Murder Between Friends by Liz Lawson is a gripping tale filled with suspense, betrayal, heartbreak, and an unexpected twist that will leave you on the edge of your seat. This fast-paced thriller delivers a perfect blend of intrigue and humor, showcasing Liz Lawson's signature style. A thrilling ride that keep me guessing until the very end.

This book had a good pace and everything came together well. I think this was a good YA book and a quick read.
Thank you Random House Children’s and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book!

I really did enjoy this book although the killer was quite obvious from the onset.

It was a quick, light read. No to scary and just plain entertaining.

Dear Liz Lawson, please write more YA thrillers ASAP! I loved every moment of this book and was hooked from start to finish. I love the characters, the multiple POVs, and their relationships with each-other (the bad and good. The writing and plot were so well done, I felt like I was in the story solving the mystery with the 3 characters. I had fun trying to figure out who it was and didn’t see the twist coming at the end. Definitely recommending this one!

I was shocked by all of the twists and turns in this book, you think the murderer is one person, then nope it's not them it's someone else, then nope not them either. It had me guessing till the very end. I was surprised by all of the crimes that were exposed by 3 high schoolers. Like how couldn't the police figure these things out but the teens were able to. I felt bad for Grace, Ally, Henry and Jake. Like they lost friendships and time that they shouldn't have all because a handful of people couldn't stop being criminals.

I highly recommend this book if you want to stay guessing till the very end.

As an avid mystery/suspense reader, I try to read as many YA titles in this genre as I can. I was a big fan of The Agathas series, which was co-written by Liz Lawson, so decided to try this.

It has a bit of a Good Girl's Guide vibe, as a student accused of the murder of a teacher is let out of prison on a legal technicality, which makes everyone rethink the case. Did he really do it?

It could be because of my honed ability to sniff out a culprit, but I had two suspects from the very first pages and ... I was right.

I can see that other early readers are really enjoying this, so don't let my opinion deter you!

Grace, Henry, and Ally were 3-peas-in-a-pod, the best of friends, before Grace testified against Henry's brother. Now, 2 years later, Jake is out of prison, on a technicality, and he's getting a new trial. Grace, Henry, and Ally decide it's up to them to investigate who killed Ms. Appelbaum, saving Jake from going back to prison for a crime they're sure he did not commit.

This was a quick and gripping YA thriller. It was chock-full of twists, had excellent character development, and had characters you were truly rooting for. Unlike many YA thrillers where you're exasperated by the silly decisions the characters are making, these characters were smart... most of the time... and in the moments where one character had a lapse in thinking, another character generally picked up the slack. This was an excellent read! Read It for sure!

Note: I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really enjoyed this book. It had a wonderful flow that made it feel as if you were watching a movie. The main characters were well developed and authentic. It was full of twists and turns that kept getting more complex and shocking as the story progresses. Anyone who loves mysteries and whodunits will love this book.

Let me preface by saying I haven't read a lot of YA lately. I like a good mystery and I enjoyed the three main characters/friends. Grace, Henry and Ally band together to try to find out who killed one of their favorite teachers who was also a neighbor almost two years ago. Their sleuthing was very good and I thought Liz Lawson did a good job of building teenage characters. Their were conflicts in their friendship the way they treated each other seemed very realistic.

My problem was with the adult characters, including those in their 20's. They were such caricatures that I couldn't take them very seriously. The ending, the whodunit, was pretty predictable. The hints were strong earlier in the book, but again, this was YA.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Grace, Ally, and Henry were best friends until two years ago when Grace's testimony put Henry's brother Jake behind bars for the murder of their teacher. Now Jake is out of jail on a technicality but about to be retried and Grace is starting to doubt her memory. The friends decide to dig into the murder and find clues that indicate Jake may be innocent.

Overall this was an enjoyable if predictable mystery. I enjoyed the amateur sleuth antics and the overall commentary on the judicial system. While the twists were easily guessed, they still played out nicely.

