Karen McManus, author of One Of Us Is Lying and One Of Us Is Next, is back with another YA thriller packed full of twists and turns throughout. When the opportunity to be part of this Write Reads tour came into my inbox I knew I couldn’t pass it up: YA thriller is one of my favourite genres because it’s the perfect mix of gritty suspense and light-hearted humour – often more relatable than adult thrillers which have a tendency to be too far-fetched. Karen McManus does not disappoint with her latest offering which is publishing in December.

The Cousins revolves around three cousins, Aubrey, Milly and Jonah who each receive a mysterious invitation from their grandmother requesting they spend their summer at her holiday resort. Ah a lovely summer with a grandparent, where’s the mystery you might be thinking? But these cousins have never met and their parents were disinherited by their rich, aloof grandmother many years ago, making her out-of-the-blue contact even more astonishing. Determined to find out the truth about just why their parents were so swiftly cut loose, the cousins soon set about making themselves at home on the island, uncovering many home truths and long lost secrets as they settle in.

Aubrey, Milly and Jonah are all believable teenagers-turned-sleuths, taking their family mysteries and feuds into their own hands. Each chapter is written from a different cousin’s perspective which helps to build their character and I enjoyed seeing their relationships develop throughout the story. Interspersed between the cousins’ narrative are small hints to the mysteries of the past in the narration of Allison, Milly’s mother, and I liked the way that as the cousins unravelled more of the mystery holding their family together, Allison’s narratives become more frequent and easily relatable to the events uncovered in the present day.

Nothing is predictable about The Cousins at all. Every time I thought I’d solved one subplot, another arrived to trick me. Every time I found someone guilty, another character popped up to make me doubt my accusation. Karen McManus is queen of the subplot and as she unravels various plot threads she simultaneously knots others tighter, creating a story that becomes hard to break from.

The Cousins is a brilliant read for anyone who is after a mystery YA thriller. It’s a perfect hybrid of believable characters and teenage drama with the constant twists and turns of family life and the constant looming of a bigger mystery throughout. If you’re already a McManus fan then this doesn’t disappoint, and if you’ve never read any of her previous work then this is a great book to start your acquaintance.

A family-centric plot filled with mystery, secrets and stories.

I really loved this book! It was my first by Karen McManus and it started an obsession, since I've read all her other books after that and she's now one of my auto-buy authors. The Cousins is very atmospheric, maybe the most atmospheric of her books, and the first half is more introspective-introductory than action-packed, but it builds the setting and the story up in a fantastic crescendo. I was very intrigued but not really sure where it was going, but a little bit after the 50% mark my quiet curiosity turned into obsession and I was totally hooked. I devoured the second half of the book in one afternoon and, although I expected to be even more shocked, I found it to be such an interesting, captivating, unique and well-plotted story. The characters are deliciously fleshed-out as well, they're easy to care about and they grow up as the story develops. While I liked Karen's other three books more, I really enjoyed this one too and, since it was my first by her and the one that first introduced me to her work, it will hold a special place in my heart. Highly recommended! Thanks to Penguin UK for granting my wish and making an early copy of The Cousins available to me!

I read this book for a blog tour, so thank you to the blog tour organiser and the author for letting me take part in this tour, and thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy. All opinions are my own.

The Cousins is a YA mystery in which we meet the Story family, rich, influential and very complicated. Mildred Story disinherited her children 24 years before the events on the book, and their own children have never met their grandchildren. But that’s all about to change when they get an invite to work and spend the summer on her island.

I usually don’t like the whole “rich family” trope where people own entire islands and boss staff about, it’s not a setting I particularly enjoy, but it didn’t bother me at all here, because, within the rich Story family, some of them are struggling day-to-day. This nuance made it feel a lot more real than some other books I’ve read with this theme.

I really liked some of the characters, but I have to say that Aubrey was definitely my favourite, she is a really nice person, has a strong head on her shoulders and even when she takes a step back from Milly’s spotlight, she is still very much at the forefront of the story. Milly and Aubrey got on so well together, it was so nice to see!

