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!

This book absolutely hooked me. What starts as a chaotic prank war between rival schools turns into a full-on murder mystery tied to an old curse—and I was not ready for how dark and creepy it would get (in the best way).

Freddie is such a great lead—awkward, clever, a bit of a loner, and fully obsessed with the X-Files. I loved being inside her head as everything slowly unravelled. The supernatural elements creep in gradually, and before I knew it, I was completely caught up in the mystery, the curse, and the weirdness happening in the woods.

And then there’s Theo. He’s annoying, charming, and the perfect chaotic rival/love interest. Their dynamic gave me just the right amount of tension and emotional moments without taking over the plot. I wasn’t expecting to root for them, but I 100% did.

The whole book gives strong 90s horror nostalgia—small town secrets, creepy poems, eerie forests, and a mystery that goes way deeper than it first seems. It’s spooky but not too heavy, and the pacing had me flying through it.

Was the ending a little fast? Maybe. But honestly, I was too into it to care. It wrapped things up well and left me wanting more from this world.

⸻

Would I recommend it?
Yes, absolutely. If you like 90s vibes, murder mysteries, curses, and a slow-burn enemies-to-something-more, this one’s for you. Creepy and fun with just enough emotional weight to keep you thinking after you’ve finished.

The third book in this series, I really loved the previous two books and was very excited to have had the opportunity to read this one. A great addition to the series, highly recommend

This book was so atmospheric. I was hooked at the prologue and how tense and chilling it was. The small town drama and feelings were really well written and I could really picture myself being a ghost observing everything unfolding in this book.
The added romance adds a touch of realness and bringing us back to reality.
I found that Freddie was very relatable, I could vividly picture her and loved how her character was just what I had pictured for such a setting.

I loved Stranger things and this book really made me feel like it was set in a similar style, I could imagine the clothes and cars and everything with a gloomy shadow cast over it.
Every twists had me wondering what the hell could happen next, the added banter between the characters made me laugh and then I was brought back into the mystery with goosebumps.
A very good book, I can’t find anything negative to say, I can’t wait to receive my Waterstones exclusive edition!!

I love the vibes of this book. Late 90’s, awkward teenager who gets caught in a mystery and wants to solve it but somehow accidentally rolls into several side quests. It’s entertaining in an endearing ‘ah, kids’-way, but also in an ‘on the edge of your seat’-way. As a nineties kid, the amount of references was amazingly nostalgic. Playing snake on your nokia, the X-files, Scooby Doo, AIM - gods I miss those messaging services. The amount of Romeo and Juliet references made my literature heart happy as well.

Susan Dennard always manages to write a world that sucks me in, and I always go through it with the main characters - Freddie’s intensity made me go through it. I flew through this book, read it in one sitting, as I couldn’t go to bed until all was unravelled. The suspense got me on the edge of my seat, once again trying to figure out what clues I was missing, who I should or shouldn’t trust. Add to that a rivalry relationship, and you end up with a wonderful story.

Additional Mae rec: this book vibes even more with your favourite nineties playlist playing in the background!

This book oozes Fall. You can practically smell the damp leaves and woodsmoke curling off the pages.

The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard is the perfect mix of cosy atmosphere and creeping dread; a read made for October nights with the wind howling outside.

Freddie and her friends find themselves tangled in an old curse, the kind that never really dies. What starts as bell ringing in the trees quickly unravels into something far more sinister. Think hangings, beheadings, disemboweling’s… yeah, it gets grim. It’s up to her and her friends to put a stop to this curse and save the town.

This is the kind of story where the forest feels like it’s watching you back.

The Executioners Three releases on August 26th get it on your TBR and pre-order!

I had a lot of fun with this one.

The story follows Freddie, who loves the x-files and whose father was a cop before his death, as she gets involved in investigating a series of weird deaths plaguing her small town.

I really loved the spooky atmosphere here, as well as all of the 90s nostalgia, and I thought that Freddie was a really great main character. I enjoyed the escalating prank war, it was a nice light-hearted relief against the murderous goings on, and the banter between Freddie and her friends was great.

My only upset is that I felt that the ending was a little rushed for me. While I liked the conclusion I’d have liked a little more explanation.

But all in all I really had a great time here, and I’ll definitely be having a lookout for more of Susan Dennard’s books in the future.

Thank you so much to Daphne Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

4.5⭐️

This book was the perfect combination of cozy, small town vibes but with a very intense mystery and spooky plot!
The setting gives stranger things vibes which I really enjoyed.
I absolutely flew through this as was desperate to know what was going on. The characters are high school age and there is a lovely romance sub-plot too.

After reading the luminaries, and now this, Susan dennard is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors and I am excited to read her backlist.

If you want fast-pacing, mystery, spooky small town vibes, this book is perfect. Would definitely recommend. I would recommend going in blind as that is what I did and it was fab!
Thanks netgalley for the ARC!

The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard is a dark, gripping fantasy with a sharp edge and a haunting atmosphere. From the first page, Dennard pulls readers into a world steeped in vengeance, secrets, and uneasy alliances. The tone is intense and immersive, with strong worldbuilding that feels both fresh and lived-in.

