4 ⭐️

Did I smell spooky season?! Yes, yes, yes. The small town environment and the historic atmosphere was the perfect settlement for solving a murder mystery.

Our FMC, Freddie, I could see a bit of myself on her! Her shyness, her awkwardness, but above all her determination to follow her guts. Oh, and how smart she is! It’s hard not to like her. Something I liked a lot, and feel it represents perfectly how friendships work in teens, is the friendship between Freddie and Divya. It felt so authentic, their dynamic was so well developed and natural. Of course, same applies to Theo… I was so delighted, their chemistry, the tension, the humor…loved it!

One last thing: I have to admit, as a millennial, the 90’s culture references…perfect! I thought I went time traveling and enjoyed every single moment.

So if you’re looking for an easy and entertaining read, well written, with a spooky murder mystery vibe!? This book delivers everything. Had fun reading it 🖤

Thank you very much to Susan Dennard and NetGalley for giving me the access to the ARC

“Ah,” Freddie replied, and she couldn’t help it: she laughed. An irrepressible sound that fizzed up from her lungs. Because really - no boy should be allowed to quote NSYNC and kiss her neck at the same time. It was like having every fantasy come true at once.”

Thank you so much to net galley and black crow pr for letting me read this early I was so excited when I read the premise and it most certainly lived up to my expectations.

A nostalgia filled teen mystery with small town folklore, dark academia and the most adorable rivals to lovers romance that will leave you swooning - whilst also wondering what the hell is going on! Imagine If you crossed the Gilmore girls small town vibe with the Scooby doo team and add a dash of goosebumps. I had SO much fun reading this and I feel like it will be a book I return to over and over.

After Freddie Gellar accidentally gets half of her rival school arrested she’s thrust into popularity and an ongoing prank war. An amateur detective and wannabe sherif, Freddie loves a good mystery especially anything otherworldly thanks to her love of the X Files so when a dead body turns up and she starts hearing strange noises in the woods, she starts to investigate. The story that follows is complex, with an interesting duality between a mysterious conspiracy and typical teen hijinx.

The things I loved most about this book were the romance - very swoon worthy, snarky and just fun, the town folklore and the friendships. The best friendship between Freddie and Divya was one of my favourite aspects, it was so heartwarming and reminded me of Lizzie and Miranda (Lizzie McGuire) which is also 90’s so it’s very fitting. They are there for each other, always on the phone and just are so in sync… (cue NSYNC jokes). The side characters in general really shine through in this, they are vibrant, funny and add so much flavour to the story.
Of course the main romance is the true draw, it really is a rivals to lovers situation but they are forced to work together due to what’s happening in the town. Their banter was so fun and the tension between them kept me glued to the page!! Mostly though it was just really sweet and adorable making me smile and laugh throughout.

The setting of this book was so wonderfully constructed it really brings you into the folklore, the creepy forests, old wooden houses, and lack of modern technology has such a camp crystal lake feel - but a small town instead. It really kept me invested in the mystery and made it so much more eerie. The plot was really well thought out and I couldn’t guess the ending which I loved, it was really interesting piecing the story together and trying to figure out alongside the main character. Overall I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a funny, spooky thriller with all the typical YA fun we love to read, whilst solving a really interesting and unique mystery.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley, Daphne Press, Titan Books and Susan Dennard for giving me an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The only negative thing I have to say is that this is a perfect spooky season read, and I read it in Australia in July! I am so excited for this one to be released, there are multiple people I am dying to recommend it to!

What a fantastic YA horror/mystery! There is even some angsty highschool rivalry and teen romance in here - This book basically has something for everyone. I am always impressed by authors who are able to seamlessly change a scene from scary/creepy to laugh out loud funny on the same page.
This is the first of Susan Dennard's books that I have read and I will be coming back for more!

A Very Enjoyable Book Indeed!

I loved the author's last series so was looking forward to reading her latest offering and it did not disappoint. I loved the 90s nostalgia and Stranger Things vibes. The story was intriguing and kept me hooked and was well paced making this a quick read.

