7/10- No Body No Crime is an action-packed and thrilling adventure. Private Investigator Mel is on a mission to bring home her ex girlfriend, Chloe, who mysteriously vanished six years ago.

Finding Chloe might be the easy part. Actually bringing her back means digging shit up– unanswered questions, unresolved feelings, and possibly even a body.

I found a certain comfort in reading this book (even if I was on the edge of my seat the entire time), bringing me back to reading old dime novels and Nancy Drew (just with more blood and more sapphics). I enjoyed the characters, the action, and most of all, the twists.

A special thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux - MCD as well as Tess Sharpe for access to this eARC!

I’ve really enjoyed the sapphic YA thrillers that I’ve read from Tess Sharpe, so I was excited to read this and see what an adult thriller from her would be like. No Body No Crime was a great read full of messy sapphic characters, an intricate plot, and very high stakes. I loved getting to see Mel and Chloe as both teens and adults. It was very interesting watching the plot unfold and realizing what happened in their past that made Chloe disappear for 6 years.

With all the different characters, timelines, and secrets, the book was a bit confusing at first. You’re just thrown into a very complex plot, there isn’t a calm before the storm of the story. It took me a bit to get acclimated to the book, but once I did I was all in. Occasionally there are chapters from the villain’s POV, while they did serve an important function for the plot I never found them as compelling as the chapters from Mel or Chloe’s POV.

Definitely check this book out if you’re into fast-paced thrillers and badass queer women. Tess Sharpe really knows how to write stories that mix survival, sapphic love, and suspense.

Holy crap. This book! Is everything.

Tess Sharpe is brilliant. The braided timelines, the shifting POVs, the way she doled out information so slowly and at perfect intervals to keep me hungry, devouring each page, but never in such a way that I felt frustration or like I was being toyed with.

This book. It's brilliant. Holy crap.

I need to start this by saying that I would wait in an Era's Tour Ticketmaster level line to read a new Tess Sharpe book (so thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux for letting me in). I also need to follow that up by saying this is my favorite of her works so far. There is something about "feral girls kill bad men" in this current climate that really delights me. The storytelling structure is so thrilling, bouncing between timelines and POVs with a speed that had my head spinning. Every new chapter unveiled information at the perfect time. I saw a couple things coming (in a good way, I love it when I can guess things), but there were some twists at the end that surprised me. Watching Chloe and Mel fall back into each other after everything, watch them learn to trust each other, made me teary eyed on more than one occasion. 10/10 recommend, and also I need someone to make this into a tv show STAT.

The closest a book can get to being a summer action movie—and I mean that as the highest compliment.

"No Body No Crime" is Tess Sharpe through and through. I'd even go as far as to say indulgently so. She takes everything that made her name and cranks it up to eleven. That might be a bit much for new readers—or even for longtime fans—but for me? It definitely worked. That is, once I understood what this book sets out to be: a fun, fast-paced action thriller.

It’s marketed as Adult, but with a few tweaks, I honestly think it would fit right in among her YA titles. In fact, I’d say this book is even “lighter” in several aspects. That’s not a knock—it’s just that her signature style is so distinct. And speaking of that, expect: multiple POVs, witty characters, dual timelines, and a narrative that loves to drop a mystery just after solving the last one.

The upside? It makes for a brisk, energetic read. The book doesn’t waste time with long setups—it throws you right into the middle of things and lets you figure out the motivations and context as you go. At times, it felt like I was reading two great stories wrapped into one. The downside? Some readers might find the lack of detail confusing or a bit unsatisfying. I almost found myself in that camp during the middle of the book—not because I wasn’t enjoying it, but because I just wanted more: more of the characters, more action, more scenes. Honestly, I think this story would’ve benefited from a few extra pages.

But is that really a problem? Not for me. Why? Because I was having a blast with what was already there.

Tess Sharpe’s greatest strength still lies in her ability to masterfully control the flow of information—knowing exactly when to hold back and when to let go. I’d genuinely love to one day see how she structures her narratives, and I wish more authors who want to play with time and flashbacks would learn from her. In this book, the flashbacks serve to keep the reader constantly engaged and maintain that kinetic rhythm. I personally love how she handles the back-and-forth.

