The quick cut: A girl with a secret to hide moves to a new town and finds herself in the middle of a town mystery involving two rich brothers with girlfriends who have died in questionable circumstances.
A real review:
Thank you to Henry Holt & Co for providing the arc for an honest review.
It's not a mystery that the richer you are, the easier it is to buy your way out of trouble. So if someone died and their significant other was rich, would you suspect them? This is the case when Lauren moves to Happy Valley.
Lauren and her mom are moving from California to the East Coast for a fresh start that they both need. Lauren left her former home less than liked after an unfortunate event and her mom is just hoping they can get through her senior year with no drama. That possibility is taken away when it turns out her hookup partner is none other than Robby Crestmont: local rich boy whose girlfriend drowned under mysterious circumstances. His brother Trevor also had a girlfriend die suspiciously. Did they kill their girlfriends? Or is something else going on?
This thriller is definitely a slower buildup than most, but the journey there is really fun. The author creates a very tangled mess for Lauren to get herself caught in and that takes time to make well. Unfortunately, the end reveal happens too fast and a day after finishing, it still makes no sense.
Lauren suffered a tragedy and found herself unfairly blamed for what occurred at her old school. I can't imagine the pain of going from popular soccer star to local pariah. She leaves in the hopes of a better future for her and some happiness for her mom. It's fascinating how her good intentions go wrong and put her in the middle.
This story is very much about relationships, one that takes a minor role in the book is the one between Lauren and her mom. I won't say too much so I don't spoil anything but I found their relationship journey the most fun to read. They go from on the same page to not and their journey back to a good space takes a few unpredictable turns.
Robby also plays the romantic interest and while he makes a good partner for Lauren, I also found him sort of boring. Other than being cast as the town killer, he doesn't stand out. He needed more development to feel like a real person.
A fun thriller with a disappointing ending.
My rating: 3.5 out of 5