Nothing More to Tell

POV: 1st person; dual
keywords/phrases: family dysfunction, murder, lies, trauma, privilege
tropes: red herring, twist ending’ amateur sleuth, dark academia
spice: 0 🔥
language: 🤬🤬🤬🤬

read this if… you love twisty stories, dark secrets, and lots of intrigue.

Nothing More to Tell is everything I could want in a thriller, young adult or adult. The characters were well developed and interesting, and the dark academia trope gave a suspenseful atmosphere for the book. The dual POV was a perfect choice for this story, making for a fuller reading experience.

Tripp and Brynn were both likable characters, former best friends. But that friendship ended when Tripp inexplicably and publicaly humiliated Brynn. Soon after, Brynn’s favorite teacher, Mr. Larkin, was murdered and Tripp was one of those who found his bludgeoned body in the woods near the school. Without any answers, Brynn is forced to move away when her father takes a new job. But the pain of Tripp’s betrayal and the mystery of Mr. Larkin’s murder have never left her. Four years later, when she and her family move back, the murder becomes her sole focus, even pitching it to her boss at her new internship, a true-crime show.

While I loved both characters, it was Tripp who truly tore at my heartstrings. The events surrounding Mr. Larkin’s death truly affected him on a fundamental level. The author did a fantastic job relaying the sheer amount of trauma and havoc it caused for Tripp, especially when piled on top of family issues.

I also loved the multitudes of red herrings throughout the story. They worked well to lead me in various directions, proving me utterly wrong time and time again. I love a thriller with twists, with a number of reasonable suspects. I love the suspense and anticipation of that, and this book delivered that to me.