Luca Laine Thomas lives on an island that appears to be cursed. She's still grieving over the death of her best friend, murdered 3 years ago. Other people ignore the curse as the island appears idyllic to outsiders, but, Luca cannot. Then, her sister is killed.

This is an excellent YA read. It's an enthralling whodunnit whilst also dealing with the difficult subjects of; mental health, grief and sexuality.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier Books for the opportunity to preview.

A bit of a random story to begin with but once you are into the thread of the story it steps up and becomes very good and well written

ARC read


Luca is on the hunt to find the truth about the murder of her sister, on her journey she discovers everyone has secrets and what she thought she knew isnt actually truth.
She has her own secrets after all.

I loved the murder mystery of this book but I sometimes struggled with the age of the girls, luca is supposed to be 17 but I found her to be childish and so are the older girls, it got confusing.
The twist at the end though! I did not see that coming at all.

I thought the ending could have been abit better. She should have left with Naomi.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mystery, a creeping sense of threat, teen romance and a dusting of social issues all combine to make an interesting and very readable plot. Luca is a great character, she is just enough of an outsider to add a critical eye to the privilege most of the other Parris residents take for granted, but she’s also quite naïve and trusting about the ways of a world she’s known all of her life.

I really enjoyed this YA novel and raced through it in a couple of days. It reminded me of Ginny Myers Sain’s Dark and Shallow Lies with a similar sense of teens living in an alternate version of an isolated town to the one the adult know about.

This is a young adult thriller, but to be honest I didn't find it very thrilling. None of the characters were particularly likeable and the main character was a very spoilt and a bit of a bitch. The actual murder mystery was a bit long and drawn out although well written at times, especially the descriptions of mental health and self harm. However, the big reveal at the end was a bit "really?? Is that it?"
It was also irritating that Polly was mentioned so often but we never discovered what actually happened to her.

While the premise of this book is interesting, ultimately the story did not live up to my expectation

I dont think i would read this again

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

A well written and thought provoking book but sadly not for me.

I found it a little repetitive and the characters just grated on me - I’m not a fan of spoiled, privileged teens - however I think there will be a good audience for this book.

On the remote island of Paris, Luca is a disturbed teenager who believes in ghosts and other supernatural influences. That doesn’t explain the murder of her elder sister or close friend Polly. The police are not to be trusted, as becomes very evident during the story, so Luca sets off on her own investigation. She is assisted by her lover Naomi who has moved next door into what was Polly’s home. Luca finds out things about her sister she didn’t know. Eventually she gets to the truth and finds who killed her sister. This is a well written book although there are lots of characters in it to keep in mind. I recommend it.

I can’t see that this is a YA title but it feels as if it should be. It is a story about young privileged people living in a very privileged area.
While eventually the actions of one the adults is revealed, it is mostly about the young members of this society being shocked at these dreadful events with very little curiosity.The main characters are well drawn but I found the story rather repetitive as they went from party to party. There is a suggestion of gay and black issues arising but these are not explored.

Reading the hype and comments on the front of the book I thought I was in for a very fast paced thriller. Unfortunately thst was not to be.
It started out promising and had a hint of Pretty Little Liars so I thought I was on to a winner but it was so slow, I found it a chore to continue. I did like that fact that the main character, Luca, was on the chubby side and not the stereotypical beauty which was refreshing but other than that not much to like. The action happened in the final few chapters which was just too late and I hated the fact that the true villain got away with it! Why didn't Luca make sure that the truth came out? It felt so unfair to the family of the person who took the blame, a very disappointed ending.
#NetGalley #BadThingsHappenHere

A history of seemingly unrelated accidents and deaths in a wealthy island community all still currently unsolved. Is this part of a legendary curse, or is something more sinister at play. Luca was born and had lived her entire 17 years here, and either a tragic accident or the curse has already claimed her best friend. Whilst till receiving grief counselling another tragedy hits close to home and the police are thinking accident again but this time, Luca won't rest until she go d's the truth, and then escape the curse that's coming for her.

I was given an ARC of this YA story and it was thought-provoking if not surprising because though bad things happen people generally prefer not to acknowledge it - especially for the sake of appearances.

This story is set on an island, mainly for the rich, where image and entitlement is everything. Those who do not 'fit' are thought beneath them. Luca, who is the main protagonist, is plagued by angst, whilst believing there is a curse on the island. Bad things certainly do happen but is it because of a curse or that people are wicked? The history of the island is not a good, however, the inhabitants are in denial.

