Another great YA Thriller! I did guess part of who it was very early but I really enjoyed this book. The main characters for me were very likable and I was engaged the entire time and I couldn’t wait to read more each day.
It reminded me a little of A Good Girls Guide to Murder because of the high school kids trying to solve a murder and writing a paper on it.

I really liked this book written for the young adult crowd. The language was appropriate and the setting and characters were realistically written. Jake was convicted of murdering a popular high school English teacher because all the clues pointed directly at him. Grace, best friends of his brother even testified that she saw him at the scene. But now Grace is not so certain about what she saw, Jake's brother Henry believes that Jake would not murder and neither does their friend Ally. The three of them are determined to prove that Jake was innocent. Good story, with some unexpected twists. Thanks to NetGalley for and arc with no pressure for a positive review.

If you are a fan of a good girls guide to murder this book is for you! Grace, Henry, and Ally are on a mission to find out who really killed their teacher. Henry’s brother Jake was the one initially convicted, but grace does not think he did it. This book goes along the journey of rekindle friendships, working together, and finding you can’t always trust everyone

This was an incredible, twisty and suspenseful thriller! It kept me guessing until the very end. I loved the friendship the three main characters had! This book had me at the edge of my seat, and I could not put it down!!

It was a great mystery that grabbed me from the first chapter with its many twists and turns that had me guessing to the end.

Murder Between Friends follows Ally and her friends at the two year anniversary of the murder of one of their teachers. One of these friends siblings is accused of being the murderer but are they? What secrets does everyone hold? This book was gripping for me and I would re read it again. I found a few errors in which a word was missing or for example a chapter in Allys point of view had a text message from Ally and Henry. Other than that no other errors and an overall really good book!!

I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this book but I ended up loving it. The alternating POV worked well and I grew attached to Henry, Grace, and Ally. I didn’t guess who did it until it was being revealed. Teens will love this book.

Fast paced engaging young adult mystery thriller about a well liked teacher who is believed to be murdered by a teenage boy in her neighborhood. The teenager’s younger teenage brother and his friends know he is wrongly accused and take it upon themselves to find the true killer since law enforcement and lawyers believe they have the rightful one.

I admit I did guess or see one part coming BUT there were a couple twists I did NOT see! The one at the end left me in awe.

Besides the mystery, the novel also explores the intricacies of friendships and relationships between partners and family members.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys teenage drama, suspense and mysteries. Perfect for fans of One of Us is Lying.

4 stars!!! ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Liz Lawson and Delacorte Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley! This was a different type of Young Adult book. I always enjoy the back and forth between the characters that help lead up to the big reveal. It had me gripped from page one

Thank you Net Galley and Delacorte Press for this ARC!!

This YA mystery was the perfect amount of suspense and angst!! Three friends are torn apart by a life changing accident and now they must face the past and work together!! Henry, Ally, and Grace must face each other and discover the truth about what really happened two years ago.

This book was amazing!! 4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ All the twist and turns were so unexpected and paced so well that I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! I loved how the story kept me guessing until the end! I loved the dynamic between Ally and Grace and Henry!! I recommend this book to anyone who loves a cozy mystery with suspense and a hint of romance!!

Navigating a three-person friend group can be tricky—especially when a budding romance develops between two members. While this dynamic created tension among the teens, a more pressing issue emerged: a local crime that cast suspicion on one friend’s brother. As the trio took it upon themselves to investigate the case and clear his name, readers were invited to follow the clues and trust their instincts.

Though I didn’t predict the twist ending, I found the plot’s progression gripping and the conclusion satisfying. Each character was layered and deeply immersed in personal drama, yet they managed to come together and collaborate effectively when it mattered most. Teenage protagonists can sometimes feel overdone, but the author struck a strong balance between typical adolescent angst and moments of surprising insight and maturity. Their determination and teamwork made the story not only believable but genuinely compelling.

This YA thriller had me hooked from page one! A murdered teacher, a convicted student, and three ex-best friends thrown back together when a mistrial shakes everything up—yes, please. The tension, the secrets, the shifting loyalties... I ate it all up. I loved watching Grace, Henry, and Ally navigate the wreckage of their friendship while trying to chase down the truth. And that final twist? Didn’t see it coming at all. There’s just something so satisfying about teens taking the lead and outsmarting the adults around them. Fast-paced, full of drama, and impossible to put down!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this wild ride—I devoured it like hot tea on a cold night, and baby, it was piping!

This book gave me everything I crave in a thriller: we’ve got murder (check), suspense (double check), mistaken identity (yes, please), a little romance (spicy), and twists so sharp I got whiplash. The drama? Delicious.

