I was hoping for something like "One of us is missing" or another murder mystery set in a small town. I was excited because of the diverse rep in the book.
Sadly this didn't do anything for me at all. The MC was whiny, bitchy and completely unlikable. In fact, I didn't care for any of the characters, let alone wonder why they had been murdered- I was more surprised that someone hadn't offed the lot of them.
There is a trend toward making characters so realistically flawed that they are insupportable, which negatively affects how you interact with the book.
I need to care about the MC and what happens to them. in this book I really didn't. Admittedly I didn't even get halfway through so bear this in mind. After I got halfway through I read some reviews to see if it was going to get any better and it didn't look as if it was going to so I DNFed.
The dialogue seemed forced in places too.
2 stars for the rep but 1 star for the story. 1.5 overall.

This fast-paced thriller keeps you guessing from beginning to end, and rooting for the sharp-tongued protagonist, Luca, as she struggles to solve the mystery of her island.

I love small-town thrillers, with the claustrophobia and intensity of everyone knowing everyone's business. Revealed secrets are especially shocking in places like these, so I was drawn in by the island of Parris, which is almost given its own kind of sentience. It seems beautiful and rich on the surface but reveals itself as sinister and unsettling the more you find out. It's the perfect representation of the people on the island, whose money and glamour helps them to disguise their mistakes and hide from the consequences of their actions.

As events unfold, you begin to suspect everyone, trust no one and cling to moments of love and tenderness whenever they crop up, much like Luca does. I really appreciate the depth of the characters, the sensitive handling of trauma and the condemnation of how 'outsiders' in race, class, weight and sexuality are often treated so poorly.

If you're looking for a quick read filled with action, suspense and impactful meaning, I highly recommend Bad Things Happen Here, which hits stores on 28 June.

An amazing book full of twist that you won't be able to predict. The story, characters, setting got me on the edge of my seat throughout the chapters, I couldn't believe the ending and how well the story progressed into something you wouldn't expect.Can't wait to read more from this author.

I did enjoy this book, throughout you could feel the grieve that Luca was feeling and how she handled everything was really felt throughout.

The twist at the end I didn’t see coming, did feel a little aggravated with Luca at some points but overall I did like her.

I’m so glad I requested this book! It seemed right up my street and I was not disappointed. This story always had you questioning what was next. Once you really got into it you couldn’t put it down.

The story is based in a small town island that seems to be cursed because of the amount of girls who keep disappearing/dying. It follows Luca, the main character, losing her bestfriend and then a few years later, her sister. She tries to solve the mystery herself and let me tell you, the ending is wild!

It takes you through Lucas journey of mental health issues, grief, love and loss. I loved that this book represented so many important topics like; being mixed-race in a white community, being queer and not too comfortable in it, as well as mental illness. All of these were brilliantly written by the author and so real.

I absolutely loved this book, I’m a sucker for books where you have no idea what’s going on or where the story is going. It was entertaining, twisty and deep. The descriptions were well detailed, you could easily picture yourself right there with the characters. The plot was well thought out and well executed. It was really interesting, constantly left you wanting more. At first I wasn’t sure if the book was going down the supernatural route, but I feel this ending was way better without it! The plot was well done, wasn’t boring and didn’t drag out either. It was decently paced, not too slow or fast which was good.

That ending though!!! I’m still not over it, the last 70 pages had me absolutely shocked. Not to mention the last page itself!! What was that??? I need more asap!

I hadn’t read any of Rebecca Barrow’s previous works but I am most definitely going to look into doing so. I really recommend you read this book if you like thrillers and murder mysteries that keep you thinking about them for hours on end.

Books set in small towns are *chefs kiss* to me! Especially murder mystery books set in small towns. Especially, especially sapphic murder mystery books set in small towns!!! Really enjoyed the exploration of grief and mental health, Luca is a wonderful protagonist is an extremely well developed and complex character.

Dealt with these that I didn’t want read about, so had to skip most of the book thus I can not give much input on this title

Rotten At Core…
The seemingly idyllic island of Parris is just what it seems. Isn’t it? Or is something rotten at its core? Nothing is actually quite what it seems in this atmospheric, twisty mystery with a menacing undercurrent. Credible and well drawn characters and an immersive narrative add to the tense and disquieting plot. Can anyone survive Parris?

Beautifully drawn characters and a story so intriguing it kept me one-more-chaptering till late into the night.

A gripping read that I couldn't put dowm. It was well written with well developed characters and a compelling and engaging storyline. It was suspenseful, fast paced, twisty and unpredictable. I loved it.

A fascinating tale of love, loss & grief
, and how a community spirit can keep secrets that have far reaching repercussions. I had glimpses of We Were Liars in the way it was written; the descriptions & characterisation if not the plot itself. From the outside looking in Parris is an idyllic island, but as Luca discovers more about the hushed you deaths of several young women it becomes increasingly obvious that something awful is lurking beneath the surface…I really enjoyed this, it felt like a better version of the I Know What You Did Last Summer tv show as the deaths & subsequent reveal as to what had happened to set all this in motion felt much more believable. The descriptions were vivid and easy to picture, it obviously needs a CW for death, murder, violence in general but I read a lot of crime novels so this didn’t put me off as it was all necessary to the plot, it wasn’t gratuitous.
I’d definitely read more from this author!

An intriguing and beautifully written YA murder mystery set on an island of rich people where bad things happen but the consciousness of the society sweeps it all under the carpet.

It is a twisty tale indeed both of story and character, the lead protagonist is flawed, engaging and haunted by loss. This keeps you with her through her journey towards an understanding not only of herself but of the place she lives.

I found it to be a page turner, unpredictable in outcome and overall written with a strong sense of melancholy