Book Review: Keep This to Yourself by Tom Ryan

Publisher’s Book Description:

It’s been a year since the Catalog Killer terrorized the sleepy seaside town of Camera Cove, killing four people before disappearing without a trace.

Like everyone else in town, eighteen-year-old Mac Bell is trying to put that horrible summer behind him—easier said than done since Mac’s best friend Connor was the murderer’s final victim. But when he finds a cryptic message from Connor, he’s drawn back into the search for the killer—who might not have been a random drifter after all. Now nobody—friends, neighbors, or even the sexy stranger with his own connection to the case—is beyond suspicion. Sensing that someone is following his every move, Mac struggles to come to terms with his true feelings towards Connor while scrambling to uncover the truth.

Karen’s Thoughts

As I’ve mentioned recently, I’ve been really into reading YA mysteries and thrillers, and this one did not disappoint.

Perfect for this time of year, we first meet our weary group of friends as they are graduating from high school and contemplating what comes next. They have met on this day to open up a time capsule as they promised one another they would do when they were all closer, but one of them is missing. Their friend, you see, was killed by the serial killer known as The Catalog Killer. And nothing has been the same since.

No one knows who The Catalog Killer was and the town has never been the same. Which means, of course, that Mac must work to solve the mystery on his own before he leaves town to start the next part of his life. And Mac’s investigation will leave him with answers he probably doesn’t want as he learns that a lot of the people that he loves and trusts in his idyllic little town have secrets better left uncovered.

This was a great mystery. Each new clue is revealed and the picture expands and I was left in awe of the character development and storytelling. The twists and turns were plenty and completely unexpected. It comes to a very satisfying conclusion. It’s just an entertaining and satisfying novel that will keep you guessing and hanging onto the edge of your seat. There is also LGBTQ representation, quality friendships, and a realistic look at small town life. The police do a few things that you know wouldn’t happen in real life, but it’s fiction so just roll with it.

Highly recommended.

This book was published Tuesday, May 21st

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