Tyler Green was recently released after serving 29 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit. He knows one of his old group of college friends was responsible for Leo's death, but he has no idea which one took the young man's life. Anyone could have done it; Leo was a bully and exerted his control over others in the most heartless ways. And Leo was an apple that didn't fall far from the tree, Leo's father has dedicated his life to keeping Tyler from being free. But on this night a dinner party, some well-aimed comments, and a few too many martinis is going to blow things wide open and not everyone will survive the explosion.

I will start by saying that I haven't read any of the other books in this series and it made absolutely no difference. This book can easily be read as a standalone or the series read out of order without losing any important aspects of the story. There are aspects of Maud's story that I probably missed out on by not having read the first two books, but I was still able to follow the story.

The mystery in this book was really compelling. A closed-room murder which happens as a follow-up to a decades old case that has long since been "closed." Is Tyler really innocent? If so, who's guilty of his murder? Did Tyler strike again? Did Leo's killer strike again? Or is there another secret someone is determined to keep? So many questions and so few clues. You won't want to put the book down until you've put them all together and answered every question. The story was very easy to get lost in.

The thing that dropped this book from a 5 star down to 4 for me personally was the number of characters involved. I believe there were 9 or 10 people at the dinner party, 9-ish people in the old friend group, not including Leo. There were several points in the story where even the author couldn't keep them separate, calling Leo Tyler, Tyler Will, etc. etc. Especially with the women it was hard to tell them apart and I struggled with that part of the story. I think cutting the number of friends by at least three would have made the story far more enjoyable and would have created more tension because each character would then have also been more suspicious. And I never thought I would say this because I love dogs and think a dog makes everything better, but I don't understand why the dog was in this story. I love dogs, but I wouldn't take mine to a dinner party and let him or her walk on the table.

Overall, this was a very good read and I would definitely be interested in reading more of the series.

Thank you to Nicci French, William Morrow, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Nicci French is the queen of mystery with a noir spin. I enjoyed the atmosphere of this book and all her others that I've read. She has quickly become an autobuy author for me.

I didn’t realize this was the third book in the Maud O’Connor series, and it took me a while to settle into it. The first half, focused on Tyler Green and his reunion with old friends after his release from prison, felt slow and drawn out. The pacing dragged, the characters were extremely unlikeable, and I struggled to stay engaged with the story.

The second half was a welcome change. As soon as Maud enters, the book picks up speed and energy. Her investigation is sharp and compelling, and her presence makes the narrative far more enjoyable. While the uneven structure left me with mixed feelings overall, the stronger second part redeemed the reading experience.

I want to thank Nicci French, NetGalley, and William Morrow Paperbacks for providing the ARC of Will Never Be Free.
This novel delivers a compelling and tense narrative that kept me hooked from start to finish. French’s signature psychological depth and intricate plotting shine throughout, creating a gripping story that explores themes of freedom, control, and the unpredictable nature of human relationships. The characters are complex and well-developed, adding layers of nuance to the story. While there were moments where the pacing felt a bit slow, overall, the book maintained a strong sense of suspense and emotional intensity.
I enjoyed this addition to French’s body of work and look forward to more. A solid four-star read!

Here I go again reading a book from a series out of order 🥲. If you’re looking for a locked-room type of thriller then this is it for you! Along with the thriller aspect, this book dives into grief, toxic relationships, injustice, trauma, and more. I was engaged through the whole book and felt the heavy emotions the characters were experiencing.

P.S Stay tuned for my reviews for the other books in the series!


Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow Paperbacks for this ARC 🫶🏽 looking forward to pub day!

This was a very good read the twist came and I was shook I enjoyed this book so much till the very last page thank you for this page tuner

Nicci French serves up a dark, twisty locked-room mystery that dives deep into guilt, memory, and revenge. Tyler Green, freshly released after a life sentence for a murder he swears he didn’t commit, gathers his old friends for a tense dinner party. But when one of them turns up dead in a disturbingly familiar way, it’s clear the past isn’t done with any of them. The question isn’t just who lied back then, but it’s who’s still lying now. This was my first read by this author, and I must read more by them.

I really liked this book and am not sure why I haven't read more by this author, but certainly will now! It has a unique premise where a man, Tyler, is released from prison after serving almost 30 years for a murder. He pulls together his group of friends from that time, who were all there when the murder occurred, and the "reunion" is pure chaos. Secrets and bad blood are brought to the surface and the group dynamics from that time are questioned. Lo and behold, another murder occurs before the night is over. The 2nd part of the book brings in the police detective, Maud, who has very little time to sift through the evidence and figure out what happened in a high profile case.

