Two Can Keep a Secret: TikTok made me buy it

by Karen M. McManus

The follow up YA thriller from the author of the international bestseller One of Us is Lying.

A perfect town is hiding secrets. Secrets that somebody would kill to keep hidden.

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 now she has to live there with her estranged grandmother, after her mother lands in rehab.

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.

But now he's back- just as mysterious threats appear around town, hinting that a killer will strike again.

Then another girl disappears.

As Ellery and Malcolm race to unravel what happened, they realise every secret has layers in Echo Ridge.

'Tightly plotted and brilliantly written, with sharp, believable characters, this whodunit is utterly irresistible' - HEAT

• ISBN10: 0141375655
• ISBN13: 9780141375656
• Publish Date: 10 January 2019 (first published 8 January 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Penguin Books Ltd
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[Eve1972]

Another well-written mystery by this author. I didn't like it quite as much as ONE OF US IS LYING, but it was still an entertaining read!

[chrisoatham]

I read this book immediately after "One of Us is Lying" so kind of went in with an expectation of some sorts. Whilst I found the story to be a bit slower that KM's previous book, the story still kept me thinking along the way making it hard to suss out what was going on.

I enjoyed the story and do believe anyone who read "One of Us is Lying" would enjoy this book too. There isn't as many twist and turns and you don't find yourself questioning yourself as much. However, the plot twists that are in this book do make you think "omg!" - Especially the last line of the book.

[Stephanie]

While the mystery kept me intrigued, everything else was pretty bland. I listened to the audio and I didn't think the narrators were great. That said, I don't think I'd like this any better if I had read the book myself.

[Jo]

Review to come.

[ibeforem]

My book club read Karen McManus's first book, One of Us is Lying, last year and liked it enough that we decided to follow it up with her second book this year!

Ellery and her twin brother Ezra end up living with their grandmother in their mother's Vermont hometown after she ends up in rehab. The 5-year anniversary of the murder of a teenage girl is coming up, which also coincides with the date their mother's twin sister disappeared, back when they were in high school. Their immersion into small-town life seems to be going fine, until people start acting odd and another teenage girl disappears.

Two Can Keep a Secret was good, but not *quite* as good as her first. That one kept me guessing until the end, but I figured out who the killer was in this book fairly early -- like half way through. I still enjoyed the ride to the conclusion, though! Also, the setting left a little to be desired... This small town could have been anywhere, there was nothing very "Vermont-y" about it, which is something I expect when a story is set in Vermont.

I still give this a thumbs up, and I'll definitely be reading her next novel!

[leahrosereads]

Bah, why did this have to start sooooo slow?! The build up to the ending was just too long, and it made the ending feel a bit rushed, which is a shame, because I LOVED this ending! Didn't see it coming at all.

[cornerfolds]

Read more of my reviews at Cornerfolds.com!

*Review to come!*

[Sam@WLABB]

I was a super fan of McManus' debut, One of Us is Lying, and once again, she had me from page one until the very last line.

All the elements I adored in her last book were once again present in Two Can Keep a Secret. Great characters, interesting relationships, a little romance, tension, and red herrings. I will admit, I figured out who the baddie was, but just like the last time, it did not diminish my enjoyed. This was a great twisty journey, and I loved the way McManus layered it with a little bit of family drama. And, just because I was not surprised when the villain was unveiled, does not mean there were not surprises. I thought the reveal of Sadie's secret was excellent, and that last line of the book made me gasp.

Again, well done, Karen McManus. I can't wait to read more of your books!

BLOG | INSTAGRAM |TWITTER | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS

[writehollydavis]

Okay, my girl K Mac is the YA thriller queen!! This book had me on the edge of my seat the whole time! The mysteries and plot and characters were perfectly crafted and weaved together to create a drama-filled rollercoaster ride. So many mic drops!! I already can't wait to read more from this incredible author.

I did not have high expectations when I started with this book. I was pleasantly surprised when I started reading, the writing style immediately threw me in the middle of the story and I was immersed in the world. It was an easy, fun read, and the mystery felt incredibly real. It did not feel like the most unique book, but it was a nice read. Until the very end and final plot twist. It felt utterly ridiculous.
Let me get this straight, it made sense that it was Peter. However, after this was revealed, the story took a ridiculous turn, with Peter suddenly showing up with a gun like the ultimate bad guy and after three successful murders, he suddenly couldn't murder these two teenagers? Somehow he got away with three murders, but could not do this? It made no sense.
It felt like a very easy way for the author to finish up this book since she obviously had no clue how she could properly end it. It felt rushed, it had all the clichés, and it did not make much sense. Unfortunately, that made this 3.5-star book a 2-star book.