3.75
A bit confusing at first as it slips in and out of time in a matter of sentences quite often. The main character is not sane so not a reliable voice, I went back and forth between liking her, being annoyed by her, her trying her best, her being crazy, likable... Then not again, often. It is not predictable but mostly because you are confused a large portion of the book. The characters, settings, emotions, etc are descriptive and the story is entertaining if not only for the reason of wanting to piece together what the heck is going on. I did want to keep reading, so points for that. I was not satisfied at by the end though. At about the 75% mark I was feeling really engaged and interested then it went messy again. I can't say I wouldn't recommend it though cause I'd be happy to discuss it with other readers in a book club setting.

Whispers of Dead Girls follows Ren, who returns to teach at the very high school she once attended—also the school her sister was enrolled in when she died. As Ren adjusts to her new role, she begins to suspect that her colleague, Bryson, is interacting with students inappropriately—something Ren knows all too well from her own past, doesn’t she?

The plot was intriguing with several compelling layers, though there were a few more characters than I personally would’ve preferred, which made it a bit harder to follow at times. I definitely didn’t see the ending playing out the way it did. That said, some parts near the end were confusing, especially in terms of who was speaking—it could’ve used a bit more clarity there.

This was a slow-burn read, but it kept me interested throughout.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“I’ll always be doomed to reside in both places at one. My past. My present. Forever intertwined.”

Ren finds herself back in her small hometown teaching in her old high school. To the outside world Ren is quiet and distant, but internally she is battling so much. Her mind is in overdrive at all times, including daily hauntings of her sister’s ghost following her. I loved how I could feel the slow motion of Ren’s perspective at times. Wonderful imagery of the world around her slowing down to almost nothing as she drifted into past memories and the snap back to reality. This is what I’m looking for in an atmospheric psychological thriller!

Most of the book only gives brief clues and references to what originally happened 14 years earlier. As soon as Ren shows up the present closely resembles the past. It felt over-the-top coincidental, but I was happy with how it all came together at the end.I can’t wait to read more Marlee Bush books in the future!

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC. This review will be shared on NetGalley and Goodreads.

Pub Date May 27 2025

I love a good thriller and I especially love a good thriller that has some epic “good for her” moments and this one was full of them. The story sucked me in and I found myself up late reading, not wanting to sleep until I knew the full story.

Ten years after graduating, Ren finds herself back in her old high school, only this time, she’s a teacher. She is haunted by the tragedy that killed her sister and ruined her life. With the ghost of her sister always around, and the charismatic teacher next door reminding her of the person who ruined everything for her, she can’t help but notice history repeating.

I devoured this book. Highly recommend for a thriller on the darker side.

4⭐️ (3.5 rounded up) This was a haunting read with strong writing that immediately drew me in and kept me curious until the end.

Ren Taylor returns to her old high school a decade after her sister's murder, hoping to make peace with the past—but instead, she is thrust back into it. Haunted by memories and her sister’s ghost, Ren becomes suspicious of a charming teacher whose closeness with a student feels all too familiar. She’s convinced something is wrong—and this time, she’s not staying silent.

I really enjoyed the author’s writing style — it’s vivid, immersive, and easy to fall into. Some chapters ran a bit long but were broken into sections, which helped. I loved the haunting element of Ren and her sister, but at times the story felt a little disjointed, and the twist could have been developed a bit more.

Trigger warning: the book includes inappropriate relationships between teachers and students.

Overall, a strong, memorable story with just a few bumps along the way.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

I loved that this book kept that mysterious vibe all the time as it added more tension and suspense to the plot. The book has surprising plot twists and ends with a cliffhanger. It does an excellent job at exploring morally grey areas and is deeply unsettling. Sometimes there’s a fine line between a hero and a villain….sometimes it’s simply a matter of perspective.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley.

I loved this book! Twists and turns on every page. Read in one sitting, could not put down. So well written and paced perfectly.

The story follows Ren Taylor, who returns to her old high school a decade after her teenage sister's murder. Ren is tormented by her sister's death and the scandal that shattered her childhood.

As Ren seeks to make peace with her past, she grows suspicious of Bryson Lewis, a charismatic physics teacher with a close bond to a student who reminds Ren of her sister. Determined to prevent history from repeating itself, Ren must confront her darkest secrets to protect the girl.

The novel promises to be an engrossing read, blending suspense with emotional depth.

I enjoyed Marlee Bush's first book and was so excited to get asked to read her second!

This was great, creepy, suspenseful.. all the right things!

This was so so good and also made me so uncomfortable bc the topic was just unfortunately something we all see happening in the real world:( It takes you out of the box and makes you think and feel and I truly enjoyed how the story was told, plus the ending was wild!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 stars – Intriguing premise, but didn’t quite deliver

I was eager to read Whispers of Dead Girls by Marlee Bush, having really enjoyed her debut When She Was Me last year (a solid 4-star read for me). I went into this one with high hopes—ready for another well-paced thriller with layered characters and some emotional depth. Sadly, this one didn’t land the same way.

Ten years after the murder of her teenage sister, Ren returns to her hometown as a teacher at her old high school. Haunted by memories, ghosts (both literal and figurative), and unresolved trauma, she finds herself spiraling again—especially when she begins to suspect the charming physics teacher, Bryson Lewis, of grooming a vulnerable student. Her protective instincts kick in, but her methods and assumptions often feel more unhinged than heroic.

