The Agathas (An Agathas Mystery)
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - Who killed Brooke Donovan? It's the biggest mystery of the summer, and everyone in Castle Cove thinks they know what happened. But they're wrong. Two unlikely friends come together to solve the case in this fast-paced, fun, modern Agatha Christie inspired thriller. "Part Agatha Christie, part Veronica Mars, and completely entertaining." --Karen M. McManus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Of Us Is Lying A PEOPLE MAGAZINE BEST BOOK OF SUMMER
Last summer, Alice Ogilvie's basketball-star boyfriend Steve dumped her. Then she disappeared for five days. She's not talking, so where she went and what happened to her is the biggest mystery in Castle Cove. Or it was, at least. But now, another one of Steve's girlfriends has vanished: Brooke Donovan, Alice's ex-best friend. And it doesn't look like Brooke will be coming back. . . Enter Iris Adams, Alice's tutor. Iris has her own reasons for wanting to disappear, though unlike Alice, she doesn't have the money or the means. That could be changed by the hefty reward Brooke's grandmother is offering to anyone who can share information about her granddaughter's whereabouts. The police are convinced Steve is the culprit, but Alice isn't so sure, and with Iris on her side, she just might be able to prove her theory. In order to get the reward and prove Steve's innocence, they need to figure out who killed Brooke Donovan. And luckily Alice has exactly what they need--the complete works of Agatha Christie. If there's anyone that can teach the girls how to solve a mystery it's the master herself. But the town of Castle Cove holds many secrets, and Alice and Iris have no idea how much danger they're about to walk into.
Last summer, Alice Ogilvie's basketball-star boyfriend Steve dumped her. Then she disappeared for five days. She's not talking, so where she went and what happened to her is the biggest mystery in Castle Cove. Or it was, at least. But now, another one of Steve's girlfriends has vanished: Brooke Donovan, Alice's ex-best friend. And it doesn't look like Brooke will be coming back. . . Enter Iris Adams, Alice's tutor. Iris has her own reasons for wanting to disappear, though unlike Alice, she doesn't have the money or the means. That could be changed by the hefty reward Brooke's grandmother is offering to anyone who can share information about her granddaughter's whereabouts. The police are convinced Steve is the culprit, but Alice isn't so sure, and with Iris on her side, she just might be able to prove her theory. In order to get the reward and prove Steve's innocence, they need to figure out who killed Brooke Donovan. And luckily Alice has exactly what they need--the complete works of Agatha Christie. If there's anyone that can teach the girls how to solve a mystery it's the master herself. But the town of Castle Cove holds many secrets, and Alice and Iris have no idea how much danger they're about to walk into.
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Community Reviews
This YA Mystery book really surprised me. I didn't think that plot was going to be that entertaining and that it would be somewhat predictable. But the reality is that this book really surprised me left and right even down to the ending of the book.
I really enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Definitely worth the read!
I really enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Definitely worth the read!
Welcome to Castle Cove — a town cursed with missing girls,
bad boyfriends, family secrets,
and some very steep cliffs.
I picked this up for a buddy read, not having known much about the story itself. I, like many of us, love to judge a book by its cover--The Agatha's beautiful, mysterious cover drew me in first. What is more beautiful is the story inside...
Alice and Iris don't know each other well, but they are soon grouped together by the school counselor for Alice's tutoring needs. Thus begins our journey on a mysterious, sometimes frustrating tale of two young women who are determined to find answers about who harmed Brooke, Alice's friend.
I am so glad I read this book. The writing is wonderfully done; I felt with the characters, and the world-building was good. I have read some work by Glasgow before. However, Lawson was new to me. I think they did great writing this story together. The characters pulled me in. Their worlds and stories were explained well.