There are lots and lots of things happening in this book. It’s not specifically a murder mystery, but there are so many secrets and questions and the cousins really come together to work it all out. No one really knows what was going through Mildred’s head all those years ago until the end of the book, and that was honestly shocking, I never saw it coming, but I think it was really well done!

Overall, this was a really different and great take on the family secret trope that I’m not that much of a fan of, but Karen really seemed to change my mind with her book, because now I’m searching for more books just like this one. It had a really fluid and enjoyable writing style that kept me reading, I flew through this book and didn’t want to put it down before I had finished it.

I gave this book 4 stars, I really enjoyed it. It definitely surprised me, I knew I was going to like it when I started it, but I had no idea where it was going, and it ended up being a really clever plot twist. It was great to see these characters come together to solve the mystery, and I’ll be soon diving into more books by this author to do just the same thing. I highly recommend this book, and this author, you won’t regret it.

Twenty four years ago, Mildred Storey cut off all four of her children with a one line message delivered by her lawyer: You know what you did.

When Milly, Aubrey and Jonah receive a letter from their formidable grandmother, inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they have no idea what to expect. When they arrive, they're determined to uncover the Storey family's secrets, no matter what the consequences may be.

Packed with twists, The Cousins was fast paced and hard to put down - you know a book is addictive if you contemplate whether you can read it while walking down the street! It's every bit as gripping and exciting as you'd expect from the author of One of Us is Lying.

The Cousins has a great cast of characters, all with secrets and flaws. Milly, Aubrey and Jonah all offered their own perspective on what was going on - and I was never disappointed when the perspective shifted.

The island setting was beautiful, and full of luxury and excess. The Cousins would make a gripping and visually stunning film.

Thank you The Write Reads and Penguin for letting me review this exciting new YA release and be a part of the tour.

The cousins is a novel that is very much aimed at a YA audience but that doesn't mean that others can't enjoy the story that surrounds the mystery of why Mildred Story disinherited her children.
Cousins Aubrey, Milly and Jonah are sent an invitation to spend the summer working at their grandmothers resort. Mildred Story is the grandmother who has been absent all their lives but their curiosity is piqued because they wonder why their parents were disinherited so soon after the death of Mildred's husband. The four children of Mildred were banished from their East Coast island home with a single note stating, 'you know what did'.
The wealth of the Story family is legendary and as the cousins work in the resort they uncover family secrets that shatter lives and reveal truths. The plot is intricately woven around the narrative of Aubrey, Milly and Jonah revealing little pieces at a time. The writing is solid and paced brilliantly giving you enough but still wanting more. There were a couple of revelations towards the end that were surprising but not shocking. Overall this is a solid novel, written well and will steer me towards reading more from Karen M. McManus.

YA Thriller is a genre that has really captured my reading imagination recently, and whilst this is my first Karen M. McManus book, I’ve heard great things about her others, so I was really excited be part of the blog tour for her new book The Cousins, which is hosted by The Write Reads. I am grateful to Penguin and Netgalley for the review copy.

It’s a slow burn start and a good amount of time is taken to reflect the point of view from each of the cousins and especially for Milly and Aubrey where we learn a little about their disinherited parents too. The focus in the early stages is looking at more of the family aspect and actually what the impact really is when children have such a loss to contend with, a life long grieving process that there can be no closure to. Yes, the cousins parents have their flaws but honestly, I think that whilst it makes them sometimes terrible parents, they fall just short of being the bad guys. The psychological impact is woven so well into the story, with some being cliche and others a more nuanced reaction to essentially abandonment. For the cousins themselves, they have had to live with the emotional fallout, and whilst they are reasonably well rounded, it’s clear that the sense of abandonment continues. It’s interesting to consider how differently things may have been had this overwhelming shadow of a grandmother, who in essence has it all, hadn’t loomed so intensely. The small trinkets they hold on to are really touching and show that despite it all they still need to have some connection with their grandmother.