Tropes:
* Amateur Detectives
* Murder Mystery
* Neighbors
* High School Drama

4 stars

Murder between Friends is a fast paced YA thriller by Liz Larson. This is my first read b Liz Larson and it wont be my last. Murder between friends tells the story of Jake who was convicted of murdering his English teacher and released two years later due to mistrial mulch to the dismay of the small community he lives in. The story weaves together three POVS: Henry, Jake’s younger brother, Ally, who will do anything to prove Jake’s innocence, and Grace, their old friend whose testimony put Jake behind bars. Can these three put their differences aside to help prove Jake’s innocence before his new trial date. This was a fun thriller to read; it felt like I was reading my favorite true crime podcasts. The twists kept me on my toes and guessing until the end. I ended up reading it in one sitting so I could read the end. Thanks NetGalley for giving me an opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was really looking forward to MURDER BETWEEN FRIENDS because I love THE AGATHAS so much, but...meh? I think kiddos will like it, which is what matters because this is a mystery for young adults, but I was kinda bored by the story and anticipated most of the twists and turns if you want to call them that. Also, ALLY IS SO ANNOYING. I groaned every time the novel switched to her POV.

A beloved high school teacher was murdered and one of her students, Jake, is convicted and sent to prison for it. Two years later, he’s released due to a technicality from a scandal. But his younger brother and his best friend don’t believe he is guilty, and are set out to prove it.

This book had a lot of elements that made for a fun YA thriller: suspense, doubt of the antagonist, murder, mistaken identity, twists I didn’t see coming, and a little bit of romance to spice things up 🤌🏻

The POV switches from 3 main characters: Grace, the ex-best friend turned popular girl that had a huge hand in putting Jake in prison; Henry, Jake’s younger brother who is dealing with a lot of fall out and bullying from the community; and Ally, Henry’s best friend with a chip on her shoulder that is determined to prove Jake’s innocence no matter what the cost.

Each character POV really adds a deeper layer of meaning to everything. Sometimes it’s hard to keep characters straight but each one had a very distinct personality so when it switches, you have no problem keeping up.

Overall I think this is definitely a good one! Highly recommend if you like twisty YA thrillers!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for this ARC!

This is a fun mystery with some good twists and turns. I felt that it did go over the same points a bit too much but overall, found this to be quite enjoyable.

I love this book. It was a hard one to figure out, because just when I thought I knew, I was wrong! As I started reading it, it seems easy to think about who did it. Then several chapters in, I changed my mind. Then as it came to an end and revealed who the real killer was, I was like “ Nope! Didn’t expect that!” Great job!

Beyond thankful for this ARC!
I was hooked immediately, and absolutely loved the multiple POV. Never underestimate our youth, and this book was the best reminder of that. Amazing mystery that somehow kept surprising me, and making me laugh throughout. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is absolutely fantastic! It was such a fast read (which is my favorite hehe). The ending was absolutely SHOCKING! I was on vacation while reading this & my husband kept telling me to put the book down (he didn't win argument 🤣)

From the very beginning, this YA mystery thriller captured my attention, making it almost impossible to put down. The Nancy Drew-style sleuthing was entertaining to the very end with so many different twists and turns. Right when I thought I had it nailed, something new would come to light. The suspense as the pieces to the puzzle started to fit together was absolute perfection. If you're a fan of Veronica Mars and Nancy Drew, you'll love this book.

All i can say it i just could not put it down!!!!!!! Amazing!!!!!!!!! I was in edge! Can’t wait to read more from this author. As this was my first and i was not disappointed one bit!

A YA mystery that will keep you guessing.
Loved that the story is told from the POV of three former best friends who come together to try to prove that the person convicted of their teachers’s murder two years ago is innocent.
Great job of building tension among the three friends as they struggle to reconcile their past friendships and reveal secrets that will lead them to who they real killer is.
The characters are complex and relatable teens that have personal secrets and emotions that affect how they interact with each other and how they deal with trying to get answers.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review