Two Can Keep a Secret, by Karen M. McManus, is a fictional mystery young adult novel. It is the third and final book in the One of Us is Lying. This book, however, is much different than the first. The first two books of the series (One of Us is Lying and One of Us is Next) take place in Bayview, California, and consist of basically the same characters. Two Can Keep a Secret, however, takes place in Echo Ridge, Vermont, with a whole new set of characters. The book takes place in modern times, during some year in the 2010’s. Though the two books are quite different, they both include the murderous mystery of high school drama. 

Ellery and Ezra are twins whose single mother was sent to a rehabilitation center due to her drug addiction. With no guardian in their California hometown, they are forced to move to Echo Ridge to live with their grandmother. Ellery, a murder mystery fanatic, has become somewhat eager to move to the town where her aunt, Sarah, and friend-through-family, Lacey (neither of she’s ever met) went missing. These mysteries seem far in the past, until a strange series of public threats start appearing all over the small town. By the end of the book, Ellery must figure out who is killing these girls, as her life depends on it.

“All of Fright Farm's success is based on how much people love to be scared in a controlled environment. There's something deeply satisfying about confronting a monster and escaping unscathed. Real monsters aren't anything like that. They don't let go”

Ellery, Ezra, and their new friends Malcom and Mia learn that even the people you know best can turn into the biggest monsters. But they also learn that it is not only people who are monsters, but feelings such as grief and trauma. The kids must learn to cope with their own underlying feelings before they can tackle the bigger problems that lie underneath the innocent small town facade that is Echo Ridge. The story teaches readers that family is one of the most important things in life. Throughout the duration of the story, the only thing that remained constant in the lives of these characters is that their families always had their backs. 

I definitely recommend this book for those who have read the first two of the series. The mystery part of the novel allows for an intriguing plot line. The constant “whodunit?” question allows for readers to make their own guesses as for who is behind the disappearances of the girls in Echo Ridge. In my opinion, the best part of the book is the fact that readers learn the clues along with the main characters, allowing them to piece together the puzzle and find the culprit at the same time as them. The high school experience aspect of the book allows readers to relate to at least some parts of the books. Because of this the book is even more appealing to those who are around the teenage age, though I believe that anyone could enjoy it. Overall, Two Can Keep a Secret is a great novel that anyone who read One of Us is Lying and One of Us is Next should definitely read.

Check out Two Can Keep a Secret at the Newport Beach Public Library!