Their lead up to getting to the island is fun and the boat trip, whilst short, really gets to point of their personalities quickly, Milly being by far my favourite! She is quick and cutting and very funny. They are all instantly likeable characters though which makes this such an easy read to pick back up again, their story is one that you want to know more about and the way they drip feed each other information about their lives is endearingly cautious, looking back at these opening stages so much makes sense and I feel silly for not seeing some of the clues sooner as there is more than one mystery ahead to be solved!

The island itself feels like a contrived step back in time, everything is very quaint, the shops have a boardwalk feel and the bars an 80’s vibe which I thought may have been more of a culture shock than it was. The resort itself in a weird way reminded me of the place in Dirty Dancing, I’m not sure why! There is a background feel of a “I know what you did last summer” and this is nicely rounded out by the time shift POV, but honestly I have to say the twist was one that I didn’t even have an inkling of! It was so cleverly done and the pieces that had been subtly laid throughout fell wonderfully into place in the closing stages. Whilst the early pages moved slowly, as the investigation begins it feels more solidly into mystery territory, and I place it no higher than that, The unfolding of the clues is steady with a snowball effect through to the conclusion.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book but I don’t think it quite satisfied the itch I was hoping it would. It’s solidly written with great fun characters who fill both the scooby gang members and meddlings kids villain nicely. It has a phenomenal twist and a great epilogue, and I think that had the thriller pace been more evident and the mystery investigation element been more prominent it would have been a 5* but I think for me it sits happily as a 4.

This book is very typical of McManus, a YA mystery with a hint of romance, which I loved. We are drawn into the hidden past of the Story family and why the head of the house Mildred Story one day decided to cut her 4 children off and refuse to see them ever again.

The book is told in the different POV’s of the cousins (the grandchildren of Mildred Story) as the truth is uncovered about why their parents were mysteriously cut off. Some chapters also jump back to the past and tell the story from Allison’s (Mildred’s only daughter) point of view. This not only allowed us to really connect with the characters, but it was interesting to see how everything that happened in the past affected the present day. McManus cleverly mirrors the emotional feelings the characters experience in the parallel narratives, while weaving a thrilling mystery complete with a plot twists.

I liked how the romance element of the novel is sort of in the background and instead the mystery of the Story family is the main focus. This is definitely a book that keeps you hooked as I was dying to get to the end and find out what happened (which I definitely did not guess). Clever plot twists and likeable characters made this a really good YA novel.

This is a young adult novel so I am not the target market. If you had not read any of the family thriller/ summer holiday genre before I suppose you might like it. Some of the characters were engaging - Millie, Joshua, but others were not rounded enough. I found it to be unoriginal and the denouement was a bit silly.

For me this book was just OK. I understand it is a Teen book, but it wasn't anywhere near as dark and sinister as I was expecting.

The nature of the story - the cousins discovering their parents' pasts - was detached and didn't quite have that depth of feeling and emotion that I had hoped for.

There was also a main plotline that I absolutely could not buy into. I just couldn't suspend reality for it.

I think it will be a hit with teens but it wasn't quite for me, unfortunately.

Karen McManus has hit the nail on the head yet again! This was fantastically well written with just enough perspectives/characters to keep it interesting but not so many that it became confusing. The mysterious history of the Story family kept me gripped and I flew through this book. If you loved McManus' previous books then you'll love this one too.

Full review for THE COUSINS UK blog tour to be released on 7th December 2020. Full review come be found on The Pewter Wolf Reads

***eProof given by UK publisher, Penguin, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review/reaction***

This is my Karen McManus thriller and, before I go any further, I want to say I read this is early November during England’s second lockdown (though I was still working as I couldn’t work from home) so I could only read in snatches before I left for work in the morning so my reading of this might be a tad different to everyone’s else. But, the best way to describe this is a soapy beach thriller, something you can easy binge-read or, if adapted for TV, can watch in one sitting (which makes sense as One of Us is Lying is being adapted for US streaming service, Peacock).

This is a tad slower compared to thrillers I normally read, but we get tiny drips of secrets and truths, not only from the three teens but from the Story family as a whole and, when the truths come out, they come out crashing.

