A really good read. Read in 2 sittings as it was an easy but gripping tale. A real whodunnit for the 2020s.
Liked the victim’s story as it broke up the book nicely.

I only need to see Shari Lapena's name to know I'll be picking that book up. What Have You Done follows several characters POVs in a small town following the discovery of a body of one of their own. I found the story to be a tad predictable and I was able to guess who the killer was but it didn't deter me from enjoying the story. This was an easy to binge fast paced read that kept me turning the pages at rapid speed.

I found myself drawn into a world filled with intricate connections and rich character development. The characters felt real, each with their own backstory and motivations, which made me invested in their journeys. However, I couldn't shake the feeling that the resolution came a bit too early, making the ultimate revelation feel somewhat predictable.

While I appreciated the complexity of the relationships and the emotional depth of the family drama, I craved more suspense typical of a thriller. The narrative leaned heavily into familial ties and personal struggles, which was engaging but lacked the thrilling twists I was hoping for.

I also found the use of the deceased girl's voice to be a compelling choice; it added a unique layer to the story and provided insight into the events surrounding her death. Ultimately, while the narrative may not have delivered the high-stakes excitement I expected, it excelled in its portrayal of character dynamics and emotional depth.

Honestly - her books are such a bingeable delight!! ready to get lost in an epic heart racing book!? look no further!

I am a huge fan of the author and have read all her previous books and this book for me unfortunately isn't my favourite but still an intriguing read with a dark start and well progressed through out. I did like the ending as it wasn't predictable and was well written. Already looking forward to the authors next book !
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the chance to read and review this arc

Wow!!! An absolute brilliant book. This is by far her best book by far. It grabbed my attention from page one & I couldn't put it down. Not to be missed

When a local farmer in Fairhill, Vermont, finds a body one morning doing his usual rounds, it's not long before the sheriffs arrive, and they can't believe it's 17 year old Diana Brewer. A well liked and loved teenage girl, Fairhill from then on is understandably rocked and on edge to uncover who killed Diana, and literally left her to the vultures.

You're then thrown into many different POVs, including Diana's, to uncover what happened to Diana leading up to her death, and who on earth killed her...
Throw in a few moments where you think you have it worked out...

Well written and full of suspense. I will never ever pass up a Shari Lapena novel!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nothing ever happens in Fairhill, Vermont...until it does...

Not your average thriller by Shari Lapena but a pageturner just the same. This time we're taken to Fairhill, a sleepy little town in Vermont where everyone knows each other and nothing ever happens...until it does.

A farmer is working his fields when he notices the circling of vultures over one of his fields and thinking he may have a dead cow or some other animal on his land, he goes to investigate. Nothing prepares him for the horror that assails him. The visceral disemboweled remains of teenager Diana Brewer, her eyes pecked out by the feathered ferals.

The days starts off as normal for teenagers in Fairhill as they head off to school, avoid their parents at all costs and basically anything that is everything to a teenager. Riley Mead is worried though. She has texted Diana several times this morning and she has not responded...which is unlike Diana. She wants to know how she got on with boyfriend Cameron the night before. And then when Riley gets to school, she discovers that Diana is not there. And she does not arrive, making Riley worry more.

And then the principal knocks on their classroom door. The police are here. Diana has been found murdered. Riley's world falls apart. She and her friend Evan, Diana's two best friends, work to support each other and Diana's mother through this terrible ordeal. Who could have done this? And why?

Investigations reveal a creepy customer at the Home Depot where Diana worked, who gave her an inordinate amount of attention which made her uncomfortable. Is he responsible for Diana's death? And some inappropriate behaviour by someone in authority - someone who should be trusted - is also revealed. Could they be responsible for Diana's demise? Who would do such a thing? Diana was popular and well liked. She would do anything for anybody. Why would somebody kill her?

The story unfolds from various third person perspectives - from Riley to Evan to Diana's mother to Cameron and his parents to Diana's various teachers to the police and persons of interests. It has a touch of supernatural to it with Diana suspended between her life and her untimely death as she struggles to recall what happened to her on that night and watches with pain the heartache her loved ones are going through.

While it is not one of Shari Lapena's best, it was a pageturner all the same and I devoured it in good time. It was a fast paced read with short snappy chapters that kept it moving nicely. Despite it dragging a little, I love Shari's writing style which made the story such an addictive read.

