Review: The One That Got Away With Murder by Trish Lundy

The One That Got Away with Murder
Trish Lundy
Henry Holt & Co.
Published April 16, 2024

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About The One That Got Away with Murder

Be careful who you fall for…

Robbie and Trevor Cresmont have a body count—the killer kind. Handsome and privileged, the Crestmont brothers’ have enough wealth to ensure they’ll never be found guilty of any wrongdoing, even if all of Happy Valley believes they’re behind the deaths of their ex-girlfriends. First there was soccer star Victoria Moreno, Robbie’s ex, who mysteriously drowned at the family lake house. Then, a year later, Trevor’s girlfriend died of a suspicious overdose.

But the Crestmonts aren’t the only ones with secrets. Lauren O’Brian might be the new girl at school, but she’s never been a good girl. With a dark past of her own, she’s desperate for a fresh start. Except when she starts a no-strings-attached relationship with Robbie, her chance is put in jeopardy. During what’s meant to be their last weekend together, Lauren stumbles across shocking evidence that just might implicate Robbie.

With danger closing in, Lauren doesn’t know who to trust. And after a third death rocks the town, she must decide whether to end things with Robbie or risk becoming another cautionary tale.

This is an edge-of-your-seat debut YA thriller about a teen who is forced to confront her past in order to catch a murderer before she ends up the next victim. Perfect for fans of Karen McManus and Holly Jackson.

My Review

This tightly-paced book definitely kept me turning pages. I read the whole thing in one afternoon. The stakes ratchet up as the story progresses, which also made me want to just-one-more-chapter all the way to the end.

I also appreciated that Lauren and Robbie’s connection isn’t too insta-lovey. She recognizes him as a fellow trauma survivor, and that connection makes it hard for her to walk away from a relationship with him. I also found his character believable because of his background and experience. I liked that the author set him up to be that brooding, untrusting loner for reasons rather than because it turns Lauren’s head.

The only thing that tripped me up a little bit is the brief point-of-view shift near the end, in which the story flips to the murderer’s perspective. I can see why the author chose to include those chapters, as they did heighten the tension and keep the action going at a critical point. I did find myself wishing that the story had played out in a way that made that unnecessary, though. For me personally, reading from the viewpoint of a person intending someone else harm feels icky, so I would have preferred to stay in one point-of-view all the way through the book, but that would have required telling the story in a different way.

I do think the author handled those chapters in a good way. It was creepy, but the story didn’t revel in harming others, which does sometimes happen when you’re in a villain’s point of view.

All in all, I can see readers who enjoy books by Karen McManus or Diana Urban loving this one, too.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
Lauren is white. Her soccer team is pretty diverse. A couple of the players are lesbians.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Extreme profanity used pretty infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing between boy and girl. References to sex. A couple of scenes imply the characters are going to or have had sex, but it happens offscene. Two girls talk openly about being in a relationship with each other.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Lauren briefly sees a person who has died from an apparent drug overdose. She has flashes of memories from a fire she survived that injured someone. There are also brief descriptions of a girl being coerced and blackmailed by someone who wants her to perform sexual acts. Three chapters are from a murderer’s point of view and briefly describe him killing someone.

Drug Content
Teens drink alcohol. One teen snorts cocaine.

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