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I adore Susan Dennard's writing, she has an incredible ability to bring the situations and characters to life. To weave in a creepy darkness and at the same time keep the same town vibes.

And she does it yet again in The Executioners Three.

With X Files meets, Nancy Drew meets Scrooby doo vibes (read it and you'll see) I just couldn't resist flying threw this to see what Freedie and the gang got up to next.

This story cleverly combined prank wars, double romances, historic curses and the supernatural as Freddie Investigates a series of mysterious deaths in their small town.

So many well written characters here, loved seeing Freddie and Theo interact. I love that like in The Luminaries series, the FMC in this has ordinary 'nerdy' girl vibes and just doesn't care.

Some great twists across the rival schools interactions as they prank each other which are fun and blend nicely with the very creepy peom, curse and death plot across the book.

Definitely one to pick up!

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When I saw that Susan Dennard had another book on the way after finishing The Luminaries series? I was excited to see we were going back to the nineties this time, well, my nostalgic heart was all too happy as I went through my teens during the decade of boy band wars, Snake on your 3310 and yes, for the most part, it was a great decade to be in.

I couldn’t put The Executioners Three down, or rather didn’t want to and finished my read around one thirty in the morning and was both satisfied with how the story came to a conclusion and also wanted more because it was just that good. Weaving together the nostalgia of the late nineties when teens couldn’t decide between Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC and liking them both was a total faux pas, the fun of going to the movies to see Men in Black or watching FRIENDs wondering what Rachel saw in Ross with a curse upon a small American town where everyone knows everyone and they’re all X-generation of the founding families? Susan Dennard has brought another page-turner to the masses and you’re going to be on edge as you’re drawn into the supernatural mystery that has our protagonist, Freddie Gellar (please tell me based off Freddie Prince Junior and SMG or Ross and Monica for the name?) firstly facing a gory scene and then convinced that history is repeating itself and there’s a reason her Dad, a former town Sheriff, had passed years before.

Dennard does create an unsettling place so well, and there are moments in the book that are truly worthy of those moments where you feel you’re left unsettled after watching a spooky movie. But alongside the immersive world-building is Dennard’s attention to detail of the era Freddie and her best friend Divya are going to school in. Freddie clearly cannot miss an episode of X-Files and drops in mentions of episodes that had me wishing I could go back to the time when we had to wait a week for the next part of Mulder and Scully’s adventures.

The fog that came in from nowhere had me thinking of hiding behind a friend’s shoulder as Sleepy Hollow showed on the movie screen, and I was scared to sleep.. Yes, I cannot say this enough, the nostalgia was so real reading The Executioners Three.

This may well be a young adult book, but it stands out to me because of how wonderful the attention to detail is, and it’s great for anyone like me who is feeling nostalgic and loved the scary levels of Point Horror books from way back when. Dennard writes her group of teens with the acknowledgement that just because they’re young doesn't mean they’re stupid or easy to trick by adults, which does happen a lot in YA books. They feel real, and you could probably recognize any of them as people you’ve been, or are friends with, because their personalities shine from the page.

The mix of the horror elements mixed with the humdrum days of pranking your friends and foes has the perfect balance, and despite waiting for the moment something else would go wrong, that creak on the floorboard kind of thing? You’re also going to laugh at the antics of school rivalry and smile at the tentative romance between Freddie and the boy she really shouldn’t like because he’s the enemy.. I just loved Freddie and Theo, they’re adorable - but I might have liked a little bit of a view from Theo at times when things get difficult and somewhat unsettling for all. Plus, Divya finding her happiness and the general acceptance that she likes girls is so nicely done that it’s treated in the same way as boy meets girl. There is a subtle acknowledgement, though, of how it was harder back in the nineties to be openly gay for some, by Divya’s wariness, and it took me back to my fears back then.

I loved this book, and now I’m stuck listening to *NSYNC again… I was team JC back then, but Lance was cool… sorry, Freddie!

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The overall plot of this book was really good and I really enjoyed the history that was built in but I struggled with the pacing - for a relatively short book, it took me a pretty long time to read as I felt it took a while to get going - the main action is the last 50 pages and while this is typical for thriller style books, I do feel a little more suspense earlier on would have been beneficial.

I also feel some of the terminology was not for me (silver sweetheart, Answer Finder and besties made me cringe so hard) but that may be as I am older than the intended audience.

