I enjoyed this book a lot.
I loved the era it was set it and all the references to this time period. Felt nostalgic to me in that way.
I loved the vibes and the writing style, and I hope Susan Dennard writes more book of this type!

90's nostalgia seems to be everywhere at the minute and this is a great addition to that sub-genre. For anyone who loved the X Files, Freddie is a fantastic origin story for a Dana Scully wannabe.
Susan Dennard is great a creating small towns with a lot of personality and atmosphere that are as much characters as locations.
Then there are the spooky, looming forests that you know you shouldn't go into but do anyway.
I liked Freddie and Theo and would like to get to know Divya a little better as the series progresses (as I presume it will)

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for approving me to read this book, I’m rating it 4.25 stars.

This has been so much fun to read! I highly recommend for anyone wanting a mix of A Good Girls Guide to Murder and Now, Conjurers. We get a small town mystery playing out with some teenagers at the heart of the story, there’s mischief and darkness surrounding the town right now and our FMC is feeling a little Nancy Drew in wanting to get to the bottom of things. I thoroughly enjoyed the linking of the past to the present to fully explain the why of the mystery and to help us piece together the clues alongside the characters.

There’s some romance and it’s a winner, I’m a sucker for YA romantic moments I can’t lie. There’s new friendships and sisterhood like friendships all tested throughout the story when things get real dark.

I love Susan Dennard's writing, she brings the dark and lavish to life. I really enjoyed reading The Executioners Three, the storyline swept me away and the lavish descriptions painted a great picture in my mind as I was reading. I loved the developments and the story telling in this novel, I was so hyped to read it and I recommend to all

I really enjoyed this book. It felt like a YA Goosebumps book. It was a little juvenile in places, and I have to be honest, at some points the narrator/main character was annoying, but i had a good time

Thank you to Daphne press and NetGalley for the eARC of this book.

A YA paranormal thriller set in 1999, this was a fun read full of pop-culture references that had me reminiscing about my own adolescence. While there are numerous twists to keep the reader engaged, I do wonder whether a younger audience would find appeal in the many nostalgic 90’s references.
I found the characters to be likeable and enjoyed the banter between Freddie and Divya, as they explored their new found popularity with the Prank Squad.
I enjoyed the pace of The Executioners Three, with plenty of suspenseful moments interspersed with a bit of romance and an unfolding backstory.

Review for The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard
DNF @ 22%

As a long-time fan of Susan Dennard, especially her Witchlands series, I was really excited to dive into The Executioners Three. Her writing has always pulled me in with rich world-building and character depth, so I was hopeful this would help fill the Witchlands void while waiting for the next book. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite work for me, and I had to set it aside at 22%.

While I knew going in this was aimed at a younger YA audience, the tone leaned much younger than expected—closer to middle grade. That in itself wouldn’t have been a problem, but I personally struggled with the narrative style. The third-person POV frequently repeated the main character’s name (“Freddie”), sometimes multiple times in a single paragraph, which made the flow feel a bit rigid and repetitive. I remember noticing this in The Luminaries as well, but it felt even more pronounced here.

The setting—1999, in a small town with deep-rooted rivalries—had potential, but the constant pop culture references (Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, The X-Files, Y2K) felt a bit heavy-handed. I understand the intention was to evoke nostalgia, but it bordered on gimmicky at times. It made me wonder who the target audience truly is—many younger readers today may not connect with those references, and older readers might find the tone a bit too young to fully engage with.

The small-town setting with its quirky festivals and rival schools had Gilmore Girls vibes on the surface, but I didn’t feel fully invested in the characters or the stakes. The main character’s sixth sense and the forest mystery were intriguing, but didn’t have enough pull to keep me going.

That said, I do think this could work for a much younger YA reader, especially those looking for a mysterious but light-hearted setting. It just didn’t match the kind of depth and pacing I personally enjoy, which is totally okay. Not every book is for every reader, and I’m still looking forward to Dennard’s future work—especially the long-awaited finale to Witchlands.

This is like a scooby-doo mystery, a YA paranormal story with well developed characters. However sometimes the writing read very cliched, using typical words and overly described mundane things which is why I've only given this 3 stars.