The trio at the story’s center is compelling—flawed, fierce, and unpredictable. Their dynamic drives the plot, and Dennard does a great job balancing action with character development. While a few pacing dips slow the middle, the tension never fully lets up, and the emotional stakes stay high throughout.

The ending lands with impact, leaving just enough mystery to linger. The Executioners Three is a bold, well-crafted fantasy that blends grit, magic, and moral complexity. A solid 4-star read for fans of darker epics with heart.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of The Executioners Three. I'm rating it 4–4.5*.

***Review Summary:***
The Executioners Three is a fun, spooky murder mystery set in 1999. It's part Nancy Drew, part Goosebumps, and part Gilmore Girls, but a lot more diverse. And while it's YA, it's main target audience is probably nostalgic millennials.

There are two main plotlines. One is an escalating prank war that leads our nerdy, boy-obsessed protagonist Freddy and her best friend to instantly befriend and/or date the cool kids. The other is a the spooky story of paranormal activity, gruesome murders, and an old poem that somehow narrates everything that's going on.

While the prank war bored me, the spooky element and the developing relationships were delightful. Some twists were predictable, and sometimes you need to silence the logical voice in your brain, but the book was fun enough for me to be okay with that. After all, this is Goosebumps for modern sensibilities, not Stephen King.

I think it's worth noting that an earlier version of this book was once published on WattPad, and tonally, you can tell. It has that sense of humour, that wink-nudge at the reader, that a lot of online writing does. So if you've ever spent a lot of time on WattPad, ff.net or AO3, you'll probably enjoy The Executioners Three. But if you don't enjoy that style of writing, definitely try the ebook free sample before purchasing.

***Detailed Review:***
This book is fun. Really fun. But as I mentioned in the review summary, this is also one of those books where you're best off agreeing to suspend your disbelief when necessary. Because there's a lot here that just doesn't make sense, and I'm not talking about the supernatural elements. No, it's more: how does a school kid already have summer-holiday experience working with law enforcement? How does Freddy see that the dreamboat Kyle's eyes are green when they're out at night with zero lights, just the moonlight, to guide them? And that play that several of the characters reluctantly agree to take part in, why are rehearsals conveniently only before and after the main plot points?

But that doesn't mean that the book is all vibes, no substance. The plot is relatively complex, the reveal of the mystery explains everything, and there's both satisfying character development and relationships. (Also, Susan Dennard writes fantastic kissing scenes. She's great at playing with tension.)

The plot and description is always kept YA-appropriate, but I do wonder whether it will be a satisfying read for a teenager today. It's set in 1999 and full of cultural references. I was in school in 1999, and I still had to Google a lot of things — although admittedly I'm not from the US. Also, some of the dialogue felt not-very-teenage (but Freddie is supposed to be a bit un-cool, so maybe that's on purpose? Or maybe it's a US thing?).

On the other hand, I think it works great for millennials who want to revisit their teenage books without having to cringe at the outdated attitudes. I mentioned it being much more diverse. There's both LGBTQ rep and significant racial diversity, although the writer does that thing where she describes the skin colour of characters unless they're white. Sometimes these descriptions are a bit clunky, too.

That said, a couple of diet-culture comments also sneaked into the book and, while they're true to 1999, I'd be happy to leave them in 1999. Freddie stares covetously at a popular girl's boots "that would never fit over Freddie's calves", and her mum forbids her from eating at QuickBis because it's unhealthy. Towards the end, Freddie acknowledges that she hadn't previously felt comfortable with boys touching her back and hips because she wasn't as skinny as the girls in Seventeen. (At this point, she also calls herself curvy, but I'm not sure if she's actually curvy or just doesn't look like Britney in Hit Me Baby One More Time.)

But even though I'm pointing out a lot of minor niggles, I had a lot of fun reading this book. Once the prank war died down and the spooky plot started picking up, I pretty much devoured it.

This was so much fun and incredibly nostalgic!
We follow our sarcastic main character Freddie as she gets into all kinds of trouble and tries to solve a series of murders in the late 90s of small town America.
A lot of it read younger than I was expecting but it still is very creepy at times and will make the perfect Halloween read. The setting is peak spooky autumn and along with this we have so many 90s references. Boy bands, Nokia phones, Ask Jeeves and so many more!
There’s also quite a big romance plot which was cute and the mystery was a little convoluted at times but still kept me entertained.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thankyou so much for the arc of Executioners three.
I absolutely loved this book!

The first chapter had me hooked with its creepiness. I loved the mystery and the horror of the murders happening just like in the creepy old poem about The Executioners Three.
This was alleviated with the lightness of the prank war between the two schools, romance and witty banter.
I loved that this was set in the 90s and all the pop culture references although the backstreet boys scene was very cringe.
The only thing that didn’t work for me was that the horror and gore felt like it belonged for an older audience where the relationships and characters felt like they were written for a younger audience.
Overall a really great read

This story did the spooky season atmosphere perfectly! It’s set in a tiny historic town surrounded by misty forest during a Halloween festival, it felt like spooky Stars Hollow! Everyone knows everyone, it’s full of 90’s references and the whole story feels very nostalgic and cosy even with the mysterious happenings.

