An instant fav! Just don’t read before bed if you’re prone to frightful nights - his writing feels so real it vividly comes to life in your mind.

The story starts with three teenagers that play detective in a small town and a serial killer targets their community - then jumps forward 25 years, when it seems a copycat begins to target the town again.

I loved the amount of characters in the book, not so many that you needed a chart to remember whos who, and not so few that you felt isolated. Each character was brought to life with unique personalities.

Just like other books by Tom Ryan, I couldn’t put it down and raced to the end, which shocked me (even when I was ready for a shock). Coming to the end of a book like this is typical bittersweet - satisfying to know the ending and sad to not have the company of these characters.

📖 My brain consumed this book via my eyes… so ebook! I can't wait for this one to be released, definitely picking up a physical copy for my wife to read too. :)


Note:
Thanks to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of We Had a Hunch.

** Spoiler at the end **

The premise drew me in, naturally, as a huge fan of Nancy Drew growing up.

The nostalgia, the friends working together vibe, the small town setting all sparked my interest and I dove into this with eagerness.

I liked the Van Dyne twins, always a plus when women lead the charge and the investigation and work together despite their mild estrangement.

I loved how their former friends all joined in to help solve the case, never letting anyone do anything on their own.

There is a lot of information, minor and supporting characters and clues that led in multiple directions as the twins and Joey chase down on their own.

At the same time, the twins and Joey need to confront the trauma of their past and break free from the guilt that continues to bind them in the present day.

The writing was good and most of the characters likable but my biggest caveat was the ending.

Even though I guessed whodunit correctly, it was TOO hard to suspend disbelief for. I mean, seriously?

And what are the odds there are two serial killers in the same small town?

OK, that's maybe more believable than whodunit.

When I got approved for “We Had a Hunch” I didn’t know how to react. I think I cried. “The Treasure Hunter’s Club” was one of my favorite books of 2024, so give me all the Tom Ryan.

I absolutely devoured this book - I’m talking 2 and a half hours on the treadmill cover to cover. I was hooked from the first page. The characters are so well-written and relatable. The pacing was perfect, I couldn’t stop turning the pages. The twists, I never saw coming and THAT ENDING?! Perfection.

If you’ve never read Tom Ryan, consider this your sign to. Hands down, 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Crime for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I was engrossed from page one. I hadn't heard of this author before, but now I want to read all that I can find from him. The characters were vivid and took me into that magical imagination space that good books often do. It's a place where the book becomes the world as you read it. I will be writing a haiku and publishing it on instagram.

Tom’s New mystery novel absolutely delivers: sharp writing, layered characters, and a twisty plot that kept me flipping pages late into the night! With a full cast of characters, I thought I had parts figured out, and was kept guessing right to the end! The characters were great and I enjoyed the two timelines of murders and how they connected with each other!
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If you love small-town secrets, strong friendships, and characters with big hearts (and sharp minds), mark this one for your TBR!

Tom Ryan does it again!! I had so much fun reading this book. The twists and turns kept me guessing right up until the very end, and I'm not even joking, I read it in an afternoon. I could NOT put it down.

Thank you Atlantic Crime and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. Twisty! Then: the Van Dyne twins have gained some notoriety from help their Chief or Police father solve crimes. Joey O’Day also’s gained some for the crimes he’s solved, though detectiving was never his intention. Now the two sisters, Sam and Alice, believe they know who the killer that has been rocking their small town of Edgar Mills is. They plan to confront him, Joey knows that they’ve made an error. Soon the three have made a disaster that’s resulted in more death this time closer to home. Now: It’s been 25 years since the night that changed Joey, Sam, and Alice’s life. Joey’s happily married and working a tech job he finds painfully boring. Oh and his husband is ready for kids but Joey’s not sure he is. Alice is an unhappy homemaker whose kid seems to hate her. And Sam is a former reality tv star just running away from her past. When death comes back to Edgar Mills with a familiar mo and a convicted killer who swears he knows who the killer is but will only talk to the teen detectives, the three are forced to reunite. They’ve all moved on and want nothing to do with this case, but really they’re all intrigued. As more people die they’ll have to figure out who is doing this and why there are so many similarities to a killer that’s been in prison for 25 years. What really happened 25 years ago? Can they stop a killer before it’s too late? Or is it time for them to meet their fate? Tom Ryan kept me second guessing myself with this one! A total page turner that had me hooked! I loved Sam, Alice, and Joey! I also loved the mix of mystery, adult drama, and intrigue! The regret and possible miscalculations of the past made this an exciting read! Highly recommend!

