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sharonleavy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
"Ludlow never forgot its own"
Greer Dunning is back in her home town of Ludlow after a decade. Greer's sister, Eliza, was murdered along with her boyfriend several years before. The man responsible, Roy Mathews, received the death penalty.
Now, there has been a copycat murder - an eighteen year old couple have been found dead, and Greer is back in town to do some digging. She always suspected that there was more to her sister's murder than just Roy Mathews - but nobody listened to her back then. Will anyone listen now?
I really loved "The Roanoke Girls" by this author, which is why I was really excited to see this one on Netgalley. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this one as much. There's nothing wrong with the writing - it's fast-paced, engaging, and kept me reading to the end - but the plot fell apart a little bit for me. One of the main characters seemed to have a personality transplant about 75% of the way through, and the whole lot seemed to unravel. The first half was gripping, and I really wish the rest of the book had been the same. The atmosphere was fantastic, and I was equally suspicious of all side characters - I loved the whole small-town feel of it.
Still, it's a quick read, one I'm sure many will enjoy - it just wasn't for me. I'll still read whatever Amy Engel writes next, and I'm thankful for the opportunity to read this one. Thank you to @hqstories for the ARC via Netgalley.
bear_reads_books's review
5.0
I was confident that I would love I Did It For You having been blown away by Engel's previous novels. And I'm happy to say I love this one too! Amy Engel is such a good writer, her books are insanely readable and captivating.
In I Did It For You, we follow Greer Dunning who returns to her small hometown many years after her sister was murdered. The man that killed her and her boyfriend was executed for the crime. But now two other teens have met the same fate. Greer always had questions about what happened to her sister and now she's determined to get answers.
It's obviously hard for her going back. Her parents still aren't handling things well. Add to that being in a small sad town where everyone knows everyone's business. And people know things they're not telling, Greer included. At least she has her two best friends who continue to be fiercely loyal despite the fact she's stayed away all this time.
In the midst of her investigation, she forms a tenuous bond with an unlikely ally. They are the last person she should be hanging out with so she keeps it a secret. Together they're able to interview everyone that knew her sister and the killer. They start getting closer to the truth endangering them both.
What I loved about I Did It For You is the slow burn style of writing that was in no way slow paced. Things take their time to unfold but I had no problem zooming through and was never bored. It's also worth mentioning I Did It For You isn't half as dark as her previous novels, [b:The Roanoke Girls|30689335|The Roanoke Girls|Amy Engel|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1489050287l/30689335._SY75_.jpg|51235136] and [b:The Familiar Dark|51068923|The Familiar Dark|Amy Engel|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562580367l/51068923._SX50_SY75_.jpg|69295658]. I personally love dark and disturbing but it's obviously not a requirement.
There wasn't anything I disliked but I think the ending was a bit rushed compared to the rest of the story. I also got the killer and their motive right but that obviously didn't take away from my enjoyment overall. In fact, I will say I'm pleasantly surprised a cliché thing didn't happen. No spoilers here!
It's safe to say Amy Engel is an auto-read author for me. I Did It For You is a perfect mystery/thriller. And since it comes out in July, it's also the perfect beach read!
Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Dutton, Dutton and NetGalley for the e-ARC.
In I Did It For You, we follow Greer Dunning who returns to her small hometown many years after her sister was murdered. The man that killed her and her boyfriend was executed for the crime. But now two other teens have met the same fate. Greer always had questions about what happened to her sister and now she's determined to get answers.
It's obviously hard for her going back. Her parents still aren't handling things well. Add to that being in a small sad town where everyone knows everyone's business. And people know things they're not telling, Greer included. At least she has her two best friends who continue to be fiercely loyal despite the fact she's stayed away all this time.
In the midst of her investigation, she forms a tenuous bond with an unlikely ally. They are the last person she should be hanging out with so she keeps it a secret. Together they're able to interview everyone that knew her sister and the killer. They start getting closer to the truth endangering them both.
