This was a fun locked-in mystery. The suspense and characters fell a little flat for me but it was still an enjoyable read.

SHE LEFT is two thriller tropes in one, and while it isn't neat as a pin, it's a super fun thriller with some terribly creepy elements!

When Amy is bullied by her friends at a teenage getaway Junior year, she storms out of the cabin on a rainy night in a huff. Minutes later, her five friends would all be brutally murdered in what would become known as the Memorial Day Massacre, tearing apart the town she grew up in. Now twenty years on, she goes by Therese, works for the FBI, and has put her past behind her, until a chance to clear her family's name comes up. Therese takes a trip back near home to another cottage getaway, this time full of others who have ties to the Memorial Day Massacre. And then they start to die one by one...

A mix of a (kinda?) final girl story and a direct reference to AND THEN THERE WERE NONE, SHE LEFT is as purely entertaining as slasher novels can get. Pack in a room a cast of curmudgeonly, sassy, suave, terrible people. Take away their phones. Watch them lose their minds. Because author Stacie Grey roots her novel in a singular murder to kickoff her locked-room-mystery, there's a lot of characters and set-up she has to do, and the balance between the Memorial Day Massacre storyline and the present day killings teeters. But there's so much to enjoy in this one - The lush, wooded terrain and the fragile house that holds the group hostage. The insanity of some of these characters -- Wendy, with her vanity and over the top theatrics... Lorelai, the ever-so-wise ex-homeless woman, and Joseph, the queer voice of reason in a house of crazies - will always live on in my mind. And then there's the Massacre storyline itself, which truly is quite gruesome and electrifying to learn more about. When you understand who is involved in who's murder and why, you do get quite the sense of dread for the characters in this tale. Overall, I had a lot of fun reading this thriller amidst a few I didn't quite love, and I recommend you take this one on your next trip!

The premise of this book was fantastic, Therese was an easy heroine to root for. I loved the suspense building and the cast of characters, each with compelling motives for being a murderer.

I felt we could have seen a bit more depth from Therese, I loved hearing about her youth as a sports star, her reasoning for joining the mean clique, etc. but I felt I could have gotten to know her as an adult more. I really enjoyed getting different POVs from other characters, and wish there had been a bit more of that to flesh out the suspects even further and draw things out. Overall, a great read! I hope we see more of Therese, I feel like she would be a great character for a series.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

She Left is a slow burn in the first half, while Stacie Gray introduces the characters and sets the scene, but, once she's laid the groundwork, the pace picks up as characters are slowly picked off in this locked-room mystery. Set in a remote location and cut off from all communication (what kind of a thriller would it be if they weren't), is my favorite setting. Add in the requisite red herrings, and I had each of the characters pegged as the villain before all is revealed in the end (which I did not guess). All in all, this is a strong debut, and I will be anxiously awaiting Stacie Grey's next book!

What happens when a group of people tied to a mass murder that happened years ago are lured to a remote cabin in the mountains during a nasty storm, and there’s a killer among them? Chaos and one disaster after another! I absolutely love a locked room murder situation and REALLY love a remote cabin twist. She Left was twisty and full of suspense. My stress level while listening to this audiobook was through the roof, which in my world is high praise! This is an excellent book to read or listen to on a stormy day when you’re stuck inside. I recommend the audiobook, the narrator did an excellent job voicing the characters!

She Left is inspired by my favorite Agatha Christie novel, And Then There Were None. While the locked door mystery felt familiar while I was listening to the audiobook, it still kept me hooked and was an original story. I really liked the narrator and the narration of this audiobook. This was my first novel by Stacie Grey, but I plan to read more of her books in the future.

I recommend listening to this audiobook if you love locked door murder mysteries.

Thank you @dreamscape_media for allowing me to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

(This same review was shared on the Barnes & Noble website)

It's my first Stacey Grey novel, and it definitely won't be my last! This book had me hook from the first chapter and didn't let go. The premise of the book was incredible, a whodunit at its finest. I listened to the audiobook version of She Left, and the narrator was fantastic. She really brought the story to life!