I would like to thank #ShariLapena, #Netgalley and #TransworldDigital for an ARC of #WhatHaveYouDone in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

This book is so good - I read it all in one day as I just didn't want to put it down! It follows the aftermath of popular teenage girl, Diana Brewer is found murdered in a field in a small rural town. We see how her closest friends and her mum deal with the grief, the way teachers at the school deal with what they knew, and how the suspects cope with being under suspicion. There are also snippets from Diana and elements of the ghostly running through the novel. I loved this book, the exploration of grief was done well and the oppressive nature of the unsolved murder hanging over the town felt so claustrophobic. I did spot whodunnit but that didn't spoil my enjoyment at all as the novel is about so much more than who killed Diana, it's about how a town copes with such an horrific act. This is one of Shari Lapena's best books and I highly recommend it!

When a farmer finds the body of a popular local schoolgirl on his field, the small town of Fairhill is rocked. While there are a few main suspects, the whole town are under suspicion and everyone seems to have something to hide.

Following different character viewpoints, we are given a well-rounded view of the incident and each suspect, this was a fast-paced and twisty read.

Who killed Diana Brewer? A seemingly nice girl that everyone liked. Is it the boyfriend (who isn't telling the truth), the guy who was harassing her at her part-time job, the gym teacher or one of her friends?
Was the killing premeditated or an act of passion?

This book just reminded me again what a great writer Shari Lapena is! She never disappoints, and her stories keep you on the edge of your seat until the shocking last page!

"It's fun to play with the truth.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion
Isn't that what writers do?"

I am a huge fan of Shari Lapena, but have been a little disappointed with her more recent books. However, I really enjoyed this one!
I loved the beginning of the book, it started slap bang in the middle of the action - which I love, and therefore had me hooked from the start!!
I loved the short chapters too, they really help to keep the momentum going and keep me reading.

However, I did find that the pacing lagged a little bit just over the halfway mark. It started to slow down and become a bit repetitive. I think the book could have done with 100 pages cut down to keep the pacing facing.

Overall I really did enjoy the book, but the reason I didn't give the full 5* was because I started to loose interest towards the end due to the pacing.

What Have You Done? is set in the sleepy town of Fairhill, Vermont. It is quiet, rural, safe, residents leave their doors unlocked, until a local farmer makes a grim discovery in his field. Seventeen year old Diana Brewer is bright and popular, nobody would want to hurt her, but somebody did, fatally so.

The story is told from multiple POV, in alternating chapters. I especially liked the addition of an unusual narrator within the story.

The characters are varied, and feel plausible. Some you like, some you don’t, others make your skin crawl. Every parent would identify with the feelings of fear and grief, felt by each of the teenage character’s parents.

While I’m reading, I write notes on the characters, I find this helps when I’m reviewing. Interestingly, when I looked back on these notes, I found that I had questioned the perpetrator’s character very early on, which I had completely forgotten.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I didn’t have a clue as to ‘whodunnit’ until quite close to the end, as the author had given us plenty of red herrings. I read extremely quickly, lapping up the twists and turns, and was very satisfied by the ending. 4⭐️ from me.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Lots of suspects here but the killer is not who you think

"What Have You Done?" captivated me from beginning to end. Brimming with twists, secrets, and lies, it was so engrossing that I simply couldn't put it down—and so I didn't.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena could be (yet another) book about a shocking murder in a small town where nothing usually happens, but Lapena's ability to insert readers into the minds and suspicions of community members - and more importantly - family members and friends of suspects takes this to the next level. She also does a great job of reflecting the devastation caused by the loss of the only (very beloved) child of a single parent.

Lapena puts us in the heads of some of the victim's friends and their parents so we see the fallout from this murder from multiple perspectives. We're also hosted by the suspects - Diana's increasingly possessive boyfriend, a teacher who's behaved inappropriately, and an overly friendly customer at her part-time job. 

Lapena successfully throws many red herrings at readers and on several occasions has us thinking, 'Ah ha!' believing the murderer has been uncovered... but we'd be wrong. Again and again. The final reveal may not entirely be a surprise but it's certainly sufficiently twisted that I enjoyed it.

