"That's Not My Name" by Megan Lally follows a teenage girl who wakes up abandoned on the side of the road with no idea who she is and how she got there. However, a man soon finds her at the police station she has taken refuge in, telling her that she is his daughter, Mary. But things are not as they seem. Navigating through the truths and lies that surround her with every recovered memory, "Mary" isn't sure who she is - and who she can trust.

This book is a thrilling tale that keeps the reader guessing with every plot twist. "That's Not My Name" is beautifully crafted, and Lally did a great job making the amnesia and the characters' actions overall believable. The underlying feeling of unease that remains throughout the entire thrilling story, paired with the heart-wrenching ending, makes this is one of the best YA murder mysteries I have read all year!

"Two Sides To Every Murder" is a YA murder mystery that follows identical twins Olivia and Reagan as they return to Camp Lost Lake to discover the truth of their past. Separated at birth, it seems that the sisters couldn't be more different: Olivia cautiously searches for the truth about her parentage, while reckless Reagan is determined to clear her mother's name. The twins - along with their best friends - join forces as they are hunted by the Witch of Lost Lake, who will do anything to hide the truth of what happened there sixteen years ago.

When I picked up "Two Sides To Every Murder," I was hoping for another thrilling murder mystery, but I was disappointed to find that the plot of this story was unoriginal and predictable. Each secret and twist was hinted at heavily, and the character's actions seemed extremely unlikely and often childish, making each event seem abrupt. Because the story did not flow smoothly, it was difficult to get invested in the plot and characters. Additionally, Valentine seemed to take A LOT of inspiration from "The Parent Trap" (some of the character dialogue was almost identical to the 1998 movie) and that really bothered me, as it took a lot away from the plot and made it even more unoriginal. Overall, I would not recommend this book, as it was stereotypical, monotonous, and altogether extremely disappointing.

"A Good Girl's Guide To Murder" by Holly Jackson introduces lovable and realistically flawed characters Pippa Fitz-Amobi and Ravi Singh as they work to not only complete Pip's senior capstone project, but also to solve the murder of Andie Bell. Every character in this novel has complex thoughts, feelings, and motives that weave together to create a shocking, multi-layered mystery and page-turning plot. Presented in an engaging mixture of transcribed interviews, project notes, and Pip's own perspective, you will not be disappointed by picking up this book!

After reading and adoring many of Karen M. McManus's novels, I found myself looking for a similar read, and after stumbling across Jackson's work, I was hooked! Not only is "A Good Girl's Guide To Murder" perfect for those seeking a good mystery, but "Good Girl, Bad Blood" and "As Good As Dead" (the other books in this amazing three-part series), tie in beautifully to the already-compelling world Jackson has created, leaving the reader stunned with every plot twist. Jackson presents a story - and series - where the characters, clues, relationships, and resolutions feel anything but forced, and each new twist leaves the reader wanting more of not only Ravi and Pip's adorable relationship, but also more of the mysteries in Fairview which seem to never stop unraveling!

"Curtain - Poirot's Last Case" by Agatha Christie is another one of this author's must-reads. The reader is hooked from the start of the story as Hercule Poirot and his friend, Arthur Hastings, travel back to the location of their first case to face their most formidable enemy yet. Not only does this story incorporate Christie's signature touch, filling the reader with suspense and leaving them wanting more, but it also plays into the reader's emotional connections with the characters they have read so much about.

I have been obsessed with Agatha Christie and her timeless mysteries for a while now, and have fallen in love with Poirot, Hastings, and many more of her amazing characters. I recommend reading Curtain after enjoying some of Christie's other Poirot mysteries (especially Poirot's first case, "The Mysterious Affair At Styles"), as I had fallen in love with the character so much that the ending left me in tears. Each of her mysteries is both distinctive and flawless, each plot point perfectly executed.

Bad Blood is the fourth and final book in the Naturals series. The story follows Cassie Hobbes and her journey as a part of the FBI’s Naturals Program; an elite team of teenagers with unique abilities to help the FBI profile and solve cold cases. From the day Cassie joined the Naturals program she was always set out to solve her own mother's cold case. In Bad Blood Cassie and the team are even closer to solving the mystery of her mother’s cold case than they even know. Cassie and the team end up investigating in the town of Gaither, Oklahoma. The town is small, and brings back a flood of memories for Cassie, as she lived there with her mother as a child. Not only do these memories bring back crucial information for Cassie’s mom’s case but also ultimately help the FBI find the cult-like group who has been killing people for generations.
The book was a wonderful way to finish off this series. The book was full of plot-twists, mystery, great imagery, and intriguing details. The entire series never disappointed and especially this final book. The book had many surprising moments and adapted on mysteries and details in the other books. Something I really enjoyed is how Barnes had plot-twists relating to things in the other three books. I thought that played a nice role in ending the series but also kept me interested and surprised. The themes of friendship and the team dynamic that also play a role in this book make all the difference. Even in moments of great turmoil, when two of the characters had a disagreement, whatever it was, in the end the characters all come together and care for one another which is something I loved about the book. Another great part of this book is it touches more on their complex backstories of some of the characters like Micheal and Lia and introduces mysterious new characters like Mason Kyle or Holland Darby. Sometimes the details in the plot-twists can get confusing, but overall, an easy and fun book to read. If you are a person who loves thrilling mysteries, plot-twists, and a team dynamic the Naturals series is for you!

