This twisty thriller delivers an engaging whodunit centered around three former best friends forced to confront both their shared past and each other when the murder case that tore them apart gets reopened.

When Jake is released after serving only 13 months of his 25-year sentence for murdering beloved teacher Ms. Applebaum, the shockwaves ripple through the community. The circumstances of his release sets the stage for a riveting sequence of events as three former best friends confront their fractured relationships. The novel navigates the strained dynamics between Grace, Henry, and Ally, as they reluctantly reunite to uncover the truth before Jake's retrial. What follows is a masterfully constructed investigation where nothing is as it seems.

The author excels at crafting believable teenage friendships under extreme pressure. As Grace begins questioning what she actually witnessed that night, and with Jake's puzzling reluctance to pursue his own exoneration, readers are kept guessing until the jaw-dropping revelation: Grace's sister Lara and her fiancé Evan (the murdered teacher's ex-boyfriend) framed Jake. The additional layer of a drug-dealing ring run by another of Ms. Applebaum's exes adds compelling complexity to the mystery.

While I did guess aspects of the ending, the journey there was thoroughly enjoyable. The plot moves at a brisk pace, with enough red herrings and twists to keep you guessing until the final chapters. While I did anticipate some aspects of the ending, the journey there was thoroughly enjoyable. The author does an excellent job depicting how social media amplifies rumors and accusations, adding a contemporary layer to this teenage murder mystery.

If you enjoy fast-paced thrillers with complex friendships, moral ambiguity, and multiple layers of deception, this binge-worthy mystery delivers on all fronts. The tension between the three protagonists feels authentic, and watching them navigate their complicated history while uncovering the truth makes for a heart-racing read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Liz Lawson, Random House Children's | Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

⭐⭐⭐⭐½ rounded up

From the very first page, this book draws you into its world with engaging prose, well-developed characters, and a compelling narrative. The author's storytelling is confident and immersive, weaving together themes that resonate long after the final chapter.

Just imagine a good girl guide to murder but even more darker?
You did?well you got this book
The story maked me to keep wanting more and more and putting me more intrigued on the "who did this?"question
Its a book that will put you on the chair until you figure the truth out
I really loved this how it was done everything making sense in the end
So i certainly following her next books

Really enjoyed this ! I liked the characters … the flashbacks were good . Kept me on edge the whole time ! Slightly predictable , but still entertaining

This book was just okay. I liked the mystery aspect and not knowing who killed the teacher and the overall creepy vibe but the one FMC was so whiny is was hard to tolerate her chapters

Murder Between Friends by Liz Lawson is indeed a very good thriller that hooked me from the beginning and the ending simply blew my mind. Jake Hanson, had been a good student until he wasn't. He fell in with an unsavory group, was suspected of dealing drugs and was facing possible expulsion. He had a loud and threatening fight with his English teacher Miriam Applebaum. Shortly after this incident, Ms. Applebaum was found murdered, and all evidence led to Jake. The most convincing evidence was provided by high-schooler Grace Topham; she testified that she saw Jake entering Miriam's home on the night of the murder. Largely contingent on Grace's testimony Jake was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Imagine the town's reaction when Jake was released after serving only 13 months; his sentence was vacated on a technicality. Prior to the murder and trial Grace had been long-time best friends with Jake's brother Henry and Ally Copeland, her feisty and opinionated neighbor and editor of the school paper. Grace has been questioning her testimony, and ultimately shared that wiith her two former friends; reluctantly they join forces to discover who actually killed Miriam and if possible exonerate Jake. Murder Between Friends is a well- crafted novel, with multiple subplots that keep the reader guessing. My only concern is that it appeared to be recommended for readers age 12 and up, based on the content I think 14 and up would be a more appropriate age range. Let me just repeat- the ending is stellar. Thanks to NetGalley, Random House, Delacorte Press and Liz Lawson for the opportunity to read an ARC of Murder Between Friends; my review reflects my candid opinion. 4 stars.

So fun and had me guessing until the last second. (Though I was happy to guess the true killer of this one). All three POV's were fully fleshed-out characters that each had their complicated feelings towards the case. Grace's story intrigued me the most given her (spoiler: complicated family), and seeing her crack the case in the end was lovely to see.

Like many of the books I don't rate a perfect 5/5, it came down to this one dragging in some places.

Overall, I enjoyed Murder Between Friends, but there were a few reasons I couldn't give it more than 3 stars.

