One of Us Is Back by Karen M. McManus

After Simon Kelleher died and Jared Jackson was arrested, the Bayview Crew are pretty ready to move and never have to deal with murder again. Unfortunately for them, the new billboard proves otherwise: “Time for a new game, Bayview.” When it first pops up, everyone dismisses it as awful advertising; at least, until one of the Bayview Crew goes missing. The “game” that this person is playing? It’s serious, and it could turn deadly, especially with the return of someone the Bayview Crew thought that they would never see again.

As the finale to the “One of Us Is Lying” trilogy, I think that this book concludes everything well, with the ending being a satisfying close to the series. McManus managed to wrap up the events from all three books and even leave some parts up to reader interpretation, which I prefer over books that end things with a solid and final finish.
The characters felt more fleshed out and developed as well. All nine of the Bayview Crew felt like a normal, tight-knit friend group (excusing the fact that they all bonded over murder). Banter between characters with sibling dynamics such as Addy and Nate felt natural, and could easily be the type of conversations I have in real life. Not to mention, the humor in some parts of the story was on point, lightening the mood whenever things got dark.
Foreshadowing the murderer and big reveal at the end is a major part of murder mysteries, as it challenges the reader to try and solve the mystery before the characters do. The author had excellent foreshadowing, spreading clues throughout the story as the characters discovered them, as well as in the flashback chapters. Although the plot twist was unexpected, the buildup to it was good, and when looking back on it I could see how it all made sense.
However, it did end up referencing the events of both prequels multiple times, as well as recurring chapters from Simon’s point of view. As someone who’s read the entire trilogy, it was a bit repetitive and annoying to say the least, especially at the beginning. I wouldn’t recommend this book to someone who hadn’t read the prequels beforehand, unless they don’t mind having several spoilers shown to them. In conclusion, the book was a bit of a heavy read, so if you’re looking for something to make you think deeply, this novel is for you.

The most memorable part about the book to me was the flashback chapters. I’m aware that these are a common thing in murder mysteries, but the fact that they were retelling the story of Simon before the events of “One of Us Is Lying” along with providing clues towards the big reveal at the end made it feel so much more unique. I genuinely had fun trying to piece together the hints from the main storyline along with the flashbacks from six years ago, and made the murder mystery experience feel a lot more immersive and realistic. Reading the story through the infamous Simon’s point of view really changed how the book felt, as the victim of the original book had a deeper story of his own to tell.