My guess? There are still pieces of this story she’s holding onto for a future book. Or maybe that’s just me wishing for more. Probably. But hey—sue me.

The two main characters, Mel and Chloe, are an absolute delight. Tess Sharpe definitely has a type—thankfully, it’s the same as mine. They’re sharp, witty, and I was genuinely surprised by how often I laughed.

Since this is a plot-driven book above all, we don’t spend much time digging into character. The characterization is quick and to the point—but I really enjoyed Chloe’s restless energy and Mel’s steady presence. Their bond feels intense in that way only people who’ve been through hell together can share, and by the end of the book, I truly believed they’re ride or die for each other. And I love that for them.

Also? I’m completely obsessed with a certain pair of twins. Yes, they stole my heart.

In the end, I just want more stories like this—in every form of media possible: fun, chaotic stories about bold women thrown into wild situations that keep you entertained from beginning to end.

I loved this thriller romance from the author of The Girls I've Been. It feels like a grown up version of that book in a lot of ways, and since I'm a big fan of The Girls I've Been, I appreciated that. P.I. Mel has a lead on the girl who ran out of her life six years ago, but when she finds her hiding in the Canadian wilderness, it's clear she's on the run from something big. Claire never expected to see Mel again, but when the private plane they're flying home on crashes, the truth about what sent her running all those years ago finally comes out. Sharpe found the perfect balance between thriller, mystery, and romance in this one. I couldn't put it down. The dual timeline really enhanced the suspense and kept me on the edge of my seat as the story slowly pi9eces together everything that's happened to Mel and Claire. Full five star recommendation.

I don't often start with the negatives, but this aspect of the book just impacted my whole reading experience: the time structure with its flashbacks, etc... It didn't work for me. It made me go out of the story and diving in again and again became tedious.

Nonetheless, I wouldn't say this novel is bad in any other sense. I liked the characters a lot and the writing as well, so I am not discouraging anyone from reading it!

*Thank you to the Publisher, Tess Sharpe and Netgalley for an e-arc of "No Body, No Crime" in exchange for an honest review..*

This was such a good book and embodies the "Be Gay, Do Crime" beautifully.

well, that was fun. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Publishers for providing me with an eARC of this in exchange for an honest review.

A 5⭐️ read, it was equal parts romance and mystery/thriller which was great, cause I’m definitely not a romance reader but I truly enjoyed this. The writing was fun and quirky, all the characters were compelling in their own ways (shoutout to Gigi) and it was just generally really fun to see women outsmart men at every turn, which is really all you ever want in life.

Chloe and Mel had the perfect amount of bickering, and I enjoyed how everything unraveled. I liked the going back and forth between the past and the present. I wouldn’t say that the plot twists were something never seen before, but that still didn’t take away from the story.

Would recommend for anyone looking for a sapphic mystery/romance.

A twisty turny YA thriller, No Body No Crime pulls from its Taylor Swift-aping title and alchemises together a thrilling yarn and a swoonworthy sapphic romance about two girls on the run from a dark past. Well worth the price of admission, the book offers twists and closure in equal measure - long story short, one of the summer's better YA romantic suspense tales.

I've waffled between a three and a two stars. I could not get into this, at all. Which is so disappointing considering how much I loved "The Girls I've Been".

The story follows Mel and Chloe, two women who have been separated since they were teenagers after they killed a boy and hid the body. Chloe seems to have become a total paranoid survivor-woman living in the woods while Mel is hired as a PI by her family to find her. But other, mysterious figures are after Chloe, and the two women must survive the danger together.

Two main things were lacking in this: the characters and the plot. It's told with alternating viewpoints, with the occasional flashback to when they were teenagers. However, the flashbacks just make the reader most confused than add intrigue or give any context to what's happening. I didn't get a grasp on any of the characters, their motivations or personality. We're TOLD they loved each other just sooo much in the past, but you don't really feel that in any of their scenes. The author keeps teasing mystery after mystery, but without any answers whatsoever along the way, it gets more tedious than captivating. With the flashbacks, and retelling the story from different POVs, the plot to drags on unnecessarily.

