✨3 stars✨

I usually find Cynthia’s YA mystery/thrillers to be fast-paced but sadly I found this book, while having a promising start, to be extremely slow-paced which meant what should be shocking twists to unnecessarily drawn out.

This book is set in the 90’s with lots of references to the times, however there were times when the characters dialogue and thoughts read like a contemporary character. This ultimately drew me out of the story multiple times. For example, the term “gaslighter” was used and from a quick google search it would appear that the term wasn’t widely used in the 90s but rather gained prominence in the 2010s. It’s little things like that, that made me pause because there really wasn’t any reason of importance for this book to be set in the 90s so why not just set it in the modern day? Feel free to correct me if wrong!!

Finally, what was that ending?? It felt rushed and almost like the author hadn’t really planned for it at all! So we have the reveal (which I didn’t guess so points for that) and then epilogue of less than a page and then it’s done?? I didn’t like that at all😂

Overall, if you’re looking for a YA mystery/thriller set in the 90s then give this a go. However, I personally enjoyed many of Cynthia’s other books more so would suggest reading them instead.

I received an ARC from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Cynthia Murphy does it again!

In Keep Your Friends Close she takes us back to Morton Academy, but this team 20 years earlier. As a 90's kid I love some of the references and the fact that not everyone has a smartphone. The first time we go to Morton Academy is in Win Lose Kill Die. Also the first book I read by Cynthia Murphy and the one that made me fall in love with her books. Just like all her books, Keep Your Friends close isn't short of plot twists and wanted to read the book in one sitting. It has everything you expect in a good YA thriller: love affairs, betrayal, mistrust and nothing is as it seems.

One of the things I like so much about Cynthia Murphy's book is she is very inclusive. There are always different characters from a lot of different backgrounds and always include LQBTQ+ characters.

The book is perfect for a thriller read, YA or not. As a 32 year old it still got me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Throwing me off every corner.
Even though it doesn't feels as spectaculair as some of her other work, it definitely is a must read!
If you have read Win Lose Kill Die, this book is definitely a must read. They are both stand alone's but I recommend reading Win Lose Kill Die first if you already haven't.

I received a copy from Netgalley.
This was good story, very clearly inspired by 90's teen movies. A boarding school, secret society, broken hearts, and murders!

There were lots of nostalgic millennial nods, (hello heather shimmer lipstick!) The plot was fairly bog standard, and felt quite obvious who the bad guy was. But a good romp nonetheless!

I was so excited for this since YA murder mysteries are some of my favourite palette cleansers in between longer books! Unfortunately this one was not for me.
The setting seemed great and the description we got of it made it the perfect creepy boarding school.
Sadly we spend the first 30% with not much happening other than hearing our main character complain over and over about the same interpersonal drama. I really couldn’t connect with her and her inner monologue.
If you’ve loved the authors previous books I’m sure this one will be great. The writing style in this one just was not my cup of tea.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!

4.5⭐️

What the heck was that ending?!? I was so invested the entire time, the plot twist I was not expecting, what do you mean! The writing was phenomenal, this entire book had my heart racing when I got further into the book. This book was amazing, the characters… I don’t think I’ll ever forget them… I have nothing else to say about this book other than YOU NEED TO PICK IT UP!

I loved this book, it may be YA but still brilliant as a 37yr old adult! I was hit with 90s nostalgia, mean girl vibes, twists and turn that kept me reading and also made me change my mind a number of times.

It is the perfect dark and twisty tale of Murder, punishment, secret societies and cover ups which extend way beyond the school grounds.

A fantastic read for those fans of dark academic thrillers, or thrillers with sinister (and believable) storylines which keep lines which keep you questioning to the very last page.

Oh to be back at Morton Academy! I loved Win Lose Kill Die and I was so excited to be back in the setting of Morton Academy. I love the dark, creepy vibes in this place! I enjoyed being taken back to places I read about in the previous book but in a different time. Everything tied together so nicely. It’s an interconnected but standalone book, so you don’t have to have read Win Lose Kill Die to read Keep Your Friends Close.

I love Cynthia Murphy’s writing so much. I did think the plot was predictable, however this may have been due to breadcrumbs from Win Lose Kill Die. I have more questions, and would love to know more about what happens next!

Overall, a really fun and enjoyable thriller!

3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you for an advanced copy of this book!

This book follows Chloe in her senior year at Morton academy who is inducted into the secret society of Jewel and Bone. All is well until Chloe's fellow acolytes and friends start turning up murdered- their deaths mirroring the book of crime and punishment anonymous entries. Throughout the book Chloe attempts to solve her friends murders with the help of her new roommates all while trying to stay alive herself. This book is a YA thriller and is a standalone set in the 90s. It is a prequal to Win Lose Kill Die but you do not need to have read it to read this.

It might surprise you given my rating but I really loved this book. I couldn't put it down and finished it in just over a day it was that good. Unfortunately the ending (the last page of the book really) completely let me down. I felt like it undermined the whole story and didn't make sense for the characters. In fact, without this last page I would be considering a 5 star review for this book. I would have much rather had the slightly open ending where you can decide which way it went rather than what I did get.

That said I loved the characters, the world building, the writing, the plot, and most of all the 90s references. This book kept me hooked right until the end and I will definitely be reading more Cynthia Murphy in the future!

