The Agathas: Murder, Friendship, and Absolute Fun

An exact quote of what I wrote on Goodreads moments after finishing The Agathas: “This is everything I wanted it to be and more!!”

I don’t think I need to say more than that.

Let’s discuss!

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Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Last summer, Alice Ogilve’s basketball-star boyfriend Steve dumped her. Then she disappeared for five days. Where she went and what happened to her is the biggest mystery in Castle Cove, because she’s not talking. 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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You know when you read a book that is exactly your thing?? That is what The Agathas is for me.

It’s mystery, it’s strong female friendships, it’s Agatha Christie, it’s sleuthing, it’s police not having a goddamn clue, it’s inner struggles, and it’s standing up for friends and for yourself.

It also doesn’t hurt that it’s written by Liz Lawson and Kathleen Glasgow! The Lucky Ones absolutely DESTROYED ME and I would read it again in a heartbeat.

But let’s get to the characters!

Alice is a mean popular girl. Or at least she used to be before she went missing last summer. Now, no one is talking to her and well, you can’t really be mean to anyone when no one is talking to you.

She’s also not doing that well in school and that’s where Iris comes in. Iris wants to disappear like Alice did but unlike Alice, Iris has a very serious reason for wanting to hide. And unfortunately, Iris doesn’t have the money Alice does so she can’t just get up and leave town.

At first, their relationship is purely tutor and student. But that changes when one of Alice’s former friends, Brooke, is found dead and they work together to try to discover the killer. They both know it’s not Alice’s ex-boyfriend (who the police think it is), but with only so many resources, they have to work hard to figure out who it really is. (Iris knows a lawyer and OMG, she is SUCH A CHARACTER)

Iris also wouldn’t mind the reward Brooke’s grandmother is offering to the person who finds the murderer.

For me, it’s the details of Alice and Iris’s lives that make this book perfection. Iris’s home life is especially riveting because it’s so terrifying. You can feel her stress and the terror she feels due to her father and wondering if/when he might show up again.

I really liked Alice’s home life too. Her parents are almost never there, but her housekeeper/nanny/friend is so wonderful that she almost makes up for it. She cares for Alice in a way her parents can’t even when she’s sneaking out of the house to find murderers lol.

But really, the best part of this book is Alice and Iris’s friendship. They don’t take shit from each other, but Iris is there for Alice and Alice is willing to beat up Iris’s abusive father. It’s one of the best friendships I’ve ever read.

And THE MURDER. I had no idea who the murderer was until the final moments of the book and it surprised the hell out of me. At first, I was like “it’s definitely Brooke’s dad” but then they ruled him out and I had no idea. I did not expect it to be this person (no spoilers!). I love being surprised!

I am giving The Agathas 5 out of 5 stars. If you love murder mysteries, you need to read this book!

The Agathas by Liz Lawson and Kathleen Glasgow is available now

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the free eARC in exchange for my honest review!

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