So here’s the setup: Jake’s just been released from prison after serving only 13 months of a 25-year sentence. Why? Oh, just because it turns out the prosecutor was sleeping with the judge—messy much? Jake had been convicted of murdering the beloved Ms. Applebaum, a teacher everyone adored… until she was found in the freezer at her own house. Yep. Freezer.

Add to that: Jake’s hair and his notebook—like, sir—were discovered at the scene. Case closed, right? Not so fast. Grace, a neighbor and one of Ms. Applebaum’s students, saw someone lurking in the backyard that night. Someone who wasn’t Jake. Hmm…

From there, it’s chaos in the best way. Rumors start flying, social media goes full-on sleuth mode, and everyone’s got something to say—but no one’s telling the full truth. The web of lies? Sticky. The tension? Thick. And the vibes? Immaculate.

What I loved most is how the story keeps you guessing until the very last page. Just when you think you know what happened… plot twist! And then another. And another. Every time I thought we hit the climax, the book said, “Hold my wine.”

This one is perfect for fans of small-town secrets, scandalous courtroom drama, and that “no one is safe” energy. The characters are messy, the stakes are high, and the ending? Whew. That ending. You won’t see it coming.

Put this on your thriller radar ASAP—you’re gonna want to talk about this one. I'm definitely grabbing a physical copy for my book shelf!

Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press for this ARC. Two years ago, a murder of a teacher tore 3 friends apart. Now the three friends, Grace, Ally and Henry who were all impacted by the teachers death in different ways must work together to find the real killer.

I thought overall this book was decent. I liked that the story switched from the 3 friends perspectives each chapter and we got insight into how it had impacted each of them separately. I thought I had figured out the real killer early on, but I was wrong. It was a good story with some twists but not too many.

O M G!!!

This Book Had A Slow Start But Once It Picked Up It Was On And Poppin!!!

A Teacher Dies At Your School And The Neighbor’s Son Goes Away For 2 For Committing This Crime. All The Clues Lead Back To Him… Or Do They?

When The Neighbor’s Son Comes Home A Group Of Neighborhood Kids Build A Task Force To Reopen The Case And Discover New Clues. Will They Come To The Original Conclusion Or Will They Come To A New One? Read To Find Out!

Thank You To Net Galley For Allowing Me To Read In Exchange For An Honest Review!

A solid mystery that kept me on my toes! At times I thought I knew who was guilty and then others I had no idea. This is one of my favorite parts of a well written mystery; I love being wrong/in the dark on who the culprit it.

Such a good read! Has everything I enjoy in a book: murder, mistaken identity, friends doing their own investigation! This is my first time reading Liz Lawson and will be adding her to my list of authors to read!

This is YA and definitely reads as such so make sure you know that going into it. I was struggling at first to keep up with character names but was fine by like 30%. I would say this would be great for 7th grade readers looking for a good mystery.

Alright I loved this book! I was instantly glued in the first chapter. I loved the characters and the friendship drama. A perfect YA thriller and will have you guessing who the real killer was all through the book. Overall I really enjoyed this book and plan to buy when it comes out!

The murder of a school's beloved teacher by a student turns the whole school upside down... two years later the killer's brother and semi girlfriend must work together with the girl who sent him to prison in order to find out the real culprit and prove his innocence. Grace, Henry, and Ally use to be best friends until Grace's testimony put Henry's brother Jake away for killing their English teacher. Henry is Jake's brother while Ally is his semi-girlfriend and Henry and Grace were sort of dating. Now two years later and Grace is doubting whether she actually saw Jake the night of the murder and if she actually wrongfully sent him to prison. Jake doesnt want Henry or Ally to go searching in the case but Ally is determined to prove his innocence and with Jake's trial date about to be set the three of them must find new evidence and crack the case of what really happened that night and who the real killer is. I adored Liz's series, The Agathas so much and was so excited when she announced a new YA Thriller. Too bad this one was just not it for me, the characters were so annoying and their bumbling about on the case was just down right sloppy. I get that they are teens but they really just fumbled their way through the case. I seriously don't get their relationships at all. I wish Jake played more of a major role and had more POVS and actually had chapters and worked on the case, sidelining him just felt so blend. The only character I actually enjoyed was Ally but Grace and Henry just kind of got on my nerves. Grace was just the worst, talk about a character who is constantly crying and being a doormat. I truly wish I could have liked this more but alas, here we are. While this was a miss for me I will definitely be reading future works from Liz!

Release Date: April 22, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's | Delacorte Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*