HOW TO KILL YOUR BEST FRIEND

 

SYNOPSIS

Georgie, Lissa, and Bronwyn have been inseparable since dominating their college swim team; swimming has always been an escape from their own problems, but now their shared passion has turned deadly. How can it be true that Lissa, the strongest swimmer they know, drowned? Granted, there is something strange about Kanu Cove, where Lissa was last seen, swimming off the coast of the fabulous island resort she owned with her husband.

Lissa’s closest friends gather at the resort to honor her life, but Georgie and Bron can’t seem to stop looking over their shoulders. Danger lurks beneath the surface of the crystal-clear water, and even their luxurious private villas can’t help them feel safe. As the weather turns ominous, trapping the funeral guests together on the island, nobody knows who they can trust. Lissa’s death was only the beginning.

Title: How to kill your best friend

Author: Lexie Elliott

Publisher: Berkley

Publication date: August 17, 2021

REVIEW

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐💫

This was the second book I read by Lexie Elliott and, although I liked both, I was left with the feeling that they could have been much more.

I was immediately drawn to How to kill your best friend because of the title (not that I plan to kill any friend) and the cover. Look at those colors! Gorgeous!

Lissa, Georgie and Bronwyn have been best friends since they were together in their college swim team. Now, years later, Georgie and Bron are attending the memorial service for Lissa, who drowned in the resort she was running along her husband. She was the strongest swimmer so, how could she drown? Is there any truth in the local myths that say a serpent lives in the waters of Kanu Cove?

The chapters alternate Georgie and Bronwyn’s POV and each chapter opens with an undisclosed narrator trying to choose between different methods to kill their best friend. After all, killing is easy, the problem is getting away with it. Who is talking? Who is the intended victim? These were my favorite parts and I changed my mind several times about who this unknown narrator could be.

All the characters are hiding some secrets and at times it was a bit hard to keep track of who knew what. The pacing was a bit slow for the most part but I found actually preferred that part to the last third, when everything picked up. Some scenes in the water really creeped me out (not a fan of open waters) and just thinking about that creature lurking there gives me chills.

The resolution was not so surprising as it has been done before, and it was a bit drawn. There were a couple of really long chapters towards the end that I found pretty boring. When everything seemed said and done there was a last twist I did not foresee at all.

The atmosphere was really well done and the writing was good, but I could not connect with any of the characters, so that was a bit disappointing. 

Thanks to Edelweiss and Berkley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.