Liz Lawson

I itched to buy ‘The Agathas’ when I first saw it. The cover was amusing and the title was intriguing. My finger hovered over the ‘Add to basket’ button. I didn’t buy it because it had two red flags. Firstly, it’s written by two authors. I know that can work, Ilona Andrews and James S A Corey prove that, but it often doesn’t. The second red flag was the Young Adult label. I’m just too old for most young adult books, especially ones set in American High Schools which are as show more remote from my personal experience as attending Hogwarts and even harder to believe in. Eventually, positive reviews from people who I trust tempted me into givng 'The Agathas' a try and I'm very glad they did.

'The Agathas^ was a 'Wow!' of a book. Pure fun from beginning to end.

All the High School tropes from Veronica Mars were there but they were transformed by how well the two main characters, Alice and Iris are drawn and by the way the plot drives the development of their unlikely relationship. It also helped that Alice and Iris had both watched Veronica Mars and were aware of the parallels.

Then there's the Agatha Christie overlay, which is introduced because Alice spent part of the previous summer reading Christie's books. It decorates the plot with Christie quotes and encourages Alice to believe in the viability on amateur sleuthing. It also delivers the occasional Easter Egg like naming the school counsellor Westmacott, which was one of Christie's lesser-known pen names.

What pulled me into the book was that it was told from two first-person points of view in alternating chapters. This gave me an intimate picture of how two girls at the same school: Alice, recently exiled from the elite inner circle of rich kids and Iris, a high-achiever from a poor home who is part of a group of self-declared oddballs who are virtually invisible to the elite, see themselves and each other. Having two points of view allowed more action to be covered and for each of the girls to have a different take on what was going on. It was also an effective way of adding to the tension by flipping points of view at key moments. I loved that each of the girls had a distinctive voice and way of thinking. I listened to the audiobook version where the 'two voices' aspect of the story was highlighted by having two narrators, one for Alice and one for Iris.

The mystery that Alice and Iris eventually become invested in solving is complex enough to be interesting without being too complex to be plausible. The mystery only provides half of the framework for the book. The other half comes from the slow reveal of the recent histories of Alice and Iris, both of whom are hiding secrets about things in their lives that make them unhappy and sometimes, a little ashamed.

As Iris and Alice gather evidence to solve the mystery and as they learn more about each other, they each realise how different the reality of the lives of the students around them are from the image the students project.

To me, this was the best kind of Young Adult book. The teenagers sounded and acted like teenagers and they remained the driving force for the plot but circumstances forced them to take a more adult view of events. It also helped that the adults who involved themselves were credible and did sensible things rather than being presented as obstacles to be overcome or worked around. Even the police, who were not sold on the idea of teenage amateur sleuths working on a murder case, especially ones who were closely linked to the case.

'The Agathas" was an excellent read and a wonderful audiobook. I've already downloaded the second book, 'On The Night In Question'. show less

After a tragic school shooting, a young girl tries to pick up the pieces after losing her twin brother and being the only survivor who knows what really happened in the band room that day.

The graffiti on the door spells out BITCH in bright red spray paint. The woman should pay for defending that piece of shit who killed her brother. May is angry. May is sad. May is fucked-up in the head. Now she has to attend a new school because they closed her school after the shooting. Her friend Lucy is show more her rock and the only one who treats her like she’s not a freak. The others try too hard, except for that kid, Zach, in my drama class. He’s cute, shy, sweet, and makes me feel safe, but who wants to be around someone like me. A coward. A freak. A broken shell.

Zack is the kid everyone hates. He has no friends left except Conor. His former dickhead friend Matt is dating Zach’s ex-girlfriend and Matt makes sure Zach knows it every chance he gets. When Zach meets the new girl May in his drama class, he finds someone who sees him, until she finds out his last name. Zach is defined by his mother. The woman who is defending the monster who gunned down those students. Will May be able to get past my name and give me a chance?

Ms. Lawson has chosen a subject that is difficult to comprehend and immerses the reader into a world unknown to those who have survived an extremely traumatic event. Her characters are vulnerable and strong, broken and healed, and dejected and hopeful. The story is about the “survivor’s” perspective, about grieving in your own way, about finding that one person who will accept you for who you are. May and Zach are two broken kids with unhappy family lives who compliment each other. Their growth throughout the story is heartbreaking and wonderful at the same time. My heroes of the story are Zach for his patience and his sweet (sometimes awkward) moments to help May any way he can and Lucy for her unfailing support of May during her darkest hours.

This is a painfully moving debut novel with a message that victims come in all shapes and sizes. Please read this important and amazing book. I guarantee the tears will flow.

Thank you to Ms. Lawson and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review. show less

My last few reads have been 'heavier', so I was ready for a fun escapist YA read. And The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson was beckoning to me!
From the publisher: "Who killed Brooke Donovan? It’s the biggest mystery of the summer, and everyone in Castle Cove thinks it’s the wrong guy. Fans of One of Us Is Lying and Riverdale can’t miss this page-turning who-done-it that’s sure to be the next must read Young Adult thriller!"

Yup, you caught my attention with that description. show more But what clinched it for me was the fun premise. WWAC do? What would Agatha Christie do! Yes, our intrepid teenaged sleuths take their inspiration (and lots of tips) from Christie's mystery novels. Each chapter opens with a Christie quote that is perfect for what's going on in the chapter.

What about the cast of characters? Oh, Glasgow and Lawson capture high school life perfectly. Our lead pair of investigators come from very different backgrounds and school social cliques. Alice is wealthy and a member of the 'Mains.' You know - the popular 'it' crew with money to burn and lots of attitude. And for her, school is really just a place to socialize. Iris is from the wrong side of the tracks and is one of the 'Zoners' - the kids that are smart, the nerds, and kinda the bottom of the social strata. This unlikely pair find common (but a bit rocky) ground in their pursuit of a murderer. There's a large cast of supporting players that provide lots of sub plots - and many, many choices for the 'whodunit'.

My guess for whodunit changed many times as the book progressed. Glasgow and Lawson lead the reader down the garden path many times on the way to the final pages. The mystery is well done. But, the other bits that's also well done are the situations, emotions, stressors, highs and lows of being a teenager. Of that hard bit of finding yourself and what you want.

I could easily picture the settings of The Agathas. The school, the roller rink, the country club and more.(Maybe more than a little bit of Riverdale in my mind as well)

The Agathas was the perfect, fun, escapist read. And it looks like the door might be open to another 'Agatha' tale? I'd be happy to visit Castle Cove again. Fingers crossed! show less

When a teenage girl disappears in Castle Cove, two girls from different socio-economic backgrounds team up to solve the mystery.

I was expecting a greater degree of social commentary from something described as “Part Agatha Christie, part Veronica Mars” but I guess that’s the “part Agatha Christie” part -- Christie was not much into critiquing privilege and challenging the status quo.

That said, this was much appreciated entertainment when I was in bed with COVID. Would read any show more sequels. show less