I think this was exploration of growing up and the realization that things on the surface are just that, revealing the deeper, darker truth. It's sad and distressing and the author uses Luca as a vehicle through the more of lies and superficial nonsense.

The writing style was good, although, I don't know why a capital was used for describing a black person because it's not a nationality, like being white isn't. It was fast-paced and I liked how the story evolved, just how Luca did.

Overall, this is a good murder mystery with many issues surrounding it and I think others would enjoy the tangled web.

Worth a look.

Parris is an island for the rich and elite. The residents, are, in the main, spoilt, privileged and white. The few less well off are definitely treated differently. The main character, Luca, is from a rich family, and she and her sister Whitney live, on the surface, an idyllic life.

The positive thing about this book was that it was short, which was good as at one stage it was going to be a DNF. With a bit of speed reading and skipping over less interesting points, of which there were many, I did get to the end. Sadly it was a boring story with characters that I had no interest in. The denouement was weak and predictable. Not one for me I afraid.

Thank you NetGalley.

Luca Laine Thomas lives on a cursed island and to the outside world Parris is an exclusive idyllic escape accessible only to the one percent there’s nothing idyllic about its history though scattered with the unsolved deaths of young women deaths parris society happily ignores to maintain its polished veneer but Luca can’t ignore them not when the curse that took them killed her best friend Polly three years ago not when she feels the curse lingering nearby ready to take her next when Luca comes home to police cars outside her house she knows the curse has visited once again except this time it came for Whitney her sister
Really enjoyable suspense with a great twist that keeps you captivated till the very end
Thank You NetGalley and Bonnier Books Uk
I just reviewed Bad Things Happen Here by Rebecca Barrow. #BadThingsHappenHere #NetGalley

Story very well written, intriguing plot & captivating mystery. Page turner & easy to read.

I am voluntarily reviewing a copy I received free via NetGalley.

(3.5 stars). How does it feel to live in Paradise when you’re the only one who believes it to be the opposite?

Luca has lived on the luxury island of Parra her whole life - immersed in its culture, its stories and the beating heart of the island. Despite its endless beaches and decadent lifestyle, Luca cannot shake the feeling that the stories that have haunted the island - stories of, unsolved tragic accidents of beautiful girls - are too much of a coincidence, and that the thing that keeps Parra going is a curse embedded in the very core of the island.

This was a quick, easy and enjoyable read. The main characters desperation in trying to solve the murder of her sister dominates the plot of the novel, but there are also significant, memorable side plots; the battle with grief / depression / intrusive thoughts, corruption, and, a blossoming queer relationship founded upon a mutual understanding of tragedy.

Whilst the relationships were written well, I think the weakness of this book was the writing of confrontation. The ‘climax’ / reveal of the book was written somewhat weakly, it was difficult to get invested at this scene due to the choice of dialogue. It had real potential to be a great novel, a 5 star read - whilst this was good, the confrontation scenes / plot twist reveals always seemed to let it down. They were great in theory, less so in practice.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

This did not turn out as I expected. I really wanted to like the main character Luke but really couldn't connect with her at all. The book itself is ok and I don't regret reading it but it really was not to my taste so I am unlikely to read this authors other work. Sorry but it was just not for me.

Not for me. Subject too upsetting at the moment for me to enjoy it unfortunately. I had to put it down

To the outside world, Parris is a beautiful town full of people whose lives are to be envied. What they don’t see is the dark side to the town, the secrets that lurk in the shadows and which keep those who live in Parris trapped.
Our main character is Luca Laine Thomas, from one of the wealthy families who everyone knows. Her life might seem easy, but Luca believes in the curse that is rumoured to haunt the town. Her best friend, Polly, was found dead and though it was ruled accidental, Luca is convinced there’s more to the story.
My initial thoughts on Luca and her friends were not particularly positive. While they expressed unease at the events taking place in their town, they seemed to be as much a part of the problem as anyone else. Their behaviour towards the new neighbour, Naomi, felt a little patronising and yet I hoped things would not be quite as I thought.
Once Luca learns that her sister, Whitney, has been found dead after a party, things got a lot more interesting. Luca cannot accept what she’s being told and decides to carry out her own investigation. What she learns shows that nearly everyone has something to hide.
I found myself caught up in this once the story got underway, and fans of The Cheerleaders or Kit Frick will no doubt love the approach taken. The ending left me rather stunned, but it was nice to see Luca grow in self-belief as she made her way through events. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this in advance of publication.

Wow, this book was full of sizzle and mystery thrown in together! The crux of the story is the murder of the protagonist’s sister and her former’s plight to find the perpetrator. I absolutely recommend this book!