This was such a quick read for me and I think a lot of people would enjoy this book...
However....I think while reading this, I realized that young-adult mysteries are just not for me anymore.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad book, it's fast-paced and the storyline flows well. It just wasn't for me. I found it hard for me to keep my own interest in it and thought I was just glazing over pages sometimes because I wanted to move on. I couldn't get myself into the characters and felt very detached to the story in general.

While the book has some substance to it, I still thought it was pretty cheesy. I think that is just a re-occurring theme with a lot of YA books.
Overall, if you enjoy YA I would give this book a read. But if not, then pass.

Lauren, due to a traumatic incident (which is revealed through a series of flashbacks throughout the book) at her last school, has moved across the country her senior year. Here she meets Robbie (who kind of reminds me of a Dylan McKay type). Robbie's family is extremely wealthy, and rumor has it that because of his wealth, he and his brother have gotten away with the murder of their girlfriends.
I really enjoyed this book, there were a few red herrings and I didn't really suspect who the killer was in the end.

WOW. I am just now emerging into murder and murder mystery novels and this one had me HOOKED. From the very beginning until the very end I had absolutely zero clue who committed the crime. As a listener you would be led to believe it was clearly one person and then SWOOP turns out it isn't that person. I loved the way this book was written. I loved the narrator -- you also get a secondary narrator at one point (no spoilers though so I can't say when). I cannot recommend this book enough. Easy 4 stars.

I also need someone else to read this so I can see if it truly does leave you in the dark the whole time or I'm just a newb in the mystery novel world.

Trish Lundy's debut YA thriller, "The One That Got Away with Murder," is a captivating and suspenseful page-turner that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The novel follows Lauren O'Brian, a girl with a dark past who is desperate for a fresh start, as she becomes entangled in a dangerous relationship with Robbie Cresmont, a handsome and privileged teenager suspected of murdering his ex-girlfriends.
Lundy's writing is both elegant and accessible, drawing the reader in with vivid descriptions and sharp dialogue. The pacing is impeccable, with the narrative building in intensity and suspense until the final, jaw-dropping conclusion. The author skillfully weaves together multiple timelines and perspectives to create a complex and intriguing narrative, constantly keeping readers guessing and second-guessing the characters' motives and the true nature of the events that unfold.
One of the novel's strengths is its well-developed characters. Lauren is a flawed and relatable protagonist, struggling with the weight of her past and the uncertainty of the present. The supporting cast, particularly the enigmatic Robbie and his brother Trevor, are equally compelling, each with their own secrets and agendas that add depth and complexity to the story.
Lundy's ability to create a world where appearances deceive and danger lurks around every corner is truly commendable. "The One That Got Away with Murder" serves as a reminder that beneath the veneer of wealth and privilege, even the most charming individuals may possess dark secrets that can have deadly consequences.
In conclusion, "The One That Got Away with Murder" is a compelling and chilling tale that will keep readers engrossed from beginning to end. Trish Lundy showcases her prowess as a storyteller, expertly crafting a narrative packed with suspense, mystery, and unexpected twists. Brace yourself for a thrilling ride through the shadows of Happy Valley, where the line between love and obsession blurs, and the consequences of the past can be deadly

This was a great mystery, cold case thriller with some teen romantic vibes. I liked the characters with all of their faults and teenage insecurities. I liked the overall plot and how much it showed that the town had been shaken up by what had transpired. I liked the tragedy aspect- all of the main characters had experienced some form of tragedy and were facing it in there own way. I had a hard time with the "bullying" that occurred, but I guess that is high school for you. I also did not see the ending coming. I do feel like it kind of happened fast which is why this dropped from a 5 star to a 4. I also feel like there was not a ton of explanation as to why the person who had done all of these things did them. It seemed glossed over, but overall this was a wonderful debut!

Lauren O'Brian and her mom have moved to a new town for a fresh start. Lauren is still reeling about how much her life has changed over the past few months, and now she is about to start a new high school in her senior year with her mom getting closer to her boyfriend Mark. No one here knows about the fire that changed her life. Or the boyfriend who she loved but doesn't talk to anymore. Or about any of it. She has found a casual hookup with Robbie which is helping her keep her mind off the bad things. What she doesn't know is that Robbie has his own tragedy that he has faced. A few years ago his girlfriend Victoria drowned at their lake house. The same lake house he has now invited her to come to. The same lake house that people think Robbie killed Victoria at and got away with it. To keep the scandal going, Robbie's brother, Trevor, has also experienced tragedy. His girlfriend Jess also died under the mysterious guise of an overdose.

