One of Us Is Lying Author returns with small-town mysteries and secrets that kill

     Karen M. McManus was praised for her genius writing in her debut novel, One of Us Is Lying, a murder mystery centered around five high school students. Now McManus is back with her second novel, Two Can Keep a Secret, where the creepiness and mystery are turned up a notch in a town where secrets are best left alone.
     Ellery’s never been to the small town of Echo Ridge, but she's heard all about it. Her aunt went missing there at age seventeen and, five years ago, a homecoming queen put the town on the map when she was killed. Now Ellery, and her twin brother Ezra, have to move there to live with a grandmother they barely know. The town is picture-perfect, but it's hiding secrets. And someone's already declared open season on homecoming, promising to make it as dangerous as it was five years ago. Then, another girl goes missing. Ellery knows all about secrets. Her mother and grandmother both have them. And the longer she's in Echo Ridge, it becomes clear that everyone is hiding something. The thing is, secrets are dangerous and sometimes it's safest to keep your secrets to yourself.
      This novel was just as amazing as One of Us Is Lying! The best words to describe this novel are mysterious, creepy, and shocking. One thing McManus knows how to do is weave together a dramatic and chilling mystery and she does it once again in this novel. Every twist and turn is truly shocking and half of the things that happen are completely unexpected! McManus truly knows how to keep a reader guessing while keeping everything very tightly knit and intertwined. There weren’t any plot twists that just came out of left field, but were still startling enough to be plot twists. This novel was not as cliché as One of Us Is Lying and fans of McManus, as well as mystery in general, will get a thrill from Two Can Keep A Secret.
       The only thing that would’ve taken this book to the next level is if there would’ve been a bit more character development. As much as each character was likable and fun to read about, I wish I could have learned more about the non-narrators, like Ellery’s twin brother, Ezra, or Malcolm’s friend, Mia.
     Overall, fans of McManus will not be disappointed with Ellery’s story. The secrets holding Echo Ridge together will unravel and leave the reader guessing at every turn. McManus leaves the reader with a creepy ending that concludes that story nicely, but is chilling enough that it gives you the sense that the story may not be over yet. After all “two can keep a secret if one of them is dead…"

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