The premise: Three friends were torn apart when, two years ago, Henry's brother was convicted of murder and sent to prison based on Grace's testimony - and Ally has never forgiven her for it. Now, being released on a technicality, the three friends have to come together to solve what really happened before Jake is retried.

Liz Lawson's YA mystery/thriller definitely felt like it was a a teenager that was trying to act like an adult. Parts were over the top, but that's not necessarily a bad things with this kind of book (especially YA). But the language felt disjointed. The kids were using adult language (both in vocabulary and in cursing), yet, every actual adult talked to them like children (the MC's are supposed to be 17/18 - high school seniors). Everyone kept telling them to let the grown-ups handle it. Who says that to 17 year olds? Say adults. I haven't send "grown-ups" to my kids since they were 5. I'm not sure why that bothered me so much.

There were also some inconsistencies that I'm going to amount to editing issues, which I'm hopeful are fixed before publication - clues were different, wording was off in some paragraphs/sentences. Some of them strange enough it felt like AI wrote parts. I also was able to figure out the mystery, a good portion before the ending.

With all that being said, I did still enjoy myself, and the story of these 3 teenagers trying to navigate big hard things together.

**Thank you NetGalley and Random House Childrens for sending this book for review. All opinions are my own.**

I found this YA thriller to be not quite as thrilling as I’d hoped. The plot had a very slow build, which made it hard to stay fully engaged. There was a nice twist at the end that I appreciated, but it didn’t quite make up for the overall slow pacing. That said, it wasn’t a bad read—just not action-packed enough for my taste. I did enjoy the well-developed characters, and the story had real potential. I’d be open to giving this author another try. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this advanced reader’s copy

A murder that tore a town apart, betrayal among friends, and layers of secrets all drive the pace and emotion of this thriller. When the case is reopened due to an overturned conviction, the trauma resurfaces at school, in the homes of the families, and the hearts and minds of the teens at the center of the novel. The characters are unique and engaging, especially Grace - who doubts her initial testimony, Ally - who cannot forgive Grace, and Henry - confused by his brother’s apparent apathy about having to go to trial again. Lawson has a grasp of the teen brain - impulsive, reflective, critical, unforgiving, longing, fearful, and hopeful - and uses that to craft complex characters who find themselves in seriously complicated and dangerous situations. I was hooked at the start and barely put the book down until I was finished.

Thank you to Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, Netgalley, and the author for early access to this complex thriller.

The premise is a strong one: 3 estranged friends—Grace, Ally, and Henry—reunite to investigate the long-unsolved murder of their high school teacher after the conviction of Henry’s brother, Jake, is overturned. As Grace begins to question the testimony she gave years earlier, the trio dives into a tangled web of past betrayals and buried secrets.

Despite the compelling setup, I found the book slow-moving, which made it difficult to stay fully engaged. The emotional depth and alternating perspectives add nuance, but the suspense never quite builds in a satisfying way. I saw the twist coming well before the reveal, which made the ending feel underwhelming.

That said, the novel thoughtfully explores themes like guilt, trust, and redemption. If you’re looking for a character-driven mystery with a gradual burn, this might still be worth a read—just don’t expect a high-stakes thriller.

<b> "Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow." </b>
The high school has been turned upside down when a teacher had been murdered and one of the students have been charged with the murder. Everyone thinks it is clear cut, but friends and brother of the charged seems to think differently. The main issue had been how their friendship has dissolved. They have to work together, somehow, and figure out if Jake actually did murder Ms. Applebaum.
*
Really enjoyed this YA mystery. It has murder, suspense, mistaken identity and grief. It also has many different POV which not only makes the story flow very well, but really aids in the mystery.
*
If you are a crime junkie that loves when internet sleuths take matters into their own hands, this book is for you!

3-Star

Murder Between Friends was an extremely bingeable read—I flew through the pages wanting to see how it all unfolded. That said, I had most of the plot twists figured out within the first few chapters, which took away some of the suspense for me. The twist at the end, which I didn’t see coming, did help redeem the story a bit and kept it from feeling too predictable. I think I would’ve rated it higher had the earlier reveals not felt so obvious. Still, it’s a quick, entertaining read if you’re in the mood for something fast-paced.

This was a really good YA thriller about finding out the truth about what really happened to their friend! This was twisty and left you wanting more!