Also, we have four POVs: Milly, Aubrey, Jonah and a time-jump of Milly’s mother the summer before the family got disinherited. These were balanced quite well, though I am going to admit I found myself enjoying reading Aubrey’s and Milly’s mothers POVs as I found them more engaging with character development and mystery than Milly and Jonah. But all four POVs worked together to slowly reveal the truth.

I do want to say that this does have some triggers in here (sorry for leaving it so late in write-up). Dementia, miscarriage, alcoholism, violences and, of course, murder. Now, most of these I felt were handled really well, but there were one or two times I read a paragraph linking to a trauma and I would go “Huh” over how it was handled. At times, I wish these were handled with a tad more punch rather than a sugary soap opera (like I said, I read most of this book in quick ten minute blasts so I might have completely misread the chapters. Each reader will read this book differently and, with everything happening in the world the past few months, I am leaning more to the fun side of stories).

But the heart of this book is family trauma and grief. How one incident can effect a family, not just in the short term, but for generations to come. And that I found fascinating and that, to me, was the main hook. Yes, I wanted to know about You know what you did, but seeing the fallout and repercussions of a mysterious event and discovering what this event was. That was my hook.

I really liked the ending where all the truths came out and the level of almost Shondaland crazy drama twists came. It reminded me of Rebecca, though I can’t explain why or what triggered me to go "This ending is so Daphne du Maurier". My brain just went there.

Once I found my step with this book (again, ten minutes reading here and there), I enjoyed the escapism of this and I am very intrigued to try another (Two Can Keep a Secret calls to me - though I should try One of Us is Lying, right?). But a good starting point if you are new of Karen and a great mystery to read over Christmas.

THE COUSINS is quite different from her other books in some ways - for one, it's not set in a High School and for another the central mystery is different. It's not an out-and-out murder/copycat, instead it's a "what happened to get our parents banned?"

The historical nature of the mystery and the fact that there are no lives on the line means there is less central urgency. The pacing is still great and the book is no less engaging, but it's a less frenetic read than her others. I wanted to know what happened next because of the characters, not because I wanted the looming mystery solved.

This gives the characters a bit more space. I've always really admired how well Karen M. McManus manages to balance the relentless pacing of her books alongside character development, but this time she has more time to spend on the characters and the incredibly messy nature of the Story family

The book also benefits from the allure of the wealthy. The insanely rich grandmother, the large inheritance, and the knowledge that there is something wrong at the heart of it all. While the cousins are well off, they're nothing like their wealthy grandmother, and it made them much more human than her.

Everywhere says that this is a standalone, but ONE OF US IS LYING was initially a standalone, wasn't it? So, fingers crossed! The ending has certainly been left open enough for there to be a sequel, and I'd like to spend more time with the Story cousins. But, in the meantime, we have YOU'LL BE THE DEATH OF ME to look forwards to next year!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for an ARC for an honest review.

Having read 2 of Karen McManus' previous books, I was intrigued instantly to read this and was so happy when I got approved for this.

The Cousins follows three cousins who are sent a letter from their estranged Grandmother, and they go to stay with her for the summer. The characters in this were well written, and easy to follow. The book is written in 3 different POV's and then you get flashbacks to the parents and this runs alongside with the mystery.

The plot was steady as it went along, and it was intriguing, however, I did find there were points where there did not seem to be much mystery and then there were a couple of plot reveals at around 40% and 60% in which I was disappointed to find out so earlier. As we got further to the 70% mark of the book the action did pick up a lot more, and it was at this point that I became a lot more invested in the story.

I do think having read One of Us is Lying and One of Us is Next meant that I did have quite high expectations, so when I was finding the mystery not as gripping, I was worried. The last 30% of the book brought it back together, and the ending was not expected and it also rounded off nicely.

Overall a solid 4 star book.

This review will go live at the link below on 22 November:
Hi and welcome to my review of The Cousins! Huge thanks to Dave @ TheWriteReads for organising another huge blog tour and to Penguin and NetGalley for the eARC!

