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A review by chewie_the_mouse
The One That Got Away with Murder by Trish Lundy
dark
mysterious
5.0
I highly recommend this exciting, twisty thriller! At its heart are two wealthy brothers (Robbie and Trevor) who everyone thinks can get away with anything, including murder. Given that each young man has had a recent girlfriend who died under "mysterious circumstances", they just may be right.
Now Robbie has his sights set on new-girl Lauren. Lauren has come to the area for a new start, and is trying to leave her past behind her and make a good future for herself. Dating Robbie was supposed to be fun, not too serious, and certainly not dangerous. When Lauren stumbles across a clue that points to the last girlfriend's death being "not-so-accidental", she realizes she has a problem.
The author has created a twisty narrative with plenty of clues and teen investigations. Lauren has to figure out what's going on with no real ability to trust anyone...because she has no way to know who is actually IN ON everything with the killer.
I appreciated the depth the author managed to give each of the major characters, even while offering some of them up as potential murder suspects. Lauren, Robbie, Maura, Lex, John, and Ainsley were all well-crafted, realistic teens. I also appreciated that the level of teen partying, drinking, and drug use was true-to-life. So often, teen-centric novels tend to portray these things at over-the-top levels; this one got it right!
The slowly evolving relationships, both friendships and romantic, were well-written. By the end, I felt that Lauren had established true, lasting friendships with several other characters. There were some interesting parent/child dynamics as well, particularly between Lauren and her mother.
As an added bonus, Lauren and most of the other female characters were varsity soccer players. I especially enjoyed this, as I'm a soccer mom myself. The practices, games, and Senior Night celebration all rang true and brought back memories!
As for the final reveal of the killer....I thought it was a bit abrupt. Also, I didn't think enough clues were provided to point to this person. While I DID believe that this individual was behind the crimes, I would have liked a bit more lead-up before Lauren figured it out.
Still, a 5-star read, and I look forward to more from this talented author!
Now Robbie has his sights set on new-girl Lauren. Lauren has come to the area for a new start, and is trying to leave her past behind her and make a good future for herself. Dating Robbie was supposed to be fun, not too serious, and certainly not dangerous. When Lauren stumbles across a clue that points to the last girlfriend's death being "not-so-accidental", she realizes she has a problem.
The author has created a twisty narrative with plenty of clues and teen investigations. Lauren has to figure out what's going on with no real ability to trust anyone...because she has no way to know who is actually IN ON everything with the killer.
I appreciated the depth the author managed to give each of the major characters, even while offering some of them up as potential murder suspects. Lauren, Robbie, Maura, Lex, John, and Ainsley were all well-crafted, realistic teens. I also appreciated that the level of teen partying, drinking, and drug use was true-to-life. So often, teen-centric novels tend to portray these things at over-the-top levels; this one got it right!
The slowly evolving relationships, both friendships and romantic, were well-written. By the end, I felt that Lauren had established true, lasting friendships with several other characters. There were some interesting parent/child dynamics as well, particularly between Lauren and her mother.
As an added bonus, Lauren and most of the other female characters were varsity soccer players. I especially enjoyed this, as I'm a soccer mom myself. The practices, games, and Senior Night celebration all rang true and brought back memories!
As for the final reveal of the killer....I thought it was a bit abrupt. Also, I didn't think enough clues were provided to point to this person. While I DID believe that this individual was behind the crimes, I would have liked a bit more lead-up before Lauren figured it out.
Still, a 5-star read, and I look forward to more from this talented author!