Published By: Headline
Pages: 368
Released On: 09/04/2026
The Class of 2000.
The Actress. The Techie. The Bimbo.
The Sportsman. The Bad Boy. The Writer. The Singer.
The Lecturer. The Musician. The Mature Student. The Weirdo.
But who is The Murderer?
It’s Bathory University’s 25-year reunion. The Class of 2000 reassemble – and old flames and old feuds are quicky reignited.
Laurence still loves Diana. Mags still hates Bill. Tillie wants Ed. Ryan wants revenge. Rob turned out good. J.D. turned out bad. Lilah’s not the same. And as for Marty…
But when murder strikes, the clues to the killing can be found a quarter of a century ago on Graduation Day 2000. As the secrets, tragedies and betrayals from years gone by play out at the reunion, someone is taught a deadly lesson.
Eleven witnesses – or are they suspects? – from the Bathory students and staff recount events in the years 2000 and 2025 while the murder trial unfolds before us. But who is the victim? Who is accused of being the killer? And is the right person even on trial?
The murderer will be revealed… but only by degrees.
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Headline for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
It is a mixture of formats. I never thought anyone could write the way Janice Hallett does, but Maz has found a similar way of telling the story, but it’s not always like that. Yes there’s emails and newsletters and court notes etc. But it’s alongside what you’d call “normal” prose. So, if you’re generally not a fan of the first type of writing, please stick with it, because they really help give an extra layer to the story.
I loved Maz’s debut adult novel – Over My Dead Body – and whilst I own a number of her kids books, I haven’t read any yet. I did read her last book – That’ll Teach Her – but it didn’t quite hit the same heights for me (we can’t love every book I suppose). But as soon as I started this one I knew it would be just as good as Over My… . It’s so fast paced but not too much, full of twists and turns but not overwhelming. I had no idea where it was going, who to trust, who to believe, who was good, who was bad – it’s got so many layers to it.
The characters are a mixture of heroes and villains, none of which are 100% good or bad. The “baddies” almost elt like pantomime baddies, and I mean that in the absolute best way possible. Any of them could have done it, and I really enjoyd learning all about them and trying to figure it out – which of course I didn’t.
Tere are a lt of characters, let me say. I am awful at remembering names so I did struggle at times, but I don’t think it negatively impacted my enjoyment of hte book as a whole, mainly because they are all so distinct nad so well written.
Each character’s chapter is the same story, but from different POVs which I thought was very good, because we get completely seperate angles that only add to the conusion and the tension.
She’s not given us everything at once. She’s teased things so we don’t always know who or what we’re reading about, which gets your imagination going.
I didn’t find it a quick book to read – not a negative, just an observation. It takes a lot of thinking and concentration which makes it a slower read, which is fine, but it’s probably not one you read whilst you’re trying to multitask, it deserves your full attention.
I’m an early-to-bed kind of person, but I had to stay up to finish this. I am notoriously bad at working out whodunnits but this really had me shocked and bamboozled (good word!)
I would definitely recommend this to people who like “different” thrillers, whodunnits with a twist. It’s a great read and thoroughly exciting.
Books By Your Bedside 