Thanks NetGalley for the audiobook version of this book. It was well produced and narrated- it felt very smooth and I liked the narrator (and I’m picky).

This was a decent story- I liked the format of the back and forth of the past and present as it was also relevant. I enjoyed the past more than the present but it wasn’t a huge change. Characters were good, though I will say I didn’t review this immediately after reading and I’ve forgotten most of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this ALC!

Unfortunately this thriller was a miss for me. I think She Left started off very strong, but by the end I was uninterested in who the killer was.

I really enjoyed the narrator, but due to how the chapters were written I found it hard to distinguish which characters were which. I personally enjoyed our FMC Amy, but I struggled to connect with any of the other characters.

I believe this is a nicely written whodunit thriller, just some elements didn’t work for me.

I really enjoyed this mystery! It was a remake of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None - which has been done several times over, but it's a classic for a reason!

This book follows Amy, who was the sole survivor of a brutal massacre. 20 years ago, she stormed out of a house party, mad at her friends. Within the hour, they were all dead. Now in the present, Amy is an adult (and a FBI agent to boot), who has been invited to a remote cliffside manor by a journalist who allegedly wants to write a story about what happened that night. Amy finds 10 other strangers, all with ties to the case. Things go downhill, quick, and they find themselves stuck in the cabin with no cell phones, car keys, or ways to escape. One-by-one people start disappearing (dying) and the time starts ticking to figure out what is happening - are they all coincidences? Or is someone doing the killing?

I thought this was a very fun read. The ~who~ I thought was decently obvious from the beginning, but the ~why~ was what kept me reading. There were plenty of red herrings in there meant to throw the reader off too of course, and I fell down a few rabbit holes. Overall, I would recommend! 3.5 stars.

20 years ago a group of teenagers were murdered with only one survivor who happen to leave early. Now, a couple decades later a new group of people are brought together to a remote mountain mansion. Each person has a connection to the original victims. It was kind of slow and a little confusing in the beginning, took me awhile to figure out who everyone was, besides the main character of course. But it ended up being a pretty good book.
It will have you questioning who can be trusted throughout the whole book. With any locked room thriller the outcomes are pretty limited, but this had great suspense without being too obvious. It wasn't as action packed as I normally like or fast paced but I didn't mind listening to it.

I finished listening to She Left. It was a struggle to get through. It felt like a long drawn out game of clue. No twists, no excitement. I was hoping for something big to happen at the end to make it worth the listen but that didn’t happen. I give it 2 out of 5.

I think those who want to read She Left must go in blindly. The blurb immediately grabbed my attention but it lacked the thrill of a murder mystery.

She Left was fine. The first chapter was probably the most thrilling part of the book, in my option. Honestly, I think I was expecting something completely different from what I read. I even jumped at the half and nothing happened. Entirely drawn out which was surprising considering the audiobook was less than 10 hours. This is why I think I would recommend it as a 'Go in knowing knowthing' kind of read.

I would have enjoyed it if it was written in 1st person. It was hard to keep up with all the characters, their names and their motive.

I appreciated all the loose ends coming in nicely at the end.

Solid 3.5

Give murder mystery dinner party vibes! I listened to the audiobook which was narrated very well. I loved the fast paced nature of the story and figuring out everyone’s secrets from the previous event. This is my first book by this author but I’d love to read more

She Left is a closed circle mystery set in an isolated cabin cut off from the world by a raging storm (and missing car keys). 20 years ago, Amy Therese Brewer left a party with her friends shortly before they were brutally murdered. 20 years later, she meets 9 other people connected to the victims for an anniversary interview. But instead of a interview there are wild accusations, new evidence, missing keys and phones and one by one, people start do die.

I really enjoy closed circle mysteries and this one hit just the spot. Was ist outstanding? No. Was is disappointing? No. It was just fine (or 08/15, as we Germans say). It was somewhat lacking in suspence, but it did keep me quessing "whodunnit?" until the end. I also looove the cover art!

