Four years ago, Brynn left Saint Ambrose School following the shocking murder of her favourite teacher. The case was never solved, but she’s sure that the three kids who found Mr. Larkin’s body know more than they’re telling, especially her ex-best friend Tripp Talbot. He’s definitely hiding something.

When Brynn gets an internship working on a popular true-crime show, she decides to investigate what really happened that day in the woods. But the further she dives into the past, the more secrets she finds.

Four years ago someone got away with murder. Now it’s time to uncover the truth . . .

First of all, I love a story with a character who is moving back to a town they used to live in and reconnects with old friends. This book was better for that premise as we got both Brynn and Tripp’s perspectives on the story. I will say that I was wary going into this story because I didn’t completely love McManus’s last book, You’ll Be the Death of Me, but I’m glad I decided to take the chance to read this.

Brynn was a great main character for this story. She had her flaws, yes, but they more a result of her passion for being a journalist and wanting to get the story. Because of this, she doesn’t always read people or situations well, and that gets her into a little bit of trouble with her friends and family throughout the story. I love her passion though, as well as her relationship with her younger sister, Ellie – another character I loved.

Tripp is a more complex character, as he’s harboring his own demons from witnessing Mr. Larkin’s murder… and not just because he accidentally came across a dead body. There’s a secret Tripp has been holding in since that day, which makes him hold back a little as he spends more time with Brynn. He also has complicated relationships with his parents, which the reasons for come to light later in the story. I felt bad when it came to his relationship with his mother because she was honestly a crappy person.

There was a bit of romance between Brynn and Tripp, which thankfully wasn’t an instant reconnection for them as I thought it would be. They took their time getting to know and trust each other again, which was what they needed, especially since Tripp had done Brynn wrong back in the eighth grade. I also liked that their romance wasn’t the focus of the story, it was more of a thing that happened because, you know, it’s a young adult book… and what is a YA book without romance?

Obviously, the best element of the book is the mystery, and as it usually goes when I read a McManus book… I think I have it all figured out when she throws in a twist from left field (that works) and I have to rethink my entire thought process. It also didn’t come to a complete ending, with all the ends tied up and justice served for everyone, but that’s what makes the ending good because that’s how real life is most of the time.

One last thing is that I loved the little mentions of McManus’s other books in the story, as I love it when an author’s books exist in the same universe. So, if you can’t tell, I really enjoyed this one and I will be highly recommending it to mystery lovers of all ages!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars