The budding romance between Liz and Cole moved ridiculously fast, however, and as the murders mounted up, the complacency of the school administration and the parents was difficult to accept. The development of various characters offered opportunities to suspect different individuals, which then made the incongruous conclusion a major letdown. A book that did not live up to its possibilities.

Morton Academy is a boarding school for the best and brightest. Someone is targeting the head girls of the school, all of whom are involved in a secret society. Everyone is a suspect, especially society members. With no police investigation, and a possible cover-up from the administration, Liz and her friends set off to uncover who is responsible before more deaths occur.

Fast-paced and full of twists, this was a fun one for the target audience. I would have eaten this up when I was a teenager! For a thrilling YA novel, Win Lose Kill Die is definitely worth reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I didn’t enjoy this title. The unreliable narrator was too unbelievable in this context, like, why would they want to start an investigation?

Elizabeth is a student at Morton, an elite boarding school with an underbelly rooted in secret societies and dark traditions. Upon returning to school following a tragic event resulting in the loss of a fellow student, everyone is determined to move on. However, sinister events start taking place on the school grounds, and as students fall one by one, will those remaining be able to find the culprit and put a stop to the horrors once and for all? Or is the enemy much closer than they realized?

I love a good “and then there was one” type mystery, and I felt this was a decent read. I got through it quickly and enjoyed the thrill and building suspense as we make our way to the conclusion. Although some parts of the story were predictable, and some of the characters felt a little flat, there were some major twists that I didn’t expect and the story caught me by surprise in the end. I wish the ending felt less rushed after all the suspense of the lead up, but I liked the setting and enjoyed all the characters and the creativity surrounding each demise! Worth the read for thriller fans.

3.5 stars

I’m sorry but what!!!! I went into this book knowing it would be good as a fan of Cynthia Murphy but what!? This book follows Liz and the jewel and bone secret society at the Morton Academy. It was a fast paced who-dun-it mystery, I thought I had it figured out and my mouth is still hanging open. This is a quick read thriller that will leave you saying what!

Ultimately, this wasn't the book for me. I struggled to care much about any of the characters and the ending didn't have the anticipated impact ¯\_(ツ)_/¯