I listened to the audio version of this book and really enjoyed the narrator. Sadly, I had some trouble following the story because I kept mixing up characters and forgot how most of them were connected to the victims halfway through (Joseph? Gil? Mike? Who?). Most of them were pretty unlikeable, too. The most interesting and likeable charakter in my opinion was Lorelei, an ex-addict, and I wish she would have had a bigger part in the story.

The end felt somewhat rushed, but all in all a solid 3.5 stars from me!

I received a complimentary download of this audio book via Netgalley. Thank you.

This book was great and one of the better books I read this month. I loved the premise of everyone coming to the cabin and felt that it was well-written. Motivations are clear (except where they aren't for story reasons), and everyone acts within the character that has been defined for them.

I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who likes locked-room mysteries, and to anyone who likes redemption or revenge stories.

She Left was a little hard to get into at first, but then it turned out okay. I feel like the ending was very abrupt.

Amy Brewer left a party when her teenaged friends made a joke at her expense. She walked home and therefore didn't know anything was wrong until a neighbor frantically pounded on her door. Soon after leaving the party, the house where it was held exploded. While the initial explosion didn't kill all of her friends instantly, the ones who survived were then stabbed to death. Amy never completely got over the trauma nor the lingering suspicion about how it was very convenient that she left just before the massacre. Now, many years later, she's an FBI agent who goes by her middle name, Therese. She and other people who were somehow involved with the tragedy have been invited to a remote house in order to participate in a story by a well-known journalist. But once everyone arrives, it soon becomes apparent that the journalist wasn't the one who invited them. Why were they all brought together? Naturally, not long after arriving their phones all disappear and a storm blocks their escape. When the bodies start piling up, it's up to Therese to figure out who and what is behind both deadly gatherings.

The narrator was very good and I liked the pacing of the story. All of the characters were shady in one way or another and so I was guessing all the way through as to which one had the most reason to carry out the crimes!

This had ALL the Agatha Christie vibes! I know there are a lot of books out there with the "And Then There Were None" trope but I never get tired of it. This one had be flipping sides so quickly. I did not have a single clue as to who the killer could be. Every time I thought I knew, the book switched up on me. If you love gripping "who-dun-it" thrillers that keep you guessing, then this is your book! I have read a lot of books that mimic "And Then There Were None" but this one is definitely in my top 5! The narration was great too. I always worry about being able to distinguish who is who when I'm listening to an audiobook with a lot of characters, but there is nothing to worry about here! Thriller lovers, definitely give this book a go!

This review has been posted to Goodreads and Storygraph on May 19th, 2024. Links provided.

On the anniversary of and many years after the horrific Memorial Day Massacre, where five teens were brutally murdered moments after Amy Therese Brewer stormed out in a rage, ten individuals linked to the tragedy (including Therese) are summoned to a secluded cliffside home by a journalist under the pretense of covering the story. As a fierce storm traps them inside and certain truths come out, they soon begin to realize that the motive for this gathering might be more threatening than they originally believed. Now a detective and trapped with these individuals, Therese suspects that someone among them knows more about that fateful night than they let on. As individuals begin dying, Therese is forced to recognize the terrifying reality that one of the attendees is willing to kill again, determined to keep their dark secrets hidden forever. Will Therese be able uncover who is behind this sinister plan before it's too late?

I definitely enjoyed this book! I listened to it as an audiobook and really enjoyed the narrator. It gives off very similar vibes to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None as well as Clue (the 1985 movie - but minus the comedic aspects). If you like a classic whodunit while individuals are trapped together and you don’t know who you can trust, you will likely enjoy this book. At the beginning I did have a little difficultly keeping all of the characters in order, especially when trying to connect the present day characters to the individuals that were originally murdered. I think it would have really helped if I took notes at the beginning of the book when everyone was first introduced and it was explained how they were connected so I could have used it as a reference as the plot thickened. Overall, I felt this was a solid murder/mystery story with an eerie setting.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advanced audiobook of She Left in return for my honest review.