Two years ago, their teacher was murdered, and Henry's older brother Jake was convicted of the murder. Henry's best friend and semi-girlfriend Grace testified that she saw Jake go into the house, blowing up their relationship both with each other and their third friend Ally. Now, Grace is questioning what she saw, and tries to help Ally and Henry prove that Jake is innocent.

Sounds like a great premise, right? I thought so too. But overall, I did not like this book. There were very few parts of good, mostly just in the fact that the author is clearly very good at suspense. It was established very early that everyone had secrets, and the way that the reveals were sprinkled throughout was clever.

However, the writing made it a struggle to read. A lot of perfectly normal conversations between characters take a hard turn into screaming matches. It's like interacting with a toxic family member and I hated it. And I get that they're kids, but these characters were bumbling around like idiots and had no subtlety when questioning people. I'm surprised anyone told them anything. It did kind of make me laugh every time one of the characters said that they were getting annoyed with each other, since I spent pretty much the whole book annoyed with them all. Everyone is selfish, superficial, and just plain sucks. Considering how mediocre I found the majority of the book, I should have expected the big reveal to be lackluster, but I actually thought it would be interesting, so I was disappointed when it all came out.

This could be because I was reading an ARC, but there were several continuity errors that took me out of the story.

I appreciate receiving this ARC from the publisher and NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to read for free. Review is my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the eARC.

This book was really enjoyable! It was fun and twisty and YA enough to be YA but not off putting to an adult reading. These teens are far smarter than me and I really found it fun to watch them outsmart the professionals! 3.75/5.

Two years have passed since Jake was placed in jail due to Grace testifying that he had killed their teacher. So, when Jake is released from prison and Grace starts to question what she really saw that night, she turns to her old friends Ally and Henry hoping they might be able to save Jake. This book is told from three different points of view that come together seamlessly to weave a tale that will sweep readers up in a world where lies come to the surface and everything you think you know gets turned on its head. I quite enjoyed this story and am excited to get it into readers’ hands.
Thank you to Random House Children’s and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

This was a pretty good young adult mystery/thriller book. Some parts were a little slow, but the ending was great and I didn't fully see it coming.

It's been two years since Jake went to prison for killing popular newspaper teacher Ms Applebaum. The tragic effects on the friendship of Ally, Grace and Jake's brother, Henry are laid bare when Jake is release on a technicality. Thrown together again by circumstances, the three begin an investigation to prove Jake's innocence. By seeking the truth, however, they risk more than their reputation. They risk their very lives. Told in a style reminiscent of Karen McManus' One of Us is Lying, we see events from each of the three's perspective. This book will keep you guessing until the end.

Short and Sweet Review

Grace, Ally, and Henry used to be best friends until Grace gives a witness testimony in court against Henry’s brother Jake saying he killed their teacher. It’s been two years since Jake was put away and now he’s getting out because of a mistrial. Henry knows his brother is innocent and Ally is by Henry’s side 100%. Grace is now unsure of what she actually saw that night and wants to make things right by helping Henry and Ally find new evidence before the date for the new trial is set but Henry is wary of her and Ally just doesn’t trust Grace at all.

I’ve read The Agatha’s series by Liz Lawson and Kathleen Glasgow, so I was excited to see that Lawson was writing another mystery. This book was so good, I loved it. Two years ago Jake was arrested for the murder of a beloved teacher and Grace’s testimony put him away. We get the POV of all of the characters and we see a lot of Grace and Henry but I will say Ally’s POV becomes more important towards the end of the book. Henry has gone through a hard time, they live in a small town and a majority of people in town believe Jake is guilty. Grace used to be friends with Henry and Ally but now she hangs out with kids who are more popular, she tries to do the right thing and we can see she tries to be the moral compass and be there for people she cares about. Ally is more rough around the edges but deep down she’s a softy, around the time of this book we see its the anniversary of her dad’s death. I think Ally is cold towards Grace because she feels like what she did was a betrayal and Grace was one of her best friends so it hurts. Henry was faster to forgive Grace and we can see that when they’re together it makes Ally feel like a third wheel but I liked the dynamic that each of the characters had whether it was when they were in pairs or all together. The mystery was good and I loved seeing these three find clues and interview different people. I’ve read a lot of mysteries so I was able to figure out who the actual murderer was but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book.

Overall, definitely check this book out, it’s full of twists and turns and a trio of great characters. If you’ve read The Agathas and need a new mystery to scratch that itch Murder Between Friends is the book you need!