Dennard has produced yet another master piece. I love her style of writing and the ability to make her never want to put her books down. How do you describe this book.....its like Supernatural witha pinch of Buffy and a twist of Scooby Doo.....I loved the nerdy main character and how she suddenly slots into the popular gang club but doesn't change who she is.....this book had me guessing all the way through about what was going to happen and who the villian was. For me, this was such a welcome change at not being about to guess correctly. If you enjoyed the Illuminaries triology, you going to absolutely love this stand alone.

More 4 and half stars

A mystery filled with rivalry, romance and a gruesome curse that dates back centuries. A blend of small town murder mystery, chilling supernatural elements and an atmospheric ghost story sure to leave chills down your spine. Grotesque, ghostly and gothic.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 | 𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐝

4.5 ⭐️ Thank you NetGalley and Daphne press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This book hooked me right from the start - it’s like a perfect mash-up of Stranger Things, Goosebumps, and all the best creepy ’90s vibes.

We follow high schooler Freddie, who’s smart, scrappy, and totally unafraid to dive into the weird stuff happening in her small town. She’s determined to become an expert “answer finder,” and when strange things start going down, she’s all in. The story just pulls you along in the best way… creepy, fun, and full of mystery.

I seriously love the way Susan Dennard writes. The pacing is spot on, the atmosphere is chef’s kiss, and she somehow juggles nostalgia, scares, and some deeper themes without missing a beat.

Overall, I had such a great time with this one. Great vibes, great characters, just an all-around awesome read. Brava!

Thank you to NetGalley and Daphne Press for an ARC copy of this book for my thoughts and review.

When I originally read the synopsis of this book, it sounded like I would really enjoy the story. This sadly wasn't the case.

I knew that this was a YA book going into it, but some parts felt incredibly young to me. I was even cringing at some of the dialogue and how childish it felt for 17 year olds. On the other hand, the murder was described and there was romance (not anything too in detail). It just didn't really fit any specific audience.

I felt that the back story of The Executioners Three was lacking, people were being killed and then it was mentioned a little, but I wanted to know who the three people were and why they'd been chosen to be part of the curse. It just didn't seem to be that significant to the story despite it being the title of the book.

I liked the 90s references and the small town setting, but that was really it for me sadly!

AMAZING!

Mysterious.

Spooky.

Ghostastic.

What a well written story. I was hooked from the very beginning. Spine-chilling at times, it was a sort of supernatural horror. One that I could visualise being adapted for the big screen.

With a mix of vivid scene setting and a cast of characters that really added to the tension, the author did a fantastic job of creating a palpable atmosphere throughout the whole story.

Definitely gave off Stranger Things vibes.

A fun, speedy read!

Thank you Daphne Press and NetGalley for this ARC!

This was a fun read! It was Scooby Doo meets Stranger Things, and follows Freddie, an amatuer sleuth who finds herself investigating murders in her small town, as well as dealing with a prank war with the rival school. The author wrote the setting perfectly, and I love small town settings as they are so very familiar to me, especially because everyone is in everyone's business!

I liked Freddie a lot. I found her relatable, especially as a young girl in a small town that everyone knows because of who her parents are. She was very quirky, but I liked her friendships, and I really liked her drive to find out the truth of what's happening.

The mystery was very well done and kept me hooked. I did have a guess of who was responsible but there were a lot of unexpected twists and turns! The writing was atmospheric and I loved the relationship between Freddie and Theo.

The only thing I didn't really like was the constant pop culture references, and how fast the ending wrapped up. I think the references were a reminder that this book is set in 1999, but they were very heavy-handed. The ending wrapped up so fast that it left me wanting a bit more, but I did find it to be a satisfactory ending.

I recommend this book for those that love mysteries and small town spooky adventures. It would be a perfect book to read around Halloween time!

Such a good gothic thriller for the summer. I enjoyed this quite a bit and the cast of unrealizable characters had me in the waste of my seat!

I enjoyed this book a lot.
I loved the era it was set it and all the references to this time period. Felt nostalgic to me in that way.
I loved the vibes and the writing style, and I hope Susan Dennard writes more book of this type!

90's nostalgia seems to be everywhere at the minute and this is a great addition to that sub-genre. For anyone who loved the X Files, Freddie is a fantastic origin story for a Dana Scully wannabe.
Susan Dennard is great a creating small towns with a lot of personality and atmosphere that are as much characters as locations.
Then there are the spooky, looming forests that you know you shouldn't go into but do anyway.
I liked Freddie and Theo and would like to get to know Divya a little better as the series progresses (as I presume it will)

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for approving me to read this book, I’m rating it 4.25 stars.