While at the lake house, Lauren finds evidence on the boat about what might have happened to Vic. Evidence that now has her along with the rest of the town convinced he did it. She doesn't know how to act but decides to continue to keep him close but at a distance so she can help get to the bottom of what happened. What she doesn't realize is how much hanging out with him would affect HER at her new school. Now she finds herself off of the soccer team and having nothing else to do but try to string clues together that maybe all of these tragedies were done by the same person. Now she has received a creepy phone call telling her to back off. Her past has been put on blast for the school to read about. The Crestmonts have experienced yet another tragedy, and yet they are no closer to finding out what happened. But with the newest round of tragedy, Lauren finds herself with a small circle of people willing to help her. They also want to find out what happened and put it behind them. What Lauren doesn't know is that the killer has already set his eyes on her, and formed a plan with how to get away with her murder.

Like I said, this was a great debut! There are mentions of drug use on page, sexual assault (kind of on page), bullying, and other triggering things. I would recommend checking those out before reading this one. As much as I struggled with the killer reveal and that ending, I did like how Robbie and Lauren circled back. They both realized that what they had didn't need to be casual. I liked how they both came to that realization individually and together. I am looking forward to reading more by Trish in the future! I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was really good up until the killer is revealed. The whole book is focused on Lauren then the killer is revealed, and the focus switches to him telling Lauren how he was able to commit all the murders while Lauren is laying there on death's door. I realize the author is trying to explain to the reader but it should have been written as an omniscient narrator telling the reader, not the killer narrating to his latest victim.

Title: The One That Got Away with Murder
Author: Trish Lundy
Genre: YA, thriller
Rating: 4 out of 5

Be careful who you fall for...

Robbie and Trevor Cresmont have a body count—the killer kind. Handsome and privileged, the Crestmont brothers' have enough wealth to ensure they’ll never be found guilty of any wrongdoing, even if all of Happy Valley believes they're behind the deaths of their ex-girlfriends. First there was soccer star Victoria Moreno, Robbie’s ex, who mysteriously drowned at the family lake house. Then, a year later, Trevor’s girlfriend died of a suspicious overdose.

But the Crestmonts aren’t the only ones with secrets. Lauren O'Brian might be the new girl at school, but she's never been a good girl. With a dark past of her own, she's desperate for a fresh start. Except when she starts a no-strings-attached relationship with Robbie, her chance is put in jeopardy. During what’s meant to be their last weekend together, Lauren stumbles across shocking evidence that just might implicate Robbie.

With danger closing in, Lauren doesn't know who to trust. And after a third death rocks the town, she must decide whether to end things with Robbie or risk becoming another cautionary tale.

I enjoyed this thriller! (It kept me entertained throughout a day of boring meetings.) The people of Happy Valley—especially the soccer girls—were pretty mean, and they were horrible to Lauren. I liked how the author interspersed chapters from Lauren’s past with the present-day storyline, without giving away what really happened. I thought the mystery was well-done, and I didn’t figure out who the killer was until just a little bit before Lauren found out.

Trish Lundy lives in California. The One that Got Away with Murder is her debut YA novel.

(Galley courtesy of Macmillan/Henry Holt and Co. in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 5/6).

Overall this was a solid ya thriller, if not a little overly dramatic for the high school setting. I enjoyed the characters a lot, but could have done with a little more built up to the ending and a little more explanation of how they survived. Good first novel, I’m excited to see what comes next!

Thank you to the author and publisher for this gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!

I love #YAthrillers and this one sounded like it was going to be so good. And it was. @trishlundy did an amazing job of writing complex characters that are facing typical high school drama and the murder and suspense we love in a thriller. One character I couldn’t get on board with? Lauren’s mom. She was just so disconnected from Lauren that it pissed me off. Who would have thought my least favorite character was not one of the people suspected of murder?

I do wish the final reveal had been drawn out a bit more. Though I still felt the terror and enjoyed the different perspective we got with it.

If you’re looking for a YA thriller that sucks you in as soon as you start, then The One That Got Away With Murder is one you want to add to your TBR.