The writing is also just not very exciting. It's overly descriptive for the genre, which makes the action scenes feel slow and the scenery is boring. Without any attachment to the characters, and a slow plot, I kept skimming and/or pausing the audio to do something else.

Overall this just isn't gripping, and lacked characters I connected to.

fun badass thriller with fun badass characters, some great plotting, interesting vibes, and some excellent scenes. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

No Body No Crime centres on Mel and Chloe, lovers who incidentally killed and buried a man, Toby Dunne, when they were teenagers. Several years on, Mel is now a private investigator tasked with finding Chloe, who has since disappeared in the Canadian wilderness, cutting herself off from her family and the rest of society. Reunited, the two find themselves facing new dangers as they learn that when they buried Toby, they buried something else too - and the people he stole it from are prepared to do anything to get it back.

The story is told from several perspectives and time points, which I thought worked well in terms of piecing together the events of Toby Dunne's death and the modern mysteries that the main characters found themselves unravelling. This pacing worked well for me, although I did find that the story took a while to get going.

Admittedly, this book felt like much more of a thriller than it did a romance book. From a thriller perspective, I really enjoyed it - the stakes were high and the ending was very satisfying in my opinion. As a romance, I didn't find there was a lot to work with. Chloe and Mel had a sweet relationship, but it felt like there were gaps in this and it would have been nice to see their teenage relationship fleshed out a bit more to match up with their relationship as adults. While I did enjoy the romance, it definitely felt more of a side storyline, with the mysteries surrounding Toby Dunne's death taking priority.

One other small thing I found was that t was a bit confusing to differentiate between some of the characters, who share the same name as a gag (Rick, Richard, Dick Jr, or 'the Dicks'). It was amusing at first but as the story progressed and these characters became more involved, it just became difficult to figure out who was who!

Overall, this was a great book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes a good thriller/mystery! 4/5

Thank to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

On the night of her sweet sixteenth, Chloe's world is quickly turned on it's head when she's left dealing with the consequences of killing a boy in self defense. At her side is Melanie, who, up until now, she had little interaction with. Now, they are not only partners in crime, but also bonded in their trauma from that night and find an attraction has formed in collaborating on such a dark secret. Eight years on, Mel is a PI hired to bring home Chloe, who ran away 6 years ago, though soon realizes that she can't do this without figuring out what lead her into hiding in the first place.

This was such an easy five star read for me, it is kind of unbelievable. I can't say that I anticipated being drawn to this book so much, but the second I started it I just couldn't put it down. Both Mel and Chlo had a real chemistry and love that was so prevalent from both of their chapters', and shrouded in the mystery created by the duel-timeline the story was just intensely gripping.

To reassure anybody who's shying away from this romance for whatever reason- this is so BEYOND a romance story. The turmoils of the main couple fall outwith that of your typically LGBTQIA+ story, and beyond that aren't even the main point of the story... kinda. Their turmoil *is* the mystery in the story, and it is filled with twists and suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Furthermore, the cast of side characters are all clever and unique in their own way, and everyone gets a chance to shine. This novel is packed with bad ass women, weird crooks, annoying peacocks, buff ladies, lesbian romance (*bisexuals, actually), and commentary on women in the murder business and their will to survive.

This is the first of Sharpe's books that I have read, and I must commend her writing what is probably doing to be one of my top books of the year. It's oddly refreshing to read about male characters truly fearing the women they are hunting, and Sharpe wrote it brilliantly. I cannot wait to get my hands on more of her books soon.

I received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley!

This book started off good for me and somewhere around the halfway point became tedious to finish. I think the thriller aspect worked for the plot, but the constant use of time flashes ruined the momentum of the story for me. Having a past/present narrative works when you're trying to unravel a mystery, but the flashbacks weren't ever a consistent period of time which just started to make the increasingly more convoluted story more confusing.