This has been so much fun to read! I highly recommend for anyone wanting a mix of A Good Girls Guide to Murder and Now, Conjurers. We get a small town mystery playing out with some teenagers at the heart of the story, there’s mischief and darkness surrounding the town right now and our FMC is feeling a little Nancy Drew in wanting to get to the bottom of things. I thoroughly enjoyed the linking of the past to the present to fully explain the why of the mystery and to help us piece together the clues alongside the characters.

There’s some romance and it’s a winner, I’m a sucker for YA romantic moments I can’t lie. There’s new friendships and sisterhood like friendships all tested throughout the story when things get real dark.

I love Susan Dennard's writing, she brings the dark and lavish to life. I really enjoyed reading The Executioners Three, the storyline swept me away and the lavish descriptions painted a great picture in my mind as I was reading. I loved the developments and the story telling in this novel, I was so hyped to read it and I recommend to all

I really enjoyed this book. It felt like a YA Goosebumps book. It was a little juvenile in places, and I have to be honest, at some points the narrator/main character was annoying, but i had a good time

Thank you to Daphne press and NetGalley for the eARC of this book.

A YA paranormal thriller set in 1999, this was a fun read full of pop-culture references that had me reminiscing about my own adolescence. While there are numerous twists to keep the reader engaged, I do wonder whether a younger audience would find appeal in the many nostalgic 90’s references.
I found the characters to be likeable and enjoyed the banter between Freddie and Divya, as they explored their new found popularity with the Prank Squad.
I enjoyed the pace of The Executioners Three, with plenty of suspenseful moments interspersed with a bit of romance and an unfolding backstory.

Review for The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard
DNF @ 22%

As a long-time fan of Susan Dennard, especially her Witchlands series, I was really excited to dive into The Executioners Three. Her writing has always pulled me in with rich world-building and character depth, so I was hopeful this would help fill the Witchlands void while waiting for the next book. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite work for me, and I had to set it aside at 22%.

While I knew going in this was aimed at a younger YA audience, the tone leaned much younger than expected—closer to middle grade. That in itself wouldn’t have been a problem, but I personally struggled with the narrative style. The third-person POV frequently repeated the main character’s name (“Freddie”), sometimes multiple times in a single paragraph, which made the flow feel a bit rigid and repetitive. I remember noticing this in The Luminaries as well, but it felt even more pronounced here.

The setting—1999, in a small town with deep-rooted rivalries—had potential, but the constant pop culture references (Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, The X-Files, Y2K) felt a bit heavy-handed. I understand the intention was to evoke nostalgia, but it bordered on gimmicky at times. It made me wonder who the target audience truly is—many younger readers today may not connect with those references, and older readers might find the tone a bit too young to fully engage with.

The small-town setting with its quirky festivals and rival schools had Gilmore Girls vibes on the surface, but I didn’t feel fully invested in the characters or the stakes. The main character’s sixth sense and the forest mystery were intriguing, but didn’t have enough pull to keep me going.

That said, I do think this could work for a much younger YA reader, especially those looking for a mysterious but light-hearted setting. It just didn’t match the kind of depth and pacing I personally enjoy, which is totally okay. Not every book is for every reader, and I’m still looking forward to Dennard’s future work—especially the long-awaited finale to Witchlands.

This is like a scooby-doo mystery, a YA paranormal story with well developed characters. However sometimes the writing read very cliched, using typical words and overly described mundane things which is why I've only given this 3 stars.

The overall setting was very well plotted throughout the novel, you are gripped from the very beginning of the story and Freddie is such an enjoyable character to read. I think some readers will really enjoy this one.

I LOVED The Luminaries, so when I saw that Susan Dennard had another book coming, I just knew I had to read it ASAP.
The Executioners Three is a fantastic book, I am 100% not disappointed! Genuinely loved the nostalgia it brought (I mean, I was only 8 in 1999, but still)
It gave me classic Scooby Doo vibes, and I loved Freddie. She is a brilliant main character. The writing really drew me in, and I didn't want to put this down, and I didn't want it to end.
This is definitely one that needs to be read in the autumn, it's just so atmospheric!