The parts of the story focusing on the prank war between rivals schools and the interactions within the group of friends were the highlight of this book for me. Freddie was a wonderful character to follow, her banter with her best friend, hilarious comebacks and her awkward but sweet approach to romance kept me interested and entertained throughout.

The one thing that didn’t work for me was way the mystery plot wrapped up. The ending was a little bit too quick and convenient and I felt that more explanation was needed for why the events took place in the first place. Still I enjoyed my time reading this book and would read more from Susan Dennard in the future.

I adore Susan Dennard's writing, she has an incredible ability to bring the situations and characters to life. To weave in a creepy darkness and at the same time keep the same town vibes.

And she does it yet again in The Executioners Three.

With X Files meets, Nancy Drew meets Scrooby doo vibes (read it and you'll see) I just couldn't resist flying threw this to see what Freedie and the gang got up to next.

This story cleverly combined prank wars, double romances, historic curses and the supernatural as Freddie Investigates a series of mysterious deaths in their small town.

So many well written characters here, loved seeing Freddie and Theo interact. I love that like in The Luminaries series, the FMC in this has ordinary 'nerdy' girl vibes and just doesn't care.

Some great twists across the rival schools interactions as they prank each other which are fun and blend nicely with the very creepy peom, curse and death plot across the book.

Definitely one to pick up!

When I saw that Susan Dennard had another book on the way after finishing The Luminaries series? I was excited to see we were going back to the nineties this time, well, my nostalgic heart was all too happy as I went through my teens during the decade of boy band wars, Snake on your 3310 and yes, for the most part, it was a great decade to be in.

I couldn’t put The Executioners Three down, or rather didn’t want to and finished my read around one thirty in the morning and was both satisfied with how the story came to a conclusion and also wanted more because it was just that good. Weaving together the nostalgia of the late nineties when teens couldn’t decide between Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC and liking them both was a total faux pas, the fun of going to the movies to see Men in Black or watching FRIENDs wondering what Rachel saw in Ross with a curse upon a small American town where everyone knows everyone and they’re all X-generation of the founding families? Susan Dennard has brought another page-turner to the masses and you’re going to be on edge as you’re drawn into the supernatural mystery that has our protagonist, Freddie Gellar (please tell me based off Freddie Prince Junior and SMG or Ross and Monica for the name?) firstly facing a gory scene and then convinced that history is repeating itself and there’s a reason her Dad, a former town Sheriff, had passed years before.

Dennard does create an unsettling place so well, and there are moments in the book that are truly worthy of those moments where you feel you’re left unsettled after watching a spooky movie. But alongside the immersive world-building is Dennard’s attention to detail of the era Freddie and her best friend Divya are going to school in. Freddie clearly cannot miss an episode of X-Files and drops in mentions of episodes that had me wishing I could go back to the time when we had to wait a week for the next part of Mulder and Scully’s adventures.

The fog that came in from nowhere had me thinking of hiding behind a friend’s shoulder as Sleepy Hollow showed on the movie screen, and I was scared to sleep.. Yes, I cannot say this enough, the nostalgia was so real reading The Executioners Three.

This may well be a young adult book, but it stands out to me because of how wonderful the attention to detail is, and it’s great for anyone like me who is feeling nostalgic and loved the scary levels of Point Horror books from way back when. Dennard writes her group of teens with the acknowledgement that just because they’re young doesn't mean they’re stupid or easy to trick by adults, which does happen a lot in YA books. They feel real, and you could probably recognize any of them as people you’ve been, or are friends with, because their personalities shine from the page.

The mix of the horror elements mixed with the humdrum days of pranking your friends and foes has the perfect balance, and despite waiting for the moment something else would go wrong, that creak on the floorboard kind of thing? You’re also going to laugh at the antics of school rivalry and smile at the tentative romance between Freddie and the boy she really shouldn’t like because he’s the enemy.. I just loved Freddie and Theo, they’re adorable - but I might have liked a little bit of a view from Theo at times when things get difficult and somewhat unsettling for all. Plus, Divya finding her happiness and the general acceptance that she likes girls is so nicely done that it’s treated in the same way as boy meets girl. There is a subtle acknowledgement, though, of how it was harder back in the nineties to be openly gay for some, by Divya’s wariness, and it took me back to my fears back then.

I loved this book, and now I’m stuck listening to *NSYNC again… I was team JC back then, but Lance was cool… sorry, Freddie!

The overall plot of this book was really good and I really enjoyed the history that was built in but I struggled with the pacing - for a relatively short book, it took me a pretty long time to read as I felt it took a while to get going - the main action is the last 50 pages and while this is typical for thriller style books, I do feel a little more suspense earlier on would have been beneficial.

I also feel some of the terminology was not for me (silver sweetheart, Answer Finder and besties made me cringe so hard) but that may be as I am older than the intended audience.

That said, I really liked the characters and the Romeo and Juliet rivals to lovers aspect and the story was well thought out and fleshed out.

All in all, a good 3.5 star read from me