What I loved about I Did It For You is the slow burn style of writing that was in no way slow paced. Things take their time to unfold but I had no problem zooming through and was never bored. It's also worth mentioning I Did It For You isn't half as dark as her previous novels, [b:The Roanoke Girls|30689335|The Roanoke Girls|Amy Engel|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1489050287l/30689335._SY75_.jpg|51235136] and [b:The Familiar Dark|51068923|The Familiar Dark|Amy Engel|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562580367l/51068923._SX50_SY75_.jpg|69295658]. I personally love dark and disturbing but it's obviously not a requirement.
There wasn't anything I disliked but I think the ending was a bit rushed compared to the rest of the story. I also got the killer and their motive right but that obviously didn't take away from my enjoyment overall. In fact, I will say I'm pleasantly surprised a cliché thing didn't happen. No spoilers here!
It's safe to say Amy Engel is an auto-read author for me. I Did It For You is a perfect mystery/thriller. And since it comes out in July, it's also the perfect beach read!
Thank you PENGUIN GROUP Dutton, Dutton and NetGalley for the e-ARC.
melissa10's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
murphys_bee's review against another edition
4.0
It was good enough to keep me entertained and actually finish this audiobook
tmalini's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
3.5
judithdcollins's review against another edition
4.0
Amy Engel returns following [b:The Familiar Dark|52659062|The Familiar Dark|Amy Engel|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1566831575l/52659062._SX50_SY75_.jpg|69295658] and [b:The Roanoke Girls|33015034|The Roanoke Girls|Amy Engel|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1479589097l/33015034._SY75_.jpg|51235136] with her latest, I DID IT FOR YOU, a gripping tale exploring guilt, loss, trauma, and the many ways in which a violent murder transforms the family of the victims and the killer's family.
Greer Dunning returns to her rural hometown of Ludlow, Kansas, from Chicago after the execution of the man, Roy Matthews, who murdered her sister, Eliza, and her boyfriend, Travis, fourteen years ago while making out in a car.
Despite a clear motive, Roy was convicted and executed. Greer, the younger sister, was not satisfied with the original investigation.
Now it appears there is a copycat killer. Two teens, Addy and Dylan, have been murdered, similar to her sister's murder. Is someone trying to lure her back to town?
Greer returns determined to solve this mystery—her family was devasted, and they were not there for her due to their grief.
Set in a rural small town, a story of a sixteen old Greer trying to run away, and now the truth has to come out. She is now getting close to the brother of her sister's murderer, Dean. From family members, friends, and enemies, we revisit the past and present.
Told from the POV of Greer, secrets are unraveled in this slow burn character-driven mystery exploring fear, shame, guilt, trauma, loss, forgiveness, and the many ways it affects everyone close to the victims and the murder's family.
While I would not classify this as a thriller, it is a well-written raw, emotionally—engrossing heart-breaking crime psychological suspense mystery of small-town darkness, focusing on Greer's grief and struggles.
Thanks to #PenguinGroup and #NetGalley for an advanced reading copy for an honest review.
Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: July 25, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
July 2023 Must-Read Books
Greer Dunning returns to her rural hometown of Ludlow, Kansas, from Chicago after the execution of the man, Roy Matthews, who murdered her sister, Eliza, and her boyfriend, Travis, fourteen years ago while making out in a car.
Despite a clear motive, Roy was convicted and executed. Greer, the younger sister, was not satisfied with the original investigation.
Now it appears there is a copycat killer. Two teens, Addy and Dylan, have been murdered, similar to her sister's murder. Is someone trying to lure her back to town?
Greer returns determined to solve this mystery—her family was devasted, and they were not there for her due to their grief.
Set in a rural small town, a story of a sixteen old Greer trying to run away, and now the truth has to come out. She is now getting close to the brother of her sister's murderer, Dean. From family members, friends, and enemies, we revisit the past and present.
Told from the POV of Greer, secrets are unraveled in this slow burn character-driven mystery exploring fear, shame, guilt, trauma, loss, forgiveness, and the many ways it affects everyone close to the victims and the murder's family.
While I would not classify this as a thriller, it is a well-written raw, emotionally—engrossing heart-breaking crime psychological suspense mystery of small-town darkness, focusing on Greer's grief and struggles.
Thanks to #PenguinGroup and #NetGalley for an advanced reading copy for an honest review.
Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: July 25, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
July 2023 Must-Read Books
allisonrae13's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0