You’ll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus – TheWriteReads Blog Tour Review

Ladies and gentlemen, she’s done it again! The queen of American YA crime has written another unputdownable page-turner of a thriller that had me ignoring my responsibilities, questioning everything every few pages, and full-on gasping out loud while reading.

You’ll Be the Death of Me takes on a ‘Ferris Bueller’ feel early on, with a trio of estranged friends bunking off school (excuse the noughties lingo) for a day. Trying to rekindle their lost friendship, having drifted apart years ago, and to relive the last time they skived off together and had a day trip to Boston—aka. the Best Day Ever—Ivy, Mateo, and Cal end up doing the opposite of what they intended. Instead, the Best Day Ever turns into a nightmare as they’re (naturally) thrust into the centre of a murder investigation. As ever, McManus knows how to pack a punch and leave the reader reeling; the ensuing plot is full of jaw-dropping twists and revelations, and as shown with her trademark foreshadowing and clever character development, the characters all have secrets to hide.

Considering the fact that none of McManus’s characters are ever perfect human beings, it’s a testament to her talent that we always end up rooting for them regardless of their sins. Cal is in a morally questionable situation—albeit not entirely of his own doing—while Ivy has a dark secret lurking in her past, as does Mateo in his present situation. Each character’s narrative is equally engaging and fast-paced, and as the murder investigation unfolds, the reader learns more about both the characters themselves, and about their relationships with each other. You genuinely feel for them all, and are constantly willing their friendship to come out unscathed; as per McManus’s MO, however, nothing and nobody is safe. I also genuinely grew attached to all three characters, which is impressive given how short YBTDOM is—coming out at just over three hundred pages, and taking place over the course of a day, it rockets along at break-neck pace, but still finds time to flesh out characters with enough quirks and fears to make readers care for them (even as they’re suspecting them of murder).

The stakes in YBTDOM may not seem as high as some of McManus’s other books—with everything happening within twenty-four hours, there isn’t enough time for a killer to methodically pick people off or terrorise the characters—but my god, does it move quickly! There’s plenty of expositional scenes that throw curveballs into the plot, plus lots of great flashbacks and character-driven scenes, not to mention thrilling, fast-paced scenes that will leave readers sweating (I was Very Visibly doing so in the last fifty pages). If The Cousins was McManus’s most twisty book, with her other backlist titles all deserving praise for their drama, then YBTDOM is her most intensely-paced book yet. I think the speedy structure of the single-day plot works wonders for the story, as it forces important conversations to constantly take place between the characters, and has readers thinking a different person is the killer every twenty pages. I kept smugly assuming I had guessed whodunnit, but I was repeatedly disproved, and eventually just completely outwitted. I always know I’m in capable hands with McManus, as her books really are absolute rip-roaring joys to read. So, I bow down to her almighty mind, and wait with baited breath for the next drama-filled thriller. See you here this time next year with another sterling review!

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

You’ll Be the Death of Me is available for purchase from Waterstones and other bookshops from December 2nd. I would like to thank @TheWriteReads and @PenguinPlatform for the advance copy, and @TheWriteReads On Tour for including me in their blog tour.