this is only the second thriller ive read this year. idk how to feel about that lol.

the book was really good! definitely liked the first one better, but this was still solid.

I’m sorry, but I have to give this 4 stars.

I know it’s so scathing compared to my last review and four stars? It hurts to give this novel a lack of a star considering that it is one of my favourite YA crime drama novels. The first one just blew me away that it’s hard to beat and even harder to have something of a similar caliber. I guess I just don’t want to use up my five star reviews too fast.

A good start to a review I know, probably need an actual introduction so- here I go with one:

Small town, Little Kilton still, but this time a brother of one of Pip’s friends has gone missing and the police are completely ignoring the situation. This leads to Pip becoming a kid detective again, one year on and with more experience she begins to investigate the brothers disappearance.

Writing these reviews takes time and honestly, I think I have myself too many goals to try and smash by writing all of these for the amount I read but in one word: thrilling.

This novel is just like the last a thrilling and undeniably smart novel, with many twists and turns and a surprising amount of plot twists that really do take you by surprise. But still make so much sense that you can see the clues as it goes. How a town could have so many secrets is the mystery, a town where everyone knows everyone and there is supposedly no information that is unknown- there is a rare amount of dangerous secrets and evils lurking in the dark. A new member of the community and kind people, old villains and a miscarriage of justice. This novel, unlike the first, looks into a different aspect of justice- it moves into the idea of vigilantes, with their own carriage of justice as they justify their actions through the broken system- one that sees truly evil people never having to pay for their crimes. The broken people they have created and torn apart.

It’s an interesting discourse and something not fully developed in this novel, but you can see the hints, there are characters who serve as a complete display and Pip herself dives into this as she is struggling with her own guilt from the previous novels and her struggle for the truth. How can she reconcile the lives she ruins or lies she uncovers with the good she does to find a missing person? To take down a rapist? And what happens when this man goes unpunished? She knows the truth, but what does that truly mean? Her struggle with her self and the search for truth, good and bad is the discussion of this novel as she also struggles with identity and mental health. It’s a very complex novel with complex emotions, while maintains a strong plot with very sensible clues and cues for each level of the plot.

Again, it is cleverly written and incredibly smart.

I cannot recommend these novels enough, they look at the side of Nancy Drew that she doesn’t acknowledge, what is justice and how should we feel about our own search for justice and what is required to seek the truth?

I cannot recommend the amazing writing of Holly Black enough as he characters are developed and the plot is fascinating, a fantastic and thrilling crime drama.