This is a very exciting thriller with a lot of twists and turns. It's a quick read that I devoured!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Now I want to visit the outback! So many twists and turns. A great page turner. Would recommend to any thriller/mystery lover.

Thank you to NetGalley & Sourcebooks Landmark for access to the e-ARC of This Stays Between Us by Sara Ochs!



This Stays Between Us follows a group of friends returning to the Australian Outback for a reunion (minus a couple who will not be able to be in attendance). The story drew me in and kept me interested until the very end. And that finale? *Chefs Kiss*



Highly recommend for anyone looking for a quick thriller read as you won't want to put this down!

This Stays Between Us is such a good read! So many twists and turns that kept me wanting to read page after page. Great mystery and fantastic thriller of a book. I would have never guessed how the book would end, but wow!


Thank you NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

A group of older students gather in Australia for an adventure expedition. One is missing and the mystery begins. Who killed her and why? Good description of the Outback.

I loved this book! From the first page I was sucked in to the mystery. The two timelines kept me guessing until the big reveal. I hope Sara Ochs continues to release thrillers of this and her debuts caliber. I will say this book make me decide as a parent to never let me child study abroad in Australia!

Sara Ochs is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. A college trip to Australia gone wrong, This Stays Between Us is a thriller that keeps you on your toes.

Such a good book with so many twists and turns a must read! I highly recommend to friends and family!

I recently had the pleasure of reading an ARC of “This Stays Between Us” by Sara Ochs, courtesy of Netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark. As a fan of her debut thriller, “The Resort,” I had high expectations, and I am thrilled to say that this book exceeded them in every way.

From the very first page, Ochs masterfully weaves a tale of suspense and intrigue that kept me on the edge of my seat. The plot is intricately crafted, with twists and turns that are both surprising and satisfying. The characters are well-developed and relatable, each with their own secrets and motivations that add depth to the story.

One of the standout aspects of this book is Ochs’ ability to create a palpable sense of tension. The atmosphere is charged with suspense, and the pacing is perfect, making it impossible to put the book down. The writing is sharp and evocative, drawing the reader into the world of the characters and making every moment feel real and urgent.

“This Stays Between Us” is a gripping thriller that explores themes of trust, betrayal, and the lengths people will go to protect their secrets. It’s a must-read for fans of the genre and a testament to Sara Ochs’ talent as a storyteller. I highly recommend it and can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

Ok WHAAAT!? This mystery had me hooked with its wild twists and turns! It seamlessly flips between present day and the past, where a dream trip for a group of twenty-somethings takes a fatally wrong turn. Witty, clever, and packed with the messy angst of young love, jealousy, and the lure of adventure—this one had me flipping pages at lightning speed. An absolute thrill ride! Thank you for the advanced read, Net Galley!

Do you ever get to the end of a book, just have to sit it down, and process it? Yeah, that's what happened with "This Stays Between Us". There were several moments during the book that I thought for sure I knew who the culprit was. Was I ever right? Absolutely not. Then we get to the last few pages, and my mind was blown. While Phoebe was the victim AND the villain in this story, I completely related to her as an introvert who was just trying to fit in during school. Overall, loved this book!!

A month studying abroad in the outback turns deadly. But who is to blame?

The book begins with a 10 year reunion trip. Claire does not want to go, to relive the trauma of her time there, knowing what she did to Phoebe. Then, a body turns up locked in a mine and she feels like to must return for the investigation.

I could not put this book down. Short chapters kept me intrigued and questioning everything I thought was happening.

With this group of college kids there are all the things you’d expect: sex, drugs, alcohol, mayhem!

This book is told in dual timeline from multiple points of views.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. Look for it to be published on July 15, 2025!

A group of friends gets back together when their friend’s body is found. I got sucked in quickly to this book and couldn’t wait to find out what was happening. Good pacing and good character development. I enjoyed it!

This Stays Between Us is a standalone novel written by Sarah Ochs.

Expected release date: July 15, 2025

*Australia setting
*Murderer amongst friends
*Dual timeline

Ten years after a group of six students meet in Australia, one of the students is found dead. From there it’s a guessing game of who is to blame and who you can trust.

At times the story dragged, but overall I enjoyed trying to figure out who was the killer amongst the group. Claire leads the current timeline POV and Phoebe leads the POV timeline from ten years ago.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read and review this title!

Format: NetGalley ebook
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Overall score:⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level:🌶️
Characters: Claire & Phoebe

I loved Sara Ochs first book, so I was so happy to receive this one! I loved this book! The duel times lines, the Australia setting, all the characters and their dynamics. Lots of secrets and suspense in this story. This book is a psychological thriller done right with plenty of twist and turns. I never give 5 stars to thrillers but for this I do.

Wow! This was absolutely amazing! So many unhinged twists and turns! I was surprisingly shocked at each turn of events! I loved the cattiness and all the sexual tension between the group traveling abroad in Australia and I loved reading about the things they did in Sydney and in the Outback. The way Sara wrote the descriptions, I felt as if I was living alongside Ellery, Phoebe, Adrien, Kyan, Claire, Josh, Declan, Tomas and Hari. I felt everything they were feeling. Go into this blind because it is so good!

Sara Ochs delivers a gripping psychological thriller in *This Stays Between Us*, intertwining past and present against the backdrop of the Australian Outback. The novel opens with a group of university friends embarking on what they expect to be a life-changing adventure, only for it to lead to tragedy. A decade later, new evidence draws them back to Australia, forcing them to confront old alliances and buried secrets.

With a dual-timeline structure, the story builds suspense as the complex characters reveal their hidden motives. The vividly rendered setting—from the stunning coastline to the eerie Outback—intensifies the unease, while sharp pacing and unexpected twists keep readers guessing until the end.

For fans of psychological thrillers with morally ambiguous characters, *This Stays Between Us* is a compelling read that lingers long after the final page. Some secrets simply refuse to stay buried.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review; sadly this did not work for me. It’s everything I usually enjoy in thrillers, the band gets back together, adventure, island, etc. My main dislike of this book was the writing and how predicable the characters and the ending felt. It’s not a bad book by any means, it just really did not wow me and had everything in it that usually does. I don’t mind when I predict twists, at all, but there has to be other things about the book I enjoy and there just wasn’t in this one. If you want a quick, popcorn thriller, you will probably find this somewhat enjoyable.

This Stays Between Us by Sara Ochs had me completely hooked from start to finish. I loved how the suspense slowly built as Claire returned to Australia to face the secrets of her past. The tension was so real, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the guilt Claire carried. It kept me guessing with every twist, and by the end, I was on the edge of my seat, wondering how everything would unfold. If you love psychological thrillers with deep secrets and plenty of suspense, this one’s a must-read!

I really enjoy books by Sara Ochs. Her latest, This Stays Between Us was a winner. I definitely recommend it!