The town of Echo Ridge has seen tragedy strike twice and neither mystery has ever been solved. In the nineties, a teenage girl went missing after homecoming and five years ago, the homecoming queen was murdered in the local theme park, aptly named Murderland. Twins Ellory and Ezra are sent to live with their grandmother, whilst their mother is in rehab, and soon after the threats start. Is Echo Ridge about to lose another homecoming queen?
Everything looks bad when you examine it too closely, right?
This wasn’t quite as good as One of Us is Lying but I still enjoyed this YA murder mystery, set in a small town where everyone knows everyone else’s business. Malcolm’s older brother was a suspect in the previous homecoming murder, 5 years earlier, and the family have never been free from that suspicion. He now lives with his mother, stepsister and stepdad, the town’s hotshot lawyer.
Ellory is a true crime fan. Her aunt went missing in Echo Ridge and she never got any answers, fuelling her passion for solving mysteries. After reading I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, I had a bit more appreciation for these true crime communities and it felt believable that she would keep sticking her nose in, rather than just leaving it to the police.
I became Declan Kelly’s brother before I got a chance to be anything else, and sometimes it feels like that’s all I’ll ever be.
It throws in so many suspects and red herrings, especially told from Ellory and Malcolm’s perspectives. Their minds are eager to jump to conclusions and Ellory has the advantage of being an outsider looking in. This means they don’t seek help when maybe they should. I did not guess who did it at all.
POPSUGAR Reading Challenge: 19. A book told from multiple POVs
ATY: 16. A book told from multiple perspectives
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Book Source: Purchased
