After discovering Layne Fargo earlier this year and falling in love with her dark, addictive storytelling, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on They Never Learn—and I wasn’t disappointed. At this point, I think I’d read her shopping list and still be hooked.

Fargo delivers a taut, intelligent thriller that’s both razor-sharp and surprisingly emotional. The story follows Scarlett Clark, a brilliant English professor with a deadly secret: she’s also a serial killer, targeting men who abuse women and get away with it. Her mission? To bring justice where the system fails. At the same time, we follow Carly, a freshman at the same college, who’s dealing with her own trauma and slowly spiraling into darkness.

The dual perspectives are masterfully woven together, and Fargo’s writing is both incisive and lyrical. What sets this book apart is its fearless exploration of rage, revenge, and the blurred lines between justice and vengeance. Fargo doesn’t shy away from tough themes, but she handles them with nuance and care. The twists—oh, the twists—are pitch-perfect, and the pacing is impossible to resist.

The twist well and truly got me!

They Never Learn is both a feminist revenge fantasy and a darkly satisfying crime thriller. Fargo manages to make you question your own moral compass while cheering for a killer—and that’s no small feat. If you're looking for a clever, compelling read with bite, this one’s for you.

Layne Fargo has officially cemented herself as an auto-buy author for me. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

Many thanks to netgalley, the author and the publisher for approving my request to read this book.

I enjoyed this story of feminism and revenge with a side order of murder.

They Never Learn is well written and fast paced with great character development and it certaintly kept me turning the pages.

I will be looking out for more books by this author and would recommend this for fans of this genre.

Thank you to NetGalley and Vintage (Penguin Random House UK) for the eARC of this novel. This review is based on the book’s upcoming first publication in the UK.

I was initially drawn to They Never Learn by the author’s name alone. After Layne Fargo’s recent success with The Favourites, I was eager to see what she’d do next – and the premise of a dark academia thriller fueled by female rage had me sold. I’m happy to report that this book delivers on that promise and then some.

The story alternates between two POVs, switching each chapter, which makes for a tense, thrilling, and surprisingly emotional experience. The two narrative voices are so distinct in tone, yet they fit together perfectly – like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle forming a complete picture. The supporting cast is also well fleshed-out rather than one-dimensional.

This book does not shy away from the dark themes it tackles – and I absolutely loved that. Fargo’s narrative is raw and committed in its portrayal of female rage, vigilante justice, and the trauma of sexual assault/abuse and misogyny. These heavy topics are handled head-on, without the story ever feeling preachy. It’s bold and unapologetic, which makes the reading experience all the more powerful and cathartic (though readers sensitive to these themes should be aware that the book goes to some very dark places).

The pacing of They Never Learn is chef’s kiss – just about perfect for a thriller. If you’re looking for a riveting page-turner to lose yourself in, this is 10/10 on that front. The chapters are short, which can sometimes be a peeve of mine, but here each brief chapter packs plenty of substance. In fact, nearly every chapter ends on a mini cliffhanger or reveal that made me say, “Okay, just one more chapter…,” and before I knew it I was flying through the book. It’s truly addictive and hard to put down.

Beyond the thrills, They Never Learn evoked some intense fear, unease, and utter anger in me as the reader. It’s been a long time since a book made me feel so viscerally upset on behalf of its characters. The violence and injustices depicted are horrifying, but also so damn real. Sadly, the kinds of cruelty and entitlement portrayed here (especially the violence women endure and the entitlement some men enjoy without consequences) are things that still happen in the real world. That undercurrent of reality makes parts of this book hard-hitting and even uncomfortable – yet it’s exactly what gives the story its punch. I found myself seething at the antagonists and deeply invested in seeing justice served. Few thrillers have made me this angry in all the right ways.

Overall, I highly recommend They Never Learn to readers who enjoy gritty psychological thrillers and revenge stories. If you love the dark academia aesthetic – campus settings, complex professors/students, and murky moral dilemmas – this novel scratches that itch while delivering a suspenseful, twisty ride. Likewise, anyone who appreciates raw emotional storytelling and unapologetically feminist themes will find a lot to love here. It’s the kind of book that can appeal to a wide range of tastes: whether you come for the suspenseful vigilante justice plot or the moody academic atmosphere, you’ll likely be hooked from start to finish.