I am such a fan of YA mysteries/thrillers especially when they have a dark academia/elite boarding school vibe. I really enjoyed this one it hooked me from the very beginning and kept me in its clutches all the way through. Suspenseful with a good amount of twists I loved it and will definitely be looking for more by the author

Gripping but (thankfully) entirely unbelievable mystery set in an elite boarding school.

When Chloe is cheated out of the prestigious head girl position by her former best friend Nikhita, and then discovers that Nikhita has also stolen her boyfriend Theo, Morton Academy does not feel like the place she wants to be after all. But the school and its secret 'Jewel and Bone' society may be her only hope of securing funding for a place at university so she resolves to 'suck it up' and do what she needs to do.

Then, after not one but two of her peers die in mysterious circumstances, all kinds of questions need to be answered... Will Chloe be next?. Who can she really trust? What is really going on with the school?

I enjoyed this overall and can imagine it appealing to many of the younger teen readers in my library who love murder mysteries... but I"m not sure that I'll be getting it because there's just so much bad language in it. Maybe that is the way teens speak, but I think the expletives could be removed and younger readers wouldn't notice/care.

It's a good premise - and at times felt to me like a sanitised version of Donna Tartt's 'The Secret History', but it lost pace towards the end and ultimately I felt that the ending was unsatisfactory.

Grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC.

Think mean girls if it was set in a boarding school in the 90's but with more murder and secret societies and you may come close to Keep Your Friends Close. A gripping YA Thriller where the main character, Chloe, learns it really is important to Keep Your Friends Close and she deals with the consequences of what happens when she let's them out of her sight!

I really enjoyed the suspense and twists of this book, the nostalgia worked really well and I think older teens would love it!

this was a fun spooky young adult read about the politics of school and some secret societies. some of it fell a bit flat for me but overall enjoyed it!

Loved this book so much!
Every part of the story was well thought out , the characters were great. Full of so many twists and turns, it was just amazing and so quick paced!
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!

Cynthia Murphy has done it again, In this 90s-set prequel she takes us back to the dark academia setting of Morton Academy, the dark academia setting of Win Lose Kill Die. In this book we get to delve deeper into the mysterious Jewel & Bone society, which was one of my favourite aspects of WLKD.

Chloe should be on top of the world as she enters her second year at the academy. She has secured the coveted role of Deputy Head Girl, but only because her supposed best friend betrayed her to nab the top spot. Now the same best friend has betrayed her again with her boyfriend. Her problems seem insurmountable... and then the murders begin.

This is twisty, tormenting fun that will have you guessing who did it right up to the end. It can be read as a standalone without reading Win Lose Kill Die but there are some fun easter eggs in there for existing fans!

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for the arc!

Keep Your Friends Close is another great read from Cynthia Murphy!

It’s set in Morton Academy for disadvantaged kids with a secret (deadly) society and follows Chloe who had a rough start to the school year when she was missed out on head girl to her ‘best friend’, was dumped by her boyfriend and then had to watch them get together. The year then got worse as she had to figure out why are friends in the society were getting murdered, and whether she was next.

This is a fast paced dark academia thriller set in the 90s with so many great references for that time period, one to absolutely read when it’s released in September!

This was a fun read with a twist that I genuinely didn't see coming; YA thrillers can be really cringe sometimes but this definitely wasn't, and I found the story creepy and well written with some real depth to it. Suspenseful and hard hitting, it was a great way to weave interesting, thought-provoking topics into something that can easily appear overdone. Very good!

Keep your friends close is Cynthia Murphy’s newest YA thriller and what a thriller it is! We join at the beginning of Chloe’s last year at Morton Academy where everything she worked for has slipped through her fingers, she lost out on head girl to her now ex- best friend and her boyfriend dumps her before she’s even got to her room! And from here things go from bad to worse, her ex-best friend and ex-boyfriend are now the new it couple, she’s got two outcast roommates, her classmates start vanishing and turning up dead and to top it off the secret society she joined at the end of last term might be a cult! Super quick paced and fun to read Cynthia Murphy’s new book is one you don’t want to miss! Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for the arc copy!

LOVED IT! I’m yet to find a Cynthia Murphy book I haven’t enjoyed.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this arc

Cynthia Murphy is a master of suspense.

This was a highly anticipated return to Morton Academy and I was ready to spend another year with its twisted student elite.

As always, Cynthia had me hooked from the first page and I could not put this down. The secret societies, the cult themes, the murder. Every single word was carefully thought out to keep you guessing.

That last chapter had me gasping and the epilogue was *exactly* what I’d expect from a Morton Academy head girl.

Chloe Roberts should have been Head Girl this year, but for the last-minute betrayal by her so-called best friend, Nikhita Patel. So, Chloe arrives at Morton Academy for the new school year as Deputy. As soon as she arrives she is dumped by her boyfriend, Theo, who only hours later has got himself a new girlfriend, Nikhita.
As one of only twelve members of a secret society, Chloe is all too aware of how she needs to toe the line in order to maintain any chance of getting sponsorship for her university placement. But when the leader of the group, Nikhita, seems determined to ostracise Chloe it gets harder to keep her cool. Thank goodness for her new roommates, who do their best to support Chloe.
Throughout their first term a number of mysterious accidents befall members of the group. Though students are dead, the events are covered up. Someone is using their influence to try and ensure nobody finds out what has been going on. Chloe has her own ideas about who’s responsible, but will she learn the truth of what’s happening or will she become the next victim?
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this before publication.