For me, I was fine with Mel and Chloe as fmcs, but there were too many side characters that ended up getting pov chapters that added nothing to the narrative. The names started getting too familiar (Rick, Richard, Dick Jr, Junior) and it got to a point where I could barely tell these people apart. I think it would've worked to have more of a settled background with the whole crime syndicate going on in this small town instead of somehow having EVERYONE involved ~in secret~.

I can appreciate that the story is like high octane from the jump, but immediately after the plane crash I was asking too many questions that never got answered and I think they could've been if there was more character background. For example, I know why Mel is able to fight and handle herself but it's unclear for the whole story why Chloe has survivalist skills when she comes from (as far as I could tell) a well-off family. Why would she know how to live off grid?

Their relationships with their friends are also sort of unclear. Like okay Whitney and Gigi are twins that were Chloe's friends but .....then become Mel's best friends? But.....according to this story, Chloe and Mel didn't run in the same circles so how exactly did Mel become friends with Chloe's best friends in this small town and this is somehow news to everyone?

The romance really could've been left out and the story for me might've been better. You're told a lot that they have this deep connection from their past but it just translates into strange in the present timeline. They have every single emotional/deep convo at the worst possible times and it started to take me out of it. Like yall can't do this when you're safe? You're running from killers but you're making out in the woods? Make it make sense please.

I would probably tell people to read this if they're into thrillers, but for me this one wasn't my fave.

Great thriller, the author style is always coming through, lived the dual timelines even though the romantic resolution was a bit quick.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for sending me an ARC for this book!

I absolutely LOVED both the Girls Ive been and The girl in question and have been missing that exact kind of feeling those two books gave me ever since Ive read them. With this one Tess Sharpe gave me that feeling back and I am obsessed again with this book. I dont think I will ever stop loving these thrillers of badass sapphic women kicking idiot mens asses. It was awesome and I need even more like it now.

What a great book!
A story of young women fighting to survive and get through the pains of that fateful night on June 10th.
The chemistry between both leading ladies as well as their close circle was well done. The characters were well written and you did feel the depth of their stories.

I was worried that the plot would fall apart towards the end with so many loose ends and people involved but I was pleasantly surprised. It wrapped up almost too neatly, but I appreciate how it ended all the same.
The pacing also kept me engaged, the only moments I felt needed to move in were when the POV was of one of the dicks. But overall well done!

No Body No Crime was very conflicting read for me. I genuinely loved Mel and Chloe as characters and I think the way that the murder of Toby drew them together and the mystery that followed was brilliant idea with great suspenseful and romantic elements and writing. That being said, I personally felt as if there were multiple chapters in this book that just felt like they didn’t have a purpose. And all of those chapters are from Rick’s POV. I love a multiple POV story, one of my all time favorite books has a ton of POV switches throughout the course of the book. But having Ricks POV here felt unnecessary when the information could’ve been worked into being told from one of the girls perspectives and would’ve (in my opinion) fit into the storyline more smoothly that way. Every time I’d stumble up a chapter from his point of view I would dread reading it and unfortunately that took what would’ve probably been close to a 5 star read for me down to a 2.5. I really wanted to love this book more than I do because the story really is very captivating and I like how the structure jumps around in time so we pick up bits and pieces of the mystery along the way. The romance between the two MCs was tender and loaded with tension due to their murderous backgrounds as well as Chloe’s disappearance. I also really liked the one of the twists the author brought in in the last quarter of the book a lot but the other I was a bittt iffy about. I think at the end of the day it’s a classic case of “why would a man be there” for me. All of that being said, this might be a book for you! I know other ARC readers who have loved this, but it’s just not the one for me.

2.5/5 Stars

Tess sharpe can do no wrong in my eyes. I love that this book just asks the question “why are men? Why do men?” If I’m anything it’s a man hater. I love strong female characters that are so badass and have survival skills. I do not think it was as good as her book the girl in question but it was still great!