Let’s cut right to the chase: I have been a Karen M. McManus fan since her debut One of Us is Lying back in 2017 and with The Cousins she knocks it out of the park. I really do love me a YA thriller every once in a while and Ms McManus has the genre down to a T. I think it’s safe to say that if you enjoyed her previous work, you’re bound to enjoy this one as well. And if you’re new to the author, or even to the genre, but you want to give her, or it, a whirl, this is an excellent place to start.

A past and present storyline tell us the story of the Story family. On a remote island off Massachusetts, past Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, the Story family rules. They’re that rich family that everyone envies and adores in equal measure, the ones who own half the island, hotels, resorts, the whole nine yards. In the late 1990s, the mater familias of the Story family kicked her four children to the curb. None of them has heard from her again, until twenty-odd years later, their children receive a letter inviting them to spend the spend the summer at her resort.

I’ll come right out and say it: I LIVE for this kind of setting! There’s just something about rich American kids and their secrets in a summery setting that really works for me. Adding a resort, a wealthy but aloof grandma, tons of family issues to get to the bottom of, a mysterious death, difficult relationships of all kinds, and some great chemistry (but no cheesy romance) between two of the characters, well, The Cousins clearly ticked all my boxes!

As always, Ms McManus’ writing is vivid and compelling. I was sucked in from the start and every time I had to put it down, I was looking forward to picking it up again. Many subtle details touch upon themes that enrich the story: self-awareness and self-confidence, alcohol addiction, family bonds, love and loss, money, guilt.

The Cousins is a twisty story, boasting both small and big reveals, some of which I suspected, some of which took me entirely by surprise. It is fun, it is clever, it is hugely entertaining and I would definitely recommend it!

The Cousins is out on 3 December in all formats!

I have read and enjoyed all of Karen McManus' books so far, so I was thrilled to have my wish granted to read this book in advance of its publication. I'm happy to say that this latest novel did not disappoint, and is probably my favourite story of hers so far.

'The Cousins' tells the story of three teenage cousins, who have rarely seen each other since their early childhood, due to an unknown family rift. Milly, Aubrey and Jonah Story come together when their extremely rich grandma, who they've never met, invites them to her resort to meet her and work at the resort for the summer. Throughout the summer, their relationships develop as they try to work out what caused their huge family rift, and why their grandma wants to finally meet them after all this time.

Although this is being marketed as suspense/mystery,I would suggest it's more of a family drama with a mystery throughout. The book was medium paced, and I liked that it changed between the cousin's POVs in the present day, as well as a member of the previous generation's POV in the last, as it continued the intrigue.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book. It's a very rich-kid family drama feel, which isn't particularly realistic, but was good fun and intriguing.

**Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review**

"You wish has been granted" said the email and I must admit I squealed with excitement. I am a HUGE fan of Karen McManus' previous titles and was really looking forward to reading The Cousins when it was due to be released (we'll be buying it for our school library, no question in that) but to get an ARC really made my week.

I abandoned the book I was reading and jumped straight in. I wasn't disappointed. Family secrets. A grandmother with a vendetta. Small town / island life. I was quickly sucked in.

I love McManus' skill with plot twists and this storyline didn't leave me disappointed. As secrets were exposed, more were revealed underneath. The story being split between the cousins' and when their parents were the same age was very well handled and helped to push everything along at an exciting pace.

Really excellent book, highly recommended and the kids at school will be thrilled when it lands on our shelves. If it's as popular as her other titles, we may need to purchase several copies.

I've really enjoyed everything McManus has written so far, so I was super excited to get an early copy of The Cousins. This has quite a different tone to her other books, which was actually really refreshing because it meant I didn't know what I was getting. Whilst there is a clear mystery element running as an undercurrent to the story, its largely just about family and how complicated dynamics can be, particularly where large amounts of money are involved.

I enjoyed reading from all four of the perspectives, and it was really easy to define who was who when it came to POV as they had distinct personalities. The little glimpses of the past helped to push the mystery elements of the novel along during the quieter passages at the start, but I did enjoy these as they were a great way to get to know the various players in the tale.

