Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus – ARC Review

 

My Rating ~ Three and a half stars

RELEASE DATE: 10 January 2018

Publisher: Penguin Random House

Format: Paperback

Pages: 327

 

Blurb

Ellery’s never been to Echo Ridge, but she’s heard all about it. It’s where her aunt went missing at age sixteen, never to return. Where a Homecoming Queen’s murder five years ago made national news. And where Ellery now has to live with a grandmother she barely knows, after her failed-actress mother lands in rehab. No one knows what happened to either girl, and Ellery’s family is still haunted by their loss.
Malcolm grew up in the shadow of the Homecoming Queen’s death. His older brother was the prime suspect and left Echo Ridge in disgrace. His mother’s remarriage vaulted her and Malcolm into Echo Ridge’s upper crust, but their new status grows shaky when mysterious threats around town hint that a killer plans to strike again. No one has forgotten Malcolm’s brother-and nobody trusts him when he suddenly returns to town.

 

 

Review

Thank you to Penguin Random House for providing me with a copy of Two Can Keep a Secret in exchange for an honest review.

When Ellery and her twin brother, Ezra move in with their grandmother while their mother is in rehab, it’s the first time they’ve ever visited their mother’s home town.  It’s a town known for two missing girls – the twin’s aunt, and 5 years ago, another homecoming queen.  Now messages have started appearing around town, hinting that the homecoming court will be targeted again this year.  But is it the same person, or is there a copycat on the loose?

I have to be honest, I found it hard to keep up with the number of characters introduced so quickly into this book.  I was confused about who was related to who and how they fit into the story.  I had to keep reminding myself who’s name was at the beginning of the chapter and who’s point of view I was reading.  I did eventually work it out, but I definitely didn’t work out the twists or the outcome!

I’m actually finding it really hard to decide on a rating for this one.  I wasn’t completely head over heels for it, but I can’t actually work out why.  I enjoyed the story and I liked the way it kept me guessing until the end.  I do find it hard to connect to stories about things like homecoming because we just don’t have anything like that in Australia, but that’s no reflection on the actual book.  I kept getting distracted for about the first half, it just didn’t seem to be gripping my attention, and I felt like it took longer to read than this length book would normally take me. I just don’t know, I enjoyed reading it but I guess it was one of those books that was fun while I read it, but kind of forgettable afterwards.

 

Photo via my Instagram account – Bookbookowl

 

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