Member Reviews
I love Shari’s books and was delighted to receive this one.
Who killed Diana?
That’s the question on everyone’s lips in Fairhill after the teenager’s body is discovered, nude and attacked by birds, in a farmer’s field one morning. Her mother, for whom Diana was her only child, is broken. Her best friends are devastated. Her boyfriend is under suspicion.
Some of her teachers are hiding secrets.
None of this is supposed to happen in a place like Fairhill. But it did. Just who did kill Diana?
What a rollercoaster ride this book was. I was convinced of the guilt of one party within the book when the author took me down another path. A book I could not put down.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review.
Normally I really like Shari's books, but this one didn't seem to be up to par compared to others. Diana's body is found in the field one night and the town starts to figure out who the killer is. So many possibilities and secrets. Who killed Diana and why? For the most part, I had to skim. Just didn't draw me in enough.
In a small town USA, local school girl Diana’s body is discovered naked in a field. While the police try to find the killer her friends and family try to come to terms with what has happened. Suspicion turns to the boyfriend, Cameron, when it is revealed the night she died they had had a fight and broken up. Then the spotlight is turned on her gym teacher whom she had made a complaint about inappropriate touching. There is also the creepy guy who insisted she served him at the store where she worked on weekends.
The story is fast paced and switched from points of view frequently. My problem was there were too many characters with the friends, the teachers, the boyfriend, the teachers partners, the parents. It all became a blur after a while and as each person was blamed in turn I couldn’t really care who killed her. Sounds a bit harsh but I have enjoyed previous books by this author and although they have a sameness to them, I didn’t enjoy this one as much.
#WhatHaveIDone? #NetGalley
Have never read anything by Shari Lapena but really recommend "What have you done " as a perfect summer thriller. When high school senior Diana Brewer is found murdered in a field , Fairhill a small Vermont village where violence is virtually unknown, is shaken to the core. Lapena slowly peels of the mask of a seemingly perfect cast of characters, be it her boyfriend, her best friends, the high school principle or her sports instructor until the person who killed her makes a mistake
Warning alert—once you start this book, you won’t be able to put it down! Nothing ever happens in the sleepy rural town of Fairhill until the body of popular high school student Diana is discovered in a field. Suddenly, in a place where no one locks their doors, everyone’s a suspect. Told from multiple viewpoints of those who knew the victim, it soon becomes apparent that many of Fairhill’s residents have been keeping secrets—including Diana herself. I loved the author’s previous book, Everyone Here is Lying, and What Have You Done was even better in my opinion. I raced through it in a couple of days, desperate to know what had happened to Diana, and the conclusion was shocking and unexpected. I think Shari Lapena may just be my new favourite author!
Another fantastic nail biting book by Shari Lapena. I could not put it down from the minute I started the first page.
The story is set in Fairhill a small town where doors are always left unlocked until schoolgirl Diana is found murdered in a field.
The characters were all excellently written and I loved the fact that there were lots of red herrings along the way. I had a slight idea who the killer may be but it was still an excellent read with a great ending that tied up the book perfectly.
Thanks to NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and Shari Lapena for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
I've read all of Shari's book and this one isn't quite what I expected but I soon found myself drawn in. It kept me guessing right up until the end.
I found this read like teen fiction, I could see it appealing to a new audience for her.
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.
Another brilliant story from this author.
I was gripped and my jaw dropped within the first chapter!
It's a fantastic whodunit, and a pov from the deceased, and from one of her close friends. This story shows how men in high powered positions get away with their actions, and their decisions causes a ripple effect within young girls and their families in a community.
I devoured this book in 2days, it was a suspenseful read, filled with mystery, ghostly parts, and a great small town trope, which I can perfectly envision.
#WhatHaveYouDone? #NetGalley
Nothing ever happens in sleepy little Fairhill, Vermont. But this morning that will change. And one innocent question could be deadly. What have you done? The teenagers get their kicks telling ghost stories in the old graveyard. The parents trust their kids will arrive home safe from school. Everyone knows everyone. Curtains rarely twitch. Front doors are left unlocked. But Diana Brewer isn’t lying safely in her bed where she belongs. Instead she lies in a hayfield, circled by vultures, discovered by a local farmer. How quickly a girl becomes a ghost. How quickly a town of friendly, familiar faces becomes a town of suspects, a place of fear and paranoia. Someone in Fairhill did this. Everyone wants answers.
She doesn't fall to surprise me.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK Transworld Publishers Bantam for giving me an advance copy.
Oh my goodness what a read - poor Diana! Some absolutely hideously twisted characters in this book, the list of suspects for Diana's death keeps growing.
This was so well written, I like the multiple povs, means we get to see the story from differing perspectives. I wasn't sure at first about the 'ghostly' element but it actually worked really well, it helped to rely the truth of the events.
This was an excellent read, very tense with a slow unravelling of the horrific truth throughout.
Shari Lapena's books always manage to keep me hook, this book had me asking questions and who to trust and it kept me gripped right until the end.
Outstanding…
Fairhill, Vermont. A rather idyllic, sleepy place where nothing bad happens. People go about their business safe in the knowledge that they know everyone, that they are safe and cloistered in their bubble of security- but all that is about to change. Forever. A truly outstanding novel of suspense and intrigue from this accomplished author, yet again, and relayed in a present tense narrative which maintains an excruciating tension throughout. Characters are well defined and deftly drawn, the backdrop perfectly well imagined and the disturbing plot line is carefully plotted and paced to perfection. To be devoured in one tension fuelled sitting.
Well written fabulous read. Fast paced and exciting, everything you expect from this author.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.
Easy five stars from me.
This authors book just gets better and better. I absolutely adored this book it had me gripped from start to finish I could not put it down I devoured it in one day. It was full of suspense and red herrings. It is told from multiple perspectives which helped build the suspense. I didn’t not who to suspect and wow I was shocked by the ending. Fantastic thriller which I highly recommend. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy.
Oh my goodness, she has done it again! Shari Lapena is one of my favorite authors, so I was really looking forward to this book. From the very start, the story was fast paced and exciting. Lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing. I highly recommend this book!