All in all a great read, and once I'd hit the 50% mark I couldn't put the book down because I needed to know what happened next. Can't wait to for more from McManus in the future!

Thank you The WriteReads Tour and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

We have three 17-year-old cousins. Milly, the beautiful, confident, and full of sass cousin, whose parents were divorced; Aubrey the sensible, athletic and talented swimmer (I don’t understand why was Thomas in the picture, he had hardly any role to play except an effusive boyfriend) whose dad slept with her swim coach; and Jonah seemed somewhat distant at first, as what the other cousins would expect. He wasn’t even active in his social media account and didn’t have any of his pictures posted so they didn’t know what he looked like as a teenager.

After being persuaded, they decided to give in to their parents’ request and meet their grandmother, and find out what exactly happened and why did their grandmother cut them off so suddenly. So they met up after being sent a letter from the mysterious Millicent Story, their estranged grandmother, requesting them to meet her, much to their surprise and their parents too, who were the children of Milicent Story. Her letter came as unexpectedly as her cutting off all communications with them 24 years ago.

Be prepared for betrayals, lies and deception and a story deep in mystery and secrets.

Out of the three, I enjoyed reading Aubrey’s part the most, as I saw how she developed as a character from being doubtful about herself to feeling more confident and courageous towards the end. Milly was an interesting character in the beginning and Jonah was mysterious enough that I wanted to know what else he was hiding. It was such a pity that Milly and Jonah weren’t part of the ‘big reveal’ towards the end. The story kind of took them out of the picture, just like that, even when they had played their part in trying to solve the mystery of why the Story children were disowned.

It started slow at first and felt like it wasn’t going anywhere, but as it gets towards the end, the story moved pretty quickly. There was a cliffhanger at the end, which I assumed is the author’s intention of setting up for a sequel.

I’m sure young readers would devour this especially with characters they could relate to. Overall, a quick read for young adult mystery lovers.

This thriller takes place mainly on Gull Cove Island where Mildred Story senior owns a resort frequented by the rich and famous wishing to get back to nature. Once home to Allison, Anders, Adam and Archer, the Story legacy is that this is a family built on secrets as well as wealth. Having led a privileged and luxurious lifestyle, almost celebrities in the eyes of the islanders, the four Story children are mystified, following the death of their father to find themselves disinherited from the family’s fortunes. The way in which they receive this news is perplexing. A letter from family lawyer Donald Camden simply stating “You know what you did” is the only reason given and any attempts to communicate with their mother over the years have been thwarted. Until now. The Storys who have produced offspring receive communication inviting the three grandchildren to work and live at the Gull Cove island resort over the course of the summer and meet their grandmother for the very first time. Milly, Allison’s daughter is far from keen to accept this invitation, as too is Jonah, Anders son,who would prefer to go to science camp. Only Aubrey, Adam’s daughter seems excited by the prospect of coming face to face with the legendary Mildred Story. If all three accept this out of the blue invitation, could this be the opportunity the siblings have longed for, a chance to find themselves back in favour with their mother and regain their lost inheritance? Via Milly Jonah and Aubrey will the Storys finally discover the answer to that cryptic question?

In a dual timeline switching between past and present the reader gains insight into the lives and personalities of the youngest generation of Storys in addition to their parents now and when they too were on the cusp of adulthood.
By delving into the past,secrets that have long been festering will finally see the light of day, thanks in part to the curiosity of Milly, Jonah and Aubrey and their interactions with some of the long term residents of the island. It may be that at least one person doesn’t want these truths to be revealed but why? Most puzzling is Mildred senior’s aloofness and reluctance to engage with her grandchildren given that she is responsible for their invitation to the resort. Personal assistant Theresa, lawyer Donald Camden and even the former family doctor Fred Baxter have been part of Mildred’s inner circle for years and may hold the key to unlocking family secrets.

In true thriller style there are some fantastic twists and turns that are well executed and keep you wondering just what these young adults will discover. There are at least two shocking revelations that took me completely by surprise. Milly, Jonah and Aubrey are certainly a far nicer trio of characters than their own parents, who all leave a lot to be desired. Thankfully they seem to have broken the Story mould!

