Review by Booklist Review
The original Bayview Four has officially expanded to the Bayview Crew after the events of the previous book in McManus' best-selling thriller series, and though most of the teens are now navigating the post-high-school reality of jobs, rent payments, and college, revenge-fueled murders are still front and center. Phoebe is struggling to keep a secret that has big ramifications on her family, and with Jake Riordan out of prison on bail, Bronwyn, Nate, Addy, and Cooper are especially apprehensive. Meanwhile, a hacked billboard suggests a new game is afoot, and when people start going missing, the crew is on the case to figure out who's behind it all. McManus keeps the cinematic plotting tight with plenty of twists, red herrings, and long-buried secrets as she entwines the mysteries from the first two books here, and flashback chapters from Jake's and Simon's perspectives add new weight to the proceedings. Readers needn't worry about catching up on the prior installments; McManus helpfully includes enough backstory to keep the story grounded. Another solid thriller from a master of the genre.High-Demand Backstory: McManus' books, especially in this series, are regulars on the best-seller lists, and the TV series only heightens the appeal.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Someone from the Bayview Crew's past has resurfaced to finish what they started in this electrifying mystery, the third installment in McManus's One of Us Is Lying series. After Addy, Bronwyn, Cooper, and Nate exonerate themselves in Simon's mid-detention death, and Knox, Maeve, and Phoebe thwart a copycat killer's lethal bout of truth or dare in the previous volumes, the trauma-bonded teens crave a carefree California summer. But history seems destined to repeat itself: when a digital billboard displays "TIME FOR A NEW GAME, BAYVIEW," the gang wonders if they prematurely retired their "Murder Club" moniker, especially after one of them goes missing. Frustrated by the Bayview Police Department's continued incompetence, the friends, their partners, and some unexpected allies join forces to survive their latest investigation. McManus skillfully seeds the kaleidoscopic first-person-present narrative--which alternates between several Bayview Crew members--with shocking secrets and a veritable school of red herrings, but the factors elevating this tale are the alchemy sparked by combining previous entries' intersectionally diverse casts and the gratifying culminations of their emotionally complex arcs. Bombshell reveals unfurl alongside reflections on honesty, empathy, and cycles of violence, resulting in a soulful, high-stakes thrill ride. Ages 14--up. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. (July)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up--The Bayview Murder Club is back for the riveting conclusion to the "One of Us Is Lying" trilogy, where Simon's final secret is slowly unspooled, generating destruction and chaos in its wake. Told through the alternating points-of-view of Addy, Phoebe, and Nate, plus vignettes from Jake and Simon's friendship six years prior, all of the narrators come into this last installment unsettled. Though Nate has a stable relationship with Bronwyn, he hasn't figured out where his life is headed and can't shake the feeling that their relationship won't last. After Jake is released from prison pending a retrial, Addy feels terrified and on edge, certain he is going to come after her, seeking vengeance. And Phoebe is completely stuck, racked with guilt over what happened in One of Us Is Next, unable to move forward. After an electronic billboard is hacked to display the message "Time for a new game, Bayview," the friends are resolute in their determination to find answers, stop the violence, and finally address some of Bayview's glaring problems. While this final addition to the trilogy has more suspense than mystery, the growing sense of impending doom followed by the headlong crash into the conclusion still leaves readers feeling satisfied. All characters default to white aside from the Rojas sisters and Luis, who are Latinx. VERDICT McManus fans are sure to delight in the ending, even if they wish more books were forthcoming.--Katie Patterson
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A new game is starting in Bayview…but no one knows the rules in this latest installment in McManus' bestselling One of Us Is Lying series. After all they've endured, the Bayview Crew--made up of the original Bayview Four (Nate, Bronwyn, Cooper, and Addy); their successors (Maeve, Phoebe, and Knox); Cooper's boyfriend, Kris; and Maeve's boyfriend, Luis--attempt to move on with their lives. But Jake (Addy's ex who tried to frame her for murder and almost killed her himself) has been released from jail and might even get a new trial. When a digital billboard in town ominously announces, "TIME FOR A NEW GAME, BAYVIEW," the crew becomes vigilant, clinging to one another--because if they've learned anything since Simon's death two years ago, it's that everyone has secrets, and everyone is a target. While McManus, as expected, succeeds at engaging readers in another thrilling mystery, she focuses much attention on various characters' challenges as they grow: Nate is determined to make himself worthy of Bronwyn's love; Phoebe struggles to accept Knox's affections while holding onto the secret of her brother's involvement in Jared's revenge on Addy's brother-in-law; Addy must learn how to live in a world where she may have to encounter Jake again (despite the restraining order). And even from the grave Simon continues to have an impact on the community. Main characters read White; an earlier title describes Addy and Maeve as Colombian American. A satisfying and hopeful closer in a masterful trilogy. (Thriller. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