As a fan, I’m also glad to see Layne Fargo’s work getting more recognition. From scouring Goodreads reviews, it is clear that They Never Learn is already a cult favorite elsewhere, and I’m thrilled it’s now getting a proper UK release. It’s an addictive, thought-provoking thriller that left me exhilarated and furious in equal measure – in other words, exactly what I hoped it would be. This is one ride I’m very happy I took, and I’ll be eagerly awaiting whatever Layne Fargo offers next.

Scarlett Clark is a tenured professor at Gorman College, with an enviable body of work. Unfortunately, like many others of her sex, she knows that she is often assessed on the basis of a different body altogether - and she is tired of it.

Scarlett is also tired of seeing other women on the receiving end of similarly obnoxious, belittling, or abusive behaviour from their male colleagues - or even teachers. So she has decided to do something about it...

Amidst a rash of recent stories about female serial killers, many of them darkly humorous, this one is a standout. It's light on the humour and distinctly weighed in favour of female anger and it packs a punch.

Fargo captures the nuances of power dynamics and emotional manipulation very well in this gripping, fast-paced and suspenseful story peopled with well drawn characters. Highly recommended.

I’ve been wanting to read this book forever, it always gets mentioned in lists of favourite thrillers, best revenge or vigilante thrillers. It hasn’t been available in the UK before so I was thrilled to finally get to read it.

Two stories, Scarlett Clark is an English professor by day, serial k*ller of predatory men by night and Carly Schiller, small town girl, out of her depth in her freshmen year. For Scarlett it’s about planning her next k*ller and will she get away with it? For Carly it’s a coming of age tale in an alien environment. Both are well balanced and involving.

Coincidentally I read another thriller recently with a similar twist, I would have probably enjoyed They Never Learn more if I hadn’t of read that one first. I think I would still have seen it coming.

Aside from spotting the twist this is a very good thriller, again I wish I could have read this first before Sweetpea, Pretty Evil and the many other female vigilante serial k*ller thrillers.

Definitely worth reading.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Vintage

This had been on my List of Books to Track Down™️ since it was announced but I couldn't find it anywhere in the UK! Then, to my surprise, five years after it was released, it pops up on NetGalley!

In 2020, this could've been a unique and inventive concept: dark academia meets Dexter with an injection of feminist rage. Since then, the vigilante/man-killer novels have effectively become their own sub-genre so it's hard to say if readerships will be tired of it by now or not.

The storytelling gave me You vibes, in that 'why am I cheering for a serial killer' way. The university setting was well rendered and the campus came to life for me as I was reading. I was disappointed by the lack of depth with the plot and characterization. Our characters were pretty one-dimensional (good or bad) and I closed the book confused about Scarlett's messy motivations. A touch predictable in some threads, there were also plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing (and second-guessing) my own hypotheses which is always great! While I loved the queer longing in both timelines, I found the ending a bit trite and implausible.

Overall, this was a fast, well-paced, and entertaining read (albeit one that made me so angry!). I'm glad I spent time with it and finally got the opportunity to read it!

3.5/5

I requested this having LOVED The Favourites and never realised that this was actually one of Layne's previous novels - I am not sure if it is being re-released given the success of The Favourites.

Regardless, I have to say I loved it. Dark, serial killer vibes with a little steam. What's not to love.

Thrilling, mysterious, gripping from the first page. Absolutely amazing read, a fantastic page turner

They never learn… to take my book recommendations, and this is one of them!
A very strong three stars 🌟

Scarlett is a professor with a penchant for murdering male predators. We have two timelines of a student and Scarlett and when they converge, it is very satisfying (albeit obvious).

Feminist rage.
Burgeoning queer obsession.
Vigilantism.

<b>I’m not an object or an obstacle to him anymore. I’m his goddamn ruination.
</b>
I did find the ending too easy and I would have loved to get more political discussion, yet this sets up discussions and would make a great bookclub pick.

I do wish we got more of the academia setting and more scrutiny on power dynamics especially between teacher and students.

Yes, it is on the nose. Yes, I wish we got more character depth. But this is an addicting thriller with relevant themes and messaging.

By the way, this is VERY different to The Favourites so please don’t pick this up expecting something like that.