There were a lot of characters in this book but I didn't have any issues in remembering who was who- that is always the sign of a well-written story. The author didn't spend a ton of time going into detail on each character but gave us just enough to make their voices distinct. Sometimes she even let us see different characters' lines of thought within the same chapter (or even the same few lines) and even that wasn't confusing to me. I loved Maud's character and felt like she was smart and driven and just sassy enough to get away with doing things her own way- she felt very real, though, unlike some police stories where the protagonist gets away with breaking protocol and doing all kinds of crazy things. The mystery in the book was sound and I didn't figure out who the villain was until it was revealed, though at one point I was sure I had figured it out, only to be proven wrong. I honestly wasn't even able to cross anyone off the list and was in suspense the whole way through. The ending of the book was great- I loved the way the author tied up the loose ends and I particularly liked the way Maud's story wrapped.

Overall, this was a great book- it's a mix of a mystery and a police procedural and I had trouble putting it down. I would recommend it and also am going to go find some more books by this author. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope There is more to come from this author! I am totally hooked!

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (3.75 stars)
Tyler Green Will Never Be Free
by Nicci French

Big thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Nicci French has been delivering masterful suspense for decades, but the Maud O’Connor series? Each new book somehow outdoes the last—and this one nearly broke me. Tyler Green Will Never Be Free is a locked-room thriller that’s as much about injustice and trauma as it is about murder, and by the end, I was left furious, gutted, and—yes—crying.

The premise is simple but devastating: Tyler Green has spent nearly thirty years in prison for the murder of his friend Leo at a university house party in 1993. He has always claimed innocence. Now newly released, Tyler reunites with the eight remaining friends from that night. Wine flows, old resentments flare, accusations fly—and then, history repeats itself. Another murder, same method, same room. Once again, Tyler is the prime suspect.

Enter Detective Inspector Maud O’Connor, who quickly proves why she’s one of my favorite series detectives. She’s sharp, intuitive, and not afraid to push back against media hysteria, political pressure, or the whispers of Tyler’s so-called friends. As she peels back the layers of the past, what emerges is a portrait of loyalty, guilt, and self-preservation gone toxic—and the terrifying truth that someone among them is willing to kill again to keep secrets buried.

This is Nicci French at their best: the pacing is razor-sharp, the tension suffocating, and the emotional undercurrent devastating. Tyler’s story in particular wrecked me—I was outraged by the injustices he endured, enraged by the ease with which society condemned him, and ultimately heartbroken by his fate. (And yes, the ending made me cry. Whether it was grief, relief, or both, I’ll leave you to decide.)

What I love most about Nicci French is that they don’t just craft mysteries—they carve out human stories inside those mysteries. This isn’t just about “who killed who.” It’s about how lives are destroyed by assumption, how truth is twisted by convenience, and how injustice leaves scars that never heal.

For me, this is the strongest entry in the Maud O’Connor series, and a career highlight for this duo. If you love Lucy Foley’s locked-room setups or crave the psychological punch of an Agatha Christie–style whodunit—but want it wrapped in raw, human emotion—this book is absolutely for you.

A chilling, heartbreaking, unforgettable read.

The eponymous Tyler Green has just been released on license after having served a long custodial sentence for murdering a university friend. Unadvisable as it is, his first instinct is to ask all the surviving friends from the close-knit group at university to attend a reunion. This is the premise of the latest Nicci French novel, which again features outcast detective Maud O'Connor. I’ve read many locked room mysteries involving university reunions, and this one has more depth than most. The reunion itself takes on an appropriately unnerving tone: the characters’ nastiness to each other is not used simply as fodder for laughs or schadenfreude, rather their behavior is the result of long festering secrets, resentments, guilt and their bitterness about their own lives. The friends are all deeply upset when one of them is murdered and Green ends up detained again. French pays a lot of attention not only to whether or not Tyler Green is guilty of both murders, but whether he can survive another bout of detention. I remain uncertain about the resolution, but this was an excellent read overall.

4/5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for lending me an ARC.

Tyler Green is released after 29 years for a murder he swears he didn't commit. Upon his release, his group of friends reunites and another member of the friend group ends up dead in the exact same manner. But who really committed both murders?

This book was admittedly a little hard for me to get into, especially with so many characters and interpersonal relationships that were hard to remember. However, this thriller was so much more complex and enjoyable than most. The character development and personal relationships explored throughout the book caused this to be a deeply complex, emotional story that I could not put down once I got about 40% through the book.

This is the first of the Maud O'Connor books I have read and I will definitely go pick up the prior two due to how much I love the writing style and complexity of this book. I definitely recommend picking it up upon its release.

Thank you so much William Morrow and Nicci French for the eARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Tras pasar casi veintinueve años en prisión por el asesinato de su amigo Leo Bauer, Tyler Green recupera la libertad bajo una licencia que lo mantendrá vigilado de por vida. Su regreso al mundo exterior es frío y extraño, pero Tyler tiene un propósito: reunir de nuevo al grupo de amigos que compartió aquel fin de semana fatídico. La abogada Beatrice, la reservada Ali, el músico venido a menos Marco, el inestable Jay, la siempre protectora Clara, el escritor bloqueado Rudi y la carismática Ellen reciben la inesperada invitación. Lo que comienza como una cena en apariencia civilizada pronto se convierte en un enfrentamiento con los fantasmas del pasado, revelando secretos guardados, culpas que nunca sanaron y verdades incómodas sobre la amistad, el amor y la traición.