This book hit me with a wave of nostalgia and then twisted it into something darker and more unsettling—in the best way. I loved the premise of once-famous teenage detectives now navigating adult life and old wounds. The characters felt layered and real, especially the tension between holding onto the past and facing present dangers. The mystery itself kept me hooked, with just enough red herrings and emotional stakes to make the ending satisfying.

There were a couple of slower moments in the middle, but overall it was a compelling, moody thriller. I'd recommend it to reqders who want something a little more grown-up and introspective.

This was a lot of fun! I read it in one sitting. The different points of view definitely help keep the pace up, making it very readable! With the type of mystery this is, you might need to suspend your disbelief at times, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. The pull for me is in the nostalgia factor.

I also really liked the three main characters and the journey they're on. The twins, Alice and Sam are both dealing with what happened in their past in their own ways. Joey wasn't affected, but he's facing challenges of his own in his present life.

All in all, a great, fun read. 4.5 stars rounded up. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my review!

A clever premise with a nostalgic hook, We Had a Hunch sets up a strong return-to-hometown mystery, but leans a little too heavily on exposition and backstory. The pacing lags in places, and while the characters are compelling, the emotional payoff doesn’t fully land.

We Had a Hunch by Tom Ryan is a wild, twisty ride that will definitely keep you on your toes. While I struggled to fully connect with the story, I can see why fans of the "grown-up teen detective" trope would find it compelling. The concept of revisiting these once-famous sleuths from their teenage years is intriguing, especially with the dark past of these characters.

The suspense is definitely there, and I’ll admit that the final twist had me gasping—it’s a good one! But for me, the story felt a little too over-the-top and I found myself not fully invested in the characters’ journeys. However, if you’re in the mood for a campy, suspense-filled mystery with lots of twists and some "did that really just happen?" moments, this one delivers.

Rating 2.5/5 (rounded up)

Perfect book for those like me who read (and was obsessed with) Nancy Drew as a kid. Super fun mystery with fun characters and a twist I didn’t see coming, which is exactly how I like my books. Catnip for true crime podcast loving readers.

I love an amateur sleuth story!
With that disclosure, I was pretty sure I had it all figured out with my first hunch by chapter 6. Obviously, I didn't, or I wouldn't be giving this one 5 stars.
I really enjoyed the pace of this book, and by chapter 19, that pace jumped up, and I just couldn't put it down. There were twists and turns, and I was obsessed with getting to the bottom of it. The multiple POVs adds so much to the story.
Think Nancy Drew all grown up, and one of her old cases forces her back into her old, sleuthing ways!

So many twists and turns and "gasp" moments!
You could never call this one serious literature, but I had fun with it.

Love the idea of grown-up teen detectives, ala Nancy Drew. It's a neat genre to explore, and I wish there was more of it out there.

Some of the twists in this one were just so out there and eyebrow raising, but I think you need to take the book for what it is - a campy, OTT ride.

We Had a Hunch has been called Nancy Drew meets Yellowjackets and it is no exaggeration. Tom Ryan’s novel is a layered mystery that taps into our nostalgia for teenage detectives (Harriet? Encyclopedia Brown?).

Set 25 years after the media circus that made the “Teen Detectives of Edgar Mills” household names, this novel cleverly revisits the adult sleuths as they navigate life after fame, When a new murder that resembles the work of the serial killer they helped catch decades earlier, the group is forced into a reckoning.

Alice Van Dyne is still living in their hometown, haunted by the loss of her father and boyfriend. Her twin, Samantha, now a washed-up reality TV personality in LA, and Joey O'Day, a reclusive tech star with secrets of his own, are both pulled back into into town when the criminal—The Janitor—demands their presence in jail.

Ryan weaves the present and past, letting the story unfold like a true-crime documentary. The pacing is tight, the emotional stakes high, and the echoes of 2000s pop culture fame provide a backdrop for a story that’s ultimately about what it costs to carry the truth.

#groveatlantic #wehadahunch #tomryan