As in Lovely Bones, and many books since, we also hear directly from Diana who's watching over the events taking place after her death. Her mother certainly senses her spirit and worries Diana won't find 'rest' or move on because she's died young, tragically and unfairly.

This is essentially crime fiction that delves a bit deeper. In some ways it's less about the why and who-dunnit, focusing more on the impacts of the crime on a small community and reverberations from secrets and distrust as well as the guilt that comes from suspecting those we care about or love are capable of evil.

This is a great who done it thriller with lots of suspects and clues. A popular girl goes missing and initially eyes are in her boyfriend, who agrees she saw her home. Drop in the teacher she accused of impropriety. Add also some creepy guy who likes watching pretty girls working in checkouts.

Well written and fast paced. The characters were likeable and unlikeable when the author wanted you to feel each way and the story corrals to a climax with all the likely and unlikely circumstances investigated.

Good ending and a book that a fan of the thriller genre will enjoy.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Brilliant i really enjoyed this book and i will definitely be recommending it to everyone in my book group

"What Have You Done?" is fantastic in suspense and a gripping exploration of small-town secrets. Set in the seemingly idyllic Fairhill, Vermont, where nothing ever happens, Lapena cleverly transforms this sleepy town into a hotbed of fear and suspicion after the chilling discovery of Diana Brewer’s body in a hayfield.
From the outset, Lapena's storytelling skill is evident. The novel opens with the jarring image of Diana Brewer, once a vibrant part of the community, now a lifeless body surrounded by vultures. This stark contrast sets the tone for a narrative that meticulously unravels the hidden layers of Fairhill. The town, with its unlocked doors and familiar faces, quickly becomes a place of mistrust and paranoia, a transformation Lapena captures with razor-sharp precision.
The characters in "What Have You Done?" are vividly drawn and multifaceted. The teenagers, who once found thrill in ghost stories, now confront a real-life horror that shatters their sense of security. Parents, previously confident in their children's safety, struggle with the realization that danger lurks close to home. Lapena's ability to delve into the psyche of a small community faced with an unimaginable crime is both compelling and unsettling.
The plot is expertly paced, with each chapter revealing new twists and turns that keep you on edge. Lapena builds tension, creating a deep sense of urgency as the town's residents become suspects and the hunt for answers intensifies. The question, "What have you done?" resonates throughout the novel, a haunting refrain that underscores the novel’s themes of guilt, fear, and the search for truth. Lapena's prose is crisp and evocative, drawing you into the heart of Fairhill's unravelling. The atmospheric setting, combined with the intricate character dynamics, makes for an immersive reading experience. The novel's climax is both shocking and satisfying, tying together the threads of the mystery in a way that leaves a lasting impact.
"What Have You Done?" is a fabulous thriller that showcases Shari Lapena's talent for creating tension-filled narratives with rich character development. It's a book that will keep you up late into the night, turning pages in a desperate quest for answers. For fans of psychological thrillers and small-town mysteries, this is a must-read. Five stars for an unforgettable journey into the dark underbelly of a seemingly perfect town.

“What Have You Done” by Shari Lapena is a captivating and haunting mystery that skilfully captures the spirit of a small town turned upside down by tragedy. Set in thew close knit community of Fairhill where everyone knows everyone and front doors are left unlocked, the story delves into the dark underbelly of seemingly idyllic suburban life.

The body of Diana Brewer is found in a hayfield and her tragic fate transforms her from a spirited teenager to a ghost haunting the memories of those who knew her. There is now an obvious contrast between the town’s former tranquillity and its current state of fear.

The investigation begins and there is a ripple effect of Diana’s death on the community, secrets are discovered and repressed emotions released. Previously Diane, Cameron, Riley and Evan often met in the town cemetery to tell ghost stories. But recently Diana and Cameron had started to leave out Riley and Evan. Riley especially felt put out as she thought Diana was her best friend and when her texts went unanswered she knew something was wrong. When the police confirmed her suspicions with the news of Diana’s murder she was shocked to hear that Cameron was a suspect. She knew that Diana wanted to break up with him but couldn’t believe he had any part in her murder. There are other potential suspects including someone who was stalking her at work as well as her PE teacher who she accused of inappropriate conduct.

This is an emotionally charged novel, well written and full of suspense.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Random House UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.