One of Us Is Back

Gr 9 Up–The Bayview Murder Club is back for the riveting conclusion to the “One of Us Is Lying” trilogy, where Simon’s final secret is slowly unspooled, generating destruction and chaos in its wake. Told through the alternating points-of-view of Addy, Phoebe, and Nate, plus vignettes from Jake and Simon’s friendship six years prior, all of the narrators come into this last installment unsettled. Though Nate has a stable relationship with Bronwyn, he hasn’t figured out where his life is headed and can’t shake the feeling that their relationship won’t last. After Jake is released from prison pending a retrial, Addy feels terrified and on edge, certain he is going to come after her, seeking vengeance. And Phoebe is completely stuck, racked with guilt over what happened in One of Us Is Next, unable to move forward. After an electronic billboard is hacked to display the message “Time for a new game, Bayview,” the friends are resolute in their determination to find answers, stop the violence, and finally address some of Bayview’s glaring problems. While this final addition to the trilogy has more suspense than mystery, the growing sense of impending doom followed by the headlong crash into the conclusion still leaves readers feeling satisfied. All characters default to white aside from the Rojas sisters and Luis, who are Latinx.