The overall setting was very well plotted throughout the novel, you are gripped from the very beginning of the story and Freddie is such an enjoyable character to read. I think some readers will really enjoy this one.

I LOVED The Luminaries, so when I saw that Susan Dennard had another book coming, I just knew I had to read it ASAP.
The Executioners Three is a fantastic book, I am 100% not disappointed! Genuinely loved the nostalgia it brought (I mean, I was only 8 in 1999, but still)
It gave me classic Scooby Doo vibes, and I loved Freddie. She is a brilliant main character. The writing really drew me in, and I didn't want to put this down, and I didn't want it to end.
This is definitely one that needs to be read in the autumn, it's just so atmospheric!

Oh. My. Gosh.

This book was so immersive that it honestly felt like autumn in June. I was obsessed with the characters, the plot, the atmosphere - everything! The book is described as great for fans of Stranger Things, but to me it was giving more The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina vibes. There were definitely some moments in this book that had me checking over my shoulder when I turned the lights off. I really loved the relationship arc between the protagonist and her love interest too. I felt like I really clicked with the writing style and I can't wait to explore more of Dennard's work. 4.5 stars rounded up to five!

This book is a definite must-read. I cannot wait to see what others think once it's published because I have no one to obsess over it with!

This was an enjoyable YA thriller with paranormal elements that was well paced with a good amount of twists and a high level of atmosphere that hooked me right from the first page. I would definitely recommend checking it out

3.75⭐ - Thank you, Netgalley and Daphne Press, for an eARC of this book!

Let me start by saying that Susan Dennard is so freaking good at creating unique worlds with amazing lore and mystery that you can't help but get transported into that world. However, with that being said, the plot alone wasn't enough to make me rate this book higher.

It had all the good elements I love from murder mysteries and paranormal YA. But the writing at times felt overly cliched, and the word choices (such as writing out word for word what her ring tone sounded like??) were not needed. This was one of the things that also stopped me from rating The Illuminaries trilogy higher. Again, it doesn't happen all the time in the book, but surprisingly still a decent amount to warrant an icky feeling for me.

Another thing is that there are gaps in the lead-up to the mystery reveal. I understand the character can't piece it all together because it adds flavour to the plot, but still, towards the end, I felt we got a shortened explanation. Maybe it was just me, but I would've liked more of an explanation, maybe a backstory to it all? Also, the thing that annoyed me a little was how, after the events, everyone brushes the truth off as if no one acknowledges it, and a week later, they are pumpkin carving? I'm not sure if that's a 90's thing, but it baffles me how Freddie, the two FBI agents and somewhat Theo understand and know what truly happened, but everyone in the small town likes to brush it off as something else?

I will say with absolute certainty that I adored Freddie, though she did make a few questionable choices throughout, I grew to like her at the end. I would have liked to see more moments between Freddie and Divya. I feel like their moments on the page together were much shorter than Freddie's moments with Theo.

I was sceptical about Theo to begin with because, if you know me, I'm not the biggest fan of the blond male MMC. I think I'm too used to them being tall, dark and handsome. But Theo won me over quite quickly in the book; again, I would've liked to get more of his backstory and learn about him more apart from the quick snippets we got. But I think he added a much-needed layer to the story and kept Freddie on her toes.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read The Executioners Three. I was genuinely excited to dive into this, having really enjoyed the author’s work on The Luminaries. I had high hopes and was curious to see how their voice would shine in a new story.

While the premise intrigued me, I found the pacing slower than expected and didn’t quite connect with the characters or plot in the way I’d hoped. The 90s references added some charm, but as a 90s kid myself, they didn’t spark that nostalgic glow I was expecting. I also wonder if younger readers might not fully relate to them.

Still, I’m grateful for the ARC and the chance to explore something new from a writer whose work I admire. It’s always fascinating how differently stories land with readers, and I’m curious to see how others respond to this one.

The Executioners Three is a solid YA paranormal thriller. It gave me Stranger Things and Edgar Allan Poe vibes, so I think a lot of readers will enjoy it.

I was looking for a paranormal thriller that could bring back the thrill I felt when reading The Blonde Dies First, which I absolutely loved. This one was ok, not as good, but still a fun read.