Everyone believes Trevor and Robbie Cresmont killed their girlfriends. Lauren, new to town, with her own murky past, begins hooking up with Robbie before learning about the persistent rumors. Will she ruin her life again, or lose it?

This book has some very compelling, complex characters, and the relationships between them are so important and feel so real and relatable. We’ve all struggled with beliefs and experiences in our lives, even if they are not to the extremes in this book.

The mystery is a great one-I was completely shocked by the ending. Lundy definitely knows how to write twists and turns. I would recommend this book.

A really solid YA suspense story with an audacious premise and a solid mystery at its core. Lauren is still reeling from some unspecified trauma and begins hooking up with a guy she met at her volunteer job. When she arrives at her new high school, she gets a big (Sandy and Danny in Grease style) surprise. Not only does Robbie, her hook-up guy go to her new school, he;'s one of a pair of two brothers who rumors suggest killed their girlfriends.

Way to take the "dangerous guy" trope to whole new level. Of course, Lauren can't stay away and starts poking around in the past, with deadly results!

A really fun book that should please both adult and teen readers of psychological supense!

I had so much fun reading The One that Got Away with Murder. I read it in a 24-hour period and clearly, it hooked me. It was drama-filled, fast-paced and compelling. Exactly how I like my YA Mystery/Thrillers. I can't believe this is a debut!? How is that even true?!

In this story we follow Lauren. a high school soccer star, just about to enter her Senior year. Sadly, she's going to be doing that at an all new school, as she has recently moved with her Mom from California to Happy Valley, Pennsylvania. Her Mom's long-distance boyfriend lives in Happy Valley, so following a scandal at Lauren's old school, they decide it would be best for them to make a fresh start there.

Lauren understands the reasoning behind the move, but it's still a difficult transition and her new teammates won't be making it any easier on her. Prior to the school year beginning, Lauren meets a boy, Robbie Crestmont, and the two begin spending time together. Hooking up, may be the most accurate term for their relationship.

Once she begins hanging out with her teammates though, when soccer season begins, she learns that Robbie isn't the most liked guy in Pleasant Valley. In fact, some of the girls are downright hostile towards him. In fact, they blame him for the death of their teammate, Victoria, Robbie's one-time girlfriend. The story is that Victoria died during a late night swim at the Crestmont's lake house. Her friends and teammates aren't buying the story that it was an accident. They suspect foul play.

Not helping is the fact that Robbie's brother's girlfriend also died a mysterious death about a year after Victoria. Two brothers, two dead girlfriends. That can't be a coincidence. Even Lauren can admit that doesn't seem right. After agreeing to go visit Robbie's family lake house over Labor Day weekend, Lauren vows that will be the last weekend she will spend with him. While there, however, she discovers some evidence that may just confirm Robbie's involvement in Victoria's death.

Lauren is scared. Does anyone know she found what she found at the lake house? She hopes not. With dangers around every corner, Lauren is unsure who she can trust. As she navigates between the the powerful Crestmont family and her soccer teammates, Lauren begins to piece together the truth of the two dead girls.

As mentioned above, I had a blast reading this. It's so compelling. It drew me in from the start. There was something about Lauren's character that vibed well with my tastes. I loved reading from her perspective, and learning about her. She can be a little harsh, a little cold, a little angry, but I like that...

You could tell that something fairly significant had happened in her past, but it was slowly revealed to you over the course of the story, instead of laid on you all at once. I enjoyed how that was done. I like that Lundy took her time revealing Lauren's full-self. She's a tough girl, but she definitely struggles with a lot over the course of the story.

I also liked Robbie and his brothers. They were extremely wealthy and powerful in this town, but instead of being the revered golden boys, as would typically be the case in these type of circumstances, they were more like social pariahs. Lauren looking into their family, and others in the town was very interesting and if kept me on my toes. There were plenty of suspicious actors floating about.

It's funny, when I was about halfway through this book, I was having so much fun, I thought, I need to go read this author's previous books! With this in mind, I went to Trish Lundy's author page here on Goodreads and discovered, THIS IS HER FIRST BOOK!?

I was seriously shocked. This is such a well-constructed and thought-out Teen Mystery, IMO. If this is her debut, I cannot wait to watch her career over the next few years. If you enjoy YA Mystery/Thriller authors such as Jessica Goodman, Karen M. McManus, or Kara Thomas, you have to check this out. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Thank you to the publisher, Henry Holt & Company (BYR) and Macmillan Audio, for not only providing me with copies to read and review, but also for introducing me to a talented new author to obsess over!!!