___

El libro alterna perspectivas para mostrarnos cómo cada miembro del grupo vivió aquel suceso y cómo lo arrastró a lo largo de su vida. El reencuentro es un catalizador: expone heridas que nunca cerraron y obliga a los personajes a preguntarse qué saben realmente de las personas que amaron y llamaron amigos.

No adivine quien era el culpable.

Al final me sentí mal por T.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Nicci French is a favorite of mine. I loved her latest book, Tyler Green Will Never Be Free. It’s available this winter.

I think the Maud O’Connor series by this perfect thriller duo just keeps getting better—and this one shook me to the core. It even made me furious at the unfairness one of the characters had to endure (I won’t spoil it, but judging from the book’s title and opening, you’ll probably guess who I mean). By the end, I cried—and I’m not saying whether it was from heartbreak, relief, or both.

The mystery is tense and deeply layered, revolving around a group of old university friends whose past never truly stayed buried.At the center is Tyler Green, a man who has spent nearly thirty years in prison for a crime he insists he didn’t commit: the murder of his friend Leo at a student party in 1993. After his release, Tyler attends the dinner party where the eight remaining friends from that night reunite, reigniting the embers of secrets long buried. But history has a terrifying way of repeating itself. Another murder. The same method. The same room. And Tyler, once again, stands accused.

Enter DI Maud O’Connor—sharp, intuitive, and not easily swayed by public opinion. While the media, the public, and even the highest levels of government rush to convict Tyler all over again, Maud quietly begins to pull at the threads of the case. What she finds is a group of friends bonded by trauma, guilt, and self-preservation—and someone among them who is willing to kill to keep the past in the shadows.

This book tore me apart in the best way. The tension is palpable, the pacing razor-sharp, and the emotional undercurrent is devastating. I found myself enraged by the injustices, gripped by the slow-burn unraveling of each character, and ultimately heartbroken by what Tyler endured. (No spoilers—but the ending made me cry. Whether from sorrow or relief… I’ll let you decide.)

Nicci French doesn’t just write crime novels—they write human stories buried inside mystery. And this one? This is a career highlight. It’s the kind of book that lingers, one that makes you question how many lives are quietly ruined by convenient assumptions and rushed conclusions.

Absolutely my favorite in the Maud O’Connor series—ten out of ten stars! A must-read for fans of Lucy Foley, Agatha Christie, and anyone who loves a good psychological gut-punch wrapped in a mystery.

A very huge thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for sharing this addictive, emotionally-charged final installment of the series as an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest thoughts—I’m truly grateful.

Tyler Green Will Never Be Free by Nicci French is perfect for anyone who loves reading about messy friend dynamics and locked room vibes that make you question everyone! The setup is so good. Tyler gets out of prison after 30 years for a murder he swears he didn’t commit, then invites all his old college friends to a reunion/interrogation. The tension builds fast, and once someone ends up murdered again in the exact same way as the original crime, it’s full on chaos. The author knows how to craft a slow burn that keeps the pages turning. Definitely recommend if you’re in the mood for something dark, twisty, and suspenseful!

I have read all this authors books and thoroughly enjoy them. This was no exception. Thanks for the opportunity to read and good luck with this one.

#TylerGreenWillNeverBeFree #NetGalley
A masterpiece.
In Tyler Green Will Never Be Free, Nicci French weaves a darkly suspenseful and elegant locked-room mystery that explores guilt, memory, and revenge across decades. Tyler Green, newly released from a life sentence for a murder he swears he didn’t commit, wastes no time confronting his past. His weapon? A dinner party reunion with the very friends who may have let him take the fall. But when one of them ends up murdered in a chillingly familiar fashion, history seems to be repeating itself—and the question is no longer who lied, but who is still lying?
What I like :-
1 Atmospheric tension: From the moment the friends reunite, there’s a heavy, elegant unease that simmers beneath every toast, every sideways glance.
2 Strong character dynamics: The friendships are fraught, layered with old rivalries, hidden relationships, and buried betrayal.
3 Classic whodunit with a modern edge: The echoes of Agatha Christie are strong here, but Nicci French updates the locked-room formula with psychological depth and contemporary twists.
4 Compelling detective: DI Maud O’Connor brings grit, intelligence, and subtle skepticism to the case—her instincts and emotional complexity anchor the investigation.
Dislikes :-
None.
Overall, Tyler Green Will Never Be Free is a deftly plotted, character-driven mystery that balances high-stakes suspense with thoughtful exploration of justice, loyalty, and the slippery nature of truth.
Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for giving me an advance copy.