I liked the mystery/paranormal aspect of the plot, the vibes were immaculate. The pacing was ok, the book grabs your attention from the very first chapters. But I did not care for the prank war between the two schools...

I liked Freddy, the other characters were ok, but I didn't like how related to one another, especially when the main characters became stupid upon seeing their crushes. Also, the romance felt like too much, overpowering the plot at times and honestly it was a bit cringey.

I saw other readers mention references to Xena and The X-Files, but I didn’t catch those at all, not having watched/read them.

Edit: from reading other reviews, I realized that I missed so many 90s' references... And this might explain a couple of thinks and the fact that I didn't enjoy the book as much: I'm too young to understand the references, but also too old to relate to the charactes. Also, I found out that this was previously on Ao3, which explains the writing ... I did not enjoy it, it brought me out of the story because I found it to be cringe. So, that's that.

2.5 stars rounded up. Thank you to Daphne press, the author and netgalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Quirky (a bit too quirky for me), funny and cozy mystery. My young adult self wouldn’t appreciate it more than my adult self. I did like the Xena references as a huge Xena the warrior princess fan.

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0 STARS

I so did not expect The Executions Three to be one of my favourite books I've ever read. I loved watching Nancy Drew and Scooby-Doo growing up and I couldn't recommend this enough if you did to.

Without giving too much away because it's so much better to go in blind, this story was spooky, funny and romantic at times. All the characters are very quirky and were so well developed and loveable.

Thank you to Susan Dennard, Daphne Press and NetGalley for a digital ARC of the Executioners Three.

🔔 SMALL TOWN MYSTERY
🐦‍⬛ HIGH SCHOOL RIVALRY
🔔 90'S CORE
🐦‍⬛ SUPERNATURAL SPOOKIES

So nice structure to the plot that nothing feels out of place. Not a word in it is there without a thought. I love reading such books. Dennard is a true writer that I always will appreciate, because she gets it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

After loving Susan Dennard's The Luminaries, I was thrilled to be able to read The Executioners Three early, and it didn't disappoint at all. In fact, I would say I prefer this one.
Perfect for fans of Halloween and Stranger Things, this YA mystery full of rivalry, nostalgia, romance, and a gruesome curse had me hooked.

Susan Dennard is, in my humble opinion, in a league of her own when it comes to writing the most haunting, atmospheric stories.

I would say this is more romantic than her other series but I personally loved that aspect After loving Susan Dennard's The Luminaries, I was thrilled to be able to read The Executioners Three early, and it didn't disappoint at all. In fact, I would say I prefer this one.
Perfect for fans of Halloween and Stranger Things, this YA mystery full of rivalry, nostalgia, romance, and a gruesome curse had me hooked.

Susan Dennard is, in my humble opinion, in a league of her own when it comes to writing the most haunting, atmospheric stories.

I would say this is more romantic than her other series, but I personally loved that aspect. Freddie is such a likeable character whom I only wanted good things for, and she definitely needed some romancing.

The small-town rivalry and school pranks were so entertaining to read coupled with an eerie supernatural plot just made for such a fantastic reading experience.

I'm a sucker for an autumnal, spooky read, yes, even in summer, and I would highly recommend this one.

I loved Susan Dennard’s Luminaries series so I was really excited to read The Executioner’s Three. Forest vibes all the way.

Freddie, like Winnie, is a fantastic main character. I just loved her instantly. Her gut feeling and her determination to find the answers, while also being a real teen with real teenage concerns, made her so much fun to follow. I loved her bff relationship with Divya, it was so pure!

There were similarities here to the Luminaries series - a missing/dead father that we don’t talk about, mysterious happenings in the woods, a love interest that is somehow linked to said mysteries - but I’m not mad about it because those were all the things I loved about the Luminaries too.

Add in lots of 90’s vibes (I’m so here for the x-files references) and you’ve got an incredibly fun, spooky, vibey novel that I just loved!

Loved this book so much!
I was blown away by this book as soon as I started it and couldn’t put it down which led me to finish in a day!
Every part of the story was well thought out , the characters were great and even though there was some backstory it didn’t drown out the actual story itself. Full of so many twists and turns and it was just amazing!