The One That Got Away with Murder

February 5, 2024
In Lundy’s classic-feeling debut, enigmatic new girl Lauren O’Brian is starting senior year at Valley High in Happy Valley, Pa., after moving from California. Determined to start over and make good, she admits to having screwed up her life and insists that her past should stay in the past. She’s made scores of new friends and solidified her place on the soccer team when she finds out that her casual hookup partner, Robbie Crestmont, is rumored to have murdered his former girlfriend. What’s more, Robbie’s younger brother Trevor is also thought to have killed his girlfriend. But the Crestmonts are wealthy, and their father is the most powerful person in town, so neither boy has ever been charged. Lauren decides she must solve the girls’ murders and, in doing so, her own mysterious past slowly comes to light. While many of the characters’ morally gray personalities dampen the surprise of the killer’s reveal, Lundy effectively employs all the hallmarks
of a successful mystery thriller to spin a suspenseful yarn with a feminist bent. Most major characters are white. Ages
14–up.

February 15, 2024
A teenage girl finds herself plunged into the middle of a complicated murder mystery. When Lauren moves to Happy Valley, Pennsylvania, just before her senior year, the last thing she wants is to get involved in more drama. When she left everything she knew behind in California, desperate to start over in a new place with her mom and her mom's new boyfriend, all she brought with her were terrible memories of an unimaginable trauma. But Lauren's plans fail when a no-strings-attached hookup with classmate Robbie Crestmont unwittingly entangles her in something dangerous: She learns that Robbie's suspected of murdering Victoria Moreno, his on-again, off-again girlfriend. A soccer teammate warns Lauren, "Every girl the Crestmonts date winds up dead." Further complicating matters, Trevor, Robbie's younger brother, is suspected of being involved in the death of his girlfriend, Jess Ebenstein. Lauren struggles to believe this is true, and she can't help but dig further into the mystery of the two girls' deaths, in the process uncovering a shockingly messy web of secrets and lies that may be riskier than she realizes. While some of the sections alluding to the mystery behind Lauren's personal history drag, and her motives occasionally feel unrealistic, the plot is overall fast paced and engrossing, building up to an ultimately rewarding climax and resolution. The main characters, who are cued white, are supported by an ethnically diverse supporting cast. Satisfyingly twisty. (Mystery. 14-18)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 1, 2024

Gr 10 Up-Lauren and her mom moved to Happy Valley, all the way across the country, to get a fresh start. But Lauren's past isn't so easy to get away from, especially when she is still terrified of fire and pushing everyone away to avoid hurting them. When Lauren learns that Robbie Crestmont, her casual hook-up, is infamous in Happy Valley, and then discovers new evidence that might prove everyone's theory true-that he killed his girlfriend two years ago-she finds herself in the middle of a dangerous chase for the truth. Lauren's character development is exceptional, as she slowly learns how to let people in again, and she struggles to come to terms with her traumatic past and the way she feels about herself as a result of it. The mystery is well developed and keeps readers guessing right along with Lauren and her friends. The twists and turns make for an exciting read that teens won't be able to put down. Though it is never explicitly stated, Lauren shows clear signs of having PTSD. She and the Crestmonts read white, and some secondary characters are diverse, both in race and sexuality. VERDICT Fans of Karen M. McManus will love debut author Lundy's well-developed mystery with plenty of thrills.-Mariah Smitala

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 14, 2024
Grades 9-12 When Lauren O'Brian agrees to move in with her mom's fianc� across the country, its not just to keep her mom happy. Lauren's running from a past that haunts her every day, and a fresh start seems too good to be true. But breaking into the tight clique of her new soccer team isn't easy, especially when she learns that the guy she's been hooking up with has a past of his own. Wealthy, handsome Robbie Crestmont and his brother, Trevor, are notorious in Happy Valley: each had a girlfriend who wound up dead. Robbie's ex was a soccer star and the team is quick to warn Lauren off, but she's not convinced he's guilty. As she wades deeper into their relationship, it becomes clear that someone, Robbie or not, is killing girls in Happy Valley, and the more she knows, the more danger she's in. Lundy's debut is a slow-burn, character-driven mystery that deftly layers several narratives together to a chilling affect. Fans of Karen McManus won't want to miss it.

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