The setup is great—dark, moody, and brimming with potential—but the execution felt sluggish. Despite short chapters and fast-moving scenes, the pacing dragged. I kept waiting for something big to actually happen. Ren’s paranoia was palpable, and while it’s clear that her trauma runs deep, her immaturity and erratic behavior made her hard to root for. The supporting cast? Forgettable. The plot? Predictable, with a twist that felt both harmful and overly sensationalized.

The haunting aspect with Ren’s sister Margo was eerie and well done, but the constant timeline shifts in the first half made it tricky to follow until proper flashbacks were introduced later. There were too many plot threads left dangling by the end, and I can’t help but feel this could’ve been a much stronger story with a tighter focus and more character development—especially for the teenage characters, who at times felt cartoonish.

Ultimately, I won’t be recommending this one. I appreciated the author’s ambition, but I found the central message troubling and the storytelling just not quite gripping enough to pull it off.

Thanks to Marlee Bush, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Ren Taylors' sister Margo Glass was murdered as a teenager possibly by a teacher.
Now ten years later Ren is nearly thirty returns to her hometown a small Georgia town as a biology teacher at her former high school.
She hasn’t gotten over her sister’s death. She hopes to have closure and find the killer. After girls start disappearing from the school, she suspects fellow teacher Bryson. She starts to see the ghost of her sister , and have flash backs throughout the story.

I like the premise of the book, and the title caught my attention. I did like the main character, but i didn't connect with the other characters. I didn't like the ending , it was unsatisfying. It wasn't for me but it wasn't a bad book.

Title: Whispers of Dead Girls
Author: Marlee Bush
Publisher: Poison Pen Press
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Pub Date: May 27, 2025
My Rating: 3 stars
Pages: 366


Ren Taylors' sister Margo Glass was murdered as a teenager possibly by a teacher.
Now ten years later Ren is nearly thirty returns to her hometown a small Georgia town as a biology teacher at her former high school.
She hasn’t gotten over her sister’s death. She hopes to have closure - and find whodunit.

With the disappearance of several girls’ Ren sees similarities to her sister’s case and is fearful of things are being repeated. Something seems ‘off’ regarding Bryson Lewis the male teacher whose classroom is across the hall - Is he involved?
There are a lot of flashbacks and Margo continues to have a part of this story.

The ending was a bit of a surprise but I was still left wondering a few things.

I read "When She Was Me" author, Markee Bush's debut novel and loved it so was pleased when I saw she has out a new story. However I believe my expectations were a bit too high as this wasn’t the great read I was expecting.

Want to thank NetGalley and Poison Pen Press for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for May 27, 2025.

Omg… I LOVED THIS!!!!!! Thank you for the opportunity on reading an ARC copy of whispers of dead girls! Page turner and “unputdownable”!! I couldn’t stop after every chapter, I lost sleep (in a good way!) 5/5 RECOMMENDED!

Whispers of Dead Girls | ARC review




I knew this one would be good after previously reading Marlee Bush’s When She Was Me. (Review is on my page!) This one really built the tension and kept me guessing! Not only was it a thriller, but it gave some supernatural spooky aspects when Ren is talking to her dead sister. I think throughout the whole book you can really pick up on the anxiety and upset that Ren is feeling, I was completely pulled in to the story. The two major plot twists were fabulous, and there were some great parallels showcased.
Overall, a four star read from me! 🤩🤩🤩🤩

This one releases May 27, 2025 ✨


Thank you @netgalley @poisonedpenpress for the chance to read and review ahead of time!

With thrillers, you can’t always take the title literally. The synopsis for this one gave no indication to take it literally, so figured it was just a catchy title. False. Take it literally, and if that’s not your cup of tea (it’s not mine) skip it.

I don’t know that I would really consider this much of a thriller, it felt very YA mystery to me. I was a fan of this authors previous work, but this book isn’t one I’d add to my recommendations. It was very predictable and nothing I hadn’t seen before.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

I didn’t love this one :/ I had a hard time getting into it and it continued throughout the book. IMO it took way too long for it to finally ‘get started’. Also the ending didn’t give me much , neither of the killers got caught.

Unfortunately., this book just didn’t do it for me. I found myself getting confused a lot with the flashbacks because they weren’t really syncing up for me when they’d occur. None of the characters really stood out and I found Ren’s suspicions and sudden involvement odd into Brysons movements. Not saying they weren’t warranted, it just felt like…oh this event occurred and he’s immediately guilty right off the bat without just being suspicious at first. Like it just took a dive so quick that it was a real turn off for me at that point.

I gave this book 5 stars, The book was perfectly written. I will be looking for more from this author!

The minute you begin reading you wonder who Ren is talking to because no one is there.

You then realize she is talking to her dead sister Margo - well Margo is talking to her telling her what to do.

Margo was murdered ten years ago in the very high school she and Ren graduated from and the same high school that Ren is now teaching in.

We follow Ren as she suspects one of the teachers who she thinks is behind her sister's killing and a few other girls. She tries to do her own investigating - a good idea??

Things happen to her that would scare me away, and I definitely wouldn't want a dead sister talking to me.

Is she the goody two shoes she claims to be?

What secrets does Ren carry?

WHISPERS FROM DEAD GIRLS is suspenseful and a bit creepy.

Thriller fans will enjoy this one. 4/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own.