Alice was a great character with many layers. We first are introduced to a popular, rich girl who has absent parents and is looked after by the caregiver at home. This is in a look of books I've read, so I was looking forward to growing with her as she realized who/what truly matters. Alice goes through a lot in this story, but she is relatable in ways and quickly became my favorite. Plus, she reads Agatha Christie :)
Iris has her wonderful friend group at school, and I adore them. Iris is smart, tough, and amazing. I adored Iris as well, and learning more about her past and why she is the way she is just helped solidify that connection.
I LOVED the friendship between Alice and Iris. It started out rocky, but over time a wonderful friendship blossomed. They had some funny scenes together, but I loved how open and emotionally connected they became while fighting for answers about Brooke. Quote: “We are probably this far from donning trench coats, smoking Lucky Strikes, and slinking furtively around town, taking notes in a little black book.
Which doesn't actually sound all that bad, truth be told.”
The mystery aspect of this story! Holy smokes, Batman! I have issues with figuring out the twists and turns early on in mystery novels, but this one got me. I was glued to my book at one point, dying to know what had happened! That is a good story to me. I had fun guessing and chatting with my buddy about what the answers could be.
I truly wish we got to know side characters more. Iris has some great friends that I would have loved to see more of. They helped offer comedic relief and answers to the case. I laughed at this quote: "Is that a horse?" says Neil. "Or am I that stoned?" Parents were pretty much absent, except for storyline parts. I'm not too upset about not getting some page time with Alice's parents, though.
All in all, I liked the story, and I liked the characters. I do wish we got some more of them, but given how the epilogue ended, I assume my wish may come true!
What did you think about The Agatha's? Let me know!
bad boyfriends, family secrets,
and some very steep cliffs.
I picked this up for a buddy read, not having known much about the story itself. I, like many of us, love to judge a book by its cover--The Agatha's beautiful, mysterious cover drew me in first. What is more beautiful is the story inside...
Alice and Iris don't know each other well, but they are soon grouped together by the school counselor for Alice's tutoring needs. Thus begins our journey on a mysterious, sometimes frustrating tale of two young women who are determined to find answers about who harmed Brooke, Alice's friend.
I am so glad I read this book. The writing is wonderfully done; I felt with the characters, and the world-building was good. I have read some work by Glasgow before. However, Lawson was new to me. I think they did great writing this story together. The characters pulled me in. Their worlds and stories were explained well.
Alice was a great character with many layers. We first are introduced to a popular, rich girl who has absent parents and is looked after by the caregiver at home. This is in a look of books I've read, so I was looking forward to growing with her as she realized who/what truly matters. Alice goes through a lot in this story, but she is relatable in ways and quickly became my favorite. Plus, she reads Agatha Christie :)
Iris has her wonderful friend group at school, and I adore them. Iris is smart, tough, and amazing. I adored Iris as well, and learning more about her past and why she is the way she is just helped solidify that connection.
I LOVED the friendship between Alice and Iris. It started out rocky, but over time a wonderful friendship blossomed. They had some funny scenes together, but I loved how open and emotionally connected they became while fighting for answers about Brooke. Quote: “We are probably this far from donning trench coats, smoking Lucky Strikes, and slinking furtively around town, taking notes in a little black book.
Which doesn't actually sound all that bad, truth be told.”
The mystery aspect of this story! Holy smokes, Batman! I have issues with figuring out the twists and turns early on in mystery novels, but this one got me. I was glued to my book at one point, dying to know what had happened! That is a good story to me. I had fun guessing and chatting with my buddy about what the answers could be.
I truly wish we got to know side characters more. Iris has some great friends that I would have loved to see more of. They helped offer comedic relief and answers to the case. I laughed at this quote: "Is that a horse?" says Neil. "Or am I that stoned?" Parents were pretty much absent, except for storyline parts. I'm not too upset about not getting some page time with Alice's parents, though.
All in all, I liked the story, and I liked the characters. I do wish we got some more of them, but given how the epilogue ended, I assume my wish may come true!
What did you think about The Agatha's? Let me know!
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