I loved the developing friendships/relationships between the cousins and how they inadvertently act as catalysts for bringing (at least) some of the estranged members of this family together. At the same age as their parents were when the Story family were hit by tragedy, Milly, Aubrey and Jonah have the potential to right some wrongs and you never doubt that they are more than capable of stepping up to this challenge. All three may be very different characters but as the summer progresses so does their unity; the one aim is to understand why their grandmother chose to disinherit all four of her children and achieve it they will. Whatever the cost. The important message that wealth and privilege won’t necessarily buy you happiness or friendships underpins the whole narrative with a storyline driven by greed, power, revenge and a sense of entitlement that ultimately tears the family apart, giving the community of Gull Cove Island plenty to gossip about. The moral undertones, lack of gruesome violence and bad language make this an ideal thriller for a younger audience who may find themselves negotiating friendship difficulties, coming to terms with identity and realising that parents are just as fallible as everyone else.

I picked up The Cousins knowing that the target audience for this book are readers aged between 12 and 17 (which I’m most definitely not!) so I was expecting a less gritty style of writing which is indeed what you get. I enjoyed this thriller despite my 50 plus years and whilst the author tackles some weighty issues I could detect that this book is aimed at the younger reader whereas I didn’t sense that so much with One of Us is Lying. It’s a read that can easily be devoured in one sitting with a sense of mystery surrounding the lives of three generations of Storeys from the very beginning. I was intrigued to discover the secrets and tragedies that have shaped this family’s history and certainly didn’t anticipate the ending. My overall enjoyment was only slightly marred by the ending that felt implausible;up until this point I felt events were entirely believable but I suppose you should never underestimate the lengths individuals will go to in order to satisfy their own desires. It reminded slightly of The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes although I’ll be honest and say I much preferred this title. I don’t often choose to read YA novels but the author’s debut impressed me enough to want to explore her writing further. Now I just need to catch up on the two I’ve missed inbetween!! My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

I'd not read any books by Karen McManus before this one, but I know they are hugely popular (even with my own son) so I thought I would give this one a try.

This is the story of three eighteen-year-old cousins who don't know each other - they come from different branches of an estranged family, the Storys. However, they all get an invitation to go to spend the summer working at their grandmother's holiday resort on a beautiful East Coast island. This in itself is mysterious, as their grandmother disinherited all her children (the cousins' parents) by letter years before. The letter simply said 'You know what you did', something none of the siblings claim to understand. Arriving on the island, the it soon becomes apparent that the three cousins are not especially welcome and that there are family secrets to uncover...

The story is told from the perspective of the three cousins in turn - Milly, Aubrey and Jonah - with some flashbacks when we also hear the voices of the parents during their time at Gull Cove Island in the 1990s (when they are a similar age to their children in the present day). This is a clever way of revealing information gradually as the different perspectives gradually come together to reveal the full picture.

I definitely found it easier to connect to some of the characters more than others. In particular, I liked the character of Aubrey who seemed the most relatable of the three main voices - she had several of her own issues to work through as well as dealing with the family issues surrounding her grandmother. She seemed a much more developed character than either Milly or Jonah, both of whom were interesting but not quite as engaging for me.

The plot is cleverly woven so that the reader is kept guessing throughout - there were several twists along the way that I could never have predicted! The plot moved at a good pace and kept me reading as I wanted to find out the secrets behind the Story family and it is fair to say I was not disappointed.

One of the things I liked most about the book was the portrait of a small American community - there was a real sense of the history of the resort with various generations of families and their entwined lives and hidden secrets. This was evident not only in the Storys themselves but also with Kayla's family and the Baxters. I really felt that the narrative was rooted in a complex and interesting tangle of multi-generational characters.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a thriller with plenty of twists and turns. It would probably be best for older teens and adults as there is some swearing and mature themes. This is one that lulls you in with a false sense of security before winding an intricate and engaging plot - you won't want to put it down.