That said, I really liked the characters and the Romeo and Juliet rivals to lovers aspect and the story was well thought out and fleshed out.

All in all, a good 3.5 star read from me

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Thank you so much Daphne Press and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

I really enjoy Susan Dennard’s writing style so as soon as I was given early access to this book I knew I had to start it immediately.
It did not disappoint. The twists and the turns in this book had me on the edge of my seat and I really struggled to put this book down.
I really loved Freddie as a character and her relationship with Theo was just perfection. I really liked how the romance was in the background of the story continuing to grow with each page but not taking over the main point of the plot.
I liked the slow discovery of the background behind the killings and how they all tied together at the end. I think this book has been really well written and the plot very well executed.

I will definitely be recommending this book to the community and I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy to add to my shelves.

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I TORE through this! Stranger Times meets Scooby Doo.
Part high school rivalry and pranks with burgeoning romances, part creepy supernatural murder mystery.

Freddie is one of the best heroine’s I have read recently. She is so distinct and very relatable. Dennard loves her leading ladies to wear glasses, be unapologetically nerdy, and be too smart for her own good. Freddie is Velma from Scooby Doo.

We have creepy Executioners from a creepy poem and a determined heroine who won’t take no as an answer. Plus, a great best friend who supports everything.

I cannot give much away about the romance because there’s two love interests - the popular jock and the Montageo to her Capulet, her sworn enemy.
I can tell you there are kissing scenes and it got HOT in there! It still remains closed door and clean though.

<b>“Um, I tried to respond, but you were like a freaking freight train going over a cliff. Now please put on the jacket.”
“Why?”
“Oh my god!” He flung up his hands—and the blazer. “I want you to put it on because I’m going to kiss you for a very long time, and I don’t want you to be cold.”
</b>
Similar to The Luminaires, Dennard is excellent at creating a small town where everyone knows each other and talks. This one has French ancestry and this plays into the plot and also comments on money and prestige and revenge.

One note: Freddie’s mother was weirdly supportive of her daughter getting out there and doing delinquent teenager things. This was funny, but also overdone and unrealistic.
I also kept wanting to go back to the mystery rather than the prank war.

This was just so addicting. Funny, witty, full of references (this takes place in 1999), and such a great ending.

Arc gifted by Del Rey.

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The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard is a thrilling, darkly humorous blend of mystery and supernatural suspense. Freddie Gellar, the protagonist, has no idea what she’s about to uncover when she innocently calls the cops after hearing strange noises coming from the woods. Her intentions to help turn into a tangled mess when the next day, a body is discovered, and Freddie’s sharp instincts lead her to suspect murder instead of the apparent suicide the sheriff has concluded.

As an aspiring sleuth with a love for The X-Files, Freddie’s investigation quickly spirals into something bigger than she anticipated. With tensions rising between her school and the rival high school involved in the incident—who, for years, have been locked in a prank war—Freddie becomes embroiled in a chaotic series of pranks that only seem to escalate. To make matters worse, the leader of the rival prank squad, who happens to be clever and devastatingly attractive, sets his sights on Freddie, complicating her already stressful life.

What sets The Executioners Three apart is Dennard’s clever weaving of supernatural elements into the plot. The haunting signs from an old poem, “The Executioners Three,” and the blood curse it predicts, add a chilling layer to Freddie’s search for answers. Despite Freddie’s disbelief in the supernatural, the town’s eerie events suggest there may be something to the curse after all. As Freddie digs deeper, the stakes grow higher, with the murderer—or perhaps the executioners—growing more dangerous, and Freddie herself becoming the next target.

The book strikes an excellent balance between suspense and humor. Dennard masterfully captures the tension and urgency of the investigation while also injecting moments of levity. Freddie’s witty inner dialogue and her hilarious interactions with her friends and the rival prank leader keep the tone from becoming too dark, but the high stakes and mystery keep you hooked.

The Executioners Three is a fast-paced, twist-filled story that delivers on suspense, supernatural intrigue, and an engaging, relatable protagonist. If you’re a fan of mystery with a touch of the supernatural and a dash of humour, this book is an absolute must-read. The mix of eerie atmosphere, thrilling murder mystery, and moments of genuine laughter makes this an unforgettable page-turner.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

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