I TORE through this! Stranger Times meets Scooby Doo.
Part high school rivalry and pranks with burgeoning romances, part creepy supernatural murder mystery.

Freddie is one of the best heroine’s I have read recently. She is so distinct and very relatable. Dennard loves her leading ladies to wear glasses, be unapologetically nerdy, and be too smart for her own good. Freddie is Velma from Scooby Doo.

We have creepy Executioners from a creepy poem and a determined heroine who won’t take no as an answer. Plus, a great best friend who supports everything.

I cannot give much away about the romance because there’s two love interests - the popular jock and the Montageo to her Capulet, her sworn enemy.
I can tell you there are kissing scenes and it got HOT in there! It still remains closed door and clean though.

<b>“Um, I tried to respond, but you were like a freaking freight train going over a cliff. Now please put on the jacket.”
“Why?”
“Oh my god!” He flung up his hands—and the blazer. “I want you to put it on because I’m going to kiss you for a very long time, and I don’t want you to be cold.”
</b>
Similar to The Luminaires, Dennard is excellent at creating a small town where everyone knows each other and talks. This one has French ancestry and this plays into the plot and also comments on money and prestige and revenge.

One note: Freddie’s mother was weirdly supportive of her daughter getting out there and doing delinquent teenager things. This was funny, but also overdone and unrealistic.
I also kept wanting to go back to the mystery rather than the prank war.

This was just so addicting. Funny, witty, full of references (this takes place in 1999), and such a great ending.

Arc gifted by Del Rey.

The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard is a thrilling, darkly humorous blend of mystery and supernatural suspense. Freddie Gellar, the protagonist, has no idea what she’s about to uncover when she innocently calls the cops after hearing strange noises coming from the woods. Her intentions to help turn into a tangled mess when the next day, a body is discovered, and Freddie’s sharp instincts lead her to suspect murder instead of the apparent suicide the sheriff has concluded.

As an aspiring sleuth with a love for The X-Files, Freddie’s investigation quickly spirals into something bigger than she anticipated. With tensions rising between her school and the rival high school involved in the incident—who, for years, have been locked in a prank war—Freddie becomes embroiled in a chaotic series of pranks that only seem to escalate. To make matters worse, the leader of the rival prank squad, who happens to be clever and devastatingly attractive, sets his sights on Freddie, complicating her already stressful life.

What sets The Executioners Three apart is Dennard’s clever weaving of supernatural elements into the plot. The haunting signs from an old poem, “The Executioners Three,” and the blood curse it predicts, add a chilling layer to Freddie’s search for answers. Despite Freddie’s disbelief in the supernatural, the town’s eerie events suggest there may be something to the curse after all. As Freddie digs deeper, the stakes grow higher, with the murderer—or perhaps the executioners—growing more dangerous, and Freddie herself becoming the next target.

The book strikes an excellent balance between suspense and humor. Dennard masterfully captures the tension and urgency of the investigation while also injecting moments of levity. Freddie’s witty inner dialogue and her hilarious interactions with her friends and the rival prank leader keep the tone from becoming too dark, but the high stakes and mystery keep you hooked.

The Executioners Three is a fast-paced, twist-filled story that delivers on suspense, supernatural intrigue, and an engaging, relatable protagonist. If you’re a fan of mystery with a touch of the supernatural and a dash of humour, this book is an absolute must-read. The mix of eerie atmosphere, thrilling murder mystery, and moments of genuine laughter makes this an unforgettable page-turner.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.