When I first started reading “One of Us is Lying,” I expected a typical murder mystery with a couple obvious twists and clues throughout. I soon realized that this intricate mystery was nothing close to my expectations. If you are looking for a suspenseful book combined with gripping plot twists and interesting characters woven throughout, then “One of Us is Lying” is the book for you! 

“One of Us is Lying,” by Karen M. Mcmanus, is a murder mystery that takes place in an unsuspecting high school. This book follows four main suspects: Bronwyn, Nate, Addy, and Cooper. The suspects happen to be the victim’s fellow classmates, each seemingly without any motive to kill. However, as the story unravels, surprises from every character further complicated and enhanced the narrative overall. One of the reasons that this book interested me was the variety of lifestyles the author presented in the four main characters. These characters came from all walks of life, ranging from a popular blonde to a social outcast. Unique bonds between the characters developed throughout the book, setting the theme that friendships can form regardless of personality differences.

Without giving away any details, the book started off with setting the stage of the sudden death of one of the characters’ classmates, Simon Keller, during high school detention. Simon Keller was a quiet student, but there is one suspicious part about Simon: his gossip website where he trashes his other classmates. The only people in the room with Simon when he died were Bronwyn, Nate, Addy, and Cooper, all of whom were innocent prior to this day and had no reason to hurt Simon. Is the gossip blog enough for one of these four to kill Simon or is there more to this thrilling murder mystery? Read “One of Us is Lying” to find out!