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

Content Warning: murder

+ Jake is accused of murdering his teacher but he’s out on a technicality but will be tried again. This time the person who was a witness in the case, his younger brother’s ex best-friend, Grace, thinks maybe what she saw the night of the murder was a mistake. And this time she wants to be sure.

+ Henry (Jake’s brother), Ally, and Grace are ex-friends but now with Jake going through a possible new trial, they decide to work together to make sure they find the right killer. There are a few twists and turns in this book that was interesting but I think it was easy to predict who was the real culprit.

~ For a YA mystery I think it’s perfect for teen readers but for me it was a little bit too light.

Final Thoughts:

This one will appeal to the teen and younger YA readers of mystery and thrillers. This was a quick read but maybe just a little to light for me.

Great book! This was my first book by Liz Lawson and it did not disappoint. I love a murder mystery and this YA book fit was no exception. I loved the twists..the story was a bit slow at times, but I kept chugging along. I would recommend this book to my friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte Press for the ARC.

I had my eyes on the killer pretty quickly, though this is YA so take that into account. It was still fun to see the links between everything unfurl. Ally’s personality rubbed me the wrong way at times though that is how some people (especially teenagers) are. It was overall a fun easy read but nothing revolutionary. I received the ARC so there were spelling and grammar mistakes that hopefully are fixed for final publishing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Author for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

Overall this was a quick read. How do you handle causing a huge disruption in your friend’s family? Being in high school is bad enough but now you saw the brother to the boy you like going to your favorite teachers back yard the night she is killed. Grace has all the struggle of a typical teen and add this on top and wow! All of a sudden a simple mistake in the DA office and that brother is now released and Grace questions everything she thought was real.


Definitely worth a read! Scooby Dooby Fan here and this book gives you ‘meddling kid’ vibes.

The story centers on Jake, who was once convicted of killing his high school teacher and is released due to a technicality. This prompts a trio of sleuths to delve into the case to discover the truth.

The book was a fun read, though some far-fetched elements occasionally disrupted the flow of the narrative. Despite these moments, the overall story was engaging and kept me entertained. "Murder Between Friends" was my first experience with Liz Lawson's writing, and I appreciated her pacing and style. I'm looking forward to exploring more of her work in the future.

Loved the multiple narrator perspectives in this thrill ride of a mystery. Lots of twists and surprises throughout with well developed teen characters. I would recommend this YA book for high school libraries.

Amazing book!! Many twists and turns. Reminded me of Karen McManus and Holly Jackson!
Thank you NetGalley for the early ARC!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️