The “must-read YA thriller” (Bustle) from #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying about a small town with deadly secrets.“When it comes to YA suspense, Karen M. McManus is in a league of her own…” –Entertainment WeeklyEcho Ridge is small-town America. Ellery’s never been there, but she’s heard all about it. Her aunt went missing there at age seventeen. And only five years … missing there at age seventeen. And only five years ago, a homecoming queen put the town on the map when she was killed. Now Ellery has to move there to live with a grandmother she barely knows.
The town is picture-perfect, but it’s hiding secrets. And before school even begins for Ellery, someone has declared open season on homecoming, promising to make it as dangerous as it was five years ago. Then, almost as if to prove it, another girl goes missing.
Ellery knows all about secrets. Her mother has them; her grandmother does too. And the longer she’s in Echo Ridge, the clearer it becomes that everyone there is hiding something. The thing is, secrets are dangerous–and most people aren’t good at keeping them. Which is why in Echo Ridge, it’s safest to keep your secrets to yourself.
Fans of the hit thriller that started it all can watch the secrets of the Bayview Four be revealed in the One of Us is Lying TV series now streaming on NBC’s Peacock!
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In scrolling through the ratings/reviews, I see a lot of mediocre ratings and a lot of lamenting about how this book does not hold up to Karen McManus’s last one.
I. RESPECTFULLY. DISAGREE.
Two Can Keep a Secret is the story of twin teenagers, Ellery and Ezra, who are forced to relocate from Los Angeles to spend their senior year living with their grandmother in Echo Ridge, VT a sleepy New England town full of secrets. Ellery, a true crime buff sets out to learn as much as she can about her mother’s hometown and why her mom chose to leave as soon as she graduated. When a classmate goes missing, Ellery realizes that she is among the last to see her classmate alive. When someone in her new circle of friends becomes the unofficial suspect Ellery must user her true crime knowledge to find out who is really responsible.
This YA suspense thriller from the author of One of Us is Lying was difficult to put down. It is well paced and well written with dynamic characters. I definitely look forward to McManus’s next one!
When Ellery is thrown back into her mother’s hometown, she is thrown back into a world with lots of secrets. Ellery’s mother twin disappeared when she was in high school and no one ever figured out what happened. So many secrets in a small town, especially where girls are disappearing. Seems like someone in the town may be gearing up for Ellery to be next. The beginning is wow, the ending it wow, and the in-between makes for a great YA book that will be enjoyed by adults as well.
I loved One of Us is Lying so much that I couldn’t wait to read McManus’s next work. But I was just slightly disappointed. 2 Can Keep a Secret was very good, but not excellent, in my opinion. First of all, I have to object to the corny cliché on the cover: 2 Can Keep a Secret…if one is dead. Come on. Everyone knows the second half of that tired phrase; no need to be so obvious. That almost made me hesitate to buy this book, thinking that the writing might be tired and obvious, too. It wasn’t. I enjoyed One of Us is Lying too much to pass up 2 Can Keep a Secret. And I’m glad I didn’t.
Some reviewers have complained about the alternating points of view in different chapters. This didn’t bother me, although I found the abundance of main characters confusing. If some of them had taken a back seat, the story would have been easier to follow. That said, the plot is gripping, the characters well developed (all of them), and the twists unexpected–right up to the final sentence. Ignore the silly subtitle and read this book. You’ll be glad you did.
Soooo many PPL allusions, so high school-y, so many characters you-not my favorite.
A fast-paced Young Adult thriller that should appeal to adult readers too.
The story is told from the viewpoints of two engaging lead characters. Ellery, newly arrived in Echo Ridge, but with tragic family connections to the town. (Her aunt disappeared there 20 years earlier on the night of the Homecoming ball.) Our other narrator is Malcolm, the brother of Declan, chief suspect in a murder case. Declan was drummed out of town 5 years earlier when his girlfriend – the Homecoming Queen – was found strangled to death.
As this year’s Homecoming approaches, weird and threatening things start to happen in Echo Ridge and life doesn’t look promising for the three Homecoming Princesses.
Ellery and Malcolm set out to discover who’s behind the threats, and also what happened in the town 5 years and 20 years earlier.
There is no shortage of suspects for their investigation although some seasoned readers may have an inkling of the culprit early on. The author handles a cast of siblings, other family members, friendship groups and police officers with skill.
The writing is smooth and evokes the setting without excessive description.
A great mystery book that leaves you guessing what the secrets are until the end. It is a page-turner. The synopsis may make it sound like a cliche YA mystery novel, but it certainly is not. McManus did a wonderful job writing unpredictable twists.This will leave you looking forward to what McManus will write next.
Karen McManus does it again!