Overall a good book, but there were some inconsistencies that made it a little confusing. The characters were mostly realistic and relatable. I loved the ending! I thought I had it figured out, but the twist at the end was one I didn’t see coming!

I have found that for me to LOVE the teen murder mystery genre, I need strong characters to get attached to as there is nothing new to the genre. I didn't love any of the characters but it is a compelling read.

"Murder Between Friends" is an engaging YA thriller full of twists and turns that will have you guessing until the very end.

A group of teens try to solve a murder. Good writing and a good mystery. A story about friendship and being there when your friends need you!

Thank you Netgalley for this arc. I enjoyed the suspense and thriller aspect of this book. The cover was really appealing and I really wanted to read this. I'm so glad I read this, it was a 4 stars.

This book was a new take on a mystery thriller. Following teen friends as they try to prove the innocence of a young man convicted of the murder of their teacher. The characters each had their own drive towards the truth, but together they all wanted the same thing. I thought the strings tying together near the end were very satisfying. My only frustration was the amount of threads going in different directions which did not have any direct impact on the story. I am unsure if these were created to try to distract the reader, but there were times it felt that there was too much going on.
Otherwise I greatly enjoyed this novel and am looking forward to reading more from this author!

Holy smokes!! This is one of the best novels I have read in a long time. Just when I thought I had it figured out, the layers unfolded and took me in a different direction. The suspense, corruption, betrayal, and mind blowing twists kept me on the edge of my seat! You must read this brilliant psychological thriller, I promise you won't regret it!

Title: Murder Between Friends
Author: Liz Lawson
Genre: YA/ Teen Mystery
Publisher: Random House Children’s ~ Delacorte Press
Pub Date: April 22, 2025
My Rating: 4.3
Pages: 384

I am not the target audience for this story but I do enjoy a good YA story (as a high school guidance counselor I always like to know what my students are reading and also to make suggestions.)
I read and loved "The Agathas" co-written by authors, Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson]


Brawner High School English teacher Miriam Appelbaum was murdered in her home.
Jake Hanson, a student as well as the next door neighbor was charged with the crime.

Grace Topham another student in Ms. Appelbaum English’s class and also a neighbor saw the killer enter the backyard that night.
Jake has been in prison serving a twenty-five sentence for the murder – as his hair and notebook were found at the home of Ms. Appelbaum. However, he was released after thirteen months based on a technicality!!

Story is told from the POV of students Ally, Grace, and Henry, Jake’s brother.

Social media goes viral with all kinds of accusations.
But it's not until the end that we know what really happened!


Want to thank NetGalley and Random House Children’s ~ Delacorte Press for this early enjoyable eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for April 22, 2025.

⭐️⭐️⭐️🌟 3.5/5
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC! I didn’t realize it was a YA mystery when I started reading it but it became quickly apparent. I think it is a great read if that is your preferred genre. There were some things that I had trouble with (such as the teachers being called by their last name only) but it could be because I don’t typically read YA mysteries. There were some big typos in this advanced copy (characters using incorrect names, initials used as a plot line being different in multiple places) so I’m hopping a good editor gets their hands on this before publication day!

3.5 rounded up.

This follows Grace, Ally, and Henry as they work together to solve who really killed their English teacher 2 years ago. And most importantly, work together exonerated Henry's brother, Jake. If you liked AGGTM, this has similar vibes.

The pace seemed quick at some points and really dragged in others. I liked the 3 POVs and how they impacted the story.

I wanted to like this so much since I've enjoyed a couple of Lawson's books before, but this one was just okay. I didn't really care about any of the characters. It felt like nothing really happened until 60% through, and even that got glossed over entirely too easily. Most of the twists were predicted in the first few chapters. The saving grace was the final twist, which had barely been on my radar.

I think this would be a solid read for teens 13-16 years old.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read, “Murder Between Friends”, by Liz Lawson. This was interesting and for fans of Good Girls Guide to Murder. This definitely is a book that targets a YA audience!

Who needs a love triangle when you have a sleuth triangle?
Grace, Henry and Ally are best friends. When Henry’s brother Jake becomes a suspect in their teacher’s murder investigation it’s Grace who seals the conviction with some questionable testimony. Two years later the friend group is broken, everyone is sad, Jake is out of prison on a technicality and looking at an upcoming retrial and Grace is starting to rethink what she thought she knew.

This book was…fine I guess. As an adult reader well conversed with “who dunnits” I saw this coming a mile away. I think that YA readers may be more interested in this journey and would recommend this to a younger audience.

Absolutely loved this book. I had my suspicions but they were all wrong. Completely loved it, and the characters that were portrayed. I will be recommending this book to my book friends. So happy to have been chosen to be an ARC reader.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley


I loved this book! From the very beginning it pulls you in trying to uncover the truth behind the murder and everything that led up to it. This book will have you guessing in every way possible. Just when you think you figured it out, another twist unfolds. A must read!

I really enjoyed this book! I had to keep reminding myself that these were high school kids. Easy to read with a nice twist at the end. I'll look for more from this author.

*Thank you Netgalley and the rest for this advanced copy.*
3.5 rounded up. This didn't blow my mind but it kept my interest. I love friends who will go through anything to help each other out. I couldn't wait to find out if Jake really was the killer or who it was.

I wanted to like this book so bad, the premise was really good and what had me requesting this ARC. Unfortunately, the writing and character development left a lot to be desired. I found myself not caring about any of the characters at all.

Each POV felt similar to the others, I struggled to tell apart Ally and Grace’s POV, especially toward the beginning. I was only at like 40% that I was more so able to tell them apart and that was because Ally was mentioning a certain something like every 2 sentences.

I think I am a little too old to find enjoyment in this book, maybe if I was still in my teens I could have enjoyed it but unfortunately, I did not. If this hadn’t been an ARC I probably would have DNFd at 32%

I received an advanced review e-copy of this book.

this was really fun! i think that teens will really enjoy this one, as so many of them love a mystery thriller because it keeps them engaged. the characters were just okay with me but the plot kept moving and it was a fun take on a story i have seen many times before.

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for a copy of the ARC.

Murder between Friends is about childhood friends, turned almost enemies when one of the group goes to the police after witnessing another’s brother at the scene of a murder.

I really enjoyed this book, the suspense and mystery kept me reading more. It was fast paced and held just enough intrigue to get me to need to read that next chapter.

For fans of Natalie D. Richard’s and Natasha Preston.