This book was definitely interesting to read. I didn't exactly dislike it but it wasn't my favorite book ever. The book is about a dystopian world with a special act that lets people "unwind" their teenagers. This process involves repurposing their organs and body parts, donating them to people in need and justified this as the life doesn't really end. It's the premise of the book and brings up some heartbreaking scenes to read. In my opinion the plot isn't bad. It's about three teens that come together to try and escape being unwound. What I like about it is that it's a powerful adventure and there's a lot of unique characters. Even though it wasn't my favorite book I've read, I don't think it a waste of time and would recommend it to those who enjoy science fiction and action.

I really liked the concept behind this book—it felt unique and pulled me into a genre I don’t usually read. The story follows 17-year-old Cassie Hobbes, who gets recruited into a special FBI program made up of gifted teens, each with their own talents that help solve crimes.
I thought this was a good strong introduction to the series and the characters. I really liked the team dynamic and how each character brought something different to the table. Their interactions were interesting to read and made reading more enjoyable.
That said, there were moments when the writing felt a little dramatic and some plot points came together too neatly, like everything just worked out a little too perfectly. It made certain scenes feel less believable, even though the overall story was still really engaging.
I did however enjoy the twists. Even when I had some suspicions, I was still surprised, and those moments definitely added to the excitement. I'm curious to see how the story and characters develop in the next books.

After the last investigation Pip is haunted by what events that transpired. She can't seem to escape the last investigation and with the death threats becoming more severe, she is left to solve this case. Pip thinks that this case will solve her, but this time the stakes are higher, and if she doesn't find out who this is she will disappear.

I think this book was truly amazing, Holly Jackson did a fantastic job explaining the effects of the last book (Good Girl, Bad Blood). The ending was dark and twisted. This is a great book for mystery lovers.

As a reader, do you gravitate towards relate-able, conventional, sweet narrators and stories that follow a comforting and predictable arc, ending in the literary version of “All is well”? If so, then read no further. Christopher Bollen’s page-turning, stomach-churning, prediction-spurning Havoc is not the novel for you.
Bollen’s sole narrator is octogenarian Maggie Burkhardt, a Wisconsin expatriate in Egypt during the pandemic, and Bollen’s use of the first person pays satisfying homage to its origin as an “unreliable narrator.” The book’s synopsis gives us a strong nudge in the “be wary of this narrator” direction, but it also complicates matters by adding an 8-year-old boy, arriving at the shabby-chic hotel on the edge of the Nile in the Sahara Desert with his harried mother, who quickly morphs into an unsettling and eerie nemesis for Maggie.
The peripatetic, well-heeled guests, Ben and Zachary, an American gay couple whom Maggie has befriended and feels comfortable with, as well as Ahmed, the local hotel manager with the proverbial heart of gold, who has warmly welcomed Maggie since her arrival from a mysteriously swift departure from Switzerland, provide rich and believable layers of characterization and sub-plots that robustly deliver from start to finish. But there’s never a doubt that Maggie is the axis around which this beguilingly straightforward yet actually quite twisty plot revolves.
While busying herself with ruminations about which guests might need her special “help” in overturning their lives for the good (ahem)—something Bollen makes sure that readers know is not a newly developed habit--Maggie tries and, to her astonishment, spectacularly fails to befriend young Otto. Subsequently, she becomes convinced that the precocious and troubled 8-year-old, who has quickly inserted himself into the homey interpersonal fabric of the sprawling and laid-back hotel, is on to her. As it happens, she may be right.
Bollen skillfully lays a crumb trail for readers—though never too many crumbs at once!—to suss out and/or add puzzlement to Maggie’s history and motives. Was Maggie’s long-time marriage to Peter who predeceased her as perfect as she recounts? And what’s going on with their daughter who appears in brief, hazy recollections as both a child and an adult when “she died”? The uneasy pleasure of this novel rests in the interwoven nature of Maggie’s unreliable memory and self-talk with the disturbing and escalating aspect of her and Otto’s game of one-up-man-ship. Is Maggie right about her suspicions of this child? Is the kid, in this case, “all right” or….decidedly not? And when friendly Ahmed finally cools towards Maggie because he’s heard just one too many contradictions in her back-story, should we feel pity for someone whose sanity is unraveling or a fervent hope that she be caught out before something worse happens?
The answers to these questions may possibly differ for every reader. But the staggering conclusion, rendered with an admirable combination of nail-shredding suspense and gut-punching abruptness, seemed worthy of Poe to this reader. Kudos to Bollen on his rendition of a “tale of mystery and imagination!”

Pip has vowed not to get herself tangled up in mysteries. However when her friend goes missing and the police fail to take action, Pip steps up knowing the risks of getting caught up in mysteries. This book was honestly amazing, filled with twist and turns. As you continue to read the book, the more invested you get. I picked this book due to reading her previous book. 'A Good Girl's Guide to Murder'. Holly Jackson truly has got a gift for writing these mysteries. This is a fantastic read that is definitely worth it