The Crestmont brothers are privileged and handsome – and possibly killers? Every girl they date ends up dead. Is it a coincidence or just bad luck?

When new girl Lauren comes to town and starts up a fling with Robbie Crestmont, she’s warned by her soccer team to steer clear. She decides one more weekend can’t hurt, but when she finds the bloody bathing suit top of one of the murdered girls on the Crestmont’s boat, she could be in danger of becoming the next victim.

Told in short, fast-paced chapters with flashbacks to Lauren’s involvement in a fire that badly burned her ex-boyfriend, this book flew by in a breeze. I didn’t quite get what her past had to do with her present and I struggled to really engage with the characters, but I think that’s because it’s YA. Fans of Holly Jackson will enjoy this one.

Thank you to Trish Lundy, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of the book for an honest review.

The One That Got Away With Murder by Trish Lundy is her debut YA thriller. I really enjoyed this book & will definitely check out more from Trish in the future.

Lauren moves to Happy Valley, PA, with her mom from California after a mysterious accident involving her boyfriend, Clint. Once in Happy Valley, Lauren hooks up with Robbie Cresmont, not knowing his dark past. Robbie and his brother Trevor both have dead girlfriends with uncertain causes. Lauren has her own dark past. I can honestly say I had multiple guesses as to who the murder was, but I was wrong each time.

If you are a fan of A Good Girls Guide to Murder or Pretty Little Liars with a mix of Gossip Girl, this book might be your next favorite.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley, and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

With this one having a content warning of drvg usage, I’m not surprised that this one wasn’t my favorite. I skipped a lot of this book and still was able to guess the killer, so I’m not sure this one was for me.

The plot of this was cool. I liked that there was a secret from the main character as well as the killer. There was something going on constantly and it kept the tension super high. And because of this, the main character was something like a freaking teen detective. I really was impressed by this group of teens.

The characters in this were really wild. I don’t know how to explain it other than that. The teens literally solved this case on their own. They didn’t go to the police office and sneak in to get clues or anything like that and I was so happy. I HATE when things are too unrealistic. But this one wasn’t like that. This one just had a quick witted teen who was smart enough to get people to give up the information. Now don’t get me wrong, I didn’t like all the characters. That one girl on the team deserved to get beat up. I don’t care who she was. She was a bitch and she needed a check-in with these hands. Lastly, I LOVED the way we get a few chapters from the killer is what made this for me. I don’t think I’ve ever read a YA book that did that.

I didn’t like the drvg usage. But that’s a me thing. I had the audiobook from Netgalley and the list wasn’t in it. I really wish they would list these somewhere. I ended up skipping a huge part of this. And the reason I couldn’t give this a higher rating was because I still was able to choose the correct killer. But I knew things were too good and everything just kept lining up for them. I just knew. Also, I HATED that they blamed one of the victims and used the drugs as what was going on. And of course, the lie was spread by the actual person. Idk, it annoyed me.

This had a lot going on, and I liked it, but there was one thing that really turned me out. And of course it was a big ass part of the story. I would still offer it to the teens, but I’d offer them some of my real favorites from Holly Jackson, Karen McManus, and Tiffany Jackson first.

The beginning of this book starts off much too graphic for a YA book, in my opinion. While that sets the tone for the main character Lauren’s mindset, I do not see such vivid detail necessary for teens or even for understanding or developing questions about Lauren. That said, the story moves quickly, with somewhat exciting elements at times. Unfortunately, I correctly predicted the “big surprises,” as the hints are a little too obviously unique as compared to other elements of the story. All of the key characters, including Lauren’s love interest Robbie, her soccer teammates, and even her mother, are clearly crafted around their supporting roles; in the end, though, I think there were too many clamoring for center stage for the author to fully develop any of them, including Lauren.

Note: there are numerous highly sensitive issues that should be added as warnings (e.g. sex, drugs/drinking, mental health issues), but the most important ones would give away the story.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Henry Holt and Co., Netgalley, and the author for early access to this work.

I love when a book keeps you on your toes until the end. Did not see that ending coming! I can't wait to read more from this author.

Have you ever read a book that you loved so much that it left you unable to really describe why you loved it?

Yeah, that's this book for me.

This was an amazing debut that had me hooked from the first chapter when I thought Lauren was going to be the very stereotypical Valley girl. I'm so glad that is not the direction Lundy decided to go with our heroine.

Lauren dealt with so much throughout this novel and I loved seeing the changes in her in real time. Seeing characters around her change grow was also such a nice experience I haven't found in any another YA thrillers.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves a well-written character-driven thriller.

Trish Lundy is now an auto-buy author for me and I can't wait to see what she does next!

~

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

THOUGHTS

Hey, it's a mediocre story that isn't particularly well executed. But if high school murder-thrillers are your thing, you'll probably like it anyway. There's a certain balancing act, I think, to get a story like this to really shine, and this one just wasn't quite balanced. But it wasn't a horrible attempt. Just kind of middle-of-the-road.


PROS
New Relationship: This book includes some pretty socially and psychically painful conversation with mom's new boyfriend, and that... just feels right. Mom did move them across the country to be near to this guy, and at a time when her daughter is vulnerable. That, plus the general awkwardness of new-parental-lover interactions, really adds an element of realistic cringe to this book at times that I can appreciate. Mom's new boyfriend flirting with her mom at one of their first family dinners is... so psychically wounding, isn't it?

Selfish Mom: As the above pro might indicate, Lauren's mom isn't the best at being a mom. And that's often the case in YA books, but what I appreciate here is just how real this feels. Because Lauren's mom isn't hyperbolically bad. She is just kind of self-involved, and she's the predominant factor in how and why she makes decisions (even decisions that have a major effect on the minor daughter she's dragging along). So when Lauren feels so alone with what she's going through, well, I'm not upset that she didn't confide in her mother because her mother, quite frankly, wouldn't have listened very well anyway. Lauren really is going through this alone, and not just because it is easier for the author to ignore parental influence. In this case, it makes sense.

Sporty Girl Rep: I always appreciate when hobbies and activities are included in books that aren't explicitly about those hobbies or activities. It's nice to have an athlete as a main character in a book that isn't, you know, a sports book. Any average American teen can tell you just how much of their time is spent involved in activities--sports, clubs, other hobbies--and yet these activities get so little screentime in teen media. So I appreciate that this book spends time at practice, in the locker room, at the games even though the sport isn't the actual focus of this book in any way. Because while Lauren's thinking about murder, she's also playing soccer.


CONS
Too Much: This book... really pushes what's okay in YA. And opening with a sex scene just felt like too much. We've got condoms, we've got talk about a "release," and we don't even really know the characters yet? This might be expected (but no more welcome, at least for me) in adult spaces, but in a YA book, it was kind of shocking to have sex right away. Also, in what high school world are kids encountering cocaine enough to casually comment, "I've been at enough parties to know what it is." What high school parties are swimming in cocaine? I've got a lot of questions about this. This book feels like it might have been written for an older demographic to begin with and aged down, but I don't think it was done well if that's the case. Teens experiment, sure, but do they really say, "Plenty of people do coke"?

How Stupid?: I'm sorry, but in what world do you find out your hook-up is probably a murderer and then not break up with him? Especially when you were already set on breaking up with him before you found out he was a (probably) murderer? There is absolutely no reason not to break up with him here. Lauren gives some "reasons," certainly, but even in context, these reasons feel pretty flimsy.

Shaming: I can get behind the idea that Lauren's peers would bully her about, you know, dating a murderer. Her teammates lost a friend, and they're pretty sure they know who did it. Why would they want his new girlfriend hanging around them? But as much as I can see getting shunned by her peers, the adults jumping in on it didn't make sense. Some of it is to give us red herrings throughout the book, but really, why is every adult man Lauren comes across in this book so skeevy? Makes no sense to me.


Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5/10
Fans of Wendy Heard's adult thriller You Can Trust Me will like the glitzy wealth of this new murderous teen book. Those who enjoyed Holly Jackson's A Good Girl's Guide to Murder will like to dip into a brand new cover-up.

Wow for a debut author it was really good!! I started it and I couldn't stop reading, I needed to know what was going to happen. And the suspects © I would think I had it figured out and then nope I wasn't right! I love that in a mystery! I will definitely be watching for the next book from this author.
Thank you Net Galley and